lux: "The hardest thing is the playstyle; sometimes I have a very clear vision and they have a different one"

The Brazilian IGL is not hitting the panic button despite the team's winless start to the season.

Luminosity have been sent packing from the Esports World Cup in last place following losses to GamerLegion and Spirit , extending the team's winless streak to five matches after a 0-3 run at the XSE Pro League.

Speaking to after the elimination match, Lucas "⁠lux⁠" Meneghini admitted that it has been challenging to find common ground with his players when it comes to the playing style.

"Sometimes I have a very clear vision of what needs to be done, and they have a different one," he said. "It's not that one is right and the other is wrong. It’s more a matter of really getting on the same page. We’re players from different countries."

The team has dropped down ten places in the ranking since joining Luminosity , with lux saying that they'll go back to the Monte formula and attend some tier-2 LANs in Europe to pick up VRS points and return to the Major qualification zone.

"I think the goal is to win a match [laughs]," lux said. "That’s the first goal. And, well, securing invites to tournaments. Obviously, a Major spot is still well within reach. So that's the overall goal.

"But what we’re focused on right now is the next tournament; we’re thinking a lot about the short term and being a better team, you know? So whatever tournaments come up, whatever opportunities arise, we’ll be there to seize them."

lux, a 2-0 defeat and the team is out of the tournament. You knew, going in, that it was going to be a very tough match, against one of the best teams in the world. Give me your thoughts on the series. Are you happy with how the team performed on Dust2?

I think the first map, what happened was the same thing that happened in yesterday's match. We had some good chances, but unfortunately we just couldn’t convert them. We gave up, I think, a 3v1. In yesterday’s game, we also missed a few trades, so we were a little out of sync. We had a talk afterward to try to get on the same page.

Dust2 went much better. I don’t think there was much we gave away there. I think credit has to go to them. There’s definitely room for us to improve, like understanding the map better, but the team played much better on Dust2, so at least the impression we’re left with of our own game was a bit more positive.

What are the main takeaways from this first month with the team? It's been five losses in five games. What’s your overall assessment, and what are the main positives you take away from this first month with the team?

There have been quite a few Bo1s, right? Because we’re still getting to know our map pool, it’s a little tricky, because sometimes we get to play only one map, so I think the team still lacks a bit of reps for us to understand each other better.

And looking at the overall results, as I said yesterday, I see XSE Pro League more as a tournament where I was a stand-in than a proper event for the team. But obviously, my assessment is negative. This is the time when we have to stick together, stay focused on the same goal, and keep working. Because, well, we’re a new team, a new organization making a comeback on the scene. So we’re going to keep working, practicing, and playing, I believe, in smaller tournaments that will help us go back up in the ranking, regain our confidence, and build a solid team structure.

Is it proving to be more difficult than you expected to get everyone on the same page? What are the main challenges that you've faced?

I think I expected it to be harder in some ways, but not in others. I thought communication would be a little harder, but it turns out it has not been that difficult. I think the hardest thing is the playstyle. Sometimes I have a very clear vision of what needs to be done, and they have a different one. It's not that one is right and the other is wrong. It’s more a matter of really getting on the same page. We’re players from different countries.

I think that, overall, I’m really enjoying what we’re building here. It’s obviously sad to lose without winning a single match, but that’s just how it is. There’s nothing we can do about it. You have to lose to learn, and that’s part of it; you have to keep a positive mindset.

Let's talk a little bit about how the team came together. What kind of project was put to you when Luminosity reached out to you after your benching from Legacy?

The plan was to put together a team. I’d be the first piece of the puzzle, and the idea was to build a team from scratch. We would start by playing in the open LAN tournaments. An opportunity arose to pick up a core, and we knew that getting a core would be good because of the ranking.

It would also be good because of the players on the team — they’re great players we’d already been looking to sign individually because we thought they'd have buyouts and stuff. Knowing that, we decided to go for it, and, as I said recently, I’m very satisfied with the decision I made, and I’m really excited to deliver better results for myself, the team and the organization, which I think really deserves it.

What are your first impressions of your new teammates?

They're really good. They're giving me confidence. I’m enjoying the way we’re working together, and the vibe of the team, too. I think we’re able to have good conversations, open conversations, and we can be honest with each other. That’s one of the reasons I feel very confident about this project.

Luminosity wasted two map points in overtime on Dust2 What does the future look like? With these defeats, you've been sliding down the ranking. Are you going to play some smaller LANs to gain some points?

Yeah, that’s definitely the idea: to do what they were doing before playing the Major in the middle of the year, right? So, we'll be playing in the LAN tournaments that are being held around Europe, see which of them make the most sense, and, well, solidify our position in the rankings. I think that’s the main goal.

And looking at what's left to play this year, what are your goals for the rest of the season?

I think the goal is to win a match [laughs]. That’s the first goal. And, well, securing invites to tournaments. Obviously, a Major spot is still well within reach. So that's the overall goal. But what we’re focused on right now is the next tournament; we’re thinking a lot about the short term and being a better team, you know? So whatever tournaments come up, whatever opportunities arise, we’ll be there to seize them.