Attention Mercenaries!

CFS 2015 was the year of HG.Longzhu: from CFS China’s National Finals, CFS Invitational in Brazil, and CFS Grand Finals, they swept away the major championship titles. Let’s meet the victor!

CFS 2015

How did it feel to return to CFS in a long time after CFS Season 1?

It felt great and we were all excited to come back after a long break. This was especially true for DAOBOQ and wn99, because CFS 2015 was their first experience in the international competitive scene so it was more meaningful for us. The mere fact of meeting and competing with overseas players was wonderful. It felt like going to the battlefield with the strongest warriors which kept us thrilled.

What is the play you recall the most from CFS 2015 GF? Were there any teams that you did not expect much?

The game against Philippines in the Semifinals is definitely hard to forget. We knew their competence from playing with them in the Group Stage and the team agrees that Pacific.Macta is among the strongest teams that they have encountered. So we were very anxious, especially during the map ban pick, Sub Base, the map where EP had lost, was chosen. We were worried and stressed, not because we did not prepare for the map, but we made several mistakes.

At the beginning we were losing by 1:5, but fortunately after that we were able to find the opposite team’s weakness and reach 4:5 for the first half. All of us took a deep breath. Our second half began in the side of GR, which is our forte. We were able to defend our base and win the game. Overall, the first half was a hard time for us because the sniper from Philippines had great marksmanship that it gave us pressure in the middle passageway. But in the end we were able to win.

The team that was most unexpected was the European team. We were predicting to play against the other Chinese team, but after EP’s defeat, we thought we would play against INTZ or 3sUP.Carbon (thanks to the Invitational in Brazil, we had a chance to play with Brazil and NA teams). However it was PENTA Sports that came to the final match, a team we did not expect. We knew that PENTA Sports was a strong team with good skills and tactics, but still their strategies are weaker than Chinese teams. Although we won in the final match, it certainly proved to us what a strong team PENTA Sports is.

Did you have any moment when you felt you were in danger?

When we encountered INTZ in the Group Stage, we had trouble catching up in the first half to the point that we felt at risk. Fortunately Harlen did a great job and helped us to get back in the game. Then again in the Semifinals against Pacific.Macta, we felt much pressure once more. The last two points in the first half were scored by ENPI and things got better after changing side in the second half.

People say that HG’s plays are weak in the beginning but they always manage to turn the situation to our favor and win. What are your thoughts on this point?

Because we always turn the table in the second half, our SNS fans say, “We actually feel relieved that you are falling behind” (hahaha). We are always so grateful to our fans but at the same time feel sorry for worrying them. I think this play style is our characteristics. In so many instances, including CFS, we were losing in the first half but end up winning by 10:7. However we also think that being able to turn the tables is a skill that we got from participating in many tournaments. In the beginning our team has not adapted to the opponent’s play style yet we rapidly analyze their strategies and make it into our advantage, which on the other side can be a weakness for the international teams.

In this CFS 2015, we saw the decrease in the number of Chinese teams, consequently decreasing the possibility of China winning the championship. Notwithstanding, you were able to defend China’s title, not only in the Grand Finals, but also in the Invitational in Brazil. What motivated you to come this far?

Firstly talking about Invitational in Brazil, ever since the moment we left China we made up our mind that we would win the tournament. But unlike our expectations, the process to victory was tough. For example, INTZ defeated us in the first game and advancing to the Quarterfinals was not as easy. We had risky moments even after the Quarterfinals and we almost lost by 1:2.

Through the experiences last year we clearly felt it is very different having a tournament in your country and overseas because the team not only has to think about winning, but also make sure to defend the honor of representing your country; in general, there is more to bear. The atmosphere of the event was also very much different from China, which took us by surprise, but it was a positive experience that gave us energy to make it to the end.

For the Grand Finals of CFS 2015, we actually felt more relieved since there was another Chinese team. However, without doubt, the feeling that we had to win intensified after EP’s defeat.

During the closing ceremony you came on stage holding both China and Brazil’s flags, deeply moving the audience. Can you explain more about this situation?

The passion of the audience in Brazil is admirable and we were also immersed in the atmosphere. Brazilian people, players, and eSports, like the country, are enthusiastic and fervent, which is why we became good friends with the Brazilian players. Even if their teams were relegated, the audience still stayed until the end to watch the game and enjoyed it. They truly love the game CrossFire. During the closing ceremony, INTZ first took China’s flag with theirs, so we also decided to go on stage holding Brazil’s flag and honor.

CFPL Season 8

Now that CFPL Season 8 has started, how do you feel about the league? Any expectations?

HG’s team motto is to go towards the goal without giving up. All 5 of us have not won in the CFPL so we strongly desire to win. We think it is important to go step by step to reach a goal. We will do our best to win the regular season, go to the offline stage and ultimately to the finals. We also look forward to CFS.

There hasn’t been any roster changes from CFS for CFPL Season 8. Do you think this is your strength?

Compared to other teams, we believe it is our strength because we have practiced together and know about each other’s position that much more, which earns us time. Our teamwork has also worked so we can concentrate on improving our individual skills and new strategies. However, this can also be weakness. Because there is no line-up, other teams will know more about our strategies throughout many tournaments, making us work harder to find new tactics.

HG’s results were not as good in the first week…do you feel a lot of burden as the world champion?

Indeed we performed very poorly in the first week. The team members’ condition and communication were not good and we could not concentrate well on the match. World champion already happened in the past; we would genuinely become the strongest team if we are able to maintain that capability and become the world champion once more. We don’t feel much burden. We will do our best.

--> Watch CFPL season 8 VODs here: http://cf.tga.plu.cn/cfpl/video

How is it different to compete against national teams and international teams? Did you prepare differently for CFPL from CFS?

We think that Chinese teams have better teamwork and strategies compared to global teams, while the later are stronger at handling unexpected situations. When it comes to individual skills, international players tend to have more unique plays.

During CFS 2015 Invitational in Brazil, xfamous from North American team 3sUP.Carbon killed 4 of us at once, and through headshots! This type of surprises are not common among Chinese teams. International teams have a stronger mind too while Chinese teams have a deep understanding of the maps because of their frequent practice. Also, because the infrastructure of China’s CF eSports is better set, pro players can play more actively.

Whether it is CFPL or CFS, the first thing to do is to get used to the weapons. During CFPL, we don’t have to watch VODs as much because we know a lot about the teams. But in the case of CFS, we spend a lot of time watching VODs to study their moves. The biggest difference from these 2 tournaments is that they use a different tournament system. CFPL does not restrict weapons and CFS only allows the basic equipment. Therefore CFPL considers marksmanship more important while in CFS, it is a battle of teamwork and strategies.

--> Click HERE to watch CFPL Season 8 matches live every weekend.

Get to know more about HG!

We would like to know more about HG players! Can you tell us about their personality?

All 5 of us are from the Northern part of China and we all have extroverted personality. ENPI seems to be very strict and does not laugh much, which is the personality of the goat zodiac (note: many people in China identify their character with the Chinese zodiac). He scolds us a lot during the matches. But outside the game, he is a very funny person and the team’s source of energy. He also cares for us and regularly organizes get-togethers.

Harlen has a warm character but sometimes tends to be stubborn. Although he is the oldest in our team, he doesn’t seem like the oldest and rather likes to joke around haha. When he thinks something has to be done, no matter how difficult, he does it until the end and does not change his way of thinking once he thinks something is right.

Mino has a very positive mind and is gifted in caring for people around him. However he has his own world…sometimes when everyone is quiet he suddenly starts laughing out loud. We were disconcerted in the beginning but have come to get used to it.

DAOBOQ is our team’s chubby cutie with a good sense of humor. His personality is very outgoing but become stubborn when he gets mad. When playing, he is the most stable player who is not affected by the surroundings. Since we live together, DAOBOQ is the last one to sleep because his snoring is too loud that we cannot sleep after him hahaha.

wn99 and ENPI have the same zodiac but their characters are slightly different. wn99 doesn’t have ENPI’s strict look but has a more mature personality due to having lived a rough life, but during the game, this becomes a strength as he can handle situations objectively. A trait is that wn99 has a lot of knowledge about everything! You can ask about any world news or even CF news and he will know, giving him the nickname “CF Source”. 

During the Farewell Party in CFS 2015, we could prove wn99’s singing abilities and flexibility. Do the other team members have other qualities besides gaming?

Because all of us have outgoing personalities we like to go out and play. We enjoy going to the karaoke, swimming, and watching movies. wn99 is a good chef! If there is no one to cook us, he will make delicious food for us. Mino likes to play sports and since he is also tall, he is good at basketball and soccer. There is basketball court below our club so he gathers people to play basketball after our practice, and if there’s no one, he will just play by himself.

Enpi likes a lot of things but he is not good at any of them haha. He likes to actively participate in whatever the others want to do. Unlike his looks, DAOBOQ likes to read books and also plays other games when he has free time (but doesn’t like to move around, as you might already know why :) Harlen likes to hang out with his friends; he has a lot of friends because of his nice personality. Oh and he is the best drinker. Everyone has a great personality and different skills and we are glad to share about us through this interview.