k0nfig ready to restart pro CSGO career: \u201cAstralis kick has ignited a fire in me\u201d BLAST\/PGLDanish CS:GO star Kristian \u2018k0nfig\u2019 Wienecke details his journey to recovery and self-improvement after being in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as he aims to find a new team for 2023. \u201cI\u2019m ready to return,\u201d k0nfig says with assurance. He seems relaxed and content with where he is at this point, a sharp contrast to how he felt just two months ago after the traumatic experience that saw him fear for his life. The moon boot protecting his fractured right ankle \u2014 which he will still need to wear for another six weeks \u2014 is the only thing giving away that he was involved in a scuffle with a nightclub promoter in Malta, where he was competing with his then team, Astralis, in ESL Pro League Season 16. The incident cost him his spot on Astralis\u2019 team, which missed him in the European RMR tournament and unsurprisingly failed to qualify for the IEM Rio Major. It also forced him to look inward and battle his demons. It is not the first time k0nfig has had to face up to such a battle. Earlier in his career, he was held back by his outsized personality and work ethic, unable to realize the potential that many had seen in him when he burst onto the scene in 2015. \u201cThe tragedy of k0nfig\u201d was how Duncan \u2018Thorin\u2019 Shields described his career in a 2019 article published on Dexerto, prompting an emotional response from the player. \u201cI have been a bad professional and spent my hours wrong,\u201d k0nfig wrote on Twitter at the time. \u201cI have been an arrogant idiot thinking everything would come easy which it never will. It\u2019s very sad that it has reached this point before I realized it. I won\u2019t look the other way anymore and try to hide. This is my return.\u201d On the surface, it may look like k0nfig has relapsed and gone back to bad habits, but he insists that\u2019s not the case. \u201cIf you put those two periods next to each other, I guess it would feel a little bit of the same,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think my mentality, my focus, or my drive to play the game are the way they were back then. I feel like the arrogance and the things that made me a bad teammate have disappeared from my life.\u201d k0nfig says that he is turning his situation around with the help of a psychologist he sees two to three times a week. He is continuing the process of personal development that began years ago, during his time on Dignitas and North, as he looks to \u201ctweak the little things that make me a worse person than I want to be.\u201d He adds: \u201cI want to be a perfectionist in being a good teammate and a good guy toward everyone. There are always things to work on, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing right now.\u201d In that journey of introspection, he also dug deep into the root causes of another altercation that got him in trouble. At IEM Cologne, one month before the scuffle in Malta, he was reportedly intoxicated and behaved aggressively toward ESL broadcast talent and hotel staff, with police called to the scene. \u201cDrinking definitely triggers something in me,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I\u2019m too drunk and I happen to end up in a situation where I feel embarrassed or I feel that someone has done something to me, I get really emotional. If I don\u2019t drink hard liquor, like whiskey, I don\u2019t get those feelings. \u201cSo I decided that the best solution is to stop drinking and being up super late. To be honest, you don\u2019t get that much from drinking anyway. It\u2019s just a safe haven to escape real life. And I need to face real life to evolve into a different person. That\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to do. I\u2019m going to take my life in a more professional way and think about the situations I am in and the people I am with.\u201d For a while, k0nfig was one of the most talked-about players in the CS:GO scene for the wrong reasons as he saw some of his darkest moments dissected in public over multiple news stories, each one revealing just a little more about those episodes. k0nfig thinks that the way the media portrayed his behavior in those two incidents was not entirely correct, though he admits there is some regret in calling Jaxon\u2019s report about the Malta altercation \u201cmostly BS\u201d without even explaining what wasn\u2019t accurate about it. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have written \u2018mostly bulls**t\u2019 but \u2018a little misunderstanding,\u2019\u201d he says now. \u201cIt definitely felt like they tried to write me as the aggressor. I did something wrong, but it wasn\u2019t like how they wrote in the article. So yeah, I regret it a little bit, honestly. I should have been a bit more open. I felt that it was unnecessary for me to come out and tell my side of the story because it was just so overwhelming for me as a person. \u201cThe incident that happened in Cologne was just me getting too drunk. It\u2019s a weird situation because it felt like it could have easily been avoided and then it escalated into something it shouldn\u2019t have, and the media is going to write it up like it\u2019s some massive thing that happened. The other guy and I talked it out and agreed that we can still speak to each other, smile, and give each other fist bumps and stuff like that.\u201d k0nfig is determined to move on from those episodes and be \u201ca professional player at all times\u201d as he looks to get his career back on track. \u201cEveryone makes mistakes. Mine were just public. It definitely hurt. I just need to get back to focusing on Counter-Strike and not make mistakes in my own life.\u201d Leaving Astralis \u201cI mean-\u201d k0nfig pauses for a few seconds as he thinks about how to respond. The question was whether he was surprised that he was dismissed by Astralis in the aftermath of the Malta scuffle. Reactions to his release fell into two camps. There were those who considered that k0nfig deserved to be shown the door after being involved in altercations, one of which potentially cost his team a spot at the Major. But at the same time, some argued that, by dismissing k0nfig, Astralis were not offering one of their most prized assets the support and rehabilitation he needed. In announcing k0nfig\u2019s departure, Astralis said that both parties had \u201cagreed on a cancellation\u201d of the contract. Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports at Astralis, explained that it was necessary to give k0nfig \u201cspace and time [to recover] without the constant pressure of having to get back and play.\u201d In reality, however, k0nfig seemingly had little say in the matter. \u201cI was a little bit surprised, to be honest,\u201d he notes. \u201cI really wanted to be part of the team after I got some help and my foot was healed. But I also understand their decision to let me go because it\u2019s hard for me to get back into a team after I let them down like that, before the Major qualifier. \u201cI definitely believe that the decision was made by the organization. I don\u2019t think it was made by the players.\u201d k0nfig says that he exchanged brief messages with his teammates after the incident and that they were all very supportive of him. \u201cThey wanted to wish me good luck with the surgeries,\u201d he says. \u201cI admire everyone on the team. I think they\u2019re really good guys. They said they\u2019re sorry that I\u2019m not coming back to them.\u201d k0nfig spent nearly a year with Astralis after signing with the organization in November 2021 alongside his Complexity teammate and compatriot Benjamin \u2018blameF\u2019 Bremer. They arrived during a transition period for a team that had lost Nicolai \u2018device\u2019 Reedtz earlier that year and was trying to start a new era as Peter \u2018dupreeh\u2019 Rasmussen, Emil \u2018Magisk\u2019 Reif and Danny \u2018zonic\u2019 S\u00f8rensen were also on their way out. The first impressions were impressive as Astralis placed third at the BLAST Premier Fall Final, in Copenhagen, but it went downhill from there. A semi-final run at IEM Cologne 2022 was one of the few elite tournaments where the team managed to reach the playoffs. At PGL Major Antwerp, they could not even go beyond the Challenger Stage. Individually, k0nfig\u2019s form suffered from peaks and falls. In some tournaments, he was the team\u2019s second star and the principal wingman to blameF; in others, he struggled to even post above-average numbers. This is the reason, k0nfig explains, that he revealed in the summer that he had been \u201cmentally up and down\u201d. He says that it was hard for him to find consistency in his game and build confidence in a team where he was constantly the one who had to find solutions to unlock games \u2014 pointing to the struggles experienced by the AWPers, Philip \u2018Lucky\u2019 Ewald and then Asger \u2018Farlig\u2019 Jensen. \u201cI think there was a little bit of misunderstanding of roles within the team,\u201d he says. \u201cWe had too many defensive players, so I had to do something aggressive all the time. And of course, our AWPers had a hard time, Farlig and also Lucky. \u201cI felt like I had to do more stuff for the team than actually focusing on myself. I had to take chances. I felt like when I had bad games, opponents were just shutting me down to avoid me getting into good situations. And the rest of the team was a little bit too passive for me to get into good positions. So when I got shut down in games, it felt like it was just a passive team.\u201d There was a certain sense of irony that Astralis re-signed Nicolai \u2018device\u2019 Reedtz after k0nfig was gone. The Danish AWPer, who is returning from a year away from action due to mental health reasons, is exactly the sort of player k0nfig wished he had by his side during his time on the team to take some of the load off of him. It was the second time in k0nfig\u2019s career that he had missed a potential career-defining moment. The first had been in 2018, when he was on Astralis\u2019 shortlist to join the team after Markus \u2018Kjaerbye\u2019 Kj\u00e6rbye\u2019s sudden departure. In the end, zonic picked Magisk after being left unimpressed by k0nfig\u2019s attitude during the interview process. That team went on to establish a dynasty. \u201cIt feels like I\u2019m setting up tripwires to make things harder for me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt feels like every single time I\u2019m close to having success, I\u2019m stumbling over something, making a mistake and doing something stupid. \u201cI\u2019ve been talking to my psychologist about changing my views and how I behave in situations where there\u2019s the possibility that I mess up. We\u2019ve been talking about how I should think more about my life, focus on feeling good and being happy, and remove the situations where I can make mistakes. And also share my honest opinion. That\u2019s really important for me as well. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely been setting up tripwires for myself, but I\u2019m slowly taking them down.\u201d Despite the fact that his Astralis tenure ended on a sour note, k0nfig does not close the door on a return to the team, be it now or sometime in the future. He says that dev1ce\u2019s return alone will not fix everything and that the team will still need someone just like him to return to the top. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely sad that I missed out on that opportunity, but I think that there\u2019s still a way for me to grind and maybe get the opportunity to once again,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t think that the door is shut. I feel like the door is still open.\u201d \u201cI know it might sound a bit funny, but getting kicked by Astralis has ignited a fire in me. When you have the feeling in your body that you just want to let go and quit, and then you realize that is not what life is meant to be for you, then you definitely feel the motivation at its highest.\u201d If they invited him back today, would he take the offer? \u201cI think I would, to be honest,\u201d he says. \u201cI still think that Astralis is a good team. They\u2019ve done so many good things for me as an individual and as a player. I definitely feel like I can forgive and they can forgive as well. We are all grown-ups. Sometimes mistakes happen, both from my end and theirs. \u201cSo yes, I\u2019d be able to forgive and forget.\u201d Returning to action Regardless of how much k0nfig would like to have another chance with Astralis, he won\u2019t sit back and wait for the phone to ring. He\u2019s already taking the steps to bounce back, playing FACEIT pugs, Deathmatch, surf maps and KZ daily to keep his skills sharp with a view to returning to competition when the new season starts in 2023. He has been approached by a number of teams and organizations, but he will wait some time before making a decision on his future as he waits for more offers to come. He says he has no preference between a Danish team or an international project, stating that his priority is to find a group of players with whom he can build a rapport \u2014 something that was a bit missing on Astralis, where he says he never truly felt at home. \u201cI want to be part of a well-built team where I feel like I belong, with five players who are dynamic together,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to feel that there\u2019s a friendship between teammates from the get-go and that it\u2019s a home for me. You know, like when you join the server or when you\u2019re in a tournament and you just want to achieve the same things. That\u2019s what I want.\u201d k0nfig says that he has the blessing of his psychologist to start looking for a team and compete again, but that doesn\u2019t mean the end of the therapy sessions. \u201cI\u2019m still going to use her as a rock to get the rest out of my system,\u201d he says, challenging any team that doubts his resolve and mental state to reach out. \u201cI want to play,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel like my life, right now, is the perfect situation. I\u2019ve messed up. I\u2019ve forgiven [myself]. I definitely think that it\u2019s the right call.\u201d k0nfig is determined to show that he has navigated this obstacle in his life and is committed to self-improvement in his personal life. He wants his game to be the only thing he is known for and let the other stuff, the outside-the-game antics, the bad rap, and the distractions, in the past. Inside the server, he also believes that he is still evolving. Oozing his trademark confidence, he says that he still feels at the peak of his individual powers. \u201cI don\u2019t think I am past my prime,\u201d he says. \u201cI still think I can outplay everyone and dominate the server,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel like I have not yet become the player I want to be. Of course, being in the top 20 HLTV player ranking again would be really nice individually, but I also want to prove that I can improve teams and make them a better unit. I want to win tournaments, so there\u2019s a lot that I want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
k0nfig ready to restart pro CSGO career: \u201cAstralis kick has ignited a fire in me\u201d BLAST\/PGLDanish CS:GO star Kristian \u2018k0nfig\u2019 Wienecke details his journey to recovery and self-improvement after being in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as he aims to find a new team for 2023. \u201cI\u2019m ready to return,\u201d k0nfig says with assurance. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38533\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}