luchov says confidence drives his playstyle as 9z aim for Spodek at Katowice

Luciano "luchov" Herrera says his playstyle depends on confidence, and he needs to be useful even when it is lacking.

The 9z rifler remains a contender for rookie of the year after a breakout first seven months of 2026, posting a 1.20 rating and earning two EVP awards at PGL Astana and XSE Pro League.

Since August, his rating has slipped to 0.95, but he broke the 2.00 mark against TYLOO, showing flashes of his earlier form.

"My play style really depends on confidence," luchov told HLTV. "When the team is connected, that helps me a lot to play better. When we are separate and disconnected, I usually take more bad decisions."

After a strong summer, 9z suffered group stage exits that hurt team morale. luchov said the break between events left players individually weaker, which affected the team.

"The other teams start to study us more, really," he said. "But I think the big problem was the break. We took the break, like a break. And then we come back, poor individually, and that affects the team a lot."

At IEM Katowice, 9z has a 1-1 record after two matches. Their goal is to reach the playoffs and play in the Spodek Arena.

"We came here with the goal of making it into playoffs and playing in Spodek Arena," luchov said. "That's our aim right now, and then if we reach that, of course we want more."

He added that adapting to his own aggression has been a challenge. "Not like the first months. My play style really depends on confidence. I have to improve that, because I need to be useful also without confidence sometimes."