Ahead of their IEM Melbourne 2025 Semifinals showdown against Team Falcons, we sat down with Spinx from MOUZ. Our conversation covered his transition from Vitality to MOUZ, the recurring challenge of facing his former team in grand finals, and his excitement about getting to experience the Australian crowd.
Spinx had been a key player on Team Vitality for over two years, until earlier this year in January, when he was benched and eventually replaced by ropz. It didn’t take long for Spinx to land on his feet, quickly finding a spot on MOUZ.
“It’s an easy team to fit in, everyone is great people and overall it’s a pretty easy team to fit in. I talked a bit with sycrone and xertioN before I joined, so I knew what was coming up for me.”
“This team is really, really young – we were joking that they teach me some Gen Z words and I like it. There are good parts about it and there could also be some bad parts, but mostly it’s good. I think the main difference is just this team is really, really young, but really, really good.”
Since Spinx joined, MOUZ has seen some impressive results. They clinched victory at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 with a 3-1 win against Team Falcons in the Grand Final. They also secured second-place finishes at both BLAST Open Spring 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 21, losing in the grand finals to Spinx’s former team, Vitality.
“Of course we keep track [of our results], that’s how we know where we are in the ranking and how we feel. We are right now top in the world, we make it to every grand final we play, and we are also hoping for the same here. We do keep track of it and we just keep thinking after every event – what can we do better next time?”
“For me individually, I enjoy the games [facing Vitality]. I feel like it’s absolute cinema and there are some storylines around it. Overall, I am not a fan of losing, either to Vitality or to anyone, especially in the Grand Finals. I’m just enjoying the games and enjoying facing them, it’s always nice.”
Given that both MOUZ and Team Vitality topped their respective groups, they’ve both earned a direct ticket to the Semifinals. This sets up a strong possibility for a third showdown between these two powerhouses. Vitality will be aiming to complete their ESL Grand Slam this weekend, while MOUZ could earn the Giant Killer bonus by preventing that.
“What is in the back of your mind is what you could have done better in the grand finals, that will maybe help you get the win. We are not so focused on Vitality at the moment, because we still have the semifinals, we don’t even know if we will qualify for the Grand Final or if they will qualify. If we do get there and they get there, of course we will do whatever we can and we will try to show the improvements that we have done since last time.”
“[About the Giant Killer bonus] Money’s good and of course we want more of it (laughs). On a serious note, if we do win and it is against Vitality in the Grand Final, it will be more sweet because they’ve beaten us twice now, so at least you get something back from them in a way. That’s how I see it.”
With their direct advancement to the Semifinals, MOUZ gains an extra day to strategize for their playoff run. While their opponent remains to be seen, they can certainly use this time to prepare. Spinx offered insights into the team’s preparations and his own preferences.
“We had two days, part of them was seeing a bit of Melbourne and doing some team stuff, enjoying each other’s company and relaxing and getting whatever energy you need for the next games. At the same time, some part of the day was also keeping in good form, getting ready for whoever we will face and some practice and this kind of stuff.”
“First of all, we will see the team that we will face and then we will think about the map pool and figure out how it looks like. Then we will talk about what they do, what we want to do, how we want to play this game. Maybe we will check individual ‘nades and just think about the map in general.”
“I think facing Falcons, now that they have m0NESY, it’s a bit more exciting for the viewers. I assume that’s what people want. For me personally, I don’t have any preference – I think both Falcons and GamerLegion are pretty good teams right now.”
The Australian crowd is something special that Spinx is yet to experience firsthand. However, he’s heard plenty about it from his teammates who have played in front of them before.
“I heard from my teammates who have played here, but I have never played with the Australian crowd before. I’m really, really excited. It’s not common that you play in front of an arena that you haven’t played before when you have played in most arenas, but for me it’s the first time here. I have only heard good stuff about the crowd, so I’m just really excited to play in front of them and I’m just looking forward to enjoying the moment.”
Check out more of our IEM Melbourne 2025 content or one of our previous interviews with Spinx:
