We spoke to Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere and Team Liquid IGLs about all things leadership heading into PGC 2021 - and UNIQUE’s ADOUZ1E was kind enough to fill in for his IGL fate!

What is your style of leadership? 

Mellman (Natus Vincere): For me it’s very simple, I like to keep things calm and democratic.

Jeemzz (Team Liquid): I like to yell at my minions and tell them what to do, and if they don’t do as they are being told then they’re in trouble!
 

ADOUZ1E (UNIQUE): We try to carry out the ideas of our IGL fate. If he is unsure of something, we are all switched on to lend a hand. 
 

BatulinS (Virtus.pro): I can easily say my style of leadership is having absolute control. I am controlling the games, the scrims, after the matches - everything! I like to lead in all that we do. I think I am a natural IGL, but I'm also still learning and growing every day because my team is helping me. 

What attributes make a good leader?
 

Mellman: Effort, preparation and experience are the most important traits of a good leader, and therefore things that I try to focus on.

Jeemzz: In PUBG Esports a good leader is someone who is decisive and quick to react, and also a player who can think outside the box.
 

ADOUZ1E: Confidence, calmness, and an understanding of how to play in any given lobby.
 

BatulinS: Of course you need to be confident. If you’re a leader who hasn't got confidence in himself then your team is always going to lose, so it is an area I am constantly working on. Planning is also super important, without a strong plan your teammates won’t know what to do and you won’t be able to grab Chicken Dinners at the highest level.

Can you tell us a little about your tactics? How much planning goes into them?
 

Mellman: We analyze our opponents’ matches and always try to adapt our playstyle to a specific lobby.
 

Jeemzz: Most of the planning goes into the early part of the game. It takes a lot of time to research the teams that loot near you, and to know the positions that they prefer to take - we then work out how we want to play against them.
 

Adouz1e: There are 32 teams in this tournament and most of them will not play as they do in their region - so our tactic is to be quick to adapt to whatever comes our way.
 

BatulinS: We are a centre team, which means we always want to take the centre of the maps. We’ll do everything to claim those key spots and take the game to others. We play from strong positions that work for us - we aren’t a roster who sit on the edge of the action.
 

When things aren’t going well on the Battlegrounds, how do you as an IGL change that? 
 

Mellman: Once the match is over, it’s over. Each match is unique and it’s useless to think about things you can’t control, that’s our take on it

Jeemzz: When you aren’t playing well as a team, I think it’s important to evaluate your plan and whether or not it is going to work. You can then repair it from there. 
 

ADOUZ1E: We quickly accept these failures and play in spite of them, knowing that nothing will change until we play well ourselves. We also stay calm and stick together, we win and lose as a team.
 

BatulinS: If things aren’t going well during a match then I've got great teammates who I can rely on to offer solutions. In those situations, it is my job to listen to them and make fast judgements. 
 

Have you been studying other regions closely?
 

Mellman: Our macro preparation for this tournament has been great and we believe we know enough to win this competition.

Jeemzz: Yes, I have been watching Twires of almost every team. So much so that I have dreams about them!
 

ADOUZ1E: I watched all the latest tournaments in Asia and the Americas and realized that I just watch these games for fun. Let’s see if it helps me. 
 

BatulinS: Yes, myself and our coach work closely looking at how teams from other regions play. We watch their streams, we study their stats and we look at both their tactics and playstyles. For example, we know Chinese teams are super aggressive and APAC teams are quite passive - so whoever is in our lobby will impact how we approach the match.

Which teams from other regions do you believe are the strongest? 
 

Mellman: Soniqs in the Americas and Gen.G in Asia are the teams from other regions I would like to highlight. They’re serious rosters who are always a threat.
 

Jeemzz: Petrichor Road, NewHappy, FURY, Oath Gaming and Soniqs
 

ADOUZ1E: Of those who showed themselves in scrims, NewHappy and Team 17 .
 

BatulinS: In my opinion, when there are 32 teams you have to take everyone seriously. Yes some teams have had more success and more trophies recently, but I think everyone is a threat.

What are your aims for PGC 2021?
 

Mellman: We strive for the win.
 

Jeemzz: Our aim will always be first place. We know we are capable of it, it’s just about actually doing it.

ADOUZ1E: We don't think about winning the tournament, we just want to enjoy playing and show our best.
 

BatulinS: Of course the main goal is to win. We also want to dominate, we want to play our game and win hot drops against the other aggressive teams from around the world.

 

Do you have a message for the fans watching? 
 

Mellman: Thank you for supporting us, we read all of your comments and we will give PGC 2021 our best shot.
 

Jeemzz: We love your support and we hope we can perform well at PGC!

ADOUZ1E: Enjoy the tournament and the teams that you are rooting for, in these difficult times such events are everyone's dream. Appreciate every match and have fun with us.
 

BatulinS: Myself and the team are always so grateful to anyone who cheers us on, watches our streams and interacts with us. So a massive thank you!

Why should PUBG Esports fans support you?

Mellman: Everyone decides themselves which team to support but I think that PUBG Esports fans from other regions will like our playstyle. If you want to see active and aggressive PUBG from the start of matches then follow us!
 

Jeemzz: Because we got big brains and good looks!
 

ADOUZ1E: Our path to this tournament began with open qualifiers for ESL and PCS. We are an example of how to get to this event without having anything, only skill and excellent teammates. And we have come this way with our amazing fans who you can join!
 

BatulinS: If you love our team and you love watching our style, then please cheer us on - hopefully we can bring another trophy back for you.

Remember, you can watch all of the PGC 2021 action LIVE on PUBG Esports’ official YouTube and Twitch channels.