B8 is the youngest team at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, but with ambitions far beyond their age. In an interview with BLAST, team captain Andrii "npl" Kukharskyi discussed the difficulty of breaking into tier-1, the unexpected role of being a captain at 21, and how the experience from NAVI and support from headtr1ck help the team cope with the pressure of a major tournament.

I think we played quite well in this half of the year leading up to the Major. There were good tournaments and decent results—so now all the focus is on the main event. I hope we perform well there too—it's the final point of our journey

B8 has hardly participated in tier-1 tournaments, and it's not about the level of play. According to npl, the current invite system simply doesn't give such teams a chance, as invitations are often handed out long before the event itself.

We didn't expect to play many tier-1 tournaments, but the ranking system didn't allow it. Most invites were given out at the beginning of the year, and we just didn't have a chance. Some teams won a couple of matches at one tournament—and immediately received invites to IEM or PGL. It's not quite fair

The role of captain came to npl unexpectedly early. He himself is surprised that at just 21, he's already combining the functions of a leader and a star player—although he was mentally prepared for this since his time with NAVI.

I knew I could be a captain, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly—I thought maybe in five years or later. There was no other choice then, and I just took on the role. It's challenging, but I'm managing. There are moments when you're tired of both fragging and calling, but the team believes in me—and that helps

He admits that combining the roles of captain and main firepower is only possible at the tier-2/3 level. In tier-1, it's different: opponents are stronger, the level of pressure is higher, and such setups might not work.

We play against tier-2 and tier-3 teams, and it's easier to be both a star and a captain simultaneously. But in tier-1, there are many strong players, strong captains, and it's already tough to combine. Maybe if we get there, I'll have to choose: either call or frag. I don't know yet

headtr1ck is not just a teammate but someone with similar experience: he also went through the tier-1 school in NIP, and now together with npl, helps the team maintain focus during stressful moments.

We have three players without tier-1 experience, and sometimes they get nervous. headtr1ck and I try to calm them down and help them play their game. We say: "Don't think about the score, don't think about who's against you. Just do your thing." And it works—we feel we can keep a cool head, even when it's tough

One of the team's features is its age: B8 is the youngest team at the Major. And for npl, this is not a disadvantage, but rather a long-term advantage.

Even if it doesn't work out now, we'll be back. We have two to three years while other teams age, and we'll only get in shape. We play tournaments to gain experience and get better—and the Major in Austin is just the beginning