Mark, you finished the Hinrunde in this year's VBL campaign this week. What's your assessment of your season to date?
Landwehr: This season, everybody can beat everybody else in our division regardless of which position the teams are in. At the moment it's difficult for nearly all the players to achieve a certain consistency in their game. That's due in part to a new patch (update or revision of the game, ed.), which has led to changes in the pace of the game and passing. We are happy with our Hinrunde even though we did suffer a couple of avoidable defeats.
What's working well and where do see room for improvement for the Rückrunde?
Landwehr: Above all, we are happy with our attack as we are scoring at least one goal in nearly every game. The setbacks are above all losing possession unnecessarily and conceding easy goals. We'll continue to work on overcoming those mistakes.
This season you are a regular part of the 2 vs 2 team at Bayer 04. Do you train for 2 vs 2 games as regularly as you do for 1 vs 1 games?
Landwehr: We regularly train in 2 vs 2 games, above all in the Ultimate Team mode. The advantage there is that both players don't have to use the same console. For example, Furky can be sat at home and I'm at my place. For the 2 vs 2 games, it also helps to practice 1 vs 1 games. That enables to see each other's runs and we can also exchange ideas about the game and moves.
Mario ‘BULJI’ Lovrinovic came in as a new teammate for Furkan ‘FURKY’ Kayacik and yourself before the start of the season. How is the interaction with each other?
Landwehr: BULJI is still relatively new to professional eSports. He gets forward very quickly and always tries to make deep runs. I knew him before he joined us in the summer I was very happy he signed. I practice a lot of things with him in training and in matches while Furky and I are more focused on a controlled passing game.
All 41 goals in your matches represents the sixth-highest number of goals of all VBL eSports players. How much do you like playing the current FIFA version? What's different compared with the previous version?
Landwehr: In comparison to the previous way of playing, we now play in a 95 mode rather than a 90 mode in the VBL. For me it's also an advantage that all the strikers now have five-star skills. I really like that and I score lots of goals with good dribbles in attack. The addition of the outside of the foot shot really pleases me too.
You will start the Rückrunde in the North West division in tenth place and the gap to the play-off spots is currently five points. Is finishing in the top six still your clear target?
Landwehr: Of course, our target remains the top six, which we were in before the final matchday. Six points are available on every double matchday and, as mentioned, everybody can beat everybody else. We can quickly move up the table if we continue to make the effort. But now we’ll take a couple days off and spend time with the family. But after that it's back to training where we will specifically work on the newest patch of the game again.
Marc Landwehr:
Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr joined the #B04 eSports squad at the age of 18 for the start of the 2021/21 season in the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL). Mark grew up in Leverkusen and has been a passionate Werkself fan since childhood. He took part in several online tournaments at Bayer 04 in the past and always achieved impressive results, which put him in the running for a place in the eSports squad at Bayer 04. Alongside his career as a qualified nurse plus his passion for eSports, he also plays in goal.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen continue the journey with Business Club partners Conrad Conrad Profistore Hürth with a 12-month contract extension to the end of the current 2024/24 season. The scope of the partnership has also been extended. The Conrad Profistore in Hürth has been working with the champions of Germany and DFB Pokal winners since January 2024.
Show moreThe sports tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has rejected Bayer 04's appeal against a replay of the Women's Bundesliga match at SC Freiburg (3-2). That's the outcome of a hearing at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt on Tuesday. Originally, SC had lodged an appeal against the match result.
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Show moreWerkself players Nordi Mukiele and Niklas Lomb attended the Bayer 04 Football School on Tuesday afternoon. In the first week of the autumn half-term, the new signing and the long-serving goalkeeper answered numerous questions from over 100 young footballers at the kids press conference. After the round of questions, there was of course a group photo as well as an autograph session, where the duo didn't leave a single kit or boot unsigned.
Show moreThe Werkself visit VfL Bochum on Bundesliga Matchday 10. The game kicks off at 15:30 CET at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday 9 November. Details on how to get tickets.
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