Nabil ‘Nivera’ Benrlitom has a lot to live up to. His brother, Adil ‘ScreaM’ Benrlitom, was a CS:GO legend… But his blockbuster debut with Team Vitality at BLAST Premier Fall, alongside his IEM Beijing win, has catapulted the Belgian super-sub into the spotlight.
In an interview with Dexerto following his Beijing triumph, Nivera told us that the hard work starts here if he’s going to leave a legacy like his brother. He also told us more about his role in his new team and looked back at his early performances with Vitality.
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.
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.”
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.”
"Even if I win a Major, it will not be enough…"
Can @Nivera__ follow in @ScreaM_'s footsteps after his @IEM Beijing win? pic.twitter.com/aNquN7mEiz
— DEXERTO.COM (@Dexerto) November 23, 2020
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!”
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.”
Vitality finally overcame their Grand Final jitters @IEM Beijing 🏆 @Nivera__ speaks on the pressures of being @TeamVitality's super sub! pic.twitter.com/cLwEmmzPeG
— DEXERTO.COM (@Dexerto) November 23, 2020
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.
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