The CS Asian Invitational (CAC) might indeed be a lucky charm for Brazilians. Last year, they defeated FUT, HEROIC, and 3DMAX consecutively to lift the trophy at CAC 2025. This year, they delivered another top-tier performance, overcoming all obstacles to reach the finals.
Although Legacy suffered a comeback loss in Map 1 Nuke despite holding a 6-point advantage on the attacking side, they stabilized and consecutively won Inferno (chosen by Falcons) and Mirage (their pick), pushing the Europeans to the brink.
In contrast, Falcons were the disappointed party in this tournament. NiKo and Falcons once again fell victim to the curse of "choking" in major finals. After NiKo missed a crucial back-shot AK in Map 2 Ancient, the team's performance became inconsistent. Legacy, however, grew stronger with each round. In Round 8 of Map 4 Dust2, dumau and latto combined their crossfire to take down five opponents, turning A Short into a "mysterious serving window" with their steel-like left clicks, eliciting sustained cheers from the crowd for Legacy...
Finally, as latto, who retained the FMVP title, precisely eliminated Falcons' star sniper "Kid" m0NESY at B site, this Brazilian squad successfully defeated the favorites Falcons, defending their title as reigning champions. Amidst the resounding chants of "Bora," they lifted the CS Asian Invitational (CAC) championship trophy once again at the Shanghai Yuanshen Sports Center—marking another achievement for Legacy following their third-place finish at IEM Katowice recently.
During the post-match interview, they entered the room singing "We Are the Champions" with portable speakers, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere. During the interview, they couldn't hide their excitement, describing the magical moments on the finals stage as "magic."
Q: Congratulations on successfully defending your CAC title! Do you feel there's something special about Shanghai that allows you to perform at your best every time?
A:I don't know, guys. We had an incredibly strong day today. I can't explain it; maybe it was divine intervention or something like that.
Q: This question is for the coach. While Black Panthers and MIBR have gone international, you have stuck with an all-Brazilian lineup and achieved excellent results. Do you believe Legacy will be the team to make Brazilian CS great again?
A:Absolutely! This is a new generation of Brazilian talent, and I hope to lead it to become Major champions!
Q: Next question is for Art. A teammate mentioned in an interview that after joining the team, you didn't immediately change the team structure but took time to understand your teammates' preferences and make targeted adjustments. Can you tell us how you achieved that?
A:Yes, I think it's a process. Legacy was already a strong team before I joined, so it was about combining the best elements from both sides—what I could bring to the team and where they excelled.
Q: Next question is for dumau. In an interview, you mentioned that you and Art have been playing CS together since you were 12. Has his style influenced yours? You are both aggressive players; how do you maintain balance during matches?
A:We've played together for a long time, and I think we have chemistry that makes it easier to balance things—it's not something that requires a lot of discussion.
Q: Player latto, winning the finals 3-1 and securing the FMVP title was a wonderful revenge match. Compared to your championship win against 3DMAX last year, how would you evaluate your performance today?
A:I'm not entirely sure. I think the team helped me. There wasn't that much "latto play" involved—it's just my mindset.
Q: Before the match, many fans in the community didn't expect you to win, thinking it would be at most a 3-1 or 3-2 victory. If you had to summarize the magic or secret behind your win today, could you give us a few keywords?
A:If I had to choose, the words would be "believe"... and "magic."
Q: Before the match, many said Legacy was the defending champion while Falcons were the true challengers. Today, you defended your title. Do you like that narrative?
A:I think so. Before the match, Falcons were under more pressure than we were, and it feels great to defend our title as reigning champions.
Q: Most fans at the venue were cheering for Falcons, but in Round 8 of Map 4, you delivered an outstanding performance that got the entire crowd cheering for you. Everyone was shouting "Bora." What did that feel like?
A:(Laughs) "Bora" actually has a connotation of a curse. I don't think there's a direct translation. If anything, it's similar to "Damn!"
Q: So, you don't want fans to use that word?
A:No, no, what we mean is more like "Let's fxxking go"—let's go!
Q: Today, your performance showed great resilience. Do you believe this victory will propel Legacy into the ranks of the world's top teams?
A:We performed well in the last two major tournaments, but to confirm that we have truly become a better team, the best answer lies in the Major. If we perform well enough at the Major, we should be able to join the ranks of the top teams.
Q: This question is for dumau. Your four-kill play was stunning today. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself?
A:Believe it or not, I just stood there and casually headshot two of them, wiping them out completely—I don't even know how I did it. It's just magic, pure magic.
Q: latto, how does it feel to win two MVPs in Shanghai? Maybe next time it'll be three!
A:Shanghai is a wonderful city, and the audience was amazing. Winning two MVPs here feels incredible—maybe it's just like they say, it's magic, Bora magic.
Q: In Map 1 Nuke, the score was very tight, but you ultimately fell short. How did you adjust during the break to sweep the rest of the matches?
A:We felt a lot of pressure in Map 1 and lost some key rounds, but after Map 1, we knew we were actually playing better and just gave away some crucial rounds. So, we told the team that we were playing well, we had Everythinggj needed to win the championship, and we just needed to focus on our own game.
Q: After the match, will you have a big meal like last year? Will your hair be safe?
A:No, my hair probably won't be safe. As for food, we might go to Shake Shack, probably. We eat Shake Shack every day when we return to the hotel, so celebrating back at the hotel likely means eating Shake Shack.
Q: Have you tried any local food? Or are there any local dishes you'd like to try?
A:I want to try noodles; they look amazing.