1. Welcome, let’s introduce yourself briefly.

Hey, I'm Ivan "B3ASTM0D3" Ledić, a professional Valorant player from the DACH region. I've had the privilege of playing for teams like Acend Club, MOUZ, and Ovation eSports.

2. Let's start from the roots. Two years ago, in 2022 you played mainly in VRC DACH (Project V). Share your experience in that time.

When I first started competing in the VRC DACH, I lacked experience, and it was more of a learning phase for me. It helped me figure out which roles suited me and which didn’t.

3. You finished 3rd that year, just one place away from Relegation. Give us a summary of your first year on the pro scene.

It was a great experience because I met a lot of new people and built my network in the scene. This eventually led to tryouts with teams like Wave Esports.

4. Your next step in your career was joining Acend as a 6th man. Firstly, did you have any other offers, and if yes, why did you choose a sub position in Acend?

Yes, I had other offers at the time, but I chose to join Acend Club as a 6th man because I believed it would elevate my game. The opportunity to work alongside world-class players, coaches, and analysts was something I couldn’t pass up.

5. Like in VCT, every team needs a sub, and some clubs have deals with VCL teams (Fnatic, GiantX, KCorp). Share your experience as 6th man.

My experience as a 6th man with Acend Club was fantastic. They treated me like a regular player, including me in every bootcamp and event we qualified for. I participated in weekly scrims and was there every day for practice, working closely with the coach Laurynas "Nbs" Kisieliuseven when I wasn’t playing.

6. After that season, did you have a chance to be on the main roster?

After my season with Acend Club ended, I was approached by Mousesports about potentially joining their roster to compete in the VCL DACH region.

7. Then you joined MOUZ, where you reached the final three times in a row in the off-season. How was it to be back to business after 9 months in Acend?

Joining Mousesports was a great opportunity after being "only" the 6th man at Acend Club. I finally got to play regularly and showcase everything I had learned during my time with Acend.

8. Last year you did a great job losing 70kg. How does that change your life? Did it have so much effect on your in-game performance? Maybe give some inspiration to players about keeping a healthy lifestyle?

PDuring my time with Acend Club, I was very overweight, weighing 160 kg. My coach, Nbs, noticed this at our first bootcamp and encouraged me to focus on losing weight while I was the 6th man on the team. I had a lot of respect for him, so I took his advice seriously. I researched everything I needed to know about weight loss and started the very next day after our conversation. In exactly one year, I went from 160 kg to 80 kg, losing a total of 80 kg.

9. You played this season for Ovation. You had a good first split, reaching playoffs. But then things went wrong, last plays in Split 2, and 4th in Relegation. What went wrong?

Esports has its ups and downs, and sometimes things just don’t work out. Joining Ovation was somewhat of a last-minute decision for me, as I didn’t know much about the players, their playstyle, or their vision for the game. Unfortunately, this led to us not working well together as a team, despite everyone being a strong individual player. Valorant is fundamentally a team game, and if we’re not functioning well as a unit, there’s not much we can do.
During our season with Ovation, we faced additional challenges. We lost our coach to burnout in the first split and didn’t get a replacement, so we had to manage on our own. On top of that, we dealt with various health issues that limited our preparation and practice time. These factors compounded our difficulties and affected our performance drastically.

10. You were in different team situations, starting from Acend and MOUZ who showed decent results, and Ovation where you lost almost everyone. How did you manage to deal with defeats, struggles etc? What kind of approach do you have?

I’ve experienced many highs and lows, and while it’s mentally challenging, I know I need to keep pushing myself and strive to be the best version of myself each day. I focus on learning from my losses and using them as opportunities to grow stronger.

11. You already announced that you're looking for a new team. Do you have any offers now, maybe you want to change your in-game role?

So far, I haven’t received many new offers, but I’m staying patient and continuing to grind the game in the meantime. I’m confident that I can join any team as a flex player because I have a strong understanding of the game and am good at being vocal and enabling my teammates.

12. Can not ask you about tier-2 scene, we all know how things are going right now. What do you personally want to change in tier-2 scene?

Riot needs to address the issues in the tier 2 scene, as many organizations are scamming players with shady contracts and offering no money. This leaves players locked into unfair agreements with little to no compensation.

13. The eternal question of the ranked. I noticed you played quite a lot recently. Does it make any sense to play ranked? Maybe you want to see HUB system?

I think ranked is in a rough state right now, making it challenging to grind. As I've mentioned before, Valorant is a team game, and the agents you pick matter at higher ranks. If your teammates choose useless agents on some maps, and don’t communicate or play with the team, it’s almost impossible to win.

14. About the map pool: Split and Pearl will come back very soon. What's your ideal map pool in Valorant in 2024?

My ideal map pool for 2024 would include Ascent, Bind, Breeze, Fracture, Haven, Pearl, and Split.

15. For the end, describe how esports changed your life. Can you right now imagine what your life could be without it?

I think esports is amazing because it’s allowed me to meet a lot of new people, travel around the world, and pursue my passion for playing Valorant. I don't see myself doing anything other than playing Valorant professionally.