Six Major Paris: Interview with Vitality

Thanks to their excellent performance at DreamHack in Valencia, with some epic matches, Team Vitality qualified for Six Major in Paris. The team has made it no secret that this has been their objective for a long time, and intend to give it everything they've got in front of the French public. During their boot camp in Berlin, we were able to ask them some questions about their ambitions, preparation and potential opponents.

The result of your match against ENCE at the Valencia DreamHack, which confirmed your place at Six Major, was intense! What were you feeling at the end of the semi-final after your qualification for Paris?

ZephiR: To answer that question, you just have to look at the photo of Heaavens, Spark and me which was shared a lot on the social networks after our victory. The photo shows our tears of joy, because it was such an incredible relief to qualify for Six Major at Dreamhack, which represented our last chance. The tears came from letting go of the stress after such an intense period, with the French Cup, the Pro League, the online qualifiers and Dreamhack, all of which took place within a short space of time. Our bodies and minds were exhausted from all these stages and all the work we put in.

In Valencia, you had to play overtime on several maps against Chaos and ENCE, but you also beat PENTA Sports. What lessons have you learned from DreamHack that will be useful at the Major?

BriD: During DreamHack, the team was able to prove several things. We managed to prove that with very precise objectives, we are capable of achieving them even when the situation looks hopeless. Winning against the power of PENTA allowed us to gain confidence in our play style for the rest of the tournament. The match against Chaos proved that every detail, every mistake can snatch victory away from you. That match against the Swedish team was intense and could easily have gone differently if we hadn't given 100%. The match against ENCE also taught us that you shouldn't underestimate "new" teams or those that seem a little less coordinated, because they gave us a run for our money in certain rounds. We're on the right track, and hope to stay that way during Six Major.

Participating in the first ever Major in the country in which you were born must be particularly rewarding for your team. Do you feel even more pressure because of this, or does it give you extra motivation before the competition instead?

Biboo: Yes, this Major is special… We feel a little bit of pressure, just as we do before every event, and the hype builds as the date of tournament approaches. It's a source of additional motivation when you play in your own country, in the capital, representing France. And after France's World Cup win, it would be a double victory to win the Major!

Vitality has a reputation on the Rainbow Six scene for its particular playing style. Apart from that aspect, do you think one of the team's great strengths is that you have a very stable roster?

RaFaLe: Yes, we've had this play style ever since we began on the Xbox. We use every second in the game to gather all the information we can reagrding the approach to use. Our teamwork is our strength, and our individual skills help get us out of complex situations. And clearly, stability is something you have to have if you want to be one of the top teams in France and the world.

BiOs, a former professional player, recently joined Vitality as coach before DreamHack. In what area was his support the most essential?

Biboo: BiOs probably has one of the best visions of how a game of Rainbow Six Siege should go, as well as an impressive understanding and knowledge of strategies. We recruited him for these important qualities, and also his analytical skills. He helps a huge amount with the analytical, strategic and statistical aspects, regarding both us and our opponents. With the considerable amount of work he did with the help of Lyloun (the Team Vitality analyst) and Heaavens (the Team Vitality manager), we are in the best possible position before each match, and the team is prepared for almost every eventuality when facing the opposing team.

Your group at Six Major is very harmonious and composed of Team Liquid, NORA-Rengo and Obey Alliance. How do you prepare for the opening match against Team Liquid, the latest winner of the Pro League?

Spark: We prepare for the Major as a whole, not just Team Liquid, despite the fact that it's our first match. Vitality allows us to boot camp in the best possible conditions during the week before the Major. Like any professional team, a large part of our preparation will be spent analysing our opponents with the help of BiOs and Lyloun.

Out of the16 teams qualified for the Major, which are the ones that have impressed you the most?

ZephiR: I think the most impressive team has to be Team Secret. They have reached the top so quickly, and after their win at the DreamHack in Valencia it looks like nothing can stop them. They've given some incredible performances, both on the European scene and around the world. They're a strong contender to win the final of Six Major.

Many thanks to Biboo, ZephiR, BriD, Spark and RaFaLe of Team Vitality for taking the time to talk to us whilst preparing for Six Major. You might also like to follow Rainbow Six Esports on Twitter and Twitch so you don't miss anything related to the event happening from 13th-19th August!