MIBR fRoD: "aspas is going back to being a World Champion"

MIBR is going through a great run of form at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 2, and that is in no small part thanks to Erick "aspas" Santos. In an exclusive interview with THESPIKE Brazil, the team's head coach, Danny "fRoD" Montaner, claimed that the Brazilian star has been focusing solely on VALORANT lately, without outside concerns, leading to a version of aspas similar to the one we grew accustomed to during his time on LOUD.

Moreover, fRoD also drew a comparison between aspas' form and that of Verno, who has also been firing on all cylinders since he stopped being the team's in-game leader (IGL).

"I think aspas is becoming more like he was in 2023, a bit more of a champion, in that sense. He's just focusing on the game. He stopped thinking about the other team, our team, that kind of stuff. It's the same thing with Verno. The less you think about the game and just trade shots, the better you get. When aspas was World Champion, best player in the world, he just played the game. Happiness in the game helps a lot. I think taking off that pressure of doing things, thinking about the map, wanting to control all of that... man, screw it. Just play the game. You [aspas] are really good. Aspas is kind of like Verno. When he's got that happiness, he crushes it and gets really comfortable."

When it comes to playing at the highest level, the smallest things can make a world of difference. According to fRoD, getting to play next to Ian "tex" Botsch is a part of what makes aspas a better player day in and day out: "He's playing close to tex. We swapped seats. He's close to tex. Tex always helps him, gives him a smile and stuff like that."

At the end of the day, though, a player of aspas' talent for VALORANT needs to feel comfortable on the server in order to perform.

"I think aspas is going back to being more of a World Champion, a guy who just focuses on the game. That's it. Happiness, love for the team, and desire to play. I'm really happy about that part because aspas is an insanely good, but he's also a good person. I'm not talking badly about him, but he's very much a kid. The guy just wanted to play, just wanted to trade shots. When he does that, he's the best in the world. There's no way around it. It's just doing that every day, having that happiness and not thinking about too many things. Just about trading shots. I think he and Verno too are going back to being how they originally were: just focusing on the game."

Both aspas and Verno have been in stellar form at Stage 2 so far, leading MIBR to a 3-1 record ahead of Week 4 of the Group Stage. But the job is not done yet.

To close out the Group Stage, MIBR will face none other than the champions of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters London 2026, Leviatán, this Saturday, August 8 with first place in Group Alpha still up for grabs.

You can find the complete video interview with fRoD in the original Portuguese below:

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