Timothy "autimatic" Ta spoke with Dust2.us at FRAG Midwest: St. Louis following Without a Roof's victory over SportsBet in the upper quarterfinals. The veteran player opened up about his comeback to competitive CS after a three-year break from LAN events.
Reflecting on the upset win against the tournament's top seed, autimatic credited his team's cohesive play and effective preparation. He acknowledged some early nerves, noting that he and several teammates hadn't competed on LAN in roughly three years. The squad needed time to shake off the rust and find their rhythm.
The conversation turned to autimatic's time away from Counter-Strike, during which he pursued competitive golf. He revealed that while he practiced with the intensity of a professional golfer and reached a high level, he realized becoming a pro in that sport would take five to ten years. The pull of competing professionally, traveling with a team, and grinding at the highest level ultimately brought him back to CS.
Regarding his ambitions with Without a Roof, which reunites several former Evil Geniuses players, autimatic expressed confidence in his teammates' abilities. He emphasized that everyone on the roster has learned from past failures and is committed to improvement. His personal approach remains focused on long-term success rather than viewing this as a temporary stepping stone.
When asked about specific objectives, autimatic stated his desire to compete at major tournaments again. His immediate goals include building a strong map pool, defeating tier two opponents convincingly, and establishing solid team systems. He believes reaching tier one competition will require additional refinement and individual skill development.
Discussing his longtime partnership with Jake "Stewie2K" Yip, autimatic acknowledged that while people don't fundamentally change in Counter-Strike, mutual understanding within the team can turn perceived weaknesses into strengths. He stressed the importance of deliberate, structured practice over simply grinding hours, drawing from lessons learned throughout his career.
Addressing skepticism about veteran reunions, autimatic emphasized the need for methodical improvement and daily planning. He contrasted this approach with earlier in his career when success came more organically. For smaller tournaments like FRAG Midwest, he maintains a grounded perspective, focusing on the present path rather than dwelling on past achievements.
