Nordavind’s Bergie: ''Riolu Cheating Is A Slap In The Face''
It’s been a tough time for Fredrik “Bergie” Bergmann, the Player Coordinator at Nordavind DNB. He and his organisation had to painfully learn how their TrackMania player Burim "riolu" Fejza was involved in cheating allegations. Bergie is Nordavind’s Player Coordinator for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Rocket League, and previously also TrackMania, until Nordavind let riolu go on May 24, 2021.
TrackMania is very dear to Bergie’s heart. He started playing in 2006, and has competed in TrackMania himself for Dignitas and Team expert. His biggest achievements include a third place at the World Cyber Games in 2009, and being crowned World Champion at the Electronic Sports World Cup the year after. After being team leader for Dignitas and playing for Team expert, Bergie retired from competitive play in 2018. In late 2020, he took his managing skills to a different role in esports for Nordavind.
We were convinced it was the right move to drop riolu, based on the evidence provided to us.
Fredrik “Bergie” Bergmann
What do you do as a Player Coordinator for Nordavind?
I am basically the "go-to" middleman for the players and our top-end management. Whenever there is an issue that needs to be resolved, or the players wish to attend a tournament, I am there to help them.
Riolu has been with Nordavind for about 18 months, and you've been Player Coordinator for the last five months of that. How was it to work with riolu?
It has been a true pleasure working with him, and I truly mean that. He was a great example of how a professional should act, both on and off the felt. I’ve never had any issues with him.
How and when did you learn about Wirtual and Donadigo's investigation?
I learned about it through riolu, a few weeks before the infamous stream took place and the report had been released.
What made you make up your mind to drop riolu from Nordavind?
In collaboration with Nadeo and through their extensive feedback and hard work, we were convinced it was the right move to drop riolu, based on the evidence provided to us.
As a former TrackMania world champion, what are your personal thoughts on the cheating scandal?
This hurts both personally and professionally. I have always strived to emphasise fair play and competitive integrity, so for this to happen is pretty much a slap in the face. I hope we, as a community, do not ever again have to witness anything similar.
It might be too early to know for certain, but how do you think the situation will affect TrackMania?
Riolu was arguably the biggest TrackMania streamer and one of the pioneering content creators. This incident will hurt a lot, definitely in the short term, and who knows if it will have an impact in the long term too. It is never a good look for a game when players cheat, especially for ten years straight.
Nordavind's statement mentioned closing down the TrackMania division indefinitely. What would need to happen for Nordavind to come back to TrackMania? Would you like to return to the TrackMania Grand League (TMGL) soon?
There are a few things that could affect our stance on returning or not. For us, it is crucial that we have someone we believe in, both skill-wise and content creator-wise. If we can find that perfect player who can fill both roles, then we might re-enter the scene again. TMGL and the game itself have a lot of potential, so I personally will be following it closely to see the progress.
You're involved with much more than TrackMania within Nordavind. What's next for you? What are you working on?
I am going to focus even more on the games I currently manage, and then in 2022, I have potentially more opportunities coming up, which involve me taking on even more responsibility. I am excited for the future, and eager to see what it brings next.
Image via Nordavind DNB
