Sprout IGL AZR: “Playing against dev1ce on the T side always feels like playing against brick wall.”

Hello and welcome to another Fragster interview! This time, we had the opportunity to speak with Sprout captain Aaron “AZR” Ward, one of the most experienced IGLs in the current competitive CS:GO scene. 

Prior to joining the European organization about a month ago, he has been part of multiple important CS:GO teams such as Renegades and 100 Thieves, playing in various competitive regions of the world, including Oceania, SEA, and North America.

In this interview, we discuss AZR’s life in the pro scene, his passage through the different regions of the world, the most complicated opponent he has faced, as well as how is he adapting to his new team, how he sees the team in the near future, and more!

Counter-Strike is not just a career, it’s a journey

Fragster: Okay, let’s start with a simple question you are probably tired of answering: How did you get into gaming? And what’s your first Counter-Strike memory?

AZR: I originally got into gaming with my first console being Playstation 1 back in the day and my first Counter-Strike memory was playing it in the computer rooms at school for fun.

How would you reflect on your Counter-Strike career so far? Would it back then cross your mind that you will become a pro?

When I was younger, I never really thought of Counter-Strike becoming a career, and when it did, it was crazy to finally become a professional. It hasn’t just been my career, it’s been a journey. I’ve also seen the Counter-Strike scene grow and evolve so much over the years.

Is there a player/team you had a really hard time facing throughout your career? How do you cope with such pressure?

I’d say the player that was always hard to play against in the past would probably be dev1ce. Playing on the T side, it always feels like playing against a brick wall, especially against the OG Astralis lineup.

Oceania and SEA will always be behind

In your long career in the CS:GO scene, you have had the privilege of playing in various regions of the world, specifically Oceania, Europe, SEA, and North America. Can you give us your opinion regarding each of them? Which ones you liked the most and the least?

For Oceania and SEA, they will always be behind the rest of the world. They are just too isolated to be able to consistently practice against the best teams and just fall behind. NA has always had some quite good players, but it was very top-heavy. Europe has always been the strongest region. I feel like lots of countries have different play styles in Europe and they are able to consistently practice against each other, which overall improves the scene constantly.

Which one do you consider the most competitive and why?

Europe is the best and most competitive for sure. They have always had the best teams and they are all able to consistently practice against each other.

Friendship benefits the team as well as the gameplay

You’ve been with Sprout only for a month now, how are you getting used to the team? Is the chemistry working well?

Coming into a new team is always an exciting thing, meeting new people and learning how others play. I’d say the team is meshing well but we are still in the early stages of things. Excited to see where it goes from here.

We know you have a long time as an IGL on the pro scene, but how important is team chemistry to you when it comes to winning? Is it necessary for all team members to be friends and get along for the team to succeed, or is it just necessary for players to understand each other within the servers?

From my experience, I definitely think a friendship between the players can benefit the team and the gameplay. I think being friends enables you to push each other further and there’s also a deeper sense of trust that also shows up in-game. If you have chemistry in a team, everything just flows and you’re able to read each other a lot better, especially in stressful situations.

Now, it’s no secret that Sprout has had a lot of trouble in the last few months to get an IGL who can lead the team to victory, and after the departure of Zyphon, Maze and refrezh, were you surprised to get the call to the team or was it something that you expected?

I honestly wasn’t expecting it at all, as I haven’t played for a long time. I obviously have a lot of work ahead of me but very grateful for the opportunity.

Based on your performances so far, how do you expect the team to perform in the upcoming Paris Major RMR? How do you see yourselves against the likes of NaVi, Outsiders, Fnatic, FaZe Clan, etc?

At the moment, when we are on the same page, I can definitely see us being able to upset these teams, especially when the first few rounds are Bo1’s. There is a lot of talent in the team and it’s just up to us to show up on the day.

During the last IEM Katowice 2023, several players revealed their CS:GO Dream Teams. Can you reveal your Dream Team?

If not including myself, I think right now my current dream team would be:

• Gla1ve
• Twistzz
• s1mple
• huNter
• jks