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Interview with Romain “Imuhan” Serra, Esports Director for Cicadas

Evalunna (Vitality)

1. Can you introduce yourself and your team briefly?

Hi, my name is Romain Serra, I’m 38 years old, though most people in the esports scene know me as “Imuhan.” I’ve been working as an esports director for the past 12 years, with experience at melty, OL Esports, Bastille Legacy, MCES, LOSC Esports, and now Cicadas. At Cicadas, I also run an esports facilitator training program that has been helping young people from underprivileged neighborhoods explore careers in esports for the past two years.

2. What does an Educational Leader do exactly?

We launched the very first training program for esports facilitators, and this year we’re running two cohorts. I handle recruitment, curriculum planning, student follow-up, coordination with the centers where they do their work-study, and I oversee their final projects and evaluations.

3. How do you manage player pressure and motivation before and after competitions?

My main priority is to make sure players are 100% focused on their matches and gameplay. I handle everything around them so they don’t have to think about it: wake-up times, meals, hydration, breaks between games, talks, morale, and even ego management.

4. What qualities do future pros need?

The most important thing is the desire to learn. I work with players who really want to become competitors I’m not here to turn them into streamers. They need to have that hunger to dominate the game. If someone is motivated mainly by money or fame, it’s very hard to change their mindset. Beyond that, there are many factors: motivation, skill, mentality, communication, English proficiency (depending on the game), relationships with teammates, staff and coaches, respect for the organization, and sticking to practice schedules.

5. Is there a person or team that particularly inspires you?

Faker, without a doubt for his consistency, longevity, and professionalism. In France, I’d say Neo and Vitality on CS:GO, Ceb on DOTA2, and Kamel with his passion for League of Legends. They’re all major inspirations for me.

6. When and how did you start gaming?

That goes way back! I was around 6 years old, playing Mario on the NES.

7. Do you think age is a factor in becoming a pro player?

Not directly. If I’m recruiting a player for an established team, age isn’t a deciding factor. But if I’m training and mentoring someone long-term, I focus more on younger players they’re easier to shape and teach. Players who have been around for years already have established habits and routines.

8. If you could change one thing about how young players are trained, what would it be?

Their environment. People need to understand that not everyone will make it pro, contracts are often short, and proper support and guidance are crucial.

9. What made you want to work in esports?

I wanted to help young players succeed. I was obsessed with Football Manager as a kid, and I’ve always loved mentoring and finding new talent. Plus, I’m passionate about esports, so I love sharing that passion and talking about it endlessly.

10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to go pro?

Focus on your gameplay, learn from your mistakes, review your plays and rotations, analyze your calls and work on your English, it’s essential.

11. Where does your nickname come from?

From a manhwa called Yureka, where a magician was named Iruhan. My sister’s name is Morgane, so I swapped the “R” with an “M,” which also created an anagram of “human.” That perfectly reflects my love for the human side of esports.

12. Outside of esports, what are your hobbies, and how do they help you stay balanced?

I’m a big NBA card collector, I compete in Lorcana tournaments, and I play a lot of MFL, a web3 football manager game. It helps me disconnect from esports though I can’t wait to play Riot Games’ TCG Riftbound, which combines two of my passions.

13. How do you see esports evolving in the next few years in France and Europe?

I truly believe it will keep growing and becoming more mainstream. I hope one day esports will be fully accepted in French culture, especially given the passion we just saw from the French crowd at the Fortnite Worlds.

14. How many hours a day should someone play to become a pro?

There’s no set number of hours. What matters is knowing why you’re playing and how to make the most of your time.

15. What’s the biggest difference between coaching casual players and competitive players?

With casual players, the focus is on understanding why they play and helping them have fun. In competitive play, it’s structured: training schedules, physical workouts, scrims, reviews, and sometimes even content obligations streams, videos, media days, social media interactions, vlogs. You’re part of an organization.

16. Is there an underrated player you’d like to shout out?

Zicssi he’s a hard worker with huge potential, and I hope he has a great end of the season with M8. Maybe one day we’ll see him in the LEC.

17. How do you keep players motivated after a tough loss?

I remind them that there are more serious things in life. We’re lucky to live off our passion. We reset, get back up as a team, and face the next match together.

18. If you could design the “perfect path” to going pro, what would it look like?

Taking League of Legends as an example: climb the ladder, join a team early to learn calls and develop map vision, and then gradually climb the competitive tiers. Many games now have well-structured competitive scenes that allow players to improve step by step. If we find a prodigy like Caliste, those steps will be fast, but for others it will take patience though the end goal is the same: to win.

19. What’s the biggest myth about esports you’d like to bust?

That women can’t play or aren’t as good. Big thanks to all the organizations and publishers who make it possible for women to live from their passion. ❤️

20. If you could improve one thing about esports in general, what would it be?

Youth development. My dream is to run a training center and help send rising talents to KC, Vita, M8, Solary, Galions, Aegis to be a true talent incubator.

21. Any final message for the fans?

A little shoutout: if this is the first time you’re hearing about me, thanks for checking me out! Long live esports! Thank you for the support and the incredible energy at events best fans in the world.

esport, Imuhan, Cicadas

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