EPT
MLG blasts onto the scene
With the start of the new year, a new season of CS:GO begins. With it, come new entrants into the scene - namely Major League Gaming, a huge player in the North American eSports scene and an organisation that can single handedly control whether a competitive game lives or dies. Their entrance into the scene is at an interesting time however, as they usually come in at the ground floor, as seen by their dominance in the heady days of Starcraft 2 and their hold over the console FPS market, effectively choosing whether Halo, Gears of War or Call of Duty will be the game of the month for that year’s release.
Now, however, they enter as newcomers, strangers in a strange land, where established names have already made their mark and staked a claim on North American soil. Of course, ESEA and CEVO don’t have the clout that MLG have, but coming straight into Aspen, MLG will have a lot to prove to gain the confidence of the community. They’ve recognized this, and as such are simply dipping their toes in with a relatively small 8-player invitational tournament, not dissimilar to an ESEA or CEVO league final.
Being held in the mountains of Colorado, this marks MLG’s second attempt at mainstream integration, having the tournament within the X-Games structure, which brings into question how many awkward interactions between pro players and athletes there will be. Nevertheless, it is an exciting prospect, as they have given their singular tournament spot to CS:GO, instead of Call of Duty or any other game they could have picked on their circuit.
This first tournament of the year will be pivotal for MLG going forward, and the North American scene as a whole. If successful, this could bring great things for both the community and MLG themselves, who have been searching for their next big hit that they can latch onto. While not every single team in this tournament is a world-class team, they have picked some of the best, and all that’s left for them is to deliver a solid stream with minimal hiccups, and let the players do the rest.
Proving Grounds
These teams all have one thing in common: it’s their time to prove themselves. It’s a brand new year, and there’s no better time than this tournament to make your mark on this year’s glut of tournaments.
Group A
Ninjas in Pyjamas
One of the most revered teams in the game’s history, Ninjas in Pyjamas are a household name in Global Offensive. Once regarded as the undisputed champions of the scene, NiP remained one of the only teams to hold onto their original roster since CS:GO’s release, until they made history in the middle of 2014 and dropped Fifflaren, who decided it was time to hang up the mouse and retire. After picking up Maikelele, they have since begun their climb back to glory, with Dreamhack Winter proving that they still can reach the finals of yet another major. That was 2 months ago, though, and it is now the perfect time for NiP to have a return to form in the first big LAN tournament of the year. With the groups being randomly drawn, they have been lucky to have dodged to the two huge names in this tournament: Fnatic and LDLC. Left with the Brazilian team KaBuM, North American fan favorites Cloud 9 and Danish squad Dignitas, the ninjas are in a prime spot to make a splash in Aspen.
While NiP as a whole are an incredibly strong team, there are a few key players that newcomers to the scene should keep a close eye on. Friberg, a CS: Source player that made the transition with Fifflaren to join up with the 1.6 veterans, is an incredible player and an invaluable asset to the team. Known to most as a ‘entry fragger’, a player that can open up a site by winning a quick duel with an enemy, he can dominate entire rounds by picking up a triple or quad kill easily. A player with fantastic aim, he is a core pillar on the Ninjas, and can be relied on to help them secure rounds on the Terrorist side, as well as hold down sites by himself.
![[image loading]](/staff/Wunder/CSGO/Friberg1.jpg)
Watch for Friberg's incredible holds and solo play
Conversely, GeT_RiGhT is a player that ‘lurks’, a role that many players in Counter-Strike may be unfamiliar with, as it is an enigmatic role by design. Like a shadow, GeT_RiGhT is omnipresent, instilling a tangible fear among his enemies. While Friberg and the other members of NiP are busy executing on a bombsite, GeT_RiGhT’s role is to simply wait, and creep up behind the enemy on the other bombsite who, when they least expect it, get ambushed by him and lose their life. While that alone would make GeT_RiGhT a good player, his ability to clutch 1vX rounds is a trait that pushes him beyond, into greatness. Having the ability to continually confuse and take out unsuspecting opponents, while being able to outsmart opponents in a situation where he is outnumbered, viewers should watch out for GeT_RiGhT as he is the star of the Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Cloud 9
Coming in at a time where the NA scene is in turmoil, Cloud 9 remain the pillar in the North American community, stoic and firm. While scandal rages around them, and their performance online has been rocky, Cloud 9 come into this tournament with the ability to upset almost any team. Having the fortunate situation of being the only North American team to not get placed in the same group as LDLC and Fnatic, Cloud 9 are the beacon of hope in the snowy mountain tops of Aspen. With the departure of Hiko to the ex-iBuyPower line-up, what they lose in a strong fragger, they gain in a dedicated sniper. The pick-up of Shahzam frees up SGares to finally be able to choose what he wants to do in the game, and they may finally settle into their roles as players, as previously they were plagued by internal leadership issues that could have affected their performance as a team.
![[image loading]](/staff/Wunder/CSGO/C91.jpg)
Can Cloud 9 perform without Hiko?
Their fragging power has not completely dissipated however, with Shroud still being in the line-up, a relatively new player to the scene, he has shown incredible potential and an ability to clutch key rounds for their team. A great rifler, look out for Shroud as he swaps between entry fragging and lurking for his team, being able to adapt to any situation thrown at him. Along with Shroud, Shahzam should prove to be a fantastic addition to the team. Prior to his addition, players in Cloud 9 expressed that they didn’t have set roles in the team, Sean Gares didn’t want to be an AWPer, but was essentially forced into the role because of the shift in the metagame, while he and Semphis regularly swapped the in-game leader role to try out new and different strategies in an attempt to get better results. Hiko has stated since his departure that n0thing and Shroud would also clash with him in terms of what they wanted to do in a particular round, be it entry frag, lurk or help support. These things could have attributed towards Cloud 9’s disappointing runs in the last few tournaments, as the confusion when entering a site could cause unnecessary deaths. WIth Shahzam’s inclusion, the AWPing role should at the very least be static, and hopefully in this tournament, we see more rigidity coming out of the North American team.
Group B
Counter-Logic Gaming
Embroiled in a match-fixing scandal, the ex-Netcodeguide team that went on to flourish under the Mousespaz team and have now been picked up by the League of Legends organization Counter-Logic Gaming, this budding North American team has everything going for it. While the North American scene had been a two-team scene for a long time, dominated by iBuyPower and Complexity/Cloud 9, the later half of 2014 has seen a number of teams rise up, in part due to the roster shuffles at the end of the season, but also due to the stand-up performances of a few key players.
While CLG hasn’t had much experience as a team on LAN, they have proven that they aren’t like most North American teams. Led by ptr, they boast an unbreakable morale and a calm attitude towards games, which allows them to keep their composure even when they are struggling. While most North Americans are stereotyped as brash and aggressive, CLG have shown online that they can relax under the pressure and perform to their potential. This will be of utmost importance in Aspen, as they face some of the toughest competition in the earliest stage of the tournament.
![[image loading]](/staff/Wunder/CSGO/CLG.png)
How will the new North American team fare on an international stage?
Up against what was the ex-iBuyPower line-up which now includes Hiko, as well as arguably the two best teams in Global Offensive; LDLC and Fnatic, CLG are hard pressed to perform under these conditions. However, while most have counted them out, it would only add to their growing potential and strength as a team if they performed admirably against these teams, or even took a match off one of them. It is difficult to say that CLG will make it out of the group stages, but so long as they put up a good fight and prove that they can make the top international teams bleed, they can continue their road towards being a top North American team.
LDLC
Coming fresh off their Dreamhack Winter win, this French team is looking in top shape in the past online games. Heading straight into a rematch with their bitter rivals Fnatic, this will be yet another proving ground for LDLC as they contest for the crown. A decisive win against the Swedish side will cement their performance at Dreamhack Winter and begin their ascent towards the top. However, regardless of the outcome, it will be no surprise to see both teams emerge as victors of the group stage, only to have the chance to meet once again in the finals.
![[image loading]](/staff/Wunder/CSGO/Happy1.jpg)
The top French team looks to continue their streak in Aspen
LDLC is an interesting team, because all five of their players have strokes of brilliance, where they have all shown that they belong at the highest level of Counter Strike. Happy, the in-game leader of the team is a stand-out player, as not only does he make snap decisions in the middle of the round, but he is also the lynchpin to most of their strategies, as he is the 5th player that hangs back and prods the enemies defenses for any weaknesses. NBK and Shox are also players to watch out for, as both can go on insane fragging streaks, with Shox in particular being an amazing all-around player that can utilize any weapon in the game with deadly efficiency.
Credits: ESEA, ESL and CLG for use of their photos
