Yesterday, Shopify Rebellion Gold Shopify Rebellion Gold North America Rank #1 dodonut Karnthida Chaisrakeo vanitas glowstick alexis Alexis Guarrasi Noia Nicole Tierce defeated FlyQuest RED FlyQuest RED North America Rank #159 theia Melisa Mundorff edith Eden Bryce Cutlip melya Emily Khan evv Jazzyk1ns Jasmine Manankil in the grand final of Game Changers NA Stage 2 playoffs to claim a direct ticket to the annual Game Changers Championship.

However, as the highest point-holding Game Changers team in North America, FlyQuest RED has qualified to the GC Americas LCQ alongside MIBR GC MIBR GC Brazil Unranked bstrdd Paula Naguil melissa Melissa Souza conir Constanza Reyes mizzy Ester Cardoso waved and Akave Esports GC Akave Esports GC Latin America North Unranked Dano Kristen Pineda Tura Frida Cervantes Camacho WIRE Alexander Pozolante Tastyy Ivy Ayarha Cruz where the three teams will battle it out over one precious ticket to the GCC.

In a VLR-exclusive interview, FlyQuest RED Head Coach Coach Joe shared his afterthoughts and reflections on his team's performance this year ahead of the Americas LCQ.

flyquest pose image FlyQuest RED FlyQuest RED North America Rank #159 theia Melisa Mundorff edith Eden Bryce Cutlip melya Emily Khan evv Jazzyk1ns Jasmine Manankil at the GC NA Stage 2 grand finals. (Photo: Shannon Cottrell/Riot Games)

This was a close game today. You guys had a good start, 13-3, and then every match after that was at least two to three rounds in between [the final scoreline]. What do you think was the difference maker today after that first map? What did you think went wrong towards the end?

The big thing on our side was definitely the ecos that we lost. We ran into some pretty bad stacks or made some pretty bad decisions on our part, kind of going off script a little bit. I don't think we ran out of steam. I think we lost to ourselves [more] than they beat us, which I get everyone probably says. But yeah, I think the fact that they are so close is just these very important swing rounds that we are losing that kind of pushed them over the edge today.

Heading into this final, [where it was] the first time we had these live finals at this arena on LAN, was there anything in particular that you did in terms of preparation? I know you [had] boot camps and [such], but was there anything specific you did ahead of time to maybe help with [preparation] heading into this LAN?

I think the biggest thing is actually outside of the game: being comfortable with the uncomfortable. So, all the boot camps that [FlyQuest] sent us to, being able to play in Mexico, being able to play in Canada on different setups and playing in front of people was definitely the biggest help. Against SR, they don't have the most insane tendencies, but as individuals, they kind of play the same way. We kind of tried to exploit that a little bit, [especially] on Haven. I probably have a sheet of literally all of their little micro things they like to do. The other maps, not as much because we haven't been able to actually see them play on it. At least for me, every team plays against every team a little bit [differently], so I don't like reading into antis too much. I'm more so about how they like to play; not so much like ‘If you see this, like they're probably doing this,' because it could be fake and I'd rather us lose playing our game than trying to figure them out.

I want to tie that into something where you see a lot of these coaches at the top usually talk about: it's less about finding or copying an identity of another team and more so finding your own. Is that something that you guys were kind of going for?

I mean, you can look at all of our comps. We cannot copy anybody. I'm a very micro-heavy coach. How you still interact with each other and how you still interact with the enemy team, especially. So Kayo on Split, for example, the Viper, who usually can kind of play in mid, now has to start a little bit further back with their orb, which is something that we didn't adjust to fast enough [when] they weren't in that space anymore. But yeah, even our Lotus comp, just how teams like to play maps, I like figuring out ways to play against the meta almost. So we don't have anyone to copy off of, it's just kind of my brain and me spitballing with the team.

You [are] someone who initially was a competitor at first, then slowly transitioned into the coaching [role] and throughout the coaching, [has] been through Tier 3. You have [also] been through Game Changers before with GX3 and Passion Project, [and] you've also [participated in] collegiate with Alvernia and currently Northwood. Over these years you've been in a lot of different environments, a lot of different circuits, Challengers, Game Changers, Tier 3 as well. Has there been anything you've taken away that might have developed you into the coach you are today?

A hundred percent. Every single team I learned something new, whether it be how to better support an individual's play style, or how to communicate with different people as a coach. Everyone takes in information differently. [I went] from playing the game [and] not being the most successful into coaching Tier 3 and having a little bit of success and kind of working my way up. Eventually, I think the highest of my highs, [was] probably [with] YFP going 4-0 in Split 2 before I had to be taken away. Every single team I've ever touched, not only do I feel like, or I hope that I'm teaching them something about a different way to play or a different way to understand the game, but they're also teaching me different styles too. And I have to be able to like pick it up and how to better their strengths pretty much. Yeah, I think every single team has touched me in a way that has improved me as an individual coach.

How confident are you heading into this LCQ as North America's second representative?

I'm so confident. SR has been the team to beat in GC and we're showing that we can take maps and give them close games. I don't think anyone else comes close to us or them. I think we will show what we can do against everyone else in the world.

I believe [we've got] the same teams at this LCQ outside of North America as last year. Who do you really expect to face against if you were to make those grand finals?

I think it'll be MIBR.

How are you guys going to approach this [event]? Are you guys going to take some time off to rest, reset before, or are you guys just going to keep practicing?

They need some rest. I'm definitely like, ‘All right guys, when are we going to start this back up?' But I definitely think that proper rest and a little bit of taking your mind off of everything and coming back with a fresh start, a fresh look at everything, is super duper important. When the team really needs off, we take off. I think they're due for a couple of days. We've been non-stop for the past two months.

Anything that's maybe been sitting on your mind [after this event]?

I think people look at me as, I don't know how I want to phrase this. I'm definitely a different coach than every single other coach out there for two big reasons. One, I actually have zero esport[s] background. I actually played sports my entire life growing up. I played collegiate volleyball at University of Tennessee and Rutgers Newark. And then I ended up getting hurt and left school and got into video games. That's like how I got into gaming. And then I also look at the game as since I've only ever played Valorant and a little bit of Fortnite, all the other coaches who come from CS and who come from all these tactical esports backgrounds all bring stuff from their past. So everything that I've learned has been either just coming from my own brain and how I like to approach things or any of the help [I get]. I love asking for advice. I think JoshRT is my favorite person to ask because he always responds and he's always giving me something very meaningful.

The GC Americas LCQ will run for two days beginning October 14 at the Riot Games Studio in São Paulo. At the time of this article's publication, the following teams have secured appearances at the Game Changers Championship: