skullz on joining Imperial: “It feels like I was meant to be here with these guys”

Over the last few years, Felipe “skullz” Medeiros has plied his trade for some of the biggest CS2 teams in the world, fragging out for organizations like Team Liquid and FURIA. Now, skullz has found a new home in Imperial, where he has found his footing.

Imperial and skullz have arrived in Malta for the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, where eight teams will fight for an $850,000 prize pool. We had the opportunity to chat with skullz and see how he feels about the team’s chances at the event.

skullz on being underdogs at the Thunderpick World Championship

Daniel Morris: You guys qualified for the Thunderpick World Championship through the South America Series 1 and the Closed Qualifier. You beat the likes of TNL and Legacy to make it here. So what did it mean for you guys to fight through such tough qualifiers and make it all the way to Malta?

Felipe “skullz” Medeiros: It means a lot for us. It was a tough match and it was a tough bootcamp for us that time because I was pretty sick. chelo was not feeling great as well. So the victory for us meant a lot and it’s always good to be here.

Daniel: What’s it like playing with a player that’s quite sick and is really struggling through the matches? How is that on the server?

skullz: It’s hard because we went for a bootcamp also, so we had, like, a crazy routine because we are a fresh team. So we start to practise really early and finish really late. So it demands a lot from your body and everything in your mind. So being sick, it makes everything harder, for sure.

Daniel: Well, you’ve had quite a tough time yourself, moving from teams like Liquid and Furia since leaving paiN two years ago. You obviously have a new home in Imperial. Tell me how it feels to be a part of this team right now?

skullz: It feels like I was meant to be here with these guys. I really like all of them, and I think we are starting to build something really nice inside this team, and I’m really looking forward to our future together.

Daniel: Well, you’ve been with the team for almost two months now. Tell me a little bit about how you’re fitting into the team and what we can expect to see from you at the Thunderpick World Championship.

skullz: I would say right now I am in this kind of position that I am, like, the most experienced player. I play with a lot of good players in my past, and now I can start to give a little bit of my insights. And I feel like here people listen to me a lot. And, of course, working with VINI is of course, also a really experienced player, and chelo, my ex-teammate, makes everything much easier. And we also have our mental coach, Bernardo. His job is amazing and he’s not here with us right now, but still, he’s a really important piece of the puzzle.

Daniel: You mentioned that you feel like you can give a little bit of yourself and your insights. What player from your past few teams would you say that you’ve learned the most from?

skullz: I would say FalleN and this little short-term that I was in FaZe, I learned a lot from karrigan. I think it was an amazing experience for me as a player. I don’t think any Brazilian players had this experience to work with him. So for me it’s really a highlight in my career.

Daniel: What are the main things that you guys have actually been working on coming into this event?

skullz: We are working really hard on our map pool right now at the moment because we are a fresh team. Two months into the team, I think it’s pretty normal for you to have some stronger maps and some maps that you still have to work on. And I think in these last few weeks we are doing an amazing work. We are just grinding the game together. We are playing these lower Valve points tournaments that we needed to play for the Major. Everything went according to the plan, I would say. But we didn’t get the title, but we got the points. And this tournament is also very important for the points.

Daniel: It’s NAVI up first for you guys. A team that have been quite inconsistent throughout the year. What do you think it’ll take for you guys to get the win in that match?

skullz: I think we have a really strong game when we are all thinking the same and we are on the same page. So for me it’s just, we just got to be on the same page. It’s very important for us to get these points. If I’m not mistaken, it’s 90 points. If I’m not mistaken, it’s 90 points. I would say the pressure is on them and this is the mentality that we are going into this tournament with?

Daniel: Well, compared to some teams here, I think it’s fair to say that most would consider you guys to be quite an underdog. Do you prefer to come into matches as favourites or underdogs?

skullz: I would say since the team is like new. I like this title of underdogs because we can really take advantage of this.