HEROIC's reserve player, Niko "nicoodoz" Tamjid, shared his thoughts on the team's atmosphere during their performance at IEM Dallas 2024. In an interview with HLTV, the Danish player explained that he was prepared for his temporary return to the team and is now trying to joke with his teammates about the circumstances of his benching.
"I think I was mentally ready for this event because when I was told I was being benched, they also said there was a high chance I'd need to step in as a substitute. They asked if I wanted to do it, and I said yes, I wanted to help the team. So, it wasn't a big surprise for me; even during ESL Pro League, I knew there was a high probability that I would play in this tournament.
In this sense, it’s not too awkward. But I make it a bit uncomfortable for the guys—jokingly saying they can't bench me again, joking about being late, and so on. I try to make them feel a bit uncomfortable but in a fun way. Other than that, there's no awkwardness."
nicoodoz also mentioned that he has started receiving offers from other teams, but first, he needs to play for HEROIC in Dallas and then figure out what he wants for himself.
"I have a few offers, so I’m not going to be homeless like it says on my Twitter. In that sense, I'm fine, but I haven't decided where I'll go or what role I'll play yet. There are a lot of things I need to think about, but it's hard to do that while I'm here in Dallas. I want to focus on the game. In the future, I'll find a home, I just need to figure out what I want to do."
To recap, on May 11, Tamjid left HEROIC's active roster; the esports player was benched and put up for transfer. Abdul "degster" Gasanov replaced him, but the Russian couldn't attend IEM Dallas 2024 due to visa issues, so nicoodoz is competing as a substitute in the tournament.