Our guest today is Krux, CEO of the Nisla Rakov esports team. He is someone who combines a love of esports with a passion for traditional sport — particularly football, which he is also actively involved in, playing for a local B-class team. He is currently studying renewable energy management, and spends his free time actively: going for long walks and discovering new music. His diverse interests and commitment to the organisation’s development make him an exceptionally engaging interviewee and one of the most interesting figures on the Polish underground scene.
The editor’s questions are marked [R]. We hope you enjoy the read!
[R] To start with, please introduce yourself to our readers — who are you, what do you do on a daily basis, and what are your interests outside of esports?
Hello, my name is Hubert. I’m currently studying renewable energy management. Apart from esports, I’m also interested in football. As a hobby, I play for a local B-class team. I also enjoy spending time actively, going for long walks and discovering new music.
[R] You combine your role as CEO of Nisła Raków with actively playing for mix123. How do you manage to balance your organisational duties with competing on the server?
Nisła Raków operates as a mixed team, so we don’t have regular, joint training sessions on a day-to-day basis. Each player mainly plays their own Faceit matches. The situation is similar in mix123, which is a team set up specifically for the Rising league, just to play and compete in a relaxed way. Thanks to this, combining the role of CEO with gaming isn’t particularly demanding for me. Both teams have relatively few official matches, which allows me to efficiently balance my organisational duties with active gaming.
[R] As CEO, you make many strategic decisions. What do you find the most difficult aspect of running an esports organisation?
Nisła Raków isn’t a formal organisation, so my role as ‘CEO’ is rather informal and is based primarily on supporting the lads on a day-to-day basis. I often chat with them on TeamSpeak; sometimes I’ll offer a bit of advice, and I also create graphics for the team and look for potential replacements should any of the players receive a better offer. I’m also in charge of managing our social media. Merdi gives me a huge amount of support here, helping me to keep on top of all this chaos. The hardest part, then, is juggling various tasks at once and making sure everything runs smoothly, even though we’re doing this more as a hobby than professionally.
[R] Does your role as a player help you better understand the needs of the teams and players at Nisa? Or perhaps the opposite — does it sometimes get in the way?
To be honest, being a player hasn’t changed my approach much. I’ve been putting teams together for a long time and have experience in what players usually need. In our case, the demands aren’t particularly high. Above all, the lads just want the chance to compete on the server. Being a player only helps me get a better feel for the team’s rhythm, but I wouldn’t say it has a major impact on my decisions or responsibilities.
[R] On social media, particularly on platform X, you don’t mince your words and often say exactly what you think. Where does this authenticity come from? Have you ever had any problems because of it?
I’ve never had any major problems with it. I believe that if I don’t like something, I can say so directly — within reason, of course. Authenticity is important to me, and honesty often does more good than harm. As for the ‘lyrical invectives’ sometimes directed at other X users, these are usually meant as a joke, a reaction to a taunt or provocation, or perhaps in defence of a friend. A good example is the situation with rab1m. When a few people were attacking him in the comments, I naturally came to his defence, simply because he’s my friend.
[R] How do players and industry figures react when the CEO speaks so bluntly and without holding back?
To be honest, I rarely pay attention to how people in the industry react. There have been times when Ta1nz has gently chided me, because sometimes it really is worth keeping your emotions in check — especially now that I also serve as administrator of the red (and, in my opinion, better) underground. As for my ‘Niślans’, I often get tips from Merdi himself on how best to respond in a given situation. I really value his support — and I simply adore him.
[R] You’re a former Hussars player. You left, saying that you wouldn’t be able to help the team any further and that you were leaving them in good hands. Looking back now – do you stand by those words?
I was never a player for either the Hussars or Pandemonium — I served as head coach there. I left because, as I mentioned earlier, I was no longer able to contribute as much value to the team as I once did. The team had excellent organisation in place, and I also believe that Vox is simply a better coach than me and will lead the lads much more effectively, especially as they were playing without a designated IGL. I stand by my words — I believe that leaving was a good and necessary decision for the good of the team.
[R] Are you still in touch with the Hussars’ players or coaching staff? Or is there still some ‘bad blood’ lingering?
Yes, I’m still in touch with both the players and the coaching staff. We still have a group chat on Messenger where we message each other regularly. From time to time, I also pop into Lien’s streams to have a chat. I’m very fond of him, just as I am of the rest of the lads from the Hussars. I can’t imagine a situation where there’d be any ‘bad blood’ between us. On the contrary — I’d love to see them take on Nisłe Raków, Avenris or mix123 one day.
[R] Do you see your time with the Hussars as a phase that helped you reach the level you’re at now — or was it more of a chapter you wanted to close quickly?
I definitely think that my time with Hussars was a phase that helped me reach a higher level. Thanks to the lads, I learnt what real, hard work as a team is all about — despite many ups and downs. This project also gave me quite a bit of exposure in the underground scene, on Twitter and other social media. Thanks to Hussars, I learnt how to build a team from scratch, what to look out for and what mistakes to avoid. This experience was incredibly valuable to me, and it’s certainly not a chapter I wanted to close on quickly.
[R] Let’s move on to Nisła. What are your long-term plans for the organisation? What would you like Nisła to achieve in the coming months?
I’d like to emphasise once again that Nisła Raków does not operate as a formal organisation. Our main goal for the coming months is, first and foremost, to compete in the ESEA season — this is something we’ve already discussed within the team. We’d also like to put in a strong performance in the upcoming Masters league season on ARRMY. As a team, we’re keen to show that we’re capable of competing with the top teams in the Polish underground scene. It would be great if, one day, a professional organisation took an interest in the lads, although we realise that with a limited number of training sessions apart from the occasional match on FACEIT, this might be difficult.
[R] And what goals have you set yourself for 2026? Do you already have a specific vision for the development of the organisation or the teams?
I’ve set myself a few specific goals for 2026. First and foremost, we want to qualify for the Rising League play-offs with both Avenris and mix123. The next challenge will be Nisła Raków’s first-ever victory in the Masters League. It’s a tough task, but we’re ready to give it our all. I’d also like to see Nisła Raków qualify for ESEA Intermediate or Main, and for the team to appear in the Cybersport rankings for the first time ever. I feel we’re getting closer and closer to this goal and are steadily working towards it.
[R] Do you think the Polish esports scene is heading in the right direction, or quite the opposite — does it need major organisational changes?
It’s difficult to give a definitive assessment of the entire Polish esports scene. When it comes to the underground scene, there’s sometimes too much unnecessary drama and conflict. On the other hand, I view initiatives such as the ‘Galaxy Cup’, organised by Axemis and Szata, very positively. It’s a great opportunity for lesser-known teams to showcase themselves and gain experience. As for the Polish Tier 1 scene, I think ex-ESC are performing really well. It’s just a shame that Polish teams which achieve high results often face accusations of cheating or using wallhacks. This unnecessarily tarnishes the perception of their successes.
[R] You’re still playing in mix123. Are you considering a return to full-time, professional gaming on a permanent basis if the right offer comes along?
I have no plans to return to full-time professional team play. At the moment, I prefer playing on Faceit with friends or in mixed line-ups in leagues. I don’t foresee a return as a player any time soon, as professional competition no longer gives me as much pleasure as it used to.
[R] What has Krux learnt over the years in esports — both as a player and as a CEO?
Over the years in esports, I’ve learnt a great deal both as a player and as a CEO. Above all, experience has shown me that it’s worth being cautious about bringing friends into the team. In the past, this often damaged team morale, and ultimately both players left because working together no longer made sense. I’ve also learnt that initiatives taken on my own can sometimes backfire. A good example is the Awaken team. I helped build the squad, but later the coaching staff pretended not to know me and wouldn’t let me watch the team’s training sessions or trials. The funniest situation was when one of the players told me that Coach Dripo didn’t want me to log onto the server or be given the IP address. These experiences have taught me how important communication, trust and nurturing relationships within the team are.
[R] What qualities do you value most in the players you work with? What immediately wins you over, and what puts you off?
What puts me off most is the ego of players who consider themselves ‘gods of the game’. Such players are usually unsuitable for team-based competition, as their character makes cooperation and team-building difficult. On the other hand, what I value most in players is initiative, a willingness to help and the ability to work together. These are qualities that immediately win me over and make it easier to work with them and develop the team.
[R] If you could turn back time and change one decision related to your esports career — what would it be?
If I could turn back time, I’d probably change some of my behaviour towards people I’ve treated badly in the past. Over time, I’ve come to realise that was a mistake, because I can see now that they’re truly valuable people. That experience has taught me to be more mindful and respectful in my relationships with others in the esports community.
[R] Finally, thank you for your time. Is there anyone you’d like to see interviewed on our website? Or perhaps you’d like to send a message to someone from here?
I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to give this interview and for the invitation. I’d certainly love to read an interview with Merdi, as he’s a fascinating and interesting person. It would also be great to see Lien in an interview like this, as I think he’d have a lot to say, for example about the Slake team or the Hussars. I’d also like to send my regards to my mum and dad, as well as the whole of Nisła Raków, the Hussars, Avenris and mix123!
Finally, we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Krux for his time, his willingness to talk and for accepting our invitation to take part in this interview. We appreciate his commitment and the effort he puts into developing the Nisla Rakov team. We wish him continued success — both in the world of esports and in his personal life — and all the best in realising all his plans and ambitions for the organisation’s future.
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