German esports organization MOUZ is showing excellent form at the BLAST Open Porto tournament. Following their triumph at the offseason Tier-1 BLAST Bounty tournament and a somewhat inconsistent performance at the EWC, the team has returned to peak form, defeating Falcons and securing a direct spot in the semifinals. During the media day, the roster's new in-game leader xertioN discussed the team's preparation, role changes, and the main goals of the updated lineup.
Advancing directly to the semifinals provided MOUZ with an extra practice day, which, according to xertioN, significantly changes the preparation dynamics. The team has to balance resting with maintaining their "competitive drive." The captain noted that starting from the semifinals is generally more advantageous, as it reduces the number of tough opponents on the way to the trophy. The only downside he sees is missing out on an extra stage match, which could have given the players more experience playing in front of a live audience before the crucial stage.
Evaluating the group stage, xertioN highlighted the team's high aggression and energy, which served as a successful response to their loss against FUT at the previous EWC tournament. In the matchup against Falcons, MOUZ dominated for most of the series. Despite a psychological slump at the beginning of Nuke, which led to dropping the map, the team managed to quickly recover and take the next two maps, demonstrating the squad's high mental resilience.
The arrival of newcomer PR played a significant role in revitalizing the team, bringing fresh energy to the roster. At the same time, xertioN's transition to the IGL role fundamentally changed the internal game dynamics. Thanks to his confidence, the new captain is able to effectively control the squad's mood and influence their in-game philosophy. An important role in supporting the new players during crucial stages belongs to the experienced core, which includes coach Sycrone, xertioN himself, Spinx, and torzsi—they are the ones who must take responsibility and set an example for the youngsters.
Despite rapid progress and swift victories, xertioN emphasizes that the roster currently remains more of a "group of people" rather than a fully-fledged team. The main goal for upcoming tournaments is not so much winning specific trophies, but achieving perfect tactical and psychological synergy. MOUZ plans to close the gaps in communication and game understanding between the players to return to the organization's traditional level of absolute team unity.
As a Reminder, XTQZZZ on changes in Vitality: mezii to become IGL, team faces role redistribution
