fragster: Hello Ocelote! You just lost in the semi-final against Moscow Five. How do you feel about the game?
Carlos 'Ocelote' Santiago: I feel like they were simply better and just outplaying us. They were also more prepared than us. I think we didn't train enough, because we were doing some stuff. I was in Las Vegas and other players had some problems and so on, so we haven't been very well prepared.
On the first map Moscow Five got first blood. What went wrong afterwards?
Ocelote: They played mind tricks. They went two Top and one Bottom and we didn't know what to do and if we should swap or whatever. The game was decided by their gold advantage from Drake and stuff. In the second game we got totally destroyed. We couldn't do anything.
Did you expect that Moscow Five would be so strong here in Kiev?
Ocelote: Yeah. We played against them online and I think they beat us like four times.
The next semi-final is Team Solo Mid versus Team Dignitas. Who is your favorite to win the tournament?
Ocelote: I think M5 is going to win.
And who will win in the last semi-final?
Ocelote: Solo Mid, I guess.
Which opponent would you really like to play in the third place match?
Ocelote: I don't really mind, but if we are going to play against Solo Mid, that would be perfect. They beat us in the group stage and I think it would be an entertaining match to watch and play.
Recently there have been some changes in the SK Gaming lineup, like for example the departure of MoMa. What is your opinion on all the rumors considering the lineup of your team?
Ocelote: You know, people leave, people join, but the core remains. I know that there will be more changes and more players who will join and leave the team. That's the way it is. The League of Legends-scene is not professional enough, but I am trying to teach the people who are joining how to survive in this eSports-world.
You are probably the star of SK Gaming? How is it for you to be known as the best player of your team?
Ocelote: Well, not only as the best player of the team, but I'm glad that I am also known as at least one of the top three players in the world. It makes me happy, because that means that all my work and all the time I invested in order to become better and step up my level of play has paid off.
You are normally streaming some days a week. How much money do you gain only through streaming?
Ocelote: I shouldn't say the exact numbers, but you can make a living and actually live pretty good. It's actually a lot.
Is it more than you get from SK Gaming?
Ocelote: Yeah, like one million times more. (laughs)
In an interview some months ago you told us that you are going to buy a new car. Did you do so?
Ocelote: (laughs) The car-thing is still in my mind, but none of my parents got work right now, so I am kind of forced to help at home with the bills and stuff. The car has to wait, but that's fine. I know that sooner or later all my dreams will come true. One of them is the car of course and I am going to have it.
So it is really a good thing for you to have League of Legends, considering the current situation in Spain?
Ocelote: Yeah. I mean, I would not be homeless if I wouldn't play League of Legends, but it definitely helps, because when you see that your family has financial problems, you are able to cover those things like school costs or whatever. That feels extremely good.
What do you think about League of Legends in eSports? Are the problems going to be solved or will everything remain as it is right now?
Ocelote: I think we are in a learning phase with League of Legends right now. People didn't take it seriously enough. A professional player is not only someone who makes money from gaming, but someone who has to act professional as well. We are in a learning state and I think people like me are trying to teach the ones who think it is like kindergarten.
What do you think about the future of League of Legends in view of its rivals like for instance DotA 2?
Ocelote: League of Legends will remain very long and I don't think DotA 2 or any other MOBA game will be capable of dethroning it. I'm pretty confident that League of Legends is going to last maybe four or five years. Who knows!?
(fragster.de)
Is the IEM Kiev an important event for you and your team or do you think of it only as a place of representation like TheRainMain from Team Solo Mid?
Ocelote: It is good, because in every tournament I attend with my team, I earn more experience, even though I already got enough. I taught some guys of my team who are not really used to go to offline events how to play the matches and what motivation you need to have in order to win the game. I think it's cool that we came here. Before we arrived I honestly didn't even expect to reach the top four due to the changes in the team. I wouldn't have put all my money on us, but I think we are actually doing pretty well.
What do you think that you can achieve at the incoming World Championships in Hannover? What placement do you expect?
Ocelote: We got a lot of time and are going to practice at least ten hours a day. The matches won't be one-sided, but rather funny to watch and I think we will be one of the top teams there and really hard to defeat.
Who will be the strongest team in Hannover?
Ocelote: We will.
Okay, thank you a lot for the interview and good luck!