TACO and coldzera recall rise with Luminosity and SK

Marcelo “coldzera” David and Epitácio “TACO” de Melo revisited the beginning of their careers and their rise while playing together for Luminosity and SK. Speaking on Flow, the Brazilian pair described how arriving in Europe to face leading Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams changed their view of their own level.

coldzera said the opportunity initially carried excitement because they were finally meeting players they had admired. He recalled that victories over those opponents affected the opposition’s confidence, while his own team began to understand that it could compete at that level.

The account is based on the players’ own recollections of that period. Their comments trace a chronology from the uncertainty of facing established international opponents to the confidence that came after results began to arrive, including a first world championship six months later according to TACO and coldzera’s discussion.

TACO said an exchange involving Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas had a particularly strong effect on him. TaZ, now identified as BC.Game’s coach and as a prominent player from that era, praised Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s player-development project in Brazil and asked how Poland might find players such as coldzera or TACO.

According to TACO, hearing that recognition made him think that opponents respected his ability and believed he was good. The moment gave him confidence at a stage when players could struggle to judge their own level before achieving major results.

The two former teammates did not present their progression as automatic. coldzera said that before the results, facing the best players in the world could be intimidating. He then described the reversal in feeling once opponents became concerned about playing against the Brazilian side.

From European debut to respect from opponents

coldzera described the first matches in Europe as the point at which the team met the biggest names directly. He said they arrived with considerable excitement and that defeating those teams was especially satisfying because the opponents did not understand what was happening as their confidence declined.

TACO added a separate recollection from tournament draw periods. He said he saw players become worried when SK’s name appeared because they did not want that matchup. His statement provides a specific example of the concern coldzera described, rather than a claim about every opponent or every event.

TACO recalled that this experience affected him deeply and made him realize that he could become one of the game’s leading players. He also said he had seen players worry during tournament draws when SK was selected, because they hoped to avoid facing the team. coldzera and TACO said they had not had problems with opponents and had always sought good relationships with everyone.

• European competition brought coldzera and TACO into matches against leading teams, which coldzera described as an important early career experience.
• TaZ’s comments to FalleN about finding Brazilian players were remembered by TACO as a source of personal confidence.
• TACO recalled concern among players during tournament draws when SK appeared as a possible opponent.
• coldzera said the pair’s team later felt that opponents were afraid to face them, contrasting with the earlier fear of meeting the world’s best players.

The discussion also covered conduct away from the server. TACO recalled that olofmeister, identified as the best player at the time in 2015, welcomed him as a new Luminosity player from Brazil. TACO said that interaction stayed with him and influenced how he later treated newer players entering the competitive scene.

He specifically said he tried to welcome newcomers, especially players from countries without a long Counter-Strike tradition. This is a documented personal practice described by TACO, not a broader assessment of how every player in the scene behaved.

Both players also said they had no problems with opponents and aimed to maintain good relationships. In contrast, they identified European casters and commentators as their main difficulty, saying those figures did not like seeing the Brazilian team win and that the players eventually demanded more respect.

A welcome in 2015 and criticism of commentary

TACO’s memory of olofmeister provides historical context for his later approach to new competitors. He said the welcome came when he was joining Luminosity as a player from Brazil, and that he adopted a similar habit toward players arriving afterward. The account is limited to what TACO said he did and why the earlier interaction mattered to him.

The pair’s comments draw a distinction between rivals and broadcast voices from Europe. They said they did not have conflicts with opposing players, while their issue was with casters and commentators whom they felt were unwilling to accept their victories. They said that, after some time, they began asking for greater respect.

Together, the statements document a career recollection centered on international arrival, growing recognition and the relationships surrounding competition. coldzera and TACO connected that journey to their shared periods with Luminosity and SK, while avoiding any claim that every reaction from the scene was the same.

coldzera and TACO’s account documents how they remembered their shared climb from apprehension before major European matches to recognition from opponents. Their comments include personal recollections of TaZ, olofmeister, tournament draws and the reaction they received from European commentators.

The discussion does not provide a detailed competitive record, but it does establish the sequence described by the players: early fear of established opposition, a first world championship after six months, and a later belief that other players were concerned about facing their team.