Aleksib at IEM Katowice: “We started this year with the same mentality and I’m hoping for some more success”

It’s almost time for the top 6 teams at IEM Katowice 2025 to take to the mainstage. I got the opportunity to talk to Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen ahead of Navi’s semi finals playoff game against the winner of Virtus.Pro and Team Spirit.

How are you finding Katowice so far?

Aleksib: So far it’s been really nice. I’ve been here many times now, but this time we have a new hotel and we’re located a bit more central. I really like it brings a new vibe to the whole tournament because obviously we’re always here at the start of the year. It’s cold, it’s dark. So it’s always good to have some, you know, new change of scenery.

Do you get to spend much time in the city?

Aleksib: Not too much to be honest. But now that everything is kind of close, even when I have that kind of like 20 minute, 30 minute break, I might go grab a coffee or might do something like that. Whereas the previous times in Karowice, I didn’t really do much, just stood in the hotel and went to the nearby shopping mall. But yeah, okay, it’s been nice now.

Sophie: That’s great. Okay, because I wanted to ask because we’ve got a really packed Counter-Strike calendar. I think last year you guys played 14 tier
one events and you won four of them.

So what do you do to keep playing consistently at this high level without burning out?

Aleksib: I mean, that’s a tough question. I do feel like, you know, we spent countless hours last year to the whole team and to the whole process and, you know, we ended up winning obviously the Major and we ended up winning three other tournaments. And I think those are the moments that’s kind of, they give the reward back to you, to the amount of time you spend or from home and overall just like to the grind. So that obviously helps.

I couldn’t imagine like, let’s say we did the same thing and didn’t win anything. Things would look way different and I would look at it way differently.

But right now I’m happy that we did it and you know, we started this, this year as well with the same mentality and I’m hoping for some more success.

Sophie: I mean, so far so good, right?

So what does your routine look like outside of the game? How do you keep yourself mentally, physically strong?

Aleksib: I mean we are abroad for a long time. So now we’ve been on the road for like five weeks and we still have one more week to go, if I’m not mistaken. Maybe. Yeah, something along those lines. The thing is that we have very long days, sometimes 12 hours, sometimes 11 hour days, have some breaks in between those. I like to eat healthy.

I didn’t take care of my body that well in previous years. But think like last year, a bit before that. But yeah, last year I started to really think about I’m getting older and, you know, it’s like all this time sitting and everything, like you need to look like, take care of yourself. And now I’ve been a bit more serious about it this year, starting strong as well. And I just feel like after every day, like every day I’m trying to do something. I’m trying to stay active, whether it’s weights, whether it’s stretching, active workouts.  Trying to get like 10,000 steps in the day. All this kind of stuff I like to keep as important. Like if I have seven days a week, I’ll try to do it at least, you know, six times. Wow. Okay. Yeah.
But the thing is that that’s pretty much my routine.

I don’t have too many spare hours, but I like, if I have like 4 hours free time every day, I’m trying to use like one or two to stay active. That’s really important.

Sophie: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it’s not something gamers really do that much, is it? So that’s great. I did want to touch quickly on how we’ve got a couple of new teams that we haven’t ever seen at a Katowice. So we had Imperial Valkyries. The Mongolz are at playoffs.

How important do you think it is for new teams to be coming into the counter strike ecosystem?

Aleksib: I mean, I’m all for openness and all for new teams, new faces. Why not? It’s always nice to see it because then you also feel like something’s evolving, someone’s coming up, new opportunities, etc. Sometimes you have a tournament that’s like further away, let’s say Australia, and you have like Australian team representing there. You might play a tournament in America, you might have an American team team there.

We actually have a tournament in Finland as well in Espo and I, and there’s always a Finnish team representing. Always nice to see.

Sophie: Oh, that’s brilliant. Okay, great. So I just have one last question, and it’s about the map change. I heard that JL in particular really, really isn’t enjoying Train at the moment.

But how do you feel about the change between Vertigo and Train?

Aleksib: I mean, I love it. First of all, I didn’t think that Vertigo had a place in the map, professional map pool. So definitely a better map. It feels like they’re trying to do something different.

There are some things that I do feel like the map is lacking. For example, the pop dog. No longer a pop dog.And that kind of, like, made the long range map have this different kind of dynamic. I really liked it. And the 6 train. Some people might not know what I’m talking about, but next to Ivy, the blue train, you could go on top of. You could peek from the left side, the right side, that also isn’t a dynamic anymore. You can go on top of it, but it’s kind of like a suicide. Not a nice move to do.

So I do feel like it’s a very nice change. It’s a nice map overall. I know they’re gonna do changes to the map because with Vertigo, they changed it like, eight times. So there’s gonna be changes. And, you know, I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful we’re gonna. That was my favorite map of all time, basically. And, you know, right now I just feel like it needs a bit more work.

Also make the rain like.I don’t know how to say it in English, but you need to open it up a little.I feel like the A side isvery open, but still very narrow.I can’t explain it, but something’s wrong.

Sophie: It’s hard to get those same angles that you used to with AWPs.

Aleksib: Exactly. Yeah. But at the same time. Yeah. Something new is always good for us. And. Yeah, I’m hopeful.