As one of the North American titans, Evil Geniuses is looking to reclaim the Six Invitational title after losing it to G2 Esports last year. They enter this tournament after demolishing their regional competition, finishing the first half of the season with a 6-0-1 record with their only loss being against Team Reciprocity.
This will be Aaron “Gotcha” Chung's first LAN competition as an official coach for the squad, as he wasn’t able to perform as one during Season 8 at Rio de Janeiro and had to sub in for Geoo at Las Vegas for the US Nationals Finals. Fortunately, this time Emilio “Geoo” Leynez will be able to play which will help the team hit their true potential on the big stage this time next week.
The Evil Geniuses roster prior to their Season 8 Finals. From left to right: nvK, Yung, Canadian, Necrox and Geoometrics
We spoke to Gotcha to ask about their expectations and preparations for the next big LAN event, the Six Invitational 2019:
Firstly tell us a little bit about yourself and your team.
My name is Gotcha and I am the Coach for Evil Geniuses. Before joining EG I was the Captain and IGL for Disrupt Gaming in Challenger League.
When did you decide to join the team? And, how did you make the decision considering that you were playing for a team with high chances of making Pro League?
I joined EG in the middle of October shortly before my team (DG) was heading into Challenger League Playoffs for a chance to make Pro League. I decided to join EG despite having a high chance of making Pro League because EG has historically been the 2nd best team in the world and having the opportunity to be a part of that was something I couldn't pass up. I developed pretty much all of the strategies for DG and watched a ton of VODs to help us succeed in Challenger League and I thought I had a lot to offer EG as a coach and analyst to elevate their gameplay to the next level.
Evil Geniuses at the US Nationals 2018
In Rio, EG lost against Fnatic 2-0 which was definitely a shocking result. What went wrong in this game?
Rio was a very unfortunate event for our team for several reasons: 1. I couldn't call any timeouts or be behind the players at Rio because I wasn't on the official ESL roster at the time because of ESL rules, which I think played a big factor into our loss. The way that Fnatic was playing was definitely erratic, but something that certainly could be countered with good direction/coaching. 2. We struggled to adapt to Fnatic's playstyle and kept letting them have control of the game by playing a more "ranked" style which a lot of pro teams struggle with. 3. I consider our results in Rio to not be a true reflection of the talent and ability of this team. We look forward to playing at Invitational to remind all the teams why Evil Geniuses is often considered one of the best teams in the world.
In the start of the current season, EG has won every game but one. What has changed from Season 8 to Season 9?
I think the main difference between Season 8 to Season 9 was the amount of prep-work that we put into nailing down our strategies and counter-strategy against our opponents. We as a team dry run a lot, rarely take any breaks during the regular season in terms of practice, and are hyper-focused to make sure that our team is performing at the highest level possible. As a coach, I'm constantly looking for ways to improve our team, develop new strategies, and make sure that each of the players on our team is excelling at their roles and constantly improving as individuals. Often times, I am very hard on my teammates because I believe we have the best 5 players in the world and can achieve the results we want if we put in the work. I'm super proud of my boys for having a tremendous first half of the season, and we are looking forward to showing what we have in store for the Invitational.
The North American standings after seven play days of Season 9
This will be your first time officially coaching the team at a LAN event. How is the team approaching the Six Invitational?
I'm finally looking forward to coaching my first LAN event after being unable to coach at Rio and playing as a sub for Geo at USN. We have done a ton of prep-work for the Six Invitational and have scouted out other teams to counter them and I believe all this prep-work and the blood, sweat, and tears we've poured into excelling as a team will simply be unleashed at Invitational. As a team going into Invitational, we know that if we simply show up and play OUR game and fire on all cylinders, we'll definitely have a high chance of taking the hammer home.
The team is looking better than ever, you are also showing a different play style than before. How much of this has been your influence and what has your thought process been while undergoing these changes?
One of the first things that I did as a coach for EG when I joined was solidifying the roles of every player and putting every player exactly in the roles they can excel the most in. As a result, we have 5 players that are playing the best Siege that they are capable of. I think being flexible as a team and adaptable to our opponents has given our team a big edge. On top of that, I try to give my guys the most support they could ever possibly receive. I strongly believe we have the best 5 players in the world on our team and as a coach, I simply try to equip my guys with the best weapons to go to battle.
Your group at the Six Invitational is Group D with LeStream Esport, NORA-Rengo and PENTA -- which of these do you think will be the biggest challenge?
I think NORA-Rengo is probably our biggest challenge because they are a dark horse and their playstyle is something that can catch teams off guard.
Your first game will be against the European side of LeStream, how are you preparing for this matchup?
We have reviewed a ton of VODs of LeStream and have a very good understanding of their playstyle and what makes them tick. Going into our matchup, we are well-prepped and ready to play.
The Six Invitational group stages. Evil Geniuses can be found in Group D
What are your goals for 2019 as a team?
The main goal we'd like to achieve as a team in 2019 is to win as many events as possible and reclaim our title as the best team in the world.
What gameplay and esports changes would you make to Rainbow Six?
I love the direction that Siege has been going in and we've been blessed to have more and more events that teams can compete in. I hope that more leagues, more events, and bigger prize pools keep popping up. In terms of gameplay, crouch spamming and lean spamming need to get addressed immediately because they are simply broken mechanics that should not be in the game in the first place.
Do you have any message to your fans?
Thank you to all the fans that have stuck with us through 2018 which was a great year for us overall, but a bit disappointing. We had quite a few 2nd place finishes last year, but heading into this year we are laser-focused on bringing that hammer home and hope to make our fans proud going into other events after Invitational as well. #BleedBlue #RentonDrop #EGReady
Evil Geniuses next game will be on Monday when their Six Invitational run kicks off with a matchup against LeStream Esports at 11:30pmUTC. Keep an eye out for more interviews and Six Invitational coverage here at SiegeGG!
Written by Alex