Esports teams often face a tough challenge after big international tournaments. There’s a common story about Brazilian League of Legends squads. They often return home feeling drained or mentally exhausted. Some in the community even call it “churrascados,” meaning “barbecued” or “burnt out.” However, FURIA, led by mid laner Arthur “Tutsz” Peixoto, has bucked this trend. Tutsz recently spoke with Pichau Arena about his team’s unusual success.
FURIA secured victory in the second split of the League of The Americas (LTA Sul). This win earned them spots in both the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and the Esports World Cup (EWC). After their travels, Tutsz shared three main reasons why teams often struggle upon their return. He laid out the common pitfalls.
1 – Pressure of Representing Brazil
“You are representing the whole country. Everyone is rooting for you. You want to do well because you know if you fail, everyone will criticize you.”
2 – Quick-fire Tournaments
“The championships are very short. We stay for one or two weeks. If you don’t perform well, you go home. So, we make everything very intense. Processes are much faster. Learning is quicker than in a whole split. You might argue more with a teammate in situations where you wouldn’t in Brazil because you’re tired, and there you have no time.”
3 – Little Rest
“There isn’t much rest. In our case, we had MSI in Canada. One week later, EWC in Saudi Arabia. Four days after that, we’re back here to play LTA.”
Unlike past examples, FURIA came back strong. They started the third LTA Sul split with a win over Fluxo W7M. Tutsz credits the team’s mental fortitude. He believes their group is well-equipped to handle high-stress situations. They dealt with all the challenges from their international travels with a calm approach.
“But honestly, we have a good group to deal with this. Everyone is hungry for victory and wants to perform well.”
Tutsz also shared how different competition settings sharpen his skills. He feels the environment helps him grow as a player. He now knows what he needs to work on. His goal is to bring more victories to fans around the world who crave success on the global LoL stage.
“I think I adapt well to the environment I’m in. When I was in the academy, I was much worse than when I play in LTA. When I was at MSI, I was playing better than in LTA. The environment shapes me.”
“One lesson is to try to maintain a better level when I’m here. But overall, I am, I won’t say satisfied, but I am happy with my performance abroad. I think I did well. If I adjusted one or two things, I could have been more clutch and advanced further, or won a few more games.”
FURIA returns to the Summoner’s Rift this Saturday, August 2nd, at 12 PM Brasília time. They will face paiN Gaming in a rematch of their last final. This game is part of the second phase of the pick and play round. You can catch all the action live on LTA Sul’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.