“The biggest thing is to focus on ourselves and how we’re playing” – MIBR verno after beating NRG at VCT Americas Kickoff

Following MIBR’s hard-fought victory over NRG at VCT Americas Kickoff, Hotspawn caught up with Andrew “verno” Maust to break down the series, the formation of MIBR’s roster, his development as an IGL, and his thoughts on the evolving meta.

Hotspawn:  Firstly, a pretty amazing game against NRG.

So how are you feeling after that win?

Verno: “Good. It was definitely important, an important win for us because it is going to give us a lot of time to continue practicing together.”

Hotspawn: Your map number one was a bit rough. The first half looked very difficult, but you bounced back and pulled off the reverse sweep.

As a team, how do you keep that mental, especially since this is the first time all five of you are playing together?

Verno: “We have a lot of experience on the team. On Abyss, it was rough. They snowballed us really hard with a new comp, and we had no information on them. They had information on us. That was a rough map, but we understood that’s sometimes how it goes. We were able to bounce back and keep it strong. Even without Happy being here, it made it harder, but we still managed to do it.”

Hotspawn: Once Zekken started finding those crucial first kills on map two, it felt like the momentum shifted.

How do you deal with being on the other side of snowball-heavy teams?

Verno: “It’s hard when you don’t have information on a team. You just try to make the adjustments to how they’re playing.”

A super team with a super comeback. @MIBR takes the series 2-1! #VCTAmericas pic.twitter.com/FD06jZomPQ

— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesportsna) January 31, 2026

Hotspawn: After the utility nerfs, we’re seeing more double duelist compositions and more Tejo.

What’s your take on the current meta and what it favors?

Verno: “I think the meta is very open right now. I don’t have too much of an opinion. What NRG showed today was good. They had a good read on what they did. We’ll have to see how it plays out.”

Hotspawn: As soon as this roster was announced, after all the rumors and everything, everybody has been super excited about it, and you guys have definitely been living up to the super team.

So I just wanted to ask you, how did the roster come together?

Verno: “Aspas already had played with Tex and Mazino for a while, and then we decided to get zekken for smokes, and then we saw today the second duelist.”

Hotspawn: Having that additional backup for Aspas has been paying dividends. Especially on map number two, Zekken was really able to pop off with the first blood.

So how has it been having possibly America’s two most talented duelists on your team?

Verno: “Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely nice. Everyone on the team is able to win rounds. When our double duelist execs are nice as well, with both duelists being very good and experienced on the role, 100 percent.”

Hotspawn: I remember reading that one of the things said about you was that you were a very quiet person.

How do you get from that to IGLing? How did you evolve into that IGL arc?”

Verno: “It just transitioned into my role in the team. I went from mid-rounding and secondary calling to being full IGL for Champions, and that’s it.”

Hotspawn: How do you consistently keep improving as an IGL? What’s the trick, so to speak?

Verno: “I’m still relatively new to IGLing, so I’m just continuing to keep learning and trying to move forward and improve.”

Hotspawn: How do you do that? Do you practice new things during scrims, watch VODs, work on this with the team?

Verno: “There’s not just one thing. I’m learning from others, learning from my teammates, and trying to understand the maps better and how we should play them. There’s nothing complicated, no secret.”

Hotspawn: What’s your favorite agent to play?

Verno: “I only play Sova or Fade. Fade a lot, but Sova is my OG agent, so I have to go with Sova. I’ve been playing Sova for a long time.”

Hotspawn: Americas has consistently shown up at the highest level.

What makes the region so strong?

Verno: “I think we just understand the game well and how to play together. And for us, we also have aspas. He’s the best player, so that helps a lot.”

Hotspawn: Who do you think will claim the three Americas slots for Santiago?

Verno: “I think NRG are playing really well, and I think we’ll make it. Kickoff can be very random, so you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

Hotspawn: Between G2 and FURIA, was there anyone you wanted to face in the grand final?

Is there any team on your list to beat?

Verno: “I don’t have a big preference. The biggest thing for us is to focus on ourselves and how we’re playing.”