In-depth interview: UK Rainbow Six Siege casters AceOfPyrite, Fluke and Dezachu review the Sweden Major and look ahead to the 2022 Six Invitational

Earlier this month Faze Clan beat NiP 3-2 in an all-Brazilian final to win the Rainbow Six Siege Sweden Major, with Latin America dominant as a region. Soon after, Ubisoft announced the 2022 Six Invitational will be returning to Montreal, Canada, next year from February 8th to 20th, with UK talent featuring in Rogue and Navi.

Dom Sacco speaks to a trio of UK Siege casters – AceOfPyrite, Fluke and Dezachu (pictured left to right) – to ask about their top moments and takeaways from the Major, and what they’re looking forward to at the upcoming Invitational.

Hi, hope you’re doing well and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! What did you think of the Major, what were your main takeaways from it?

Dezachu: I loved it! The theme was amazing so big props to the team involved behind the scenes there. From a competitive standpoint… LATAM domination. Who could have seen that coming?

Fluke: I adored the Major, the set was gorgeous and the games had some great intense moments from groups to the main stage. Takeaways are that you never know what to expect from teams until you hit international play, it all just connects to a pace that you can theorize forever but with how our game as with many in covid hit an isolated period of time, you really find each regions identity butting heads in the best way.

AceOfPyrite: Having got home and settled back into daily life, I have to say that the Sweden Major was one of my favourite events to date, particularly for the theming and production of it all, I was absolutely blown away! It was just so unique with the Viking and mythology elements as well as the music and graphics, you could look at any minute of that broadcast and instantly know it was the Swedish Major.

Sweden itself is a really beautiful country and the people were all super friendly so it was an absolute pleasure to spend the week in Gåvle.

In terms of the actual Siege itself, the quality brought by all the teams was once again outstanding with a few nice surprises along the way, like that semi final performance from Damwon Kia! Dez and I had an absolute blast casting that game as well as all of the others and there were some really memorable match-ups as well as a few standout players and teams, like Prano and Rogue as a whole, to keep our eyes on going forwards.

I always enjoy the tournaments that fall towards the end of the year as well as there are the big decisions getting made such as who will make it to the following SI (Six Invitational). Seeing Rogue step up and make it to the semi finals with that pressure on them, knowing it meant they qualified for SI2022, was really impressive.

How did the top 4 differ or relate to who you thought would finish there?

Fluke: I think we all expected Faze to hit the top 4, they were a favourite from the start and set such a great bar throughout the whole competition. Damwon Kia and Rogue had potential and fight, they really took some energy to the main stage and went beyond our and their expectations.

I think NiP had high expectations but had struggled recently, so for them to bring some solid pace and connect on the big stage before we look to them defending their title at SI 2022 makes it all the more exciting. It would’ve been nice to see BDS put some more pressure in.

Dezachu: I didn’t expect Damwon Gaming Kia to get to the top 4 honestly, nor did I expect them to find themselves literally one 1v1 from the grand final. If they were in the final over Faze, we’d have had our first APAC Major champions. To give some context, I do believe teams can shut down DK’s playstyle but it requires excellent and disciplined fundamentals, something a lot of teams are struggling with at the moment.

I was quietly disappointed that BDS went home early. I’ve said the line “always the stage but never the spotlight” enough to send anyone to sleep, but seriously – how long is it going to be true?

AceOfPyrite: The top four at international events is always tough to call now because the bar is just so high in Siege, with so many high quality teams to be found in every region. I expected to see a number of the LATAM teams in there so was pretty much correct with NiP and Faze making it, but it did come as a surprise that Team One weren’t amongst them.

Rogue and Damwon Kia were the two surprises for me. I knew both of those teams definitely had the potential to finish high in the overall standings, but with both having limited LAN experience it was still an eye opener to see just how well they performed – amazing runs for both of them that I think will translate into new heights for them next year too.

I can’t avoid mentioning BDS at this stage too. As one of my favourites for the tournament, I really expected to see them on stage for the final, at least but another struggle in the knock out stages of a big tournament struck them down.

What were your thoughts on Invictus UK coach GiG stepping in as a player at the last minute for HysteRiX?

Fluke: I mean it’s become a classic for APAC coaches to have a storm of a show on a Major and he threw himself into the mix for sure. It’s always a shame a roster can’t show us what they are truly made of after working to it for a season’s split. Gotta do what ya gotta do and he went out there and did it!

AceOfPyrite: To secure their spot they found themselves missing one of their big names with HysteRiX being unable to attend the tournament.

I love their attitude of positivity around it though, accepting the situation and drafting in coach GiG to take his place, focusing on just doing the best they can. It wasn’t ideal for them, but I’ve known GiG for a while around the UK scene and had the opportunity to see him play a few times and he’s no slouch in the server, I can tell you that. This definitely showed with some of the numbers he was able to achieve, especially when he was comfortable in the position he was playing.

All in all, not the way they’d have chosen to play, I’m sure, but still a performance they can all be proud of given the circumstances.

Dezachu: What a shagger. Imagine netting numerous entry kills against the reigning world champions. One of the best coach performances we’ve ever seen, he should be proud. It’s a shame for iG overall as you can’t replace the synergy and prep they’d done with HysteRiX before, but they’ll be back I’m sure.

Speaking of UK talent, Siege has some decent UK talent but there was a lack of it at the Sweden Major (outside of the broadcast line-up)! Rogue has LeonGids and Invictus has GiG, and Rogue and Soniqs have some UK coaching staff. Even at the last major with the Navi and G2 UK players in there, there wasn’t many others. France seemed to have much better representation this time around at the player level. Why do you think this is the case?

AceOfPyrite: As you say, we were a little light on UK talent in terms of players at this event, but that is quite unusual, we would usually be seeing plenty of other names in the line-ups of teams like G2 and NaVi. Not just names but some of the best players in the world like CTZN and Doki.

It can’t be denied in Europe at the minute that the French players and teams are excelling within Siege, especially when you consider how many players are making it to the top level from that country. I think some of this comes down to their huge appetite for the professional game, we know that France has a Siege community that is really invested in its pro teams and that will always lead to a great pipeline of up and coming players. The same can be said of Brazil, they have such a passionate fanbase and look at how many of our greats come from that region.

A great following isn’t something we lack in the UK either though and I have total faith in the UK talent that we have to be at the biggest events in the future – and also think we have a really solid national system that is producing plenty of talent capable of competing at the top tier, something MNM (who recently reached the Siege European League promo stage) or Viperio 86 might well be doing very soon.

Fluke: It is what it is I suppose! I wouldn’t be able to point to one or another particular reason, France has always been a very good region for Siege and it could’ve just as easily been Cowana here instead of Vitality. I think France vs UK will be a battle til the end of time.

Dezachu: NaVi, G2 and Cowana falling short didn’t do UK representation many favours for sure. Cowana were close but fluffed their chances on the final day of EUL. I don’t think there’s some deep reason behind why our numbers were lower for this event; the teams that needed to show up simply didn’t. Is what it is.

We have four UK players at SI (before SI Quals are done) along with Germany, France/Russia/Thailand have 5 – all feels fairly distributed to me. Doesn’t need to be a UK takeover in every game!

What do you think about Siege’s new Irish operator Thorn and her new SMG weapon and proximity gadget? How do you think she’ll fare at the pro esports level?

Dezachu: Trap operators are becoming a bit notorious at the pro level. Two years ago you’d have been memed for walking into a frost mat, nowadays it’s… Not so much common, but somewhat expected? I think given she has a deployable shield you’ll see some teams bring her when an extra shield is needed (I worry that Warden might still sit above her in that niche) but I’m not sure her gadget is preferable to an instantly lethal gadget like Kapkan who also wields a C4.

Fluke: Thorn I have no idea about, unfortunately. I have too much eyes on Osa next, when I get a chance to play as Thorn I can give an answer… ask me in a while.

AceOfPyrite: I’m always open minded when it comes to new operators and Thorn looks like a lot of fun. I’m not always the best in head-to-head gunfights myself so I never mind something that can give me a little edge or allow me to work out a sneaky play.

Being able to use the gadget almost as a proximity alarm to give information on an enemy location when triggered, as well as doing some damage, sounds like fun to me. The other thing I like about this style is the creativity that it brings out, I’ve said the same about Kaid’s Electroclaw and the nice little hiding spots that people come up with.

In terms of pro play, the way I tend to try and think about it is, who would they replace in a line-up? My initial thought on Thorn is that they are unlikely to replace one of the mainstay defenders like Smoke or Jager as they aren’t offering an alternative to what they bring.

That said, I definitely think there is a possibility of the times we see a trap operator picked now, a Kapkan or Lesion for example, that we might see Thorn being brought along in their place when they become available, as the damage offered by the gadget is a little more instantaneous than Lesion for example.

Give us three reasons why people should tune in to watch the next Major and the Invitational – are there any key storylines or future developments you really want to see for 2022?

Dezachu: Can’t exactly attend them as a spectator can you? I want to see APAC fly. It’s been a long time coming and the pacier meta benefits a few teams in APAC.

I’d like to see BDS make a real run for a title now they’ve had some good time with their coach and honestly, I’d like to see NA pushing for the top too. 2021 has been LATAMs year – share the spoils lads.

Fluke: 1. DAMWON KIA RISING, APAC GOING TO GET A TITLE 2022 – YOU HEARD IT HERE! Honestly APAC are pushing so hard right now, it truly is every major every chance for them as a region to find their first.

2. EU has struggled on the main stage under the insurmountable LATAM in 2021, but it’s also the only region to have a finalist that wasn’t from Brazil. The big part is, it’s almost a different EU team each time with a surprise run so who knows who’ll bring the heat.

3. I promised Milosh you would and you don’t want to let him down, do you?

AceOfPyrite: With the Invitational now fast approaching there are so many reasons to tune in to catch all the action. One of the biggest storylines heading into that for me personally has to be the couple of big names still searching for that title – and the expectations that follow them.

I’m talking about Team Liquid and BDS here. Both are teams that have had some of the best players and regional performances that we have ever seen in our esport, but both have also failed to win the biggest events and it’s just hard to imagine them never seeing that success. It feels like it’s right around the corner that one of them turns up and just absolutely lights a tournament on fire, going all the way to the trophy lift in the process, but will the Six Invitational 2022 be the time?

The next big draw for me has to be ‘Rest of the world’ versus Latin America. We have seen the LATAM teams dominate the world scene this year, bringing their often astronomical mechanical skill, now paired with high level strategy and really taking teams apart but can anyone do anything about it?

The scariest thing about the LATAM region is that this isn’t just one team who has dominated, we’ve had three different winners from that region now showing that there is also strength in depth. The other three regions have a good few months to really focus on their games, get the scrims in and find that drive to reach and surpass the performance of the LATAM teams and I’d like to see them challenged both at SI2022 as well as the other Majors throughout next year.

The third story I really have an eye on now is APAC rising. We’ve seen better and better performances out of teams like Damwon Kia, Invictus and Sandbox this year, and I think that is likely to continue with others like Fnatic and Chiefs joining the party too.

APAC is a huge sleeper region in my mind and I’ve said before that I think they are on the same timeline as LATAM, but just a year or so behind. I really expect to see bigger and bigger performances coming out of APAC both at SI and the Majors next year, and who knows, maybe even a win along the way.

Thanks for your time! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

AceOfPyrite: The only thing to add I guess would be how grateful I am to be part of another amazing event, and to say thanks to all the people who make it possible – especially the fans who watch all the action and drive us to put on the best show we can.

You can follow Dezachu, Fluke and AceOfPyrite, and Rainbow Six Siege Esports on Twitter here.

Dom Sacco

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.

As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.