“We expected to win; Gen.G aren’t as strong as before” – autumn outlines GE’s path to Masters London

Hotspawn had a chance to chat with Kale “autumn” Dunne from Global Esports after he and his team defeated Gen.G Esports in Week 1 of VCT Pacific Stage 1. As one of the teams in the ‘group of death’ with Nongshim RedForce, Paper Rex, KRX, Gen.G, and Team Secret, the opening win showcases GE’s consistent improvements and new roster’s strength this year.

Hotspawn: Firstly, thank you for joining me today, Autumn. That was a really fun match to watch, congratulations on your win.

How does it feel to get your first victory for Stage 1

Autumn: “Yeah, it’s really nice. I mean, we came in expecting that we would win because I don’t think Gen.G is as good as they were previously. But yeah, it feels really good. Everyone’s happy.”

Hotspawn: You’ve had a lot of cross-regional experience, especially playing in China before joining GE.

How has that shaped you as a player?

Autumn: “Yeah, I think it gives you an advantage, but it kind of opens your brain up to new ideas and playing differently. China and Pacific play a little bit similar, but China is more aggressive and players play more freely. Pacific is a bit more structured and smarter, but mechanics are similar. So yeah, it’s a benefit, it opens your mind to playing differently.”

Hotspawn: Today we saw you switch roles and pull out Brimstone and Veto.

What was the reasoning behind that?

Autumn: “Yeah, before in VCT I was playing flex for a long time, so it’s quite comfortable for me. Another thing was I didn’t really want to play Neon, and Udo’s Neon is better than mine. I wasn’t pushing him, but I thought it was best for the team because it’s kind of a Neon meta, a Waylay/Neon meta and most teams are playing it. I think everyone agrees his Neon is the best on the team. So that was the idea, and for me, playing flex is great. It’s kind of fun playing different agents on different maps.”

Hotspawn: GE has been one of the few teams running Veto.

What do you think makes the agent viable?

Autumn: “I mean, just like TP potential. There are a lot of angles where you can take shots, hide, and TP out — kind of like Chamber or Yoru. His ulti, we call it trophy, Interceptor, is quite strong if you time it correctly. And since the meta isn’t really sentinel-focused, you can play Veto aggressively, take more chances, and look for fights. So yeah, it’s more of an aggressive agent, like Chamber.”

Hotspawn: Map one was close, but map two was a stomp, especially on Gen.G’s pick.

What made it look so easy?

Autumn: “I think we’ve just gotten better as a team. After we lost to Paper Rex in Kickoff, we understood what went wrong and what we did well. We focused on our strengths, and there’s much more synergy now between all five of us. Understanding teammates and situations has improved a lot, and we’ve strengthened as a unit.”

Hotspawn: How has it been working with your new coach, FrosT?

Autumn: “When I was talking about joining GE, I wanted good coaching staff and specifically FrosT. That was a big reason I joined. I think he’s really underrated. Some people say stuff online, but he’s a solid coach with a lot of accolades people don’t know about. He works hard and is really good.”

Hotspawn: What’s the biggest improvement you’ve seen since joining GE?

Autumn: “There’s a lot: ability usage, rotations, timings, and playing better as a team instead of solo. There are also a lot of minute details on agents. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but he doesn’t just focus on teamplay, he studies everything and helps with agent-specific details too. He watches every game. So yeah, he’s great.”

Hotspawn: What’s the most important thing you need to do to qualify for Masters London?

Autumn: “Just keep calm, play our game, and trust each other — we’ll get there.”

Hotspawn: What’s the biggest challenge GE still needs to overcome?

Autumn: “Every team has problems. For us, it’s just playing together better. Even today, there was a round where I overpeeked and we lost it. Small mistakes like that. If we improve those, I think we can qualify to London and be a threat to top teams.”

Hotspawn: How does the current Waylay/Neon meta feel to play in?

Autumn: “I think it’s terrible to play against. Defence is really hard, and every team is running it — tier one, tier two, everyone. You have to make a lot of solo or hero plays because there’s not much you can do. Even shotguns don’t help — they slow you, jump over you. If you miss your first bullet, it’s really hard. But I’m happy Waylay got a slight nerf because it was way too strong before with Neon going in and Yoru TPing.”

Hotspawn: How excited are players in Pacific to face someone like Dambi?

Autumn: “Yeah, he played phenomenal, and I’m looking forward to playing against him. I think every player is, especially with the Neon meta. Duelists want to test themselves against him and see how they stack up.”

Nothing for OCE?
Assuming we need to play SEA I think 110+ ping vs 5 ping sea teams will be near impossible to win. 🙂 https://t.co/tYgRhjUmw0

— autumn (@autumnfps) April 9, 2026

Hotspawn: As the only OCE player in VCT Pacific,

What would you say to aspiring players in Australia?

Autumn: “Yeah, it was really sad to see what happened with tier two. A lot of my friends and aspiring pros are kind of devastated and don’t know what to do. But I think if they keep playing, there’s a lot of talent in Australia, they should keep grinding and try to reach out to teams overseas. If they get opportunities in Asia, even on smaller teams, it’s worth it to get their name out there. So just keep playing and grinding.”