NRG defeated KOI in the opening match of the VALORANT LOCK/IN tournament today, and top player Ardiis paid tribute to his in-game leader.
Ardiis told Dot Esports that FNS's calling was "unbelievable," and that his style mirrored that of his former IGL Ange1 at FunPlus Phoenix, the team that won Masters Copenhagen in July 2022.
Ardiis said of Dot Esports: "He knows that he has a plan in his head, it's exactly what you want from your IGL."
Ardiis believes that the FNS' structured approach helps him as a player since he is able to rely on the playbook rather than making quick decisions. “I like to have structure, I like to have protocols, and I know what everyone is doing without looking at the mini-map,” he said.
Ardiis, who is usually at the top of the scoreboard when he plays a professional match, had to make way for his teammates s0m and crashies today. Both players contributed 36 kills to NRG's match against KOI.
S0m, known for his extensive stream alongside his professional career, has unprecedented shoes to fill with Marved, widely considered one of the world's best controller players, out of the team. However, Ardiis said that s0m is underrated and his excellent performance today against KOI was nothing out of the ordinary.
"It might be surprising to our fans, but I play with him day in day out in practice," Ardiis said about s0m's performance.
The winners of Giants vs. DetonatioN FocusMe will be decided later tonight.