KSCERATO at IEM Krakow 2026: “You have to be able to understand the opponents and what they are doing… in this level, if you blink, you’re dead”

Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato is a key part of a FURIA squad that ended 2025 as one of the best CS2 teams in the world. With redefined expectations, KSCERATO and his FURIA team have had a slightly tougher time to start 2026. Regardless, they have made it to the Playoffs of IEM Krakow 2026, and we had the opportunity to catch up with KSCERATO ahead of the team’s Quarter-Final match against Aurora.

KSCERATO Says Football is Key to FURIA’s success

Sophie McCarthy: I know that YEKINDAR was saying in the lobby that you guys have started off with a bit of a cold year. So I just wanted to ask, how is that feeling like coming into the Playoffs after this Lower Bracket run that you’ve had?

Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato: Actually it feels great because we lost the first game, then we come back from the Lower Bracket. So it is good because we are warmed up a lot. We had a lot of fixes in all these maps. So it feels confident and also good.

Sophie: Also, FalleN was saying, I think in the same interview, that there have been some wake-up calls, especially in the matchup against PARAVISION. So can you tell me about what the process is of fixing these wake-up calls when they do happen?

KSCERATO: I mean, I think it’s about talking a lot about the situations that we went through and also understanding how they play. Because PARAVISION they played a unique specific way to play Counter-Strike. They play always from the back and not taking some risks. So it’s kind of different to play against them. But it was a wake-up call to us to understand how we want to play, how we can prep for them and also for the other teams that play like that.

Sophie: Your next game you’ve got Aurora coming up. I don’t think you guys have played them since the Thunderpick World Championship. So are you expecting any curveballs from them, or you just expecting the same old story?

KSCERATO: I think it will be a great game. We always have a great game against them because they have XANTARES and also MAJ3R. So MAJ3R is playing really good these last matches and I think that everything can happen. I think we just need to focus on ourselves and it doesn’t matter.

Sophie: I think what’s interesting about you guys and Aurora is when you compare the maps, your best maps are their best maps and your worst maps are their worst maps. So how do you think this is going to play out in those, particularly in the veto?

KSCERATO: Yeah, it’s always the same thing because we’ve been on the same maps. So you have focus on the same maps. So when we go to do the veto, it’s always like, “you guys gonna pick Ancient or are we gonna pick Ancient?” We don’t know. We had to figure it out. It is what it is. But I like to play against them.

Sophie: I guess at least you know you’re gonna end up on maps you like. So over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen some really strong individual performances, particularly from yourself and YEKINDAR apart from yesterday. So what have you been doing to reach these individual peaks?

KSCERATO: I mean, I think it’s more understanding the game because I think that the game science change every f***ing week. So it’s really hard. So you have to be able to understand the opponents and what they are doing. And also the aim, the sharp, you had to be sharp to kill them. Because in this level, if you blink, you’re dead. So you had to be awake. That’s why the first game that we played against FUT was not the only game that we didn’t play football. Then I said, “Let’s all play a football game, bro. Doesn’t matter that it’s cold outside. Minus 10, I don’t give a f***.We’re gonna play.” Then we played and then we start winning. So I think that it can help us and I think it help us to regulate our body temperature.

Sophie: I mean, you guys are Brazilian, right? Football’s the way forward.

KSCERATO: But we don’t play that good actually!