Max “Demon1” Mazanov made his triumphant return to the VCT Americas stage with a clean 2-0 victory over Leviatán at the VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff event. The former world champion has joined the roster as a substitute for Francis “OXY” Hoang, who has had to take time off due to a personal tragedy. 

Demon1 showcased some of his classic playmaking potential and incredible aim on his signature Chamber pick. After the series, Esports.net spoke with Demon1 about his return to VCT Americas, the state of the current meta, and more.

Q) You mentioned on the Brazilian stream how you really wanted to compete and win this year. Do you feel like 2026 is the last chance for you to prove yourself, find a permanent spot on a roster, and get back to the top?

Demon1: Well, every year is the same for me. I am always there and motivated, and I want to win. Last chance? I don’t know what that means. I am so much better than almost everybody in the league. Whatever it is, I am sure I’ll find a home soon. Hopefully, I can get a team because no one has reached out to me yet. However, subbing in for Cloud9 is a great opportunity.

Q) You had some very strong words about your lack of inclusion on any team prior to the start of VCT 2026. However, you have found yourself competing in brief stints with teams like Cloud9 and Dragon Ranger Gaming. Do you see these sporadic stints as a positive or negative, since it does allow you to compete, but teams bring you in as more of a substitute or stand-in rather than a full-time player?

Demon1: I don’t think about the substitute or part-time player part. Obviously, teams have their built-in systems, and not many are making changes. It’s unfortunate I could not be picked up at the start of the year. I am always motivate,d and anytime I get to play, it’s a positive. I don’t look at it as a negative ever. Any playtime is playtim,e and I always show my best here.

Q) Could you tell us more about your time in Dragon Ranger Gaming, considering Chinese and Asian teams in general have a largely different approach to esports compared to the West? How did the players on DRG approach the idea of competing in esports on and off the server? Do you still keep in touch with the DRG players?

Demon1: Off the game, they work very hard. They put in a lot of effort and are super fun to be around. As far as game style, I had no idea what was happening. I was just there, and they were just doing their thing. They said “do this and do that,” and that was it. I had no idea what was going on there. 

We don’t really keep in touch because they are in China and the time zones are too different. However, a couple of them have reached out to me and asked how I was doing and stuff like that. It’s only small messages here and there sometimes.

Q) Did your brief stint in DRG open your mind to maybe consider offers from other regions, such as EMEA and Pacific?

Demon1: Obviously, if I were to do that, I would fill in with any team to be honest, but I just don’t want to because I live here and my whole life is here, so I can’t really move.

Q) What are your thoughts on the current meta and Chamber being a really strong pick? 

Demon1: You could always make Chamber work, but now he is even more meta due to the utility timers being longer, and there is a lot less utility in general. You can put the right player on the right Agent, and you can make it work.

Q) Do you think the changes to utility have been a healthy addition to the game, as it seems like it has opened up the meta a lot more?

Demon1: Yeah, for sure. Obviously, Riot is adding new Agents that all have different aspects of what you can do with an ability, and it’s not always a smoke Agent or an Agent with mollies. They are obviously implementing unique Agents, but toning down the utility definitely helps, just so it isn’t like 90% abilities and 5% aim is definitely better for the game. 

Q) What do you think about Zellsis’ IGLing style?

Demon1: It’s pretty good as it’s simple and nothing overly complicated. He has a good read on the game, and he knows what’s happening in the round. He is making the correct adjustments. Honestly, his calling has been really good, especially in scrims.

We’ve been having the right calls all the time, and the ideas are good. It’s just small mistakes like a player overpeeking, rough timings on the executes, and stuff like that, but those are obviously stuff which you can’t control. Overall, he definitely knows what he is doing for sure.