We sat down with Rampy from Spacestation Gaming and asked him a few questions about the current season, SSG’s recent roster changes, and how they are preparing for the Six Invitational.

This will be the first major international event your team has attended as a whole. What are your personal ambitions for the SI, and what are the ambitions for the team as a whole?

Rampy: For me personally, it was just to make the event originally. Now, as always, my ambition is to just win the event. For the team, our ambition would be to win the event as a whole, and to prove everyone wrong after our rough first half in Pro League.

Your team stepped up during DreamHack Winter, offering one of the most entertaining matches of the event against PENTA. What were the learnings from this event as a team?

Rampy: We played PENTA and we lost 2-1; they were very close games overall. We lost because PENTA was good at exploiting our weaknesses. When this event took place, Bosco had only been on our team for a few months, so our experience at the event and the effects of the loss actually helped us to fix some of our problems moving forward into Season 9.

The pickup of Bosco was one of the most notable roster changes in the North American region for Season 9. What strides has your team made since his addition to the team? Do you think having a veteran SI champion brings an extra edge to your team?

Rampy: Bringing Bosco on board was really huge for the team, he’s one of the best players in NA. As soon as he joined I noticed a ton of improvement, he fixed a lot of our smaller mistakes. He’s also one of the best shots in the region as well. And yes, I do think having a former SI champ on the team gives us an edge because he understand what it takes to win an event like the Six Invitational.

Your first game in the group stage will be against your comrades from North America, Rogue. Do you see going against someone in your region who you have practice scrimming and playing against as a positive or a negative?

Rampy: I think going up against someone in your region is a negative because everyone knows how everyone plays within a region. We both know each others playstyles really well and that can sometimes be seen as a disadvantage. However, since we play together so often, we know their weaknesses, and can try to exploit those as well.

What do you think about your group as a whole?

Rampy: I think we got one of the harder groups. Rogue has been playing a lot better and is currently in the top 5. Empire is obviously a force to be reckoned with as they are currently the top team in Europe; they just look unstoppable. Immortals being #1 in Latin America is a challenge as well. However we are not discouraged and we’ll be ready to play.

Are there any teams who you’re hoping to play at the SI?

Rampy: Personally, I wanted to play Rogue, I really like playing against that team. Other than that, I just love playing the game at the highest level possible and the experience at the SI will certainly bring that.

How are you and the rest of SSG preparing for this event?

Rampy: Personally, I go over my mistakes with Lycan after scrims and matches, making sure I’m bettering myself after each scrim. I also personally try to make sure that I play eight or more hours a day of Siege. As a team, we’re dry running new strategies and scrimming constantly to make sure that we’re fully prepared for the Six Invitational. Everyone is putting in the time, dry running and scrimming to make sure we are as prepared as possible.

At the Six Invitational, there will be teams attending from all the regions. Whom would you pick from the various teams at the event to create your all-star roster?

Rampy: My first choice would definitely be Bosco because he’s my teammate, and an all around really smart player. He has a terrific shot and he can IGL for the team. VertcL would be my next pick for his aim, he’s a really smart entry fragger, a great Ashe and can play any operator. Canadian would be next because he can play any operator, he knows how to exploit weaknesses, and is all around a great player as well. Nesk is another terrific shot, he can just run around the building and kill everyone in a short amount of time. Finally Fabian -- he wins all the time, he has terrific aim as well as being a great support player. Another IGL, he’s got a lot going for him.

Any final closing words? A message to your fans?

Rampy: To our fans, sorry for the rough first half of Pro League. We’re looking to turn things around at the Six Invitational, and we’ll see you there!