Jakub “Mil3k” Milewski is the current manager and coach of the well-known Autobus Brothers. In the past, he was one of the owners of the UndergrounD eSport Cup, with whom we also had the opportunity to collaborate. There was also a period when he worked as a commentator for matches. Not only for his own tournament, but also for Arrmy. Currently, in addition to his managerial role, he can be found working as an administrator on the aforementioned website — Arrmy.
[R] Hi Milek, to start with, please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi, I’m a former CS commentator and organiser of underground tournaments; I’m currently working behind the scenes for Bracia Autobus and, more recently, I’ve also been an admin at Arrmy
[R] In the past, you worked as a Counter-Strike tournament organiser; now you’re a coach and manager for Bracia Autobus. What prompted such a sudden change of career?
To be honest, it happened quite naturally; the UEC project was shelved quite a while ago. I also stopped commentating some time ago and stepped back from esports on that front for a long time. Of course, I kept an eye on what was happening on the scene. A bit less on the underground scene – practically nothing – but recently there’s been some activity again. Right at the start, I was one of the players for Bracia Autobus, but I realised I probably wasn’t cut out for playing anymore, so Roman took my place. Instead, I started helping the lads in other ways and I feel great about it. Working behind the scenes, doing analysis, helping with organisation or supporting the lads, because even though I’m not playing, I’m on Discord with them for every match.
[R] You took part in the Vanguard Cup, which, to put it mildly, isn’t very well organised. Do you have any advice, as a former organiser of a tournament that had a fairly good reputation?
Well, unfortunately, it wasn’t the most successful tournament. Leaving aside the social media aspects or the fact that the streams were mostly just teams finding someone to commentate. I actually wrote quite a bit about that under your tweet as well. The main problem was organisational and communication-related. We had the feeling that, in reality, the organiser was just giving us a timeframe within which to play, and we were left to sort the rest out ourselves. As for advice I can give, it’s definitely to allow more time and put in the effort, and to first draw up a plan for how the tournament should look. Think carefully about the dates for the matches, rather than having them, as we did this time, on Valentine’s Day, where the matches were initially scheduled to be played either on the day itself or the day before – a time when many players were using the opportunity to spend time with their significant others. Another thing is that it would also be useful to look at the rules of the format first, because the fact that we’re playing opponents who’ve won 3-0, only to end up 3-1 in the quarter-finals, is simply unfair. I think that if it weren’t for that, there would have been a chance to comfortably make it into the top 3. As I see it now, there was a lack of almost everything: planning, organisation, communication, social interaction. Generally, there’s a lot to improve, and the worst thing is that I had the impression that this criticism isn’t really getting through to the organiser.
[R] I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t ask this question: When’s the UEC?
It’s not in the plans and probably won’t be. It’s a closed chapter in a way; we’ve got plenty of other things on our hands with the lads. We know full well how much time it took us and how much work went into that project, and we certainly wouldn’t want to do something half-heartedly, so I don’t think any of the four of us who made up S1 and S2 would dare to do it. At the moment, although I’m on good terms with the lads – whether it’s Qnki3m or Vexon, who’s actually in Bracia Autobus – and least of all with VEEX, but if he’s reading this, I send him my warmest regards. Well, the team’s there, but I suppose the time’s gone and the motivation’s not there anymore, but maybe one day if something comes up, who knows.
[R] Why did you decide to change the logo?
The logo was originally designed as a joke; we were mainly playing ESEA, so it wasn’t a big deal. Recently, we decided to play a bit on the underground scene. We launched our social media and realised that to avoid any issues with the text on there, we’d prefer to change it to something simpler, so we wouldn’t have to modify it for a tournament or anywhere else. It was simply a move to make things easier.
[R] The UEC tournament ran a few years ago; we’re closer to the double digits than the first year. Are you still in touch with people from that community?
Well, of course, we have people supporting us from that community, or from EvolutionGG, which was run by Vexon and is also closely linked to the UEC, so that contact remains. Besides, I met you through the UEC, so those connections are still there. Obviously, some are closer, some less so, but it’s still amazing that after all these years, those connections are still there. Besides, looking at our team, Karwat took part in the UEC, and now Homlessduck is joining us; Roman played in Evo, and I won’t even mention Vexon, because he first played in the tournament and then organised it with us.
[R] If you were to compare the current state of the underground scene with that community back then – what differences do you notice?
The underground scene was certainly a bit bigger back then than it is now. Although CS has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance for quite some time now and a lot of people are coming back. It’s hard to compare the situation now, but what stands out most are the divisions we see – they’re unnecessary and senselessly exacerbated; there aren’t that many of us, so it would be better to cooperate and try to build a cool community where everyone can develop. All the more so because there’s currently a lack of organisation in Poland, so it’s no surprise to anyone that those underground teams already playing at a fairly high level are in the Polish top 10. I think that many players aren’t all that interested in these divisions either, and it’s mostly those who shout the loudest.
[R] Where will the Autobus Brothers be stopping next?
At the moment, after the ESEA and Vanguard Cup, we’re having a bit of a break; those who want to are playing Faceit. Some are taking a break with other games to clear their heads a bit, as there have been quite a few matches recently. We’ll be getting back to training soon. Ahead of us is the Lunacy Cup, where we’ve made it to Stage 2 from the seeding phase, as well as the Lucky XIII Cup, so there’ll be plenty to watch. The next ESEA season kicks off in mid-April, so we’ll have our hands full. We’re also keeping an eye on which tournaments are coming up and we’ll see what else we take part in.
[R] Where did the idea for such an unusual yet creative name come from?
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure; I wasn’t on DC when it was thought up and I’m not sure who came up with it, but I like it – we’re like a speeding bus. On the other hand, I’ve heard that some people in the underground scene call us the PKS Brothers, and there’s a bit of truth in that, because we do sometimes fail to make it like a typical PKS…
[R] Can you think of any projects from the heyday of the UEC that are still going today? Why do so many projects fail to stand the test of time?
Currently, I think it’s 3 Immunity League, Superion and POLteam. Basically, each project deals with something different. Each of them had its break, but you can still see them in the underground scene now. I think it’s a matter of the owners’ determination, the desire to keep building the underground scene, and perhaps that sense of satisfaction you get after successful activities. That gives you quite a kick too, but I don’t know of any specific formula for it.
[R] What do you do for a living?
Sadly, the dreary life of a labourer. I repair electric scooters, but I send my regards to the lads at work. After work, there’s time for this CS site.
[R] What are your hobbies? Do you do anything in your spare time outside of CS and work?
To be honest, CS and other games are my hobby, so they take up quite a bit of time. Apart from that, I also like to watch a TV series or a film. When you add in work, the bus journey and various chores, that’s enough for me at the moment.
[R] TV series or a book?
As I mentioned earlier, at the moment I like to occasionally fire up a casual game like ETS. One where I don’t have to focus on the plot, and I can switch on a TV series or film at the same time – that way I get a 2-in-1 experience. As for my favourite series, I’d say Game of Thrones and Sherlock, where Cumberbatch played what is probably the best Holmes I’ve ever seen.
[R] A few years ago, Facebook reigned supreme in the Underground. You couldn’t imagine being active on social media without Facebook. Nowadays, Facebook is dying, and social media doesn’t exist without a profile on x.com. Where did this come from?
I think it’s the natural course of things – social media changes, and back in the day, Instagram wasn’t as popular as Twitter is now. It was probably more associated with LoL or politicians. Fewer and fewer people are on Facebook now, especially younger ones, and in a natural way this has shifted to X. Currently, many people only have Facebook for Messenger, which is frequently used in Poland and has taken root here, but in other countries we see different messaging apps. Who knows, maybe the time will come when we’ll stop using Messenger because others aren’t using it anymore, and we’ll forget about Facebook completely.
[R] Have you ever turned up for training with alcohol in your system?
We’ve changed our logo, but not our mindset, so of course we have.
[R] Thank you for accepting the invitation. Would you like to add anything yourself, or send greetings to anyone?
Finally, I’d like to say hello to the Autobus Brothers, EvoFamily and everyone else who supports us – the timetable is set, let’s go with…
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