As a part of our EsportTalks series, we did our first interview with Erim “Mavera” Şaşal. He is a successful esport player from the Turkish VALORANT scene. During the interview, we talked about his past and future esports career while also touching upon his role within the Oxygen Esports team. Let’s take a look.
Hi, could you talk about yourself?
Hello, my name is Erim Şaşal and I am 24 years old software engineer.
When and how did your interest in FPS games begin?
When I was 6 years old, I was playing Counter Strike in an internet cafe with my cousin. I’ve been into FPS games ever since.
Oxygen Esports stepped into the VALORANT scene with 5 Turkish players. That made a great impact on the community. Could you tell us about your process of getting involved in Oxygen Esports as Looking4org?
We have been ranked as one of the top 10 teams in Europe for a long time. We have won most of the C tier tournaments we have been in. This attracted many teams and we got a lot of offers. In the end, we chose Oxygen Esports.
As Oxygen Esports, you could not get the results you wanted in First Strike, VCT 2021: Turkey Stage 1 Masters. Afterwards, you parted ways with the team. What could you tell us about this? In your opinion, what exactly was the problem?
I think we failed in countering our opponents. Apart from that, they also made fewer mistakes.
After your departure, everyone wondered about the next step in your career. Would you prefer the Turkish or the European scene?
My first choice would be the European scene, however playing in Turkey would be more enjoyable, because I know most of the teams. I am doing my best to choose the right team among the offers I have received.
For the future of your career, what are your thoughts and goals? Are you talking with other teams? Will we be able to see you on the stage soon?
Yes of course you will, but I still have a contract with my former team, though it will expire soon. When my contract is over, I will take clearer steps to talk about the future of my career.
How is your personal training going?
It’s going very well. I had a lot of preparation for my new team.
With the VALORANT 2.08 patch, Coach Mode has been integrated into the game. What do you think about the impact of the coaches?
I think it will have a huge impact. In a complicated game like VALORANT, a third eye can sometimes seem like a medicine.
Can you list the top 5 teams in the Turkish VALORANT scene?
I prefer not to make such rankings. I would forget someone and that would be unfair to them.
What do you intend to do after your esports career as a player comes to an end?
I plan to continue my player career for now. When it ends, I will become one of the best coaches in the world. Those who know me, know how confident I am on this matter.
So let’s step away from VALORANT. You said in an interview that in the past that you were a good League of Legends viewer. Have you ever thought about a career as a coach, analyst or player in the League of Legends scene?
I never thought about that. I am a good viewer, however it never went any further than that.
Finally, is there anything you want to say to your followers?
I want to thank the people who supported me throughout the times. They are really dear to me. I also want to thank you for contacting me regarding this interview.
We would like to thank Erim “Mavera” Şaşal for doing this interview with us and wish him success in his career.
