max on 9z at the Thunderpick WC 2025: “Our expectation is always try to win the tournament”

Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez is living proof that longevity can still exist in modern Counter-Strike. He has spent almost six years on the 9z CS2 roster, leading his team through all the highs and the lows.

After missing out on qualification for the StarLadder Budapest Major, max and his 9z team arrive at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 with renewed goals and extra motivation. We got to speak to max ahead of the event, to discuss everything including the team’s chances at picking up an event win in Malta!

max on the Major grind, longevity, and reaching the Thunderpick World Championship

Sophie McCarthy: So you guys first qualified for the Thunderpick World Championship through the South America qualifier and then the Closed Qualifier. How was that experience for you guys?

Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez: Yeah, we first played in Brazil. We won the final against ODDIK and then we qualified for the Closed, as you said. And then we play against BetBoom and PARIVISION, both good teams that we were capable to win against them. So I’m very happy to be here.

Sophie: You’ve been with 9z for six years now, which is a really long time for Counter-Strike. You’ve seen lots of different players come and go. So what do you think are the biggest strengths of the players you have right now?

max: Oh, okay. One by one, I think BIT the coach, I played with him in 2020 and 2021, I know him years ago, so I like him a lot and he’s helping the team a lot. Luken, I think he has a very raw aim and he’s very intelligent as well. urban0, the same. He has very raw aim. So we are trying to put him to take duels all the time. And then we have levi, who is our AWPer. He’s younger but he’s learning fast and we trust in him. And then we have HUASO, the Chilean player from our team. He’s in 9z for two years I think, and I like him a lot. He has a good personality, he has always a good attitude, cheering the team up and he has a raw aim as well. So yeah, that’s my team.

Sophie: What about your own biggest strengths?

max: Oh, my biggest strength… I think it’s to be the more complete player. Like being support, being entry, being clutcher. I try to be all the things at the same time.

Sophie: I mean it’s good to have an all rounder for sure. So over the last month you guys have played quite a lot of small LANs in South America, one in North America and that’s a lot of CS. So how has that grind been for you over that time?

max: Yeah, that was good because we love to play LANs, but our priority, that was the Major and we didn’t qualify. So we are sad about that. But life continues. So we are here to make history and we are trying to focus on the next Major already.

Sophie: Have you done anything special to prep for this event particularly?

max: Actually, no, just take fun, enjoy the tournament and try to win against the best teams.

Sophie: So your first matchup is against The MongolZ. They’ve had a couple of shaky weeks. They’ve had a hard time recently. So what have you seen from them that makes you think you could take down The MongolZ?

max: I like them a lot. I think they are a really good team. But in their last tournaments, they aren’t in the best level. So if we had a chance, it’s today.

Sophie: That’s a great, great attitude. Okay, so looking over the event in General, the entire Thunderpick World Championship, what expectations do you have for 9z and what you can achieve here?

max: Yeah, our expectation is always try to win the tournament. We know we are the underdogs, but I think that it’s a good thing for us not to take the pressure to win events. So I think that will help us.