Grim: “The goal is to win a tournament, specifically the Major”

The surprise move of the Complexity core to Passion UA earlier this year sent shockwaves throughout NA. One of the affected players was Grim, who has spent some time flying the flag for NACS. Now, Grim and his Passion UA roster are ready to make an impact at the end of 2025, starting with BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2025.

Ahead of BLAST Rivals, we had the opportunity to sit down with Passion UA’s Grim, to get his thoughts on the move, and the team’s chances for the rest of the year.

Saumya: So Grim, how are you finding Hong Kong so far?

Grim: Honestly, it’s been really nice. We only got here last night so I haven’t had much time to actually do much outside the hotel because, you know, we flew like, everyone had like a 12 plus hour travel day so we’re all a bit tired so we just went straight to bed. But you know, it’s been really nice. Honestly, the weather is warmer than I expected. But yeah, excited to be here.

I just have to start with Complexity.

Saumya: Like Complexity was deeply invested in NA CS, right. How big of an impact was it when they withdrew from the scene.

Grim: I’d say definitely a lot. You know, Jason Lake has been supporting NA for like, I don’t even know how long now. So it was definitely nice to try and do our best to support NA. But yeah, unfortunately, you know, like you said, just funding ran low and we couldn’t secure more sponsors which sucked. But yeah, it was definitely a big loss because we were definitely one of the bigger NA orgs and names in the scene. And with us going away, you know, the practice also falls down a bit. So it definitely played a big impact.

Saumya: And how was that time like for you personally?

Grim: The time for me was honestly really good and really bad at times. You know, we had some good highs like finals of Sydney and semifinals at Pro League and obviously some other ones too, I’m not remembering right now, but some really low lows as well where we would bomb out of the tournaments. But overall the support of Complexity was really nice. When they had their facility in Frisco, it was awesome being there and getting the support from them and nothing but good things to say.

Saumya: Did you have any other good offers?

Grim: Not that I know of. I think Jason had some but he wouldn’t really tell us when we got signed to Passion.

Saumya: So comparing that time with your current stint with Passion UA, how do you find the environment and everything?

Grim: Honestly, the environment here is great. I didn’t know what I was going into on Passion just because I don’t know anything about the org or the management at all. But they’ve been very supportive and wanting to do anything to make the players happy, which is always nice on a team and nothing but good things to say right now.

Coming to BLAST Rivals Hong Kong, you’re going to face MongolZ in the opening game.

Saumya: What do you make of that recent change that they’ve done? And like, how tough of an opponent will they be?

Grim: Yeah, I was surprised to see Senzu go. Not sure what happened there, because in my opinion he was their best player, but controlez is still pretty good. Obviously they just had like a good run at Chengdu as well. So not going to be underestimating them, but, you know, just trying to see how different they’re playing without Senzu now.

Saumya: Can you tell me a bit about your new teammates, Kvem and Nix? I mean, Kvem is still kind of a new up-and-coming player. So what kind of quality do you see in him?

Grim: He definitely has a lot of potential for sure. He had a really high rating before he joined us as well. And I think he’s a really good player. Just it took a while to get him kind of up to date in terms of the communication. Sometimes it could be a bit chaotic, especially from him joining an international team, one of the only international teams I think he’s ever played on. So definitely was a learning period. But he’s definitely more comfortable now and we’ll see more from him.

Saumya: Okay, last question. You are just 24 right now and you obviously have a very bright future ahead. Do you set goals for your future?

Grim: Yeah, I mean, I always had this goal that I want to, you know, win a Major. My three goals were: one, to make a Major, which I’ve already done; two, to get like the quarter finalist globe or at least a sticker; and three, to win a Major. So yeah, I’d say the last one I have left, I definitely would like to win as many tournaments as I can. You know, I’ve only won like a few and they weren’t really S-tier ones. We almost won an S-tier LAN. But definitely the goal is to win a tournament, specifically the Major.