In a lengthy interview with HLTV, Xyp9x discussedhis career since joining Mouz during the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

Xyp9x was once a core member of the legendary Astralis team , a four-time Major champion and the "Endgame Master" for his exceptional endgame skills. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Mouz .

In March 2024, after a long career as a professional gamer, he transitioned to coaching. Now, he works hand in hand with sycrone , bringing his rich experience to this team that once lacked competition experience.

During the BLAST.tv Austin Major, the Dane gave an exclusive interview to HLTV, discussing career transitions, role contributions, the increasing individualization of Counter-Strike, methods to avoid burnout, and assisting Brollan in his transition to commanding.

The core topic of the initial interview revolved around Xyp9x 's work at Mouz and how he uses his experience to help players grow and shape their playing styles without over-pressuring them.

"This mainly involves two aspects: one is to identify the players' behavioral patterns, and the other is to be aware of their emotional state. Many players don't express their feelings actively, but choose to hide them. So the first thing is to be aware of this, for example, you notice, 'This guy is actually nervous,' and then think, 'Can I talk to him? How should I go about it?'"

"But I prefer to create a relaxed atmosphere and let them know that 'it's okay to be nervous, it's not scary.' I was nervous when I was a player, too. It's not something that can be solved overnight. It's something that everyone needs to constantly manage as an individual. I can't sit there and say 'I did this and that back then,' because that won't help them because we're all different."

"But I can try to tell them, 'I can see that you might not be in the best shape right now, maybe a little nervous.' If they say no, then they might not be ready to accept feedback (laughs). Maybe I'm right, but then I can't do much more, after all, they have to be willing to listen. In general, there is no universal method of 'I did this back then, you should try it too'. It requires more comprehensive consideration."

When asked about his future at Mouz and whether he has fully realized his potential as an assistant coach six months after joining as he had hoped, Xyp9x said he still has a lot to learn.

"I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow in Mouz . I've really started to get more involved in the team process and incorporate my own ideas into the team."

He added that this includes training and preparation, and he hopes to avoid "over-preparation" like some unnamed teams, which puts too much pressure on players to prepare for the competition.

Later in the interview, Xyp9x shared his thoughts on a number of other topics, including Astralis ' trajectory in recent years, the criticism leveled against Falcons coach " zonic ," and his initial misgivings about Brollan taking over as captain.

Astralis 's development in recent years

"Whether it was when I was on the team or after I left, frankly speaking, Astralis was in a state of chaos, from the coaching arrangements to the player signings, to the overall direction they were pursuing.

If I were in Astralis ' shoes—and I'm not even talking about the sports director, but perhaps the CEO—I would say, "Slow down. Stop trying to win a Major all at once. Try to lay the foundation and build the team naturally." This might mean developing some new players, or lowering expectations. Because I think Astralis ' biggest problem right now is the pressure—the pressure of trying to reach the heights of our four Major championships.

Now that HooXi has joined, Astralis has chosen a different path and should continue in this direction."

Brollan takes command

"Initially, when sycrone told me we were considering Brollan as a floor caller, I was a bit skeptical, and probably the community as well. I'd never considered it that way myself.

Then I said to sycrone , "Okay, let's look at it from an analytical perspective. What can we find out about Brollan ? What are his characteristics?" It turns out that he has some of the characteristics that a floor general needs.

He truly has the ability to rally the team. It might not be obvious on the surface, but when Brollan speaks, a lot of people listen because he's incredibly smart and understands the game so well. So to me, those are the two qualities we're looking for in a floor general.

Of course, you can also point out his shortcomings, but I think whether looking at it from outside our team or the entire player market, there are actually not many suitable candidates. You can also see that many other teams are working hard to find suitable candidates, but the current market situation is indeed not ideal, and this situation has been going on for several years.

I'm thankful that this ultimately went smoothly. However, I also had doubts about my role in this transition. I think sycrone was the key to his development, and our sports psychology team also played a significant role, as changing roles within a team is ultimately about leadership.

This is more about "how to get along with the players," and one obstacle he may face is communication, how to clearly convey his ideas. For example, when he wants to explain a tactic or the overall plan, I believe he has the complete plan in his mind, but how to express it is another matter. He may not be good at this at times. But he has a clear plan and the mentality to lead the team.

About zonic

Can you tell me about your experience as a player under him? What did he do when he was with you in Astralis ? Do you think the criticism directed at him now is fair?

A: Honestly, nothing I say here will likely change the community's perception of him. The attention from haters is real, and it's difficult to change. But personally, looking at zonic , I've spent five or six years observing his work style. As for how he's changed since then, I'm not sure. I can only speak for my time on the team: at that time, he was undoubtedly the best coach. As for whether other coaches have reached his level or even surpassed him, I can't say. Honestly, when people speak in interviews, especially coaches, they tend to be reserved and not reveal the true details of their work. But I can say that NiKo once said he was the best coach. You might think NiKo said that because he was on the team and needed to support the coach, but we saw that at the time, both in terms of resources and in-game performance, that was indeed the case.

Of course, they haven't lived up to expectations and haven't advanced to Stage 3 of a Major, which is unacceptable. But I think the criticism is a bit excessive, perhaps also because they're a team that "pays for players." Based on my personal interactions with zonic and my understanding of him, I feel the malicious attention directed at him is excessive. That's just my opinion.