Nivera: It’ll take more than a CSGO Major to surpass my brother ScreaM

Brought in as the sixth member of an already established Team Vitality roster, Nivera is surrounded by some of the biggest names in French Counter-Strike.

But aside from having to live up to the high standards set by his teammates, the 19-year-old has to handle the pressures of living up to his brother’s reputation.

Twitter: ScreaM_

ScreaM rubbed shoulders with CS:GO’s elite, but has since moved onto Valorant in pursuit of Major glory.

Nivera: Stepping away from ScreaM’s shadow

Despite never earning a podium finish at a CS:GO Major, ScreaM’s name is firmly cemented in Counter-Strike’s hall of fame. While Nivera certainly has big shoes to fill, the Vitality hotshot believes that he can certainly follow in his brother’s footsteps. “It’s my dream to replicate his career, you know? I’ll give it my best and I’m pretty sure I’ll have no regrets.”

• Read More: NiKo vs FaZe: CSGO’s Biggest Rivalry Begins @ IEM Beijing

But with that said, Nivera remained candidly humble when pressed on what it will take to surpass his brother’s legacy. “Even if I win a Major, it will not be enough… My brother did a lot of things in this game and I have to work really hard.”

Nivera on becoming Vitality’s super sub

Nivera finished IEM Beijing as the third highest rated player of the event — falling short to fellow teammate, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut and Na’Vi’s Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev.

As Vitality’s sixth man, he has become their resident Inferno & Dust 2 specialist… Even pushing ZywOo aside when it comes to AWP duties. “If I want to take the AWP, I take it… I’m the main sniper!”

• Read More: Why Vitality’s 2nd place curse is paving the way for CSGO greatness

Nivera was Vitality’s highest rated player in the series (albeit only playing two maps), after posting a 87.1 Average Damage per Round and a 45-31 kill-to-death ratio.

So was the youngster the key ZywOo and co. finally overcoming their Grand Final jitters? Well, the pressure certainly didn’t affect him. “I didn’t feel a lot of pressure, honestly… I just give everything, I stay focused on the game — I just give my best and give everything for the team.”

IEM Beijing was Team Vitality’s fifth Grand Final appearance in as many months, but the first for their super sub. And as fate would have it, the French squad finally overcame their second-place curse and secure their first event win of the year.

Was Nivera the difference maker? Well he certainly adds a fresh dynamic to the roster in a best-of-five series. Team Coach, Rémy ‘XTQZZZ’ Quoniam, can utilize their latest signing to make it more difficult for prying eyes to strategize against them. But one thing’s for certain, only time will tell if Nivera can carry the Benrlitom torch in CS:GO.