Viperio coach BisCu: “Everyone likes to criticize Valve, but they’re fast learners.”

In the latest Fragster interview, we spoke with Viperio Coach and Team Manager  Ciaran “BisCu” King about what’s it like to do both of these jobs simultaneously, what makes a good coach, and how to cope with the pressure of being responsible for so many things. 

Moreover, we also touched on Viperio’s recent results and how’s Extinct getting used to the new stuff the team had implemented while he was away, as well as what to expect from the recent Counter-Strike 2 hype.

A coach and a manager in one person

Fragster: So BisCu, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your Counter-Strike journey? You played professionally a little bit back in 2018-2019, how did you get into coaching? What led you to make this switch? Is this something you’ve always wanted or did it happen rather spontaneously? 

BisCu: Coaching happened very naturally for me. After it was evident to me that my progression as a player would be very hard after a certain point, considering my severe lack of mechanical skill, I decided to transition into my current role, which I would say has been my most effective for any team.

What about your goals for the future, what would you like to achieve in CS?

I’d like to win a tier 1 LAN international or otherwise, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching two teams at international LANs to victory but these weren’t what you would call tier 1 events. I’d love to feel the rush of winning a really big tier 1 CS:GO LAN.

You’re Viperio’s coach but also a team manager. How do you manage to do both jobs simultaneously? Is it hard to focus on both of them?

It’s very hard. I feel as if I do a good job spread over the two responsibilities, and I feel used to it at this point. But if anyone would listen and care, I could complain forever. We just struggle with what’s necessary.

Which of the jobs do you like more and why? 

Coaching, not even close. Managing the schedule is necessary and entirely required, but there’s no joy, excitement, or glory in that aspect of my responsibilities.

And how do you cope with such pressure?

I always remind myself the most pressure I can possibly feel at any instant is probably mostly self-inflicted. Taking that into mind, you can calm yourself and relax to allow a good performance to come out.

In your opinion, what makes a good coach? What’s your approach towards the players and coaching?

I feel as if the coach must be the most patient, but also the most passionate to energize the team when that’s needed while also being as observant as possible to notice how the team can play in a better way at that moment or how to counter the opponent’s current tactic. I’m still learning how to be as effective as I can as a coach, and I suspect I’ll be learning until the day I stop coaching.

There is optimism beneath the loss

Moving on to the recent performances, how would you describe the current atmosphere within the team? Viperio’s attempts to qualify for Paris Major RMR and for RES Masters didn’t end up with success, and you also left the CCT WEU Series #2 in 17th-19th place. What’s the mood in the team? 

The mood in the team is one of frustration at our recent results. No one likes losing, especially when it’s close and recently, repeatedly. But there is optimism beneath it. We have an envious position at the RMR in Copenhagen and despite poor results of late, we’re confident we can improve between now and then to show our best version in Copenhagen.

What do you think was the main reason for Viperio’s struggles to prevail in recent tournaments? 

We have undergone a roster change and this takes time to make work and get everything right. Coupled with the fact we’ve been as busy as we’ve ever been with invites to this tournament and that tournament traveling here and there, it’s really cut down on the time we usually have between games to analyze and improve. This is part of the process when you try to go up the levels, more games less time, so we have to be more efficient.

With that roster change, Viperio added Extinct to the main roster. How is he getting used to the team? How are the new composition and chemistry working for the team? 

Extinct has been a longstanding member of the core for years previously, however, during the time away from the core, we’ve implemented a lot of new things and we want to have even more new ways of playing. So it’s a process of bringing him up to speed with what we’re trying to do and then bringing the rest of the team along with the new stuff too.

And what are your goals for the coming months in light of the team’s recent performances? 

Our immediate goal is to improve the results from close losses to wins. That is our main focus at this time, and then having enough for the RMR in Copenhagen is also a priority

CS:GO needed Source 2 for a long time

Finally, and to continue adding fuel to the fire, what do you think about the rumors about the supposed Counter-Strike 2? Do you think that Valve will launch a beta in the coming weeks?

I believe Valve will wait until after the next Major in Paris before releasing any major patches that will affect gameplay or even just the maps. Everyone likes to criticize Valve for the mistakes they make regarding CS:GO but to their credit, they’re fast learners and usually don’t make the same mistake twice. I welcome the addition of Source 2’s. I think for a long time, CS:GO has needed it and Valve has clearly taken the time to develop it in the right way so that there is little disruption to the ecosystem.