SPUNJ
Appearances
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
To be honest, I did swap last day of the RMRs with Dust, so I could catch a flight on Sunday. So I did the 4 a.m. games. And the biggest problem is, bro, for me, it was just like, what do I eat?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
yeah but i got like protein bars and people like bring stuff or like order the day before a wrap or something and just bring it over like i guess but that was the biggest point it's like there's only mcdonald's open yeah and maybe one kebab yeah i think some of the guys been ordering kebabs this is gonna be my fucking first yeah but i'm happy to fast through that and then like or just eat like a protein bar or some shit and then eat something good by the time we're done yeah it's like a long time bro yeah it's not really though you do two best of three yeah that's fine
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
What were you eating? Jason?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I saw you get on those sneakers like every day one.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
All right, before I forget the Astralis point, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
No, I was going to say like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
it's for teams that fail during the season right like and there's a lot of time because now majors at the end of the season you shouldn't just get automatically like three weeks more off you know and just start your break earlier like yeah sure you should take advantage of it because obviously you need to work on things like you doesn't mean they could come back in next year earlier
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, I was going to say, like, that's probably the way to do it. Like, just start your season, like, much earlier than everybody else. But even so, like, let's say, I don't know. Why do you need a month off if you're Australian? Do you deserve a month off?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Whether it's at the start of next season or towards the end of this one, like, you know, you need to add some extra days to your practice and stuff. Because obviously you need that head start, right? And to be honest, also, it's one of the better ways to approach things if you're struggling.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It's just at the start of the season while everyone else or a lot of teams are just trying to get some time off. And especially next year is going to be grueling. So...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Hardly 10, bro. Two wins at World Finals.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But they were like almost together as a group of eight. So there was just like a small way to pass between the two tables. So it wasn't really... They were like in the back of the restaurant where there was just this four tables.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
When do you leave?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Probably not because I think I'll be casting. But yeah, we have games up until... Well, I don't know because we only get the schedule the day before.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Well, you'll probably work this time. I would hope so. Oh, yeah, but you might do it earlier. Yeah, but I'll be on the late game. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They started the major with a 9-3 lead over Liquid. And then they moved to T-side, Ancient, and they didn't win a round or won one round, I think.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
One round and against Complexity in the 1-2 game, they have a 10-2 lead on Vertigo also. And if you go back, I mean, that... Gambit line of Vertigo was one of their best maps. And also pretty good on Ancient, I believe, later on. So it's like, what's happening? So Bumic is on that team. I mean, he's the Englishman. He's won a major with Na'Vi.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah. Maui suggested we sit in order of ELO, but, you know, everyone discarded it. Fair enough.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
You would expect at least for it not to be as bad as it was.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah. But I probably built two good teams. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They've been changing coaches a lot. All these teams like VP is one of them.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, not Cloud9. Yeah, I don't know what he's doing now.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It's one that was made.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
VP Batboom changed a couple of coaches too, I think.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I don't think they were shaky, to be honest. I think Spirit was really solid, except for the Passion game on Anubis where they threw so many clutches.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They were too lazy in that game. And then against G2, I think... Yeah, they've struggled with G2 whole season.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And in the end, it came to OT on the final map or double OT that they ended up losing and just took care of business in the final two games. For me, Spirit is like... That's fair. I have him as... I'll probably put them as like to go through. I mean, I don't have him not making the playoffs. And I think they're one of the safer... Safer bets. Bets, yeah. You know...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I just want to, like, before we move on, is, like, the whole Cloud9, and also with Groot, I was also surprised, like... that he was coaching to begin with because he was like the CEO of Moscow Five and he was like doing the big picture stuff and involved on a higher level within organization is like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I actually did want to start with South Korea. Yes. Because this is how fucking down the dumps KDM has gone, right? Team Liquid is... falls apart after six months, Astralis, the Vice is going to retire. He goes to fucking South Korea, bro. There's going to be a, the government's going to fall or the president's going to resign or there's going to be a civil war.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
He only started coaching that Gambit youngsters team because their coach Finn got banned because of the coach bug, right? And I guess then they started having good results and he just stuck with it. And we remembered the dip in form for even that Gambit team. Once we switched from one line, one of the reasons was Gru was talking... a lot during their games.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Like he was doing a lot of the calling or moving players around and all of that stuff. It just, I don't know. I always thought he would just go back to being like the GM of that lineup.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Oh, Chad. Also the level of misery, brother. No, of course.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
worked good for a while but it's not been working out at all for a long time it's like just hang it up you know like you can't do other things or i don't know that's just a little bit it's just a little bit strange because the team has failed at so many different things like the the sort of cohesion of the roster itself like shiro benches himself like for your star player to bench himself for things to be so bad he doesn't want to keep playing in that roster i mean that's
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
mismanagement, that's failure at the highest level. Then you have just the in-game. It's not been looking good. Some different pickups have not worked out. High-profile names that you spend a lot of money on, just being on the bench within a year of being signed. Some of the talent that's been picked up or the new guys or the recycling of inters, it's also not worked.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
If it were just one thing, if you were just to say, yeah they're playing good they just miss like one or two players you know these guys are not working out in these roles but it's like everything really yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Maybe two, probably three years.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Groove could reasonably control. Those situations exist, that's fair. They do. I mean, I'm not putting all the blame on him. I'm just like, you know, it's been a long time and a couple of different lineups now. People got really upset about his interview. And him saying... It wasn't even a full interview. I guess it was just a couple of sentences.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, because basically what he said is... When he asked about the early exit and... Well, this wasn't... This was the bare minimum for us. Like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
to to get into the major obviously we were aiming for higher like we wanted playoffs you know but i'm not happy with the result but i am okay with it yep and that's like you know people were up in the place how can you be okay with like not making top 16 and everything but you know realistically when you look where they've been at they haven't even played tier one it was surprising they made the major you know like they're not like super hot at that okay you can say that's uh um
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, he's actually had some fucking protests. In South Korea? Yeah. I just hope he doesn't come to Belgrade next, bro, because, you know, we're close.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Not condemnation, but whatever of their work and their play. The fact that they are in that state. But he didn't say like, we're doing great or we're doing good. The things are going well. It's like, no, they're not. But we did the bare minimum and that's pretty much it. And then guys are like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
cloud nine should aim for like an organization cloud's nice statue should not just be satisfied who's satisfied they're definitely he's not the group is not satisfied with this you know he never said that yeah you know okay maybe even saying that i'm okay with it kind of sounds a little bit shitty i guess but i think he was just like not super thinking about how it's going to look like even thinking where we were and and you know how poorly things have been going like
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
we just made it and that's, you know, better than, it could have been worse. I think that's what he was trying. That's what he was trying to sort of, I feel like Conway, it could have been worse than this, so.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I think also now you're looking like, okay, that Gambit roster was hot, right? And Cloud9 picking them up. Cloud9 wasn't in CS for a little bit. So they came back into CS with that lineup. It's like,
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
still worth it though but they won Dallas and Jack got to lift the trophy no no yeah yeah but is it still like worth it for them as an organization to fill the majority Russian lineup not at all get out American org like I can see a scenario in which they're like willing to you know sell the team get something else rebuild with like a different sort of a roster come on Jackie come back home come back to the Americas come on he's activated water's warm baby to leash to cloud nine build a fucking team around him fuck around with that
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Fuck around, find out. Keep heavy guard. Well, yeah, actually. He speaks English. That's fine.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
No, I've already handled that.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, there was. Did you see Jason's comment, though? No, I didn't. It's fucking brilliant. What did he say? It's just Jason being himself, bro. Just level-headed, nuanced take, down-to-earth guy explaining his position.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Oh, yeah? How's that going for you?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I had this thought and I discarded the idea because I realized the situation is kind of unique. But I'm like, if you're Astralis, go back to fucking practice. But obviously it's like, well... Who are you going to play against? No, not that. There's definitely teams to play against. It's like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
You know what bothers me, bro? When are we going to grow a pair of fucking balls for these interviews, dude? When is someone going to ask some fucking... Everyone is so worried. Everyone wants to be cozied up with the players and be best friends with the players like... Bro, ask some fucking hard questions. You don't need to be hostile about it. But, Jayme, you won a major two years ago.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
You have four guys on the same team, and you have electronic instead of kicker. Like... You've changed coaches, you've changed, like, different players on this lineup. Like, when are you going to take some accountability, like, and some responsibility for the results? What is the issue here? Obviously, this is a very hostile way to phrase it.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But, you know, you can... You can word it, like, in a way, just in a sort of, like, asking, like... Have you ever thought about changing your approach to the game? Do you feel like there's some things that are flawed that need to be reinvented from within? Something like that. Anything than just, well, this wasn't what you were aiming for. How are you feeling right now?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
What's the plan for the future? Not even like, is this the last time we see... this lineup together. Like, you know, not even saying it's a pretty basic fucking question, which you're going to get a PC answers like, ah, we don't know. We'll go back home. We'll evaluate. That might be up to the management or whatever. Like it's so, you watch so many times.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It's like, man, this is just, there's nothing of substance in this. Like nothing. It's just, I feel so.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
um who's your fifth oh long term right like so they have that to figure out and i'm not saying immediately well yeah it's fine but you know the season shouldn't be over for them it's it's well i mean in terms of what else is left the organization no i mean it's third fourth of december what you're just gonna take a month off hold up i didn't want to bring this out now i was gonna bring this out later but i'll bring it out but now you've angered him no he hasn't angered me this is just in line chad has reached his zen state
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I mean, that's fucking, you know, it's obvious at this point. It's like when someone I know who sat on the desk when I was doing is like, you know, I don't imagine this team is going to like stick together for someone who I don't know if it was they didn't make it through the RMR or it was like.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
lost in the in this stage like early on you know i was like yeah no they're gonna keep you know i just i just was like oh no i'm sure they'll keep everyone like you know they'll keep keep going like yeah of course they're gonna fucking they failed like that that goes without saying almost that they're not gonna keep the same roster it's like we do have some problems though with with the with the russians right it's obviously the language barrier which is which is one of the things which for me it's like well especially when we do stuff like pro league it's like well we shouldn't even bother talking to them because it's literally a waste of content right yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But here's the thing, Chad. Someone said this to me because I had to do it one day on the lobby. And people are like... Yeah, you know, maybe we should just skip them. I'm like, no. We should fucking double down on them and exhaust them with questions. Ask them a hundred questions. Because that's their way of thinking is, I'll just fucking half-ass it and they won't even bother.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It's going to be shit. But that's an obligation for you to do that shit. But not anymore. Well, whatever. But regardless, it's like, no, I'm going to make... So you realize you're doing this no matter what. So you might as well try to do it properly.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
What the fuck is that about? It's crazy that, for example, there's like a question that everyone watching the stream wants to be asked, and it's not even asked. Your job is to ask the question. The player can always say no comment, can always fucking evade it. And you're not meant to be there. He can always give you a non-answer answer, right? But your job is to ask. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And so many times the answer is in the question. It's crazy, bro. These questions are like three sentences long. It's like, what are we doing, bro?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And then the player just says, yes, brilliant. Yeah, I want to hear you, not the player. Thank you very much. Jesus Christ.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Right? And if they don't... And the problem is also that they get the option to say no in a way. Like, I mean, okay, sure. I don't know about that. That's a different topic, but whatever.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Can we shit on American Counterstrike now? It just irks me, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Losing 5v3s and... It's crazy, but I said this on the broadcast yesterday. Just look at this one thing, right? Wildcard versus Passion. Wildcard, again, even though they already did that... bans, leaves their perma ban in Mirage. They ban Anubis because that's how they feel like. They feel like... It's a guaranteed loss. It's a guarantee. That's how good these guys are on the map.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
That's where they get all their talking points.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
So we'd rather let through a map that we don't play, just use it as a pocket sort of thing against Fnatic and it works. against Fnatic. And then you have Complexity, in their veto, letting it be Anubis in a best-of-one, bro. In a best-of-one. It's like, how do you not see the same thing, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Like, just the two, like these guys, let their perma-bang go through just to avoid Anubis, and you let it go to Anubis in a best-of-one. And their Anubis, yeah, for Complexity, Anubis, and Vertigo, their best maps, should be but Anubis hasn't been that great for them even in the RMR they barely beat Boss on it and they lost it one more time to someone I think Passion beat Spirit on it
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Of course they are.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, Passion Beats, period. Whoever they played, they beat them. They haven't lost Anubis.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They played for the majority of their maps were Vertigo and Anubis, their two best maps. And they couldn't even like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
make it through with that and i thought i was saying even on the podcast i was saying like they must have worked you always work on your weaker maps they probably have like some good stuff on it you know like they could um beat like teams you know because of that like they won't see and all this stuff and it just never happened well because grim went to japan for holiday didn't he
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
No, wasn't that it wasn't that was a meme, but there's no way actually, I mean, I think he was I was joking just then. Yeah, the interview. I don't know if he actually went on. I don't think so.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I do the intro and then I do the CS talk. Then let's not dive into it yet. I just threw the bait out there. Chad's got the phone out. It's too late.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
For complexity, unfortunately, they're another season away from having probably a pretty good team. Unless we are... you know because there's a lot of guys on that team who you don't trust anymore to be like to the derp can work on tier one jt has fallen off a cliff too like he used to be pretty decent like individually and also when you see these problems like losing 5v3s all the time like
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
That's on just the players themselves, right? In terms of you have communication breakdowns. And this has been happening for a long time. So you have been working on it and you just can't fix it. Meaning that some of these players just can't do it. For me, they just seem lazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They look like lazy players that don't pay enough attention, are not focused enough, and maybe don't have enough intensity in some of these games. And then it's like, I'd probably want to replace Grim, Floppy, and JT.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But I can't replace three players, right? So... then maybe you feel like you have more impact if you change the IGL and bring in someone else and change one of the two players, right? Bring someone young and horny or whatever. I don't know how much regions will matter for majors.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I mean, I don't know if like the players... I don't know. Maybe you could. I mean, yes, Wildcard did well, but are they in a position to retain all their players? That sort of a thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They won like Sean Copping or something, right? Yeah, they did. Like that was the end of last season. 2020.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
So it's tough, but man, wildcard, really impressive stuff. Like Stan, he's done it again. And I'll tell you, people are bringing up those complexity teams from before. I played both majors against his teams. I played in the London major. It was the quarterfinal. It was in the playoffs. We played against them.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, I think so. Fucking hell. And that was like... I mean, that game was like relatively easy in a way, but just because I had much superior players, especially on that stage, right? They just took care of business, the MIBR lineup. But then with FaZe, it was, I think, the 2-2 game at the Katowice Major. And that one was like... kind of tough.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Like, I mean, I want to say his team were always well drilled, even with him not having the talent, right? Like you could tell the way they were playing is like, all right, these guys have good fundamentals, right? They don't really beat themselves like too often and that sort of a thing. So it always feels like with him, it just came down to some...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
you know, interpersonal stuff and, like, I don't know, the relationships with perhaps some of the players or in the liquid, like, you know, the meme Daps always comes in and takes his spot. Like, even once he's coached and moved into the IGL role, Stan was removed. So...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
if he's like matured or you know if those things are not an issue anymore like somehow he was tweeting it and i don't think i can really fight it it's like he's the best in-game leader in na like historically or no not no definitely not historically right now right now well you say definitely not historically would you say nitro yeah how do you fuck with nitro's accomplishments
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Was he on that top-deck lineup that fought the ELEAGUE season one?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Okay, but so I think... Grand slam.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I don't think it's a conversation really just because of that, but my point is just, like, pure complexity... let's say you lose a leash, let's say that's a given, you get Stanislaw and one other banger like for, you know, to play.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
M80 is not willing to, like M80 only sold out because it was G2 offering a ton of money. Spent over $600,000. Yes, and they didn't want to sell him to Liquid because they didn't want to sell to another NA.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Right, so I don't think M80 players, and I don't think any of the like, you know, world beaters that you, Lake is pretty good, but... I think probably because you get Stan, then you go and just get the sick European player, right? Like, you get someone there and then... I don't think there's any motivation, though, for Stan.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They have no, like... They could surely offer more money than Wildcard.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Wildcard actually has backing, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I know, but I don't know how much, you know, money they're pouring into the, you know... Right. I don't know. I'd imagine it's comparable. Yeah, we're getting a little bit too deep here. I was just going to say, like, I think they could get Stan plus one. Sure. And then there doesn't even have to be an expensive. It can be a prospect.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And then you just save the extra money for another season so you can get rid of another player or two because you can't do it all in one go.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
An important thing that has to be noted, who did Wildcard play starting with the RMR? Liquid, Pain, 9Z, Fnatic, Liquid, Furia,
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
versus pro like there's not a bad easy game in there an easy game in there right even though 9z turned out to be shit but you know still on paper like that's a tough game and even the fanatic one you know yeah so they had like probably the toughest run especially when you look at some of the other teams and how they got through uh to the major and all this stuff so yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I was just thinking in my head, a brain. Close.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, man, that's two in a row they've missed. And they shelled out all that money for Stone and Yabi. Fucking what a disaster class.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Did you guys do your pickems? Not yet, but I was going to also bring that up. I completely failed in my pickems.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I think four. Fuck. In the end. But the reason for that is like... Did you have FlyQuest 0.3? No, I had them going through. I had them going through. So that was a little bit of a lot. But it wouldn't matter because I had them... They played MBR and I had them both to make through. So that's kind of what fucked me too. I had VP, obviously. Complete disappointment. And the fact that I...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I had Complexity 3-0 because I thought they're going to either 3-0 or they won't make it because they need that momentum. But yeah, I got Liquid 3-0 and I got no 0-3s because I didn't put Imperial, I put Passion. I thought they were going to choke on stage. Obviously, very wrong about that. But I just fucking... Bro, I hate the...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
this the new pickings it's like with best of ones in mr12 it's like so silly that's why these ones are hard because like i want to put let's say i want to put 3d max and maybe even i was thinking heroic but then i saw you know game legions in there fury is in there yeah even pain is in there i don't know i i haven't like mbr i haven't looked at it enough but then i see you know i think 3d max plays mbr
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Podcast.
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Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, that's the problem. You don't know anything. You're just like, well... And that's why I say on the broadcast, when Richard asks, do you think this team can still make it? Or can they do a lot of damage in the next stage? I'm like, listen, the Mongols can make the playoffs, of course. If they have to play like... And Vitality and Maus and I don't know who else. Yeah, then probably not.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But if, you know... They get Gamer Legion. They get something just a little bit easier, right? And then one of the best of threes is against someone like... Yeah, they can do that. But they need a little bit of a push like that. And that's why anything can sort of make it or not make it. Like if Wildcard failed, it would be like... Well, I mean, look who they had to play.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, but look... You will notice a trend of that with a lot of people.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Like, it's understandable. How did Cloud9 qualify? By beating fucking Sinners in the best of three, and Saw in the best of one, and Sengal in the best of one, I think. I don't remember, right? Like, yeah, whatever. Look at Imperial, how they made the major. Crew, Case, and...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
some some other bad team you know very good yeah it's it's best red canids red canids there you go bro you know and then you're like oh you could have been so like it's close it depends too much on that stuff which is what i dislike it's not even you know it's just kind of that's people are so people are memeing just do it you know just pick the randomizer to fill the remaining slots because it's crazy that like with best of ones and mr12 you need to pick a team that won't drop a game
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Being brash about something? No way.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
That was the first game for G2 with a new lineup.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, yeah. I was going to say I might not put FaZe to make it through. Really? Yeah. Yeah, I think that's going to be my surprise. I'll have to look and think about it a little bit more. But that was like my first instinct. Also, can someone please explain to me why are we doing number one seed versus the number nine seed in the opening game?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, I get it. So here's an easy fix. Get rid of the fucking book holds first and foremost. Keep the original seed for the round and just play it normally and have one versus 16. Because you know why? Mongols are getting punished for being 3-0.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They have to play for Liquid too. It's like, this is insane. Like, why do we have 3D Max versus MIBR fucking... Well, there's another shit matchup in there. We have... 3D Max MIBR, Heroic Big, Phase Wild. Heroic Big. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, like, why are these teams... You know, they should be playing, like, the higher-seeded teams. Like, it's crazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Just those two that you said, like, Mongols, G2, Na'Vi, Liquid. Like, they could all be for playoff teams. Yes.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
1-0 game or the 2-0 game. That's why it's there, not in the opening game.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I feel bad for them, man, because to be honest, Dexter kind of failed them in the last two games. Well, his plays stopped working. Yeah, he does. A lot of their game relies on that, and it was just like they were not happening. But whatever. So I don't know. That's what bores me for 0-3. I'm leaning towards like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
The best team that Gamer Legion... Yeah, that's one because they play Miles first.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
He can't afford anyone else.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
That's legit. All right. Yeah, good. This next stage, though.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
No, I'm just thinking, like, I don't think the favorites are going to have big issues. I don't think so either. I don't, you know, because I'm with you, like, the level of play wasn't, like, overly impressive. We had some good narratives and good storylines and stuff, but it does feel like teams like Na'Vi, Vitality, G2, Mouz, I'll put Spirit in that group.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I think those five are a lock for the playoffs.
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Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I'm concerned about FaZe.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, that. The whole unfortunate situation with Kerrigan. And also having to go back. And even though I believe they bootcamped in Europe.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Four or five days.
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Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I think it was two days ago you saw it.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I don't know. They just haven't been super convincing. And again, me saying I don't think FaZe will make playoffs. If they end up playing, you know, pain in the 2-2 game, right? Yeah, they'll make the playoffs. But it's just... If the run is like a bit more difficult and... I don't know. It's just something that doesn't feel like...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
phase really well some of these let's say for spirit i'm fine with spirit even though they were like went to 2-2 and had to win two games right so just like it's a much different um feeling than about yeah i think their qualification through the rmr wasn't enough to overcome some of the some of the concerns that we've seen from them throughout the year do you think though that them getting to play in a stage environment for the this portion of the tournament
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
The majors, of course. Yeah. Exactly.
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Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It's just a funny way to phrase it. You're not wrong. Maybe a slightly more consistent bro key. Exactly. And there you are.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And you can't really count on what Stan's going to do, even in the veto a little bit, right? So there's a lot of different things that could happen. It just feels like just straight up for the caliber of players, FaZe should have it in the back. But Suspense has been sharp as fuck, bro. Yeah, he has been. The yesterday game was, like, crazy. The amount of, like, kills he was getting.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
It was unfavorable duels, and he was still winning them.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Probably, yeah. Really? Let's say because in the 0-2 game, they probably might have to play Gamer Legion or something like that. I don't think Gamer Legion can definitely beat them. They're a beatable team. The problem is they had two tight wins in the best of ones.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
And they beat G2, which is like, yeah, that's the legit win. But G2 was mortal the way Monessi has been playing in the tournament in a way. That's a good point. And I saw them in Berlin just before.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
using the pitches or maybe not it's been an issue for many many a man maybe it was not enough and then he switched it and now he's gonna bang okay um but i saw them in berlin at the thunder pick thing right before the ironman they were awful they were fucking awful you're right jason
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Him and Dinko should go out together.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
For what? To not be 0-3 or...?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
But MIBR's map pool is too... That's why Passion... I saw Passion pick Inferno against Gamerly. I'm like, what the fuck are you doing? And they lost it 13-2 or 3 or something. They got owned, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I just realized this is how long we've been here in Bucharest. Well, Jason mostly. I just saw that you have those sticks. Yeah, the incense sticks? Yeah, to make your room smell nicer.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Do you have another one in the bathroom?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
The blood is not there anymore.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
They're actually letting us. They're letting people, like, eat, you know, like, you order delivery, right? And you can eat at the, you know, we have our own area. Yeah, you can do whatever you want. Fucking Blade was, like, getting soju and, like, just drinking his own drinks there. It's like, they don't give a fuck. Because probably, like, over the course of,
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Lucas returns his nitro IGL. Yep, that's the one. That's what we missed.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Everything's been been Hall of Fame for Swedes, man, whatever. I think it's cool.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Well, and that's the newer generation guys, too.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
a month or five weeks that we stay here, we probably are 90% of the bar tab.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Wow. That's pretty good.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
We won't talk what kind of stickers. Also, for all you guys in the Discord that want Chad back, never going to happen. He's leaving the group of people where a couple of us he actually likes.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
She's already in. She came in last night.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
In this hotel?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Well, she's part of the wolves. I only found out because Connor told me. And I messaged Trey and I said, I'm really disappointed you didn't let us know. And also, that means no more Ivar for you. She loves it. Oh, does she? She loves it. I was like, I'm going to fucking ban you from being able to get it.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Won't even be about Counter-Strike, really.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
So which political story inspired you the most, Chad?
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Do you remember? He was like... He was the most unhappy... I've ever seen him.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
I think it's also crazy. I heard also... It's the most mentally ill conversation. I also heard a bunch of you guys say this. Dinko also said it. Yeah, I mean, early shift is kind of nice because then you have the whole day. And a lot of people said this. And then I just say...
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
Just brain rot. The group should be called brain rot.
Talking Counter
Episode 117: Shanghai Major Opening Stage and the Top 16 teams at the Major
yeah but to do what it's like you don't have anything it's like whatever you want but i'm like yes but what it is that you know it's too early to like play games you know or people aren't around or whatever like if you do the late shift you still have all that yeah i mean i said the same thing i actually didn't i actually by week two the morning shift was quite quite cool in a way because yeah yeah you just you're back at the hotel there was no waiting around in the morning shift
Talking Counter
Episode 120: The Rostermania Episode- FaZe, G2, Liquid, Vitality, Falcons, Cloud9, VP all changing
That's beautiful.
Talking Counter
Episode 120: The Rostermania Episode- FaZe, G2, Liquid, Vitality, Falcons, Cloud9, VP all changing
Set him to liquid. Set him to liquid.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
The vernacular that you're alluding to is, you know, the finalists are, is what needed to be added before the video played.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
How are we critiquing Jason's room this time? It's better than the last time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You started the standing ovation for Mr. Min Lee.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
How do you feel about that?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Speaking of updates.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, yeah, I wonder if it will come out. Valve actually communicated something in advance for once, which they don't normally do, right? The last blog post they did was to do with season two of Premiere. Is it Premiere? Whatever the fuck. Yeah. Season two of that starting. And then there's going to be the M4 price change. The A4 and the A1 are both going to be $2,900.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I'll be fine. I'll be fine. It's not bad coming back from Australia to Europe.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And they're going to change the price of the Famas without having said to what. And they're going to make it so it's more accurate, I guess.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I just hope that it bursts because...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
i did talk to them about the obviously balancing of stuff at the major right the danger zone one kicked off unfortunate that wasn't a short on our thing and someone just clipped it and posts it and we don't get any views and that's why this podcast isn't sponsored and we're never going to be sponsored and we're always just going to be sitting in cuck chairs and hotel rooms i'm going to be hungry and jason's going to fly economy for the rest of his life
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Or just at any time, really, would be helpful. But we did... I did discuss the famus with them. And I was talking to them about, like, obviously, how punishing it is, like... Or how the CT economy, especially early, with the back and forth can find itself a little bit more hamstrung. And the FAMUS was a point of contention.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And I said, well, like, you've got the MP9, which, you know, I probably could have petitioned harder to get nerfs for the MP9. Like kill reward, I think could be okay. Bring it down to like 400 or something. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But like, I was like, you got the MP9, so the CTs have that and they can use that like close to mid range, like pretty well. But the thing on certain maps, like a Dust 2, if you had the Famous Burst, like it was in 1.6, you could take long range duels against the Glullers and the AKs really quite confidently.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
No, well, it's not good at the moment. People will go the MP9 over at the moment.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yes. So what is it? He's eight hours ahead now, or seven. It's plus seven to the current time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, about that. That's the time I was waking up, some mornings. I don't know why. It's just occasionally... That's not morning. That's still the night. No, that's the morning.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, for like second, third round type situation.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I feel like teams have gotten much better at dealing with those rounds than they were probably early last year.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
For the team that won the pistol, converting in against seconds. Obviously, if the Ts don't plant, they're not forcing. It's more like if you win the pistol on the T side and the CTs are going to force second round.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I don't know, but isn't he friends with Diddy?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. yeah okay uh back to the economy so how about those tariffs on colombia it's been a wild couple of days all right yeah so the m4 is going to be 29 but there'll be more well okay hold up i don't i i believe there would probably be more in the update that was just the stuff that they alluded to what do you think is the split of the a1 versus a4 users at the moment
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I reckon it's probably like 70, 30, maybe more.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I think it should probably now go more to 50, 50. I think positionally still... 60, 40. 60, 40, A4? No. You still think people are going to primarily use A1?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
It is better.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but through smokes now, you still cause gaps.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Obviously, the audio plays a part in getting identified a little bit later than you would be. Look, I think it's probably going to be... You're probably right. They'll be out of habit, I imagine. But the thing because of the price being... Yeah, I don't know. I'm going to go 50-50. I'm going to go down the middle.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
That's another thing I was talking to him about. And maybe that change will happen too. Because I was explaining to them when we're talking about an exchange of utility, right? So...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
um the exchange is now uneven yeah but he was he i can't i don't i won't dox the devs um it one of the devs that i was talking to he was saying i shouldn't be doing this after 24 hours of travel and not sleeping just just be careful because i i'm just very happy i didn't get a chance to talk to the devs this time there's no headlines with me involved
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
We are single-handedly keeping the cock chair industry alive.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
yeah but the yeah some more credit for jason i guess the million dollar man just as much as devs gets paid um uh so they were saying that they the one of the conversations that i was having the around the ct utility it was reactionary to t utility right so if the teeth throw out something then the cts will throw like one to block and i was like well it's not always that it's not always the case
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You got to love both of them.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But the reason they were saying that is like, so the T1 would land and then the CTs would come out. So the time would almost kind of equal out.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So I explained it to them, like it just in certain areas of the map, like think about Anubis middle, for example, or Banana is another one.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
the t's will always win that part of the map control because even if the cts are responding to it like that then you you can kind of just layer it as a t like banana is the best example so it's like you're gonna throw a car molly and the cts might throw a half wall molly and it's like well i'll just throw another car molly it's like what are you gonna do i got 14 seconds you guys got fuck all like um yeah so not only is it spread right so like think about rushing the
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
up B long on Ancient, the first spawn, you can tank it. You don't take any damage whatsoever. I know you take a little bit of damage, but it's pretty much take no damage because of the spread. And then the duration's nerfed as well. I think they should roll back one of those two.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I think either go to the spread, how it was previously, so it's the same as the Molotov, the Incendiary Molotov, the same spread, or give us the duration back, so it's the same length of time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I guess it depends on what the overall thing is that we're trying to achieve gameplay-wise, right? Because that's why they look at things.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So I guess the thing is it stalls out play, right? So the Ts is traditionally used to isolate angles or push players out of angles. Whereas the CTs is seen as more like a blocking tool or a reactionary thing, which isn't always true. I think that the CTs obviously taking map control is saying that they use it in a similar way for a T fashion if you're fighting for space, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You're like, I'm going to completely remove this position. It's not reactionary. It's more premeditated. So look, that's the thing.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. Not many of them think about this shit, Jason. I think some of them do. They just play the game, bro. They play with what's in front of them. Not many of them think about this stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but they'll just say, oh, it sucks because now that I'm the B long player on Ancient, I can't just block it with an incendiary. That's what they'll say. They won't think about it like from a nuanced perspective.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but it's the rarity. I got two. It's the same as, remember when we used to talk to players about formats? Now I don't even know what the format is. I know I just have to win. It's like, sick, bro.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, and I rock out. It's like, okay. After Starbucks. Yeah. No, like, I don't know. Maybe I'm being a bit critical there. But I think you're right. People like Elysian, Rops, and stuff would definitely think about those things. There's certain ones that would have that detail.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And like in-game leaders probably as well because they're thinking about the functionality of the utility on a deeper scale. Yeah, but I'm curious to see, I was hoping that the update drops tonight, right? Like morning time for Europe. It'll be normally about like midnight or 1 a.m. So that Slavinsky can get on it tomorrow.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And if the changes aren't drastic enough, see if tomorrow with the Tuesday, the build of the update is stable and that the things aren't too drastic of a change that we can run that patch for this event. Otherwise, if they drop it tomorrow...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
we're not going to use it we're just going to play on the old patch which sucks like yeah because we're just going to keep kicking the can down the road because where are the teams who make it to the playoffs here going to get a chance to play in like if they're going to kluge we don't know who's in kluge yet but well that's where you'd hope if you were the players of this event you'd just go to yourself and say we all vote to just use the patch
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, on the X platform. The best platform. With all the cock chairs. No, but I really regulated my travel day. I did upgrade myself to business. Good for you. Nice. I just like, I could have gone in economy and the plane would have been empty. I fucking knew it. But you never know until you get to the airport.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but I don't know. There's this trade-off, right? It's the thing they've been practicing up to this point and it's the marquee event up until the major, essentially. This is the big one up until the major.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Because it was kind of it, so they weren't going to go all the way to South America, and then they weren't going to come all the way back to then do Pro League in Europe.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, I get it. But with Janko's example, it's like this case, so the cutoff will be as the group stages of PGL Bucharest are getting underway, right? The last full event will have to be Blast Open Lisbon. That'll be the last full event that has any huge significance on the ranking.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
This is Jason's favorite, poison ivy.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I'm talking about from the Batman movie. From the Batman movie.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
see is that Nicole Kidman that was a core memory that was Uma Thurman before Kill Bill I remember these things but so the thing with this season because we've only just started this is how quick it feels like we've gone from 0 to 100 we're going to have had Blast Bounty which 50% of it was online which counts for almost nothing then we're going to have Katowice then we're going to have Cluj-Napoca then we're going to have
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
esl pro league studio event no crowd then we're gonna have blast lisbon which half of it's a studio event half of its crowd of crowd event and then that's the cutoff but other than the first few days of group stages pg or bucharest just the first few days of the group which will only affect head-to-head it won't affect prize money because the event won't be concluded so you'll only affect the head-to-head matrix well they should just take that whole event out of the thing that's
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
It says the 7th. That's what Blaster said. I know.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but that's the thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So from that point right there, here's what I will say. Any team who's a cusp team, let's just say, I don't know, maybe Liquid aren't attending Kluge. I don't know. Maybe they're not going to Cluj, everybody. For a team like Liquid, who could maintain the number one North American slot, right? By not going to Cluj, let's say Fury go and have a good tournament. Let's say Pain go.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Let's say MIBR go and have a good tournament. They can take the number one America's slot. And by doing that, that puts them in stage three of the major, which is the last Swiss stage before the playoffs.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
which would mean for Liquid, they would then, it depends on the Mongol situation, but they would then most likely drop down to stage two, which means they have to play two whole Swiss stages, which can be very detrimental because it means you have to play a whole extra week of Counter-Strike, whereas otherwise you could boot camp. Or two days if you're Vitality.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
yeah that's true too they had the most egregious yeah that's a good point too so i think it's risky if imagine if a team like liquid skipped kluge i think it's risky for them to do especially with this short time frame that we have right like the conversation we started to have after april 7 and then what all those other tournaments will mean and who's going to skip what that's what's going to happen all the time but it's just because this is the first time we have this
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
This is just a short runway. I feel like you should have gone to all the events in this short runway. And then after that, you get to pick and choose.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
It is a good strategy though when you do get all that space because for some reason flying from Australia to Europe a lot, I guess it was time of year. A lot of the time I'd get flights like that. This is back when I would do that route a lot more regularly. And then what the main key for the pillows for me... was to put them over where the seatbelts protrude.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
All right, let me give you a couple of little tidbits. So the VRS is more like a power ranking, right? Whereas like if you look at HLTV's ranking, theirs is over more of a span of 12 months. The VRS is only over a span of six months. Sure. And the most important factors in the VRS is prize money, land games, and then your opponent network.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So that's the other teams that you're playing against to contribute, right? The LAN games are very important, matches that you're winning on LAN. And then for the top five, they're the teams who set the threshold of prize money, right? So the five teams who have the most prize money kind of set this barrier for everybody else.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So if you look at Vitality, they dropped out of the top five and prize money is a big contributing factor of that.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
and that's why they lost so many points compared to other teams or it's one of the factors as to why they lost so many points compared to the other teams when you're looking at uh how blast bounty unfolded for them because you went oh well they made it all the way to the playoffs but they lost more points than some teams that didn't even make it to the playoffs like phase um so there's there's quite a few factors that play into that but there's there's a um
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So there's literally an equation that's used to determine these things. And the equation, I was landing from Dubai into Warsaw and my internet went out and I didn't get to keep asking Stryker any more questions. So yeah, I didn't get to finish the follow-up there. But the thing is, I hope Stryker does this again after...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
this event concludes because Katowice will have a lot more impact on the movement of the points than what you'll have seen for this because 50% of this event was online. So the blast bounty in terms of the impact and the way that the prize money is distributed, it has lesser of an impact.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So then you can lay down across the floor and you've got the metal seatbelt bits covered off. So you're not getting stabbed, right? But I did the business class. I had the shower after the first leg. So Perth to Dubai.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
If there's more cucks now?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, they went up a lot, right? They're one of the only real significant winners from the points.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, like BetBoom got a little bit as well. Yeah, BetBoom did move up. But not as much as somebody like EternalFire.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. But again, I think you'll see a more drastic difference with an event like Katowice and then the same with Cluj. Cluj doesn't have an arena. Sorry, Cluj does have an arena. It's PGO, but I fucking did this with Astana as well. Cluj definitely has an arena, everybody. There is an arena with fans and crowd. Food and drinks. There's all that good stuff. Go to Cluj if you're Romanian.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And if you're not Romanian, go as well. Everybody just go. Cluj was nice. I never went to Cluj. But everybody go to Cluj. It's the Bucharest event that doesn't have the crowd. But I don't think that doesn't factor in. It's still just land. Crowd's not an element.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Three biggest deciding factors. There's always a caveat with this bullshit, which goes back to what Yanka was saying. We never quite know exactly what's going on. Yeah, which is frustrating. But it would be cool... We need a bigger sample size, is basically what we're saying.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Are you going to say match to match?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Oh, the average point change. Yeah. It'll be different every time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
There's so many factors here.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Someone's going to do it, surely. The biggest thing that matters is the impact on the ranking. Yeah, but it'd be cool to be able to go into a match and... Well, I don't know if it'd be cool... But you need the tournament to come to the conclusion so we know what the prize money distribution is for everybody.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
No, no, no. That's for first class. And there was first class on that flight. It was one of the double-decker. oh a380s yeah so i was on the top floor nerd that one has a shower in the first class yeah i like i said i don't have that much money to spend but uh i bid for it once really yeah i got business class for an abu dhabi flight for blast so i got a bid for first class i didn't get it
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
No, you could, but then that could... But it's always ballpark.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
No, it could be true for that match, but then the match that happens after could have an impact on the overall, which then just like... Just shits it. But within the context of that game that you're talking about, it could be possible.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
It's something I spoke about with Striker for them having it so on the match page for each game, they could use the...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, it's just featuring the answers that he got, right? But there is a follow-up, but that always depends on the teams that make it through.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, it's not. He could have hit harder again on, I understand what you're saying, the initial question. But okay, let's give everybody a blast story, Jason. Can I give everyone a blast story? Do you remember that guy? I forget the guy's name, but he used to work for Blast. I don't think he's been there for years. Remember when they had that shit format? Yes, I do remember that.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And I think it could have been in a Portugal or a Spain.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
18. Nifty was there. If she was there. And we were having like a meeting. We're talking about their format.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And like we were discussing the format and they were arguing with us. I forget the guy's name. He's not there anymore. He hasn't been a blast for a long time. I know who you mean. Older guy. The older guy. He was arguing. Jordy. Jordy. He was arguing that their format was the most competitive. And we said, no, it's not. It's like we had two complete definitions of what competitive was.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I'm playing catch up on this memory. Jason, it's all right. You and I both travel all day. Anything that we say right now cannot be used against us in the court of law.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I don't know I just and I this is the thing as I'm reading I'm like I hate that I sort of get it that this is how it has to be this is just how it is yeah but it's the same when we talk to the people who we think we're meant to talk to and then we realize they're not the people we're meant to talk to and I'm talking about people at ESL not people at Blast this is the same as this shit right here
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. You know what I mean? We finish the conversation and we go, what was the point of that?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, that's not bad. So how much do you think you would have had to have bid? Three grand?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You're not the fucking CEO of JP Morgan Chase. Look at this guy today that got exposed with the Into the Breach stuff, right? That he's been laundering money. Yeah, we need more guys like that. 72-hour benders. There's too many fucking people who come into the space who aren't meant to be in the space. And if we cared about all those people, I know we can't be the police to get them out of here.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
They'll get themselves out of here. They'll all do the wrong thing eventually and it'll be fine. It'll work itself out. Like, you got me thinking about something, though. Brovid 19, the reason that that was a problem is because of roster locks, which shouldn't even exist anyway. And then ESL have roster locks, so now Spinks can't play for mouse. They got to use Deluxe from the Academy roster.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Why we got roster locks? I'm going to get Slavinsky not on the phone, but IRL. Get in here and follow the fucking camera.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
What are we talking about? Let me reiterate.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
yeah no fair enough I'm sure there is a good reason but I don't know I don't want to know the reason I just want Spinks to play for mouse but he's not gonna so it's not gonna matter until the next event another thing just quickly because I've been reminded of all these things yeah remember how a while ago on the show I was like oh like cct they're blocking certain players and stuff yeah I'm interested to see how that works out because valve said if you do that you have to publicize and then they didn't publicize and then their event became unranked because they were banning people
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
shadow banning yeah yeah just the best and then jason said it's okay if everybody throws games as long as nobody who isn't throwing a game no but seriously that was an insane comment from mallory right i can't be the only one who saw that and was just like what the fuck I just know your tweet. I don't know what the, what Maui's sentiment was.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Can you please, I just read your thing and I took it out of context.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. Okay. I see. Yeah. I see that now. I don't know. Where was the, what was the flight time?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
That's not okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, that's not okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Oh, then it could have been a good time. Yeah. It would have been the only time. It would have been the best time. Now you're married and you have a kid and it's all over. You'll never be doing that. You'll remember that time, Jason.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
We could have gone back to hemorrhoids and anal fissures, but we stayed away from really enjoyed that.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Were they really a gay couple? Let's find out.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
That's kind of the angle because if all of it becomes just considered prize money right and then by the stipulations in these players contracts prize money almost 100% of it goes to them regardless of the semantics of the name because we all agree it's just the same thing it's literally just a naming difference.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
um so let's say it all just ends up going to them or most of it ends up going to them then there will be a course correction how much they get paid because something that happened over the pandemic period and when these partner leagues were established is there was money going directly to the partner organizations and that's probably one of the factors which allowed them to pay these players the salaries that they were getting
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So the trade-off has to be one or two things. We're happy to give you all the prize money available, and then it's all going to be merit based, but your salaries might take a cut of, I don't know, 25%, 50%, whatever it is, whatever it is.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And it probably is due some form of a course correction in that regard anyway, like I'm saying, but I think it would be better if, you know, you had a good base salary. That was a very livable salary as a player, right? I don't think that they should be gouged at all. I think that they, you know, they put in a lot of work and the game is hard. It's very intense.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I think they should be paid well. But I think if we're going to get to the point where they're going to be... Because right now, this first year and the second year and probably even the third year of this VRS thing is going to be a lot of feeling out. And we discussed the strategy of these different TOs and what they're trying.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
right Blaster trying their strategy of more unique tournaments they also have the frequent flyer program ESL are trying the club money and the regular tournament like Katowice and Cologne have big prize money as prize money and then the other tournaments for ESL to incentivize teams to go is club money and that club money when they go to the orgs to help pay for the players
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So it's just different strategies at the moment. And we're going to have to see what sticks, what lands, what's sustainable. And that, for me, is the most interesting thing. Because I was thinking about this a lot while flying. My favorite stuff about Counter-Strike is the actual game, right? Yeah, the game itself. It being played with the top players and getting to cast that.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
um and then the big picture of the ecosystem the thing that i've realized i don't give a about is like any of these conversations that we get into about like legacy players and comparing them to like other sports and you know what does this mean all that i don't give a about that like i care about the overall ecosystem and how it's changing and the developments there and then what that's going to affect of current players and future players and i care about the game while i'm watching it and as it's happening
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I care about the overarching storylines. I'm sure a lot of... No, well, the overarching storylines is part of the job of what we do, right? But I'm not big into that. I'm not going to be a narrative pusher of that. I'm not going to be creating my own fucking rankings or doing those type of things. That stuff for me, I'm not getting into that stuff. That doesn't interest me.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Must be nice.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but that's fun.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I think the thing is it's going to be so fluid from event to event to event that we're going to get to see all these things develop like very quickly, which is a good and a bad thing. But we're going to learn a lot in a short period of time this year, right? Just because of the nature of the way things are.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
What are you talking about?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Okay, so... You know it's not that easy. Players that you ban for match fixing but don't tell people publicly that you ban them for match fixing. That's obviously... All you have to do is say that we ban them for match fixing or...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
They barely had a business model. They had last year where they canceled the same event like three times.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, but it was a tier two event.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. I'm pretty sure. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Oh, don't get me wrong. I... I want more than anything for there to be the ability to move up and down because the way it looks at the moment is it's just going to be a golden circle for the top teams, right? Like right now, this start of the year, the honest truth that people need to accept is there's going to be very little movement from how you see the rankings currently.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Unless any teams have massive blunders or massive upset losses, the teams that you're looking at right now are going to probably be the teams who get through to the major or have to play in the major regional qualifiers, right? And there's not a lot of room for movement at the moment because of different factors like CCT or Sky Sports or Yala not applying the rules the way that they're meant to.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So there's less opportunity for the tier two teams to even try and accumulate points to try and move up and down. It's also too short of a timeframe for them to really make a lot of a dent. There's a lot of factors that go into this. I want it to be healthy because that's where our next generation of Counter-Strike players is going to come from.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
and that's where the the cinderella stories or the crazy runs from underdog teams that you don't expect is going to come from because you don't have the same way to move in like we did before of going to rmr upsetting some teams and i've been like holy shit where the fuck do these guys come from we don't have that anymore so that has to be a healthy scene um but when i think that there's rules are put in place and the thing is maybe you can't get the direct line with valve like a pgl esl or a blast can as continuously pgo esl and blast invest the most money into the scene right so
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But message striker. Message someone who's very well entrenched in the know or who can get you the line. If you're willing to invest a lot of money in putting on a tournament.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
stuff like that was really cool in the first class lounge but in general like you don't need more than business class the meals in business on emirates were great i'm having a beef tenderloin you know yeah you i had a tomato soup it was banging she came around and she she the cheese cart should they have names uh one of the girls her name was her name was emily uh she was australian i think jason meant her name was cheese cart right
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
We can do both at the same time, right? Because we have to talk about Kato. How long have we been going for?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, so we should probably just talk like about Kato and then we can reference the things that happened at blast, right? So Spirit obviously won Blast. They go into Kato as the favorite. They're the reigning champs of Kato from last year round. That's where Donk emerged.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So I think for Spirit to pick that up without Halle there is a pretty big deal because they had some of those matches and it was referenced in the post-game interview with Donk, I think.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
um he's saying they probably would have put those games away quicker if halle was there they had some struggles i think it was like ancient versus navi was one of them um and then that that catastrophic loss they had to eternal fire on anubis on the first map of the series but then they bounced back and just blew them out of the water so i think would i be crazy and saying that spirit go into katowice is the favorites
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So there you go. I don't really think there's much. I think the thing is, for me, seeing Don't Continue form, people who are quoting the online stats, you guys need to go get your fucking brains checked. Like, fuck off. But...
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
the the form that donk is playing at and like the question coming can he keep doing it well so far so good it's been a full year how much more proof yeah well that's the thing longevity right so donk has had like a legendary year but if he if he wants to go down in the history books in the same way as some of the other greats he's going to have to do it consistently for a patch of time
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
No, but I was just saying she and like my mother would always say she is the cat's mother when I would refer to someone whose name we should be referring to them by. Gotcha.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
She was from Sydney. All right. And she gave me two bits of garlic bread.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, she offered me too.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Shout out to Cher, the bowling champ, one time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
A good start with Jota. I think like the thing is though for Eternal Fire, they're still fighting to prove they're a top team. Like they're this like tier one and a half. They can have these really, really good games or these really, really good comprehensive series where it looks like you get some great individual play. You get some really good calling or strat ideas.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But then these grand finals seems to be the bane of their existence at the moment. They've been in quite a few and most of them I think have been in three. Is it three or four? I think one of them might be a tiered pro league.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I think there was some other shit online tournament though. So I shouldn't really count that, should I?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, I think for his age, what is he, 29?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Wasn't it the first time he was in the top 20 as well from last year?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
i uh i watched because the time zones for me were pretty shitty to watch all the games so i was watching a lot more of like the vods or what like the i've mentioned this guy's channel before but it's like lim lim pov or whatever and he just sometimes just uploads povs of players who have like crazy face at games or if they have a crazy official and there was a zentara's game on anubis i forget who it was against but he was just fucking owning and it was just his pov
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And I love watching games like that because there's no x-ray on. You're just literally getting to see the raw reaction speed and everything like that coming out of the player. And when you see a player who's on, and you see a player who's on because he's preempting a peek. He's tapping as the guy's peeking into the swing. It's like, oh, mate, it's fucking beautiful. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
He had some good moments. But I think right now, obviously, balancing Jota into the roster is going to be one of the keys. And they got a good amount of gain.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
29-10. That's the one. Yeah. That was fucking... That was a fun game to watch. That's the one where fucking Blast put the thing of Flamesy doing the finger out of context.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You can't do that. That's BM. The finger thing, like people conflated it. They were like, oh, why are they getting upset about it? It doesn't matter that he did that. That's fine. What matters is playing a video clip out of context. Like ESL do that as well with interviews.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So like these, the people who do the interviews for the events and this, I fucking told them this before and obviously they don't care, right? I've told them this before. You can't play an interview that you did before the game. Two hours ago. You,
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
can't do that after a map's just ended because the way that framing is now and you don't even put anything on the screen to say that this happened before the game yeah it's bullshit man you know what's the most mad the most
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, you got to play it off. Yeah, for sure. No, but I think the thing with Eternal Fire and their map pool is we didn't see them play Train.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
um it was the yeah fifth map of that series um so that's the only map of or i think it's the only map of the map but we haven't seen them play it because they ban ancient um i have to double check that so that'll be interesting because who do they play in their opening game uh complexity Complexity pick train against VP. They should shit on Complexity.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, Heavy God's pretty good. Yeah, but that's the thing. Heavy God had definitely had his moments before. And I think one of the things that I was interested with the Heavy God story was like his versatility. In different teams, he's always doing different things.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But seeing him come into G2, if you get a good Malbs game and a good Heavy God game, like they're both doing enough to make up for an eco.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, Malz is still learning in Heavy God 2.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Not too many.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yes, but the thing is, they're standing on the edge of the cliff. Hunter, Monacy, and Snacks have all already jumped. Those other two are like, they're like, well, we can do this. Snacks is parachutes. They've all got parachutes. Some of them have multiple parachutes. But I think one of the things as well is... and I spoke about this before in an episode, is the balance for snacks.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
He's going to have to work out in these type of games when he needs to be calling everything that's happening, or is he going to let Malbs learn in these positions how to contribute? Because for Niko, somebody calling his own plays or calling rounds, Niko would have been contributing a lot, right? And understandably so. He's a very seasoned player. He's played key positions on the map.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
He has seen it all, and he can make good calls. Whereas for Malbs, that same thing... Mavs is a very mechanically skilled player, but he's not as experienced. If anybody has a problem with saying that, turn the fucking podcast off, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
When you go in your room... You Western people have really funny hobbies. Yeah, look. Any form of entertainment will take it.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
it might be hard um i'm just looking at the list right now like fly quest was 3d max i that's going to be interesting one anubis should definitely come into play there uh what else have we got here mvp could be interesting yeah i liked what like i liked i was watching some of the demos back on the way over on the plane um of the pain guys and davideus is playing well
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But you look at their distribution and Big Ezra touches on this in the interview that he did with HLTV. They don't like just keep their like Cowers does a lot of anchoring, but they have everyone's quite like fluid. Like people will play a lot of different type of roles or positions from map to map. which is quite interesting to see.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And you don't even, like with them, you don't always get like the mirror matchups. So in the sense of like, hey, I'm the A anchor on Anubis, but I'm also the A main space taker on Anubis, right? Like, you know, they don't always have that going on there. I think Davide, he's Chilean. He's a good, he was on 9Z, then he went on to Red Canids.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
A good little addition there in terms of some of the firepower. And I liked what I was watching in some of their games. So they were fun to watch. VP is a bit of a still a mixed bag for me because they're still ironing it out I was watching their train games poor Flammas plays fucking Ivy They've neutered the boy already.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, on Dust 2, he plays Rotator.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah, so maybe they're a bit more fluid too.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Can I be controversial?
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
The Sengar core... They did all right at EPL second season last year, right? Yeah. How'd they do at the major?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I'd say they shat the bed epically. Shat the bed. And then they went into the playoffs of Blast without Tania and having Madden stand in. And then they also had some of their players from the Sangal core not so great on the LAN.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So I'm not saying... The word, but we're all thinking it.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
The first game Justin played Cave, he did good. And then against those guys, he got fucking owned. I am surprised to see Justin playing Cave. I think that the distribution of how they divvied some of the stuff up seems interesting to me. So like Twist stays as the main mid rifler.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
nerd stays as the secondary mid rifler and then taking justin's positions on a like obviously you play middle a lot on anubis as the a rifler like that's part and parcel because your orp is either going to start a early or he's going to go over towards b or you might even start you have that timing where you have to be at a immediately exactly right and nerds is very very good in middle but i think there's part of this here where the person who's conceded an anchoring position is justin
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
to play a very active more in-game leader position a cave which is an info position which is something that like sure he can probably learn and he can he can do um but i feel like that should have been where twist would go right i don't yeah sorry finish i just think twist should go there and then justin should have still been the mid-a guy and the notes could be the primary mid guy
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
yeah yeah but nerds is also but like nerds nerds is also more of a passive player but this is yeah and you can't turn jks into your kinder bro
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But I agree with Yanko. I don't think Twist would hand over. I don't think he would either. And I also think, here's something that I'll say, and I'm a little bit biased. I think that any overreactions that anyone has possibly had from the blast half online tournament need to go look at themselves in the mirror.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
yes because like that we can we can look at things as concerning or we can look at things that are symptoms of something that could be a greater bad or greater good in the future but we should not be drawing any hard line conclusions based off of a tournament that was half online and then the playoffs had two teams out of the fucking eight it is like they're full rosters it is like a nasty little trick that event does but then the end of playoffs isn't it
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But then also you have, like, you look at this event we're going into right now, I think it's like 15 out of the 24 teams, one of them has a stand-in that's mouse, so the other 14 teams have all had roster changes. The teams that haven't had roster changes, we should be able to name them. Spirit, Na'Vi. Yeah, fucking Furia is another one. Mongols. MIBR hasn't had one. Mongols hasn't had one.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
3D Max. 3D Max hasn't had one. You could go through that list pretty quickly, right? Whereas everybody else is really fresh within rosters.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You don't have to go through every single one. I was just making the point.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But I wrote something down in my musings. Um...
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
here we go let me just because i don't think it's reasonable to think new rosters will have fully fleshed out comprehensive playbooks after only a few weeks of practice for a team who's just made a roster changes what are the most important factors for them to win an event like katowice so early on the season oh that's for the podcast i'm doing tomorrow with saw you've you've um let him peek behind the curtain
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
but no because i know what my factors are because like a team like spirit or a team like navi are going to have a more comprehensive playbook and understanding of how everybody's going to react or how they should respond in certain scenarios for a team like a phase or a g2 or a liquid or a vitality liquid shouldn't be with those other names they're a bit of an odd one out there but
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
those type of other names that I mentioned, they will have very, very skilled and experienced players. They will understand what the game needs to be played out with the high level, but they need a few factors to go their way. First and foremost, everybody needs to be hitting hard within the team or one or two names need to be going fucking nuclear, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You fucking pussies. You live the dream job. Why do you care about your families? This is Counter-Strike, all right?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
They need to have clutches going their way, right? These factors need to go in their favor. So there's a little bit, I don't want to call it luck, right? But they need to have a bit of fortune on their side because if we're going playbook to playbook, if we're going depth to depth, A Spirit and Na'Vi should be able to take you to the bank every day of the week.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
But in a game of Counter-Strike, as we know, that's not what it's going to come down to when you have a game that's won 13 to 11. It's going to come down to that swing round. Did Zywe win that crazy clutch? Did ROPS have that big contribution? And sure, Apex isn't going to be able to go as deep and be able to call a strat that they had from fucking a year ago. But it depends.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Are his weapons online? Right.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
That's the thing that irked me about the Alige interview where he was asked by Banks like about... So Alige was playing A anchor on Ancient. And Alige was like, yeah, well, you play a lot of mid. And it's like, yeah, you do. And he also did a lot of A main aggression. But early on within a team and a new roster, everybody's going to be bringing ideas and trying new things.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So things are going to seem more fluid and more versatile. But the thing is once players get in their ways, right, you're going to have expectations of what you're expecting your teammates to do. And those ideas are going to inevitably slow down because you only have so many of them. Yeah. So I think like, I don't, this is the thing, like we're talking about roles and stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Frozen should be the one to take over the hard anchor positions and then try and transition into being more of a ROPS player. And then that Alige take the positions from Frozen or even other players that are like these aggressive fighty spots. Like Alige is so good at those spots.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And he still does now. That was the problem with the phase with ROPS and Frozen.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I reckon he's kept his dick in his pants.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, and I think he really should be throwing his weight around. I know he hasn't won a major. Give him time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Decide to trade.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Just quickly, remind me to tell you guys something once we finish. Okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
all right all right hold up let's because let's play let's play a game let's play speculation game sorry do you it's my favorite game no go on okay so like i think probably across the board people would say it's a bad idea to replace your in-game leader before a big event like katowice and then people would probably say it's a bad idea to replace your in-game leader and then have someone who's never done in-game leading before take over the role of in-game leading right those things are fair yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Okay, so if you were to sit and speculate, what would have to happen to cause a decision of that magnitude? Where would your mind go?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So that's one that's one thing that's that's a popular rumor that I've read, Jason, can you deliver any other thoughts?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
See the thing, the thing for me is if you were going to pull the trigger on something like this, the one that, the one that makes the most sense is, um,
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
the one that's like okay yeah they wanted to replace brolin with sphinx but shui said no so then they replaced shui and then brolin's gonna in-game lead see like probably he's like thanks for having my back or brolin's like thanks bro you're out have a good one see you later see and when i say that makes the most when i say it like that duncan having my back exactly
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Really, when you think about it, right? So when I postulate on this scenario, it has to be a personality thing, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And there has to be some form of a rift between Shui and some other member, either coaching staff, management or players within the team for this to just be a band-aid rip-off moment that they would get rid of an in-game leader which is being heavily touted as one of the best of the next generation of IGLs.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
So what was I tweeted the other day? For Europe, you need to be top 10 in EU to guarantee yourself a spot in stage three or two. If you're outside of the European top 10, then you're going to have to play in the MRQ, which is going to be online.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
get into a slot maybe big is like on the on the cusp of that uh conversation to taking a leaflet on big nice he's a qb he loves qb did i say i didn't even say phase that's true yeah so that's the thing it can get out of control very quickly yeah um yeah yeah shout out to fly quest one time they beat a brazilian team yeah Finally. That's a good win under their belt.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Normally they don't beat the Brazilian team, so that must be going for confidence. It'll be tough against 3D Max, but I think 3D Max play a style that FlyQuest would probably like to play against because it's quite heads up. It's quite in your face. I think that's probably good for FlyQuest. It doesn't have to be so much chessboard counter-strike.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Sora going to lose. This SHR guy used to be an AWPer for the previous team he was on. Now he's not AWPing because Story's on the team.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
What's the time, Jason? How long have we been going for?
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I've been yawning a lot. I apologize to everybody. Let's get the fuck out of here. I made some edgy jokes tonight.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
It wasn't as long. It was a bit more snappy. It wasn't as long? No, it was shorter, definitely shorter. It felt long. For me, it didn't feel long. It felt real quick. It felt much quicker this time around than last time.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Last time dragged, this time didn't. Okay. Yeah. I think there's like a lot of good improvements made to things.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Well, they don't have to play at that event, right? Some of them were bootcamping. That's the difference. And that's probably what I think a lot of teams should think about when they're starting their year. It's a nice opportunity to be social, not only with your teammates, but your peers, right? The people that you're playing against, the people within the space. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
understand they're gearing back up and they want to have their time off too but for the reason that you're talking about it is a bit of a lost art in the way that people would hang out with one another you always see it pops up on reddit every now and again it's like the picture would like you and it's way too
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
often it pops oh the good the good old days like that always creeps into like people the reddit sphere but it's like that type of thing you don't want to lose because at the end of the day everybody involved in this space all loves the same thing a counter-strike so it would be nice if we could have a couple more like if you know a few more teams come to the award show and i think if it keeps growing in the way it is then maybe maybe we'll see more of it i think also it's
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Yeah. And then Trace didn't sit in his seat. No. Trace was sitting in the wrong seat.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
Duff Mike didn't sit in his seat. It's just unbelievable. The disrespect to the seating arrangement. There's a whole seating plan and people don't pay attention to it.
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
have a caption me and a guy who should be getting paid millions of dollars for his job the reddit did say that reddit did say that no i agree and i think it would happen if you moved to new jersey yeah probably new jersey's the one shout out to my fans in new jersey my new jersey homeboys no i really like new jersey i've never you got a lot of street cred on new jersey
Talking Counter
Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
I sat next to you.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
You really incriminated yourself now.
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Episode 122: First reactions of new rosters, HLTV Awards, Updates, and VRS
And moments ago, I felt gross because the thing that I just uttered was, my fans from New Jersey, I feel like a wanker for that coming out of my mouth. Apologies to everybody from New Jersey. Especially your fans. And then you've come in and you've dissed the players, both of you, for the way they speak on stage. And then you're talking about every see-through dress.
Talking Counter
Episode 125: assorted scene news, PGL Cluj Playoffs - quarterfinals matchups and bracket
It's been going on for five, six years?
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Episode 125: assorted scene news, PGL Cluj Playoffs - quarterfinals matchups and bracket
Any anecdotes?
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Episode 125: assorted scene news, PGL Cluj Playoffs - quarterfinals matchups and bracket
What do you mean, as we saw?
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Episode 125: assorted scene news, PGL Cluj Playoffs - quarterfinals matchups and bracket
No.
Talking Counter
Episode 125: assorted scene news, PGL Cluj Playoffs - quarterfinals matchups and bracket
That's actually amazing. That would be hilarious. Am I here? I just hope his thing. He's back. He's back. All right.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He was effectively saying, first of all, more people get a share of the pie and the pie is smaller. So like there's less money going into the kind of whatever the incentive structures effectively that from both ESL and Blast. And then, you know, PGL is not doing none of it, right? And so how does that affect
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
the the organizations who as you say you know have to pay whatever 100k at the minimum in just salaries every month you know so like it's obviously going to be difficult but i mean i had some crazy conversations recently about this man like it's just like the the level of lack of self reflection about the fact that the organizations were the ones who got the got us to this position in the first place
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And I'm saying like, but how can we pay for these salaries? I'm like, you are the ones who gave them those salaries in the first place.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Lucas? You don't know Lucas very well.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I made the exact same point like yesterday.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Well, it would have always been a mid-event thing, but his point was that it was not supposed to include the teams that finished Katowice already, effectively. I would imagine they also are not super happy about the play-in being kind of a separate-zone thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean that's obviously how we kind of deal with that and that partly is also how Valve deals with that as a result but his thinking was more I don't know if you two guys are aware of this if you saw this conversation was that teams who finish the event and have had their prizes set have the entire impact of the tournament
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
on the VRS while the ones that are still alive have their prize money effectively at zero out of this tournament because they haven't finished. They haven't been assigned a minimum amount, right? And so that's a valid argument because there will be situations where you would be incentivized to lose the game just so you can get those points as soon as possible.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Because if you're somewhere on that edge, you would literally be better off if you lose the game and get that prize money and get those few little points. We saw Gamer Legion miss out on one point
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I will say that I know that Valve are aware of this, and they did promise that they would basically only count the event once the whole thing finishes. My suggestion to them was just to assign teams there the minimum prize money.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But that doesn't really get rid of the issue that you pointed out, that if it's mid-match day, that there's going to be some matches that finish, some matches that don't, and literally where you get put... on that day could decide whether you make it or not. So I think this solution is probably easier. So we can just, you know, kind of forget that this ever happened.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But yeah, I mean, I know that that's in the works, but probably I would imagine by the next tournament or like somewhere very soon it's going to be fixed.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
The solution is they will only include the event once it finishes.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. I mean, it doesn't really matter how we call it, what we call it. It's just about how Valve looks at it, right? So how would you think Valve would look at that? Obviously. I mean, look, at the moment, as far as I can tell, they're just copying kind of our format, right? So they would just count it as its own tournament, obviously. And that's what happened even in the last update.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Whether that's going to be part of that solution that I'm talking about, I'm not actually sure. Whether they would just still kind of look at it the same way we do. I've had a talk with them that they would appreciate something that would connect events together so that they can at least make those choices, I guess. But I don't actually know whether that's their thinking behind it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Because, I mean, by the definition of the rulebook, it is a close qualifier. Stage one, main play, and whatever it is, by the literal definition of the Valve rules, it is a close qualifier.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It is the same thing for us. I mean, that's one tournament. I mean, effectively, that's like stage two in playoffs in Karavica, right? I mean, we have that as one tournament as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, definitely because he's Danish, by the way.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But it's not actually. But exactly it's not. Because the way we deal with it is whatever. Of course, we have our own reasons behind it. Part of it is ranking. Part of it is just having it separated by stats. What we do with it has nothing to do with how we think it should be dealt with on the VR. Whereas we just do it for our own purposes and all that stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Of course, for usability and whatever, it's probably better if we just have it in one place and everybody can just click on one tournament.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, exactly. Those sort of things, from my perspective, we might as well just connect it in some way at least. But how we deal with it, it's not our opinion on how everything should be handled.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But I don't see why because you have everybody, all the teams that have been invited already taking part, right? So you've already, that's not like in no way is that a qualifying part or anything like that. Of course, we can call it a qualifier for the playoffs, but it's not. But you have like that whole thing. You've activated my trap. Of course. I mean, I know you can.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But at that point, you have all the teams participating, right? That's not the case for Katowice. That's not the case for the first, second stage of the major now even. So that's effectively how it is. And I know that people have been like, yeah, but opening stage of the major is then a close qualifier. I'm like, well...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
yeah technically it is so stage one and stage two are effectively i mean yeah it's weird because it's like close qualifier part one part two or whatever i don't know what you want to call it but it is it is not the main tournament even involves eyes i mean clearly because they don't put everybody in the same stage right they don't put everybody starting
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
from the same point and you can even see like the the logic behind it is that kind of eliminates a lot of useless games right i mean you don't you just don't have a lot of those super lopsided matches between whatever spirit and number 32 on the ranking you know that's you know 99 of the time is going to go one way right and so that's how they've structured the major and you can see the reasoning behind it and so even in their eyes to some level it is it is a qualifying part or or playing parts
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, exactly. Where do you stop? I mean, I think it is kind of nice separation to just have it whenever you have everybody starting at the same point, then that's the main part of the tournament, right? I mean, I think that's entirely logical and that's how we've also dealt with kind of identifying what the major is, right? For us, historically, at least.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, we've changed that terminology in some way because everybody just calls the whole thing major now. We just have to adapt to that, but that's just how we look at it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
No, you could have everybody play at the same time with 32 teams as well. That's true. Yeah, you could at the major at least. I mean, of course, logistically. Or we could also not have 16 playoffs. 16, not 16. But that's more skipping, right? Yeah. Fuck it. I'm joking. Get away with it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
cheated their way to a court or whatever wildcard invites right so for them even they're starting ahead of at some point right but it's more the new teams and teams that are unranked or you know are starting from complete zero that's that's that's the problem
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, that's 100% a valid concern, but I was just kind of thinking about this and trying to wrap my head around how much this has actually gotten worse over time, and I actually got to a point where I feel like we're still at a better point now than we have been before, because ESL, yes, ESL removed some of their open qualifiers, I mean, most of them even, to kind of be tickled and have none, and two of their IEMs have none, so it's kind of like EPL has this
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
fucking structure from ESEA leagues and all that stuff. And then Dallas is the only other one that has qualifiers, right? But then we had PGLs change their entire model to actually include some open qualifiers and a huge close qualifiers that like there's data that Valve would ever want, man. And those close qualifiers, there's plenty of opportunity for turnover.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So I actually don't think from an open qualifier perspective, I don't think we're more soft than last year. I mean, we had... If I would compare it now, I haven't actually looked at it, but I remember at the beginning of this whole process when PGL was still entirely invite-based, I was comparing the previous year to this year, and the difference was diametrical.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I would have to go back and uncheck the math, but I don't think we're that far off, to be honest.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But I also don't think that's the case because a lot of these teams, I mean, you can see it from bounty, right? That's already one place where top 32 teams, like if you get to the LAN and you get one win there, even if you just get to the LAN, as a top 32 team, you will have to take some upsets, right? Because of the way that the format was structured with you take bounties of the big teams.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You cause one upset, bro, you shoot up very quickly. You get into the invite cycle for Cluj instantly. If you're a top 32 team, especially because of some of the other tier 2, tier 1 teams skipping. You have, let's say, from number 6 to 22 are straight into Cluj, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And into further PGL tournaments, you have whatever, the first 12 are going to go straight to the main event, and then the next... 30 in each region are going to the close qualifier. That's another opportunity for anybody to go and play against the big dogs and actually earn their way to the big tournaments, right? And that's actually the way that it works for a lot of these events now.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So I don't think the problem is tier one. I think effectively we're much better off than we were before because the opportunity for turnover, the opportunity for these teams to lose their spots. I mean, we see it with teams like Astralis. They would have had All the spots guaranteed basically the entire time.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's not going to happen this year, I can tell you that much, especially now that they fucked it in Karavica. They're going to lose out on some of those spots, right? And so that's automatically every team that does that, every team that falls out of that competition, that's more opportunities for teams below. And very quickly, I mean, the ranking works in a way where
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It is much more power than we used to have before. Within three months, you can have a lot of turnover if you'd fuck up multiple events in a row. We will see it with Liquid. We will see it with Furia. If they don't do well in EPL, they will drop out of that invite cycle very quickly. So I think tier one...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And tier two, we're fine because the turnover is going to be huge at some point if you don't really confirm your results. Top five is always going to be fine, but anything below that, that could be a lot of changes. So I think it's the tier three, new teams, new cores, kind of the open qualifier.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I can at least understand where the problem is because of that lack of data, lack of opportunities maybe to move up.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't think that changed, though. CCT runs the exact same format that they have before. Nothing's changed. It's just the fact that they are forced to invite certain teams.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
If anything, we are actually in a better place because they are not shadow banning teams. Whether they were deserted or not, we don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, that's not meritocracy, right? That's just getting a leg up, and that's what teams have been used to, and that's exactly what Valve is trying to get away from.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
are there it's more about exactly what like the position that NetAppy would have been had they not kind of gone around the system right with Jax any team that decides to put together a team you can have fucking Niko, Monacy and ZywOo come together in the same team with two randoms and they would have to start from scratch just the same as everybody else and of course they would have also the wildcard because they are top 8 whatever like they would actually work with the wildcard but let's say just for the argument's sake you know that would be a team that just wouldn't be able to
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
To get started anywhere, you know, so those teams are the ones that I can understand where it takes a long time for you to get somewhere because you have to get ranked in the first place, you know, and so that's the biggest part.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I am feeling like I've infiltrated the competition a little bit.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think... Honestly, a lot of it is kind of an issue of what happened at the start of the year where CCT and Yellow just didn't comply. They got the rigging rank status pulled. I think that's a big kind of point that everybody's making, that they can't play in anything ranked.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's a really good start.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They would have been able to if the TOs just did what they were supposed to, and they actually hosted the tournament as they were supposed to based on the rules. CCT tried to get around the big rule of, you know, you can't shadow ban teams, you have to announce it. They didn't.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
DL also had just completely ignored the fact that they need to announce things in advance and just invited the wrong teams as well. Just decided to skip some teams for no reason. Absolutely against the rules. Something they should have foreseen. Something they should have done well in the first place.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I understand, you know, not all the TOs have the same access to Valve and to check certain things. But a lot of these things are very simple. I mean, you just can't skip the invites. You just can't decide which teams attend your tournaments.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
exactly and so if that didn't happen then we would have already had two tier two events happening for teams up to like top 50 let's say you know so that already by that point they would have had plenty to play and more ccts are happening now the open qualifiers for dallas are coming up close qualifier for dallas is coming up risings are happening now where that's into the blast opens close qualifiers for pgls are going to be coming up soon you know so like there's like at this point actually it's not that bad no problem
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Let's say half of it. Words matter, Jason.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Tournaments and analysts alike.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But yeah, just to get back to my point though, like I think had that not happened, we would really be in a place where the biggest problem is the teams that are just starting from nothing. Because for those teams to get ranks or to get into matches that are ranked is very difficult because you effectively do have to start, you have to play through open qualifiers. We don't cover all of them.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think this is like, this is something that I will actually get into as well at some point. We don't cover all the open qualifiers. Obviously we can't fucking cover a thousand team brackets and whatever. We only cover them from a certain point. Some of them we don't even at all because just we have to prioritize in some way, right? So those don't really end up, turn up on the ranking.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And then, you know, so where do you go? Like you have to go through an entire open qualifier to even get into the close qualifier, which we will then cover. And you're going to play, what, three games there? You need 10 games to be ranked, right? So that's the problem. That is where I understand 100%.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Every, you know, organization that wants to come into the space and they're like, okay, I'm going to pick this player, but this player, that player, because I like them and I think they will work.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
it will take you an entire season at least even just maybe even just to get ranked unless you really just blow up from the first place and then you just go through from some open qualifier you go straight to some land you do well enough there to get some points right and instantly you're going to be on the ranking you're going to enter the at least the tier two circuit if not already the tier one if you just blow up from the beginning right but if you want to be somewhat consistent it's going to take you fucking forever it's going to take you a long time
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, that tells you something too, right? NA's dead.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
When was your last checkup? I don't know. You guys can do this without me.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You wish that was an Irish coffee right now.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Here's one more thing I will say. I don't know if you wanted to pass on, whatever. Obviously, there's a problem that we are a bottleneck. I will refer to we as HLTV. We knew it. We've been saying it for years. Right. Because exactly whatever is not on HLTV is not going to end up on the VRS. Obviously, we can't be held responsible for that. We have our own priorities. Fuck off, Chad.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It feels like you're making yourself responsible right now. Wait, what?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
This is a massive revelation to people.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They don't. Why do you think I'm on the payroll? I can tell you we're not getting anything for this.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. There you go.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, let it burn, Striker. That's exactly my point, right? Like we're not, I mean, we are doing some work on top, but that's more like just for kind of ensuring that the circuit functions as it was intended to. Because like, obviously, we had to check a lot of these kind of invites, right? And that was more from a concern, from a perspective of concern for actually,
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But that's exactly what I was getting into, right? And like we... Again, we don't have infinite resources. We don't have... We have our reasons for doing that, right? I mean, our coverage team is not... They don't have infinite people. We don't have...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
infinite resources to even put all this up on the site or even have in the backend, even if we don't want to kind of put it all in actual like hot matches, you know, we would just have like millions of things on, on the side, you know? So there's plenty of reasons why we do that. And we can't really be held responsible for how it impacts the scene because we
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
yeah I mean we're our own company right like we're not beholden to Valve we're not we're not doing everything just on their own whim and so we're just functioning as we are at the moment and while we're just taking whatever we give them as as their basis for their ranking right but that is that effectively I think is where the crux of the issue is about a lot of this data issue and a lot of
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
the teams complaining that they can't get enough ranking i mean snappy was talking about it they played i don't know what it was six games in the open qualifier they won well all of them they played some pretty decent teams along the way it was like top 50 to 280 maybe teams or so that they played along the way and beat and you know that would have been data for the ranking that they never got you know they would have been ranked by now because they're still not with their own lineup because they just haven't played enough matches you know you have to have 10 10 matches to be ranked
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So that bottleneck is part of the problem, and that's just something that I think down the line, Valve will probably have to adjust and find other ways to get all this data, whether it is just coming to the TOs and saying, okay, just give us all the demos, and we're just going to parse our results from all of that once your tournament finishes. You have to put that in the rules as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Like, okay, you give us all the demos, we're going to parse out all the results, and that's what we will use for the data for the ranking, right? Because that's going to increase...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
The amount of teams that even get ranked in the first place, the matches that can tell you all these adjustments that come into play based on who beat who and all that stuff, that's all very valuable data that they're not getting.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Well, that's why I wanted to address it, right? Because I've been getting a lot of questions behind the scenes about this, and people are realizing that we are effectively... Again, I don't want to use the word responsible, but it is to some degree our choices matter, right? But we cannot be responsible for that. So that's a massive issue.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think that will have to get handled at some point once Valve realizes how much of an issue it is causing, really.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I'm just shocked that Janko didn't know this the entire time. I'm like, it's been kind of...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Nobody else. That's not actually true. I think that some of the TOs are also getting some stuff. Well, you guys have a bunch of people scraping your shit over the years. I mean, scraping is the different... I'm just saying what we're actually giving out to people. I don't know the definitions of all these different... I don't actually know.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
To be honest, I don't actually know who's getting what or whatever. I just know that some were from TO's side and stuff were there for the stats and whatever like that. I think I was getting something on the side as well. Not just Valve. Oh, Lucas is yelling.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He said contact sales. I was just saying, it's definitely coming through the mic.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
To some degree, I guess you can. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
How long do we spend on this? 45 minutes.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He was just about to poke you one more time.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
What I want to do is... I feel like there's been a big, big communication between you guys. I'm just like, I've come in and I've just gotten a peek behind the curtain of what Talking Counter normally is where everybody's late. People just decide last minute. Not everybody.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I like that logic, but I don't know if it's true.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
There was a huge Luminosity in Albi Street over there. It was like Leipzig before that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, something like that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They did come together at the beginning of 2017, that new G2, whatever it was, when they put together all the big French names.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, exactly. Apex and BK and Buddy, I think, at the time it was. That was the lineup at the beginning.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, they won Dallas after that. That was also that year, I'm pretty sure.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He didn't even answer the phone. He didn't even answer the phone. He didn't even commit to the game. Sorry, sorry. Hey, Striker here. Hey, Striker. What's up? I think it's Shiro, but I'm not 100% but I'm fairly confident it's Shiro. This is a trap question for me, man. I don't want to say Shiro ever. I just feel like I remember Shiro has an MVP from Katowice. It's got to be that one.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Oh, Jason, trust in the friend.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Did you put that one together? Yeah. Okay. Of course.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So you're just an asshole to us. So we're doing it then.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Lipukituri. Lipukituri. Congratulations. That sounds pretty fucking good.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I was going to say, imagine a world where you're effectively hitting on him for getting coffee at night instead of booze.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Bloody hypocrite.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
What's happening? I think he meant him. You're talking about me. No. I thought you were talking about me. There we go.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You're just getting so much badgering today. You're just like, what the fuck did I do this time?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Who gets coffee at 7 p.m.?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I like the idea so far. Okay. So you're the one who's turned them into salacious headlines. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. And we need to guess the story.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's one day, man. I don't think I've ever had that kind of a day in Katowice, especially in one of these tournaments where it's huge and everybody kind of cares about it. Literally five days
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
teams declined all of the ones that i asked for declined every single one three of them who won that day they didn't want to do they won and still didn't want to do it so yeah i didn't want to put like anybody specific and name on blast name give us six teams and we'll guess which but to be honest like you know looking at the teams that you know looking at the teams that won you can probably guess a lot of them because that day i just got literally got nothing and i asked for five interviews did they give you like a reasoning no
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, there were a few in a couple of those games where we were just watching. But you're watching the game, man. So I know I understand what's happening.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, in general, it's obviously... Look, we're not in an industry where we just care about all kinds of conflicts, right? So it's kind of like some of it you just brush off. But obviously, yeah, that's... I mean, Kassad wants to be a coach. I mean, is it really okay for you... His one is probably more egregious.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Is it really okay for you to be standing behind teams 24-7 just listening to their comms and knowing how they operate when you're very likely to play against them if you're going to go back into the...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
into the competition you know so i like i understand about that part of it man it makes it makes complete sense teams are sometimes pretty stupid because they just leave their notes like between between maps and their tables and we find a lot of team notes and printers the amount of them that would like print notes or like leave the folder open like with the i'm like
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Our fucking photographers, like just because they're obviously taking pictures all the time and they're okay. Those are going to be in the frame. Yeah. 90% of the pictures that you're going to take. Bro, they're just, they're spending time in Photoshop, just like taking things out so that people can just like scroll in and look at their shit.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But it's like, that's kind of a problem if you're just leaving that to the people who are like, you know, who aren't even kind of responsible for doing that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't know, man, but really relying on us not to share your shit, it's kind of... We're leaning a little bit too much on HLTV.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's what I was going to get into. Like we are in a,
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
awkward situation even like for myself right like i'm i'm there just kind of taking videos of the guys like sometimes during matches right where do i draw the line between where i mute the the video and what i don't you know like is it just at the end of matches you know when they're about to celebrate or like when like what's we don't really have any sort of guidelines for this right and we're just kind of using our own um kind of our own logic our own reasons for for how we do it
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
We try to be respectful about it, but we're going to catch things that the teams probably don't want to be out there. But it just happens literally and like everybody's around them, you know. So plenty of people have heard it. You can't rely on everybody never to say anything or post something.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Or we see, you know, comms just being blurted out on broadcast that I'm sure, you know, sometimes maybe the teams aren't super happy about.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He wasn't super happy about that one.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's been a popular excuse over the past few years, I feel.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Locker room talk. Of course, for our audience and for anybody who wants to know a little bit more, it's great to get some of these little tidbits. But where the line is, that's not easy to draw.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's not bad. It's not that salacious. I mean...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
We were making the same argument when we were just like in the press room. We're like, why are you still high-fiving them, man?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, what are we supposed to talk about?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yes. Or a downtick in F9? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did the stats back it up? I actually haven't checked that to that degree, but definitely some teams prefer the FAMAS.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's very funny because we nearly put that in the headline and we were like, you know, how many matchmaking games are we going to see with people just running around with the fun mods just because Donk said it's good?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But you can see people are struggling long range with it more, definitely.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You can see the logic behind it. When I saw the update, that was just one AM take. I just didn't even think about this angle. I was like, in the morning, yeah, that was actually dumb.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
so i mean you can see exactly what valve are trying to do right they just want to kind of incentivize more more options right it's only crouching accuracy though isn't it it's not like standing accuracy yeah but i mean what are you you're gonna run around the long range doing long range no but you could just stand and it would still be the same accuracy as it was before
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't think anybody understands it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, but I don't think that's advisable. Good long range.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I've never seen you so pissed off in a cast.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
maybe one day maybe once we get some sponsors we put a headline on ultimate for that for that match because but not exactly just because of that one situation of course we clipped it there but it was like entire series it just disappears and of course i mean we had some people in the comments also like this is disrespectful like he played like shit how is it oh yeah the headline you guys had was like ultimate poor performance ultimate struggles yeah cost liquid match or whatever something like
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't remember what you mean by that at the moment.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
There's like two levels to this because there's also the whole ZywOo and Karabitsa as well. I mean, that kind of goes hand in hand because they never did well. Jason has all the massage puns.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Wait, what?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I hate that that's a line, by the way. I mean, so what? They may top six at some point, right? Yeah, a couple of years. I hated the fact that, like, okay, you made it through the group stage, but, like, once you made it to the quarterfinals the second time, if you lose the first game, was it really that much better? I mean... Well, the history books will... Of course, it is a number.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I understand technicality and all that stuff, best result, but they're, like, making it such a big thing when it's like, okay, one group stage result difference, you know? Bring back quarterfinals.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, my understanding is probably better than the average, even though that's, I mean, is it more confusing the deeper you get into the bush? No, actually it's not, not really because, because you do, I mean, a lot of it, you kind of have to get deep into the code and figure out exactly like how things interact with each other.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That was very legit, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He owned him. That was sick, man. He is from my part of the world, yeah. I actually don't really know the guy because he kind of left the Czech scene very quickly. I mean, he was only in some of the better teams for like a year and then he went straight to him as the next team. So he's been kind of ingrained into the international scene very early on. But yeah, I mean, that's very cool.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Mir is back. Mir is back. You know what's funny? This would be the reverse situation. Because remember the last time Mir was involved in this? Was it Mir, actually? When Cloud9 didn't have Exile? No, it wasn't Mir. It wasn't Ventress or some shit. Who was playing for Cloud9 in that clone group stage? Was it Mir? I feel like it was Mir. I think it was Mir.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So it is literally the opposite situation of that clone where like XL comes in for the playoffs and they just lose the first game.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Now I know what you mean. Imagine Mir comes in now for the playoffs game and just like beasts on Spirit that they just make it to semis like off of that. It would be just such a funny reversal. People are saying Buster. Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. Buster was playing, not Mir. Right, right, right. Okay. Booster. Booster. My entire point is gone.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And even I don't have, like, I don't have that knowledge because first of all, I'm not a coder. A lot of the things in the code, they don't connect to what is said in the actual explanations. And the terms that are used in the explanations are not the same terms that are used in the actual code. And so cross-checking is not easy.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He got smashed by Henry G. 's Rear.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Just on Twitter. I'll just read this out because it is public anyway. A guy, HLTV confirmed, reposted my take. Qasad wants to be a coach. Is it really okay for you to be standing behind the team 24-7 listening to their comms?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But I talked to the guy who implemented it for HLTV for us, for our live version of it, which is the same formula. It just updates every match effectively. So thanks to that, I have a better understanding. But it's mainly more about talking to the right people and knowing where to look. So I don't think it's actually that difficult. It's just more like you have to take your time.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's a huge takeaway.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He told me good luck with the podcast. You're sitting on his chair. There we go. Thank you, Mr. Hugo.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
electronics legacy and the him him going back and forth between a game leader non-game leading you know and how it went in the past that people are kind of projecting you on towards this team even though like just give it some time like let's let's look at how this team plays you know can we get them a month yes i think part of it unfortunately is like they fell into that category after such a shit year last year into like that internet meme category everyone just has fun
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, SAW, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You know what? I kind of find it funny because I spoke to Flamos after that SAW series and he was like, yeah, yesterday we were like, you know, after that pain loss, we were like, yeah, we were just, like, in our heads, like, constantly thinking, like, are we doing something wrong? Their first LAN game. And then we went into the SAW game and, like, you saw how much better we were playing.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And so we were all right in the first place, you know? And I'm like... Well, you know, you have to kind of consider who you're playing, you know? And so it was just kind of funny, but then they kept going, you know? So I think, fair enough.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, even this time when I asked Electronic about it, he did say yes after they won. Usually it's like that. He will say yes after they win. Funny, then. It is funny. I mean, that's a lot of teams. I mean, I'm not going to even put Electronic on blast for that. So he wasn't one of those five teams. That was the day before. That was the day before. But yeah, it wasn't them.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They actually gave me two different interviews in that group stage. I mean, I didn't even ask for them after that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But yeah, when I was talking to electronic, it was like very clear that, you know, he kind of wants to put this conversation behind him and he just doesn't want to talk about it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I get it because you can see how much people are putting importance on that and how much they are kind of running away with it. Right.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
and so I understand it of course I mean from my perspective I have to ask about it I mean I am interested in why because literally the guy told me the year and a half before that when he was when he stopped being an IGL when Boomage came in that he doesn't have the temperament for it and so I'm like so what what made you come back you know so I have to kind of call him out on it right but I understand from his perspective he just like is like fuck it like why am I why do I have to deal with this well the best way to get past that is just to do like the fucking tell all just do like one interview like where you just unleash and then be like all right I'm done
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But he did that with me. I mean, he answered in Russian to me, actually.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Look, I can understand parts. For example, he was talking about going back to a supportive role because of Flam was the addition and he gave up some positions for him. I can catch enough that I will understand what he's talking about. At least that. So I can ask certain follow-ups. Sometimes I'll just be completely lost when he's answering because I just don't
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't have that good of a knowledge of Russian, but enough, you know, to at least catch what he's talking about, you know, so I can ask some follow-ups. But yeah, I mean, he even asked like if he can do it in Russian just so that it's simpler for him. And that's, we always are up to do that with players because they will just be more open, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They'll be more comfortable answering in their own language. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Oh, yeah. I mean, even when you're looking at how they're reacting to win pluses, whatever, like, it's just way, way different of a team. Like, before, they were the most neutered team ever in terms of reactions or emotions or whatever.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think he's good as well. I had...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
He's good. I mean, he has a good ceiling. He has a really high ceiling.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I had some kind of reservations to what Flamus was saying and kind of almost had a feeling like he was getting neutered in this team because it was just like first thing that comes out of his mouth is like, yeah, when I came into this team, I just immediately realized everything I was doing in-game religion was wrong. I'm like, bro, what?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And then there was like a situation where, you know, electronic gave up some positions for him. And then next thing, you know, he's getting put into pits industry.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. But that's what I'm saying. He's like, he's like, yeah, but I just, I just didn't feel like I was doing or like I wasn't doing the right moves in these positions. And so I just, I'm just going to be more comfortable in positions where I'm just sitting and killing people. You know, I'm like,
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, they probably should have won, to be honest.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Did you catch that comm? I think it was End of Nuke or something, where Twists was kind of... I don't know if he was pissed off at Ultimate or something, but he was saying something like, bro, I was trying to keep you alive for so long, or something like that. I don't know if you guys caught that at the end. I think it was caught on stream for a moment. I wasn't on that game.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I wasn't sure if I caught it wrong or if it was just in a different context than I was thinking. Never mind. People might have seen it. Are they cooked? Are Liquid cooked? No. You think they'll be fine?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, their map pool hasn't been good for a while.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Right. Put the other one in Ivy and you'll be fine.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's a weird situation for the AWP train now, because of that little change that they made around the Ivy, right? Because you don't really have... I mean, you have to move around a lot to get angles. You can get smoked off really easily. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that was always the case in some ways, right? Like, I mean...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
There was already a very small, you know, kind of windows that you had as an AWPer, you know, to look into T main. But now, as much as that's bigger, then it's so much easier to smoke off. And then you're kind of locked down either behind site or in Ivy or some shit.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And now it's just like... I mean, you could also push that past that smoke, you know, and play around the site. Like there was just a lot more kind of play.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's a bit weird.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
the backtrack the one that's closed off yeah it just feels like so much wasted and unused space where i'm like what is this supposed to be it always felt like that on train though right you never really went back lanes in 1.6 no but at least at least in that uh whatever under heaven you would go a lot you would see people and then play around play around it because i mean you people would kind of half check that corner like every every other round almost you know like so you had some play some some things to play around there but not anymore
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't really mind that part. It's more about the lack of
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
lack of like past plays overall i mean the only thing you can do is out of team main because to get even control of old pop you have to do so much more than you used to before and like everything everybody cities are just there faster most of the time from both angles and you're kind of fucked and you're like how can we even approach this you know i like the suggestion i we talked about on uh yeah and i put the video in if the oh no this is like a guy who had some map changes
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But they're still there. I don't think that Molly actually catches every single spawn. I think that TCTs can still beat it. I don't know. I'd have to check best T spawn versus best CT spawn. I think best CT spawn still gets through.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, but then that's the problem. You now have B guys being able to help, right? And even if somebody drops, you're always going to be... We saw it a lot, actually. I mean, Robs was doing that a lot, just making aggressive plays with fucking Apex, just holding a flash for him, like...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
There's so many... There's actually a lot more opportunity for CTs even though you've kind of made it easier for Ts to enter that space as well because it's not a fucking ladder that you have to drop down, you know? So I feel like maybe that change didn't quite play out the way that Valve probably intended.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
In terms of Blast, I don't think that was an overreaction.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You can tell us sometimes that Elish is still feeling like he's in complexity. I don't know if it's maybe, maybe also it's kind of the Kerrigan school because he's always been the guy who's like, just peak, just go for it. Like if you feel like it, go for it, right? And so partly that's probably from that as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But sometimes it feels like Elish just feels like he needs to do more than now, you know, having a team around him.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
If you listen to FaZe, they're always kind of chaotic.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Positionally. Positionally.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's curious how they sorted that out, right? They didn't solve it. But it almost feels like they're not... Kerrigan's never been the way where he's just going to pigeonhole somebody into a role and then just keep him there across the entire map pool, right? So they're just solving things map by map, literally, and then just trying to see how... Let me tell you how it's nonsense, okay?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Where was he before?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's funny. That's the first time you've said that because I've heard that exact terminology from you before, but you've never said that this was actually parroting Valve's words.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think that guy probably just has the bump size the other way around.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's the problem. I call an ancient AB all the time just because of fucking ancients and how that threw everything out of the window, how you're used to calling sides because that has B on the right side. So I'm like, fuck man.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You mean from when they lost Niko?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Oh, there wasn't? I didn't realize.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think it's also, I mean, you can see it on CT sides as well, Janko. I mean, you know how much Niko was calling shit on CT side and we can see it. Like when I talked to Zonic after they went out, he's like, yeah, I put Niko in charge of our CT sides instantly. And you know, you just, you can see how much of an impact he had outside of obviously his massive output. I mean...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
As in, like, they're only saying it now.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But is this also like kind of conceptually behind the scenes as well? Like when you're actually building your game, like if you want to give an example or something, does Niko, I know it's been a while since you actually were behind it, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But does Niko actually build the CT sides in terms of, okay, these are opening moves, this is what we can do on the map, or is it really more of an intuition thing where he's going to call
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
middle of the round you know something happens on the other side of the map he's going to say like let's say inferno you know he plays be aggressive he's going to be like let's crunch mid because they're just pushing apps or whatever it is you know like how does this work really well back then it's it's more so for your position or for where you play you have you come up with plays and you have plays that you want to do of course
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, you can probably argue about some of the people on the edges, right? Or how the seeding worked out with teams like Mongols being so far up in the ranking and stuff like that. Some of these little, you can call them details, I guess. But otherwise, nobody comes to mind at the moment.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, I was just curious how much of it is really kind of even from the start of it, from the onset of the team, you know, like these are the plays that I have in mind, you know, like if that's what's happening in Falcons now, for example.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, I mean, it's always interesting just to hear about how teams kind of, obviously, like if you're like, I'm just going to be a stupid person here. But if you're pugging, you're obviously looking at, okay, I'm going B or I'm going A. You don't really look at that interconnection and how much these people actually play off of each other. And on certain maps, that really comes into play, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, you have more so on some than the others, you know, because like Inferno is a good example of that. I mean, it's just such a heavily segregated map and you need to have some help on both sides, depending on the situation, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, fucking Mirage is like the most fascinating map about that because CT side is so awkward in so many places and you just have to either be completely passive on A or you're going to take an aggressive push, right? Or you're taking actual middle and then the A guy has to react to that as well, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Like it's all these push and pull constant, you know, depending on what's happening on the map where it's not so segregated as on other maps, you know? So it's just, I don't know. I just find this fun. We've done G2.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Everybody was on his ass. Like, in the previous iteration of Falcons, he's like the god and the only one who's untouchable. And, you know, he comes into this new team, he has a shit game, everybody's like fucking... Get him out of this retirement home.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
In the previous Falcons, he was the one shining light. In a lot of ways, I think.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Layers. I was just waiting for you to come up with a Serbian man or something, but then that could be two people. So that would be difficult.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's got to be an Australian term. No, it's a Serbian.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, I mean, what can you do, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's kind of cool how it worked out that way, huh? With the national teams? Vitality against the Eternal Fire again, Spirit against Na'Vi again, potentially, you know, like the rivalries, the one-sided rivalries of last year.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's after the major, right? Yeah. I mean, they haven't played anything since.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They were looking in danger at some point, though.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't think it was terrible. I mean, Calix is just like, if you, you just, if you want to take the next step, I guess you need to get the new guy in. Right.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Spirit also didn't go.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It is a person with an Indian accent. Striker's got good ears.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
As far as I understand, for them, it was just the under... I mean, we've seen them skip tournaments before, right? So I think this one was just in the wrong place for them, and so... But it's strange that they would skip that over Pro League.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It was a cute little moment. Bit, Bizzino, who was the last one? Alexi B. No, Techno. Techno, there you go. You couldn't have gotten a lot out of those three, though.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
We have to work out how to get all of them out of their skin, man. Mazzino, he can be funny.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. They just don't really want to put themselves out there. That's the problem. It's just hard, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But they're okay. Those two are definitely okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And less money. Yeah. I mean, Romania is also closer out of that. I mean, all of it. I'm just speculating at this point. I haven't actually talked to them to ask. I should have, to be honest, because I know the reasons for all the other teams, but not them specifically, so...
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It was just funny. I didn't have to qualify that, but it's okay. Okay, so that's the first. Yeah. I mean, there's not as much opportunity to crumble as well as there might be for Mongols.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
How are sons are doing, by the way, with that broken arm?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, I think... Oh, yeah, I saw him.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Okay, okay. That's fair. Yeah, because they were even supposed to come to the award show and then suddenly we hear, yeah, we had some injuries and we're like multiple or what the fuck happened at that New Year's party or whatever. So I guess that's what happened.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Correct. Okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
VP without a stand in can't beat Spirit. Let's just say that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You're just about to say that point.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, that's what he does. Not as much. But you know how it's funny that he started off that point and he was just about to say it. I'm like handing it off to you and you just put it on me. I called it a cabal. That's probably enough. I mean, that's effectively what's happening.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Towards the end of regulation, it was basically like Spirit were about to win, then LXC pulls out that 5-7 round or whatever. And then in overtime, it's like the opposite. Shiro comes up with the fucking lower clutch, and Zontix comes up with a 1v2 he's never supposed to win. Honestly, Na'Vi winning despite that is pretty impressive.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Bro, have you guys seen the stats that Duncan does too? Yeah, it says rating like 1.9 or something like that. It's fucking dumb. It's like dumb as like something like that now. Yeah, it was like 180, I think, the last time I checked in the last 10 games or some shit. And you're like, how are you supposed to even win against that?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You know, like if a guy is dropping 2.0 ratings almost every game, it's like insane.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It was like 148 or something. So it's kind of dumb.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think in that game, I feel like Shiro still had something to give. And generally, it feels like Shiro hasn't still arrived in Karavica to the same degree that Donk has, as he always does. So I feel like there's still a level to be found from him. Going into playoffs. So I would probably take Spirit for that one. Just over that. Because Donko is still amazing in that game.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, they kind of let him down. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You don't want Dust2 to be your home map though.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's kind of funny how that changed because at some point we were kind of like, There were a couple of maps where it was just like, what the fuck are you doing? You're just like walking out B every round.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, in the first place, they were just really utilizing Donk to his best ability on T side. And you could tell that that was like the next level. Now, clearly they are. That's Vitality's new.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Look, I mean, we knew we were talking about this for the last two months, right? We said it last year. We've been saying it for fucking months now. We know that the top teams are not happy with PGL just putting everything in the prize pool, right? And we are seeing the results of that. That's effectively what's happening here. They wanted some revenue share.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And they make the bets effectively. Yes.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
uh-oh he's got an afk donk doesn't win the mvp what are the odds donk doesn't win the mvp obviously of im i mean we might as well just like put the odds on the navi and spirit matchup and go with that to be honest because legitimately if he reaches the final he's gonna get it like surely his odds are good enough to like who would who would overtake him even if he loses in the semi-finals no but you have to remember we've never had a semi mvp let's just say that
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's never happened before, but there was a situation where we thought if Donk loses despite this, if he had lost the semi, the entire team crumbles around him. I don't know how he wouldn't have given it to him, even if he just dominates the semi and loses it. At that point, you're like, how the fuck can we not? It's just so fucking egregious.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, we do take competition into account, but once you get to the playoffs, it's kind of like that's the most pressure you can have anyway. So at that point, we did that for actually G2 was the same situation.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
When we did bounty EVPs and stuff, we had to take into account the bed boom situation and them just coming in with two stand-ins and just getting destroyed by G2 because it's not even their real team coming in. So in cases, we will, of course, take it into account.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
They didn't end up getting it, so they're skipping PGL. Whether they're going to keep skipping PGL, I mean, for some of the teams, I outlined it in my column. I mean, that could be pretty fucking disastrous now that even Furia just dropped out, right? Like those two teams. But FaZe did. FaZe is the exception. No, but we know how FaZe operates. They've always been kind of... whatever.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Let me see, actually. I haven't really looked at everything at the moment.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I would give him another 5% for getting that semi-final MVP or whatever on top of that. But that's about it. I mean, of course, it comes down to competition as well. If ZywOo keeps dominating and then he goes to the finals... We can't really give it to us.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
We bring that down to 1-3. So the odds would be 3-3. I mean, we have the odds. We have the odds literally somewhere. Like, if we look at actual betting. You mean the gamble? Sorry, sports betting. By no specific... No, by 1x bet. Okay. I should probably do that. There he is. I can't do that. We don't actually have that matchup yet.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
We can't. Let's say it's going to be 55 to Spirit, maybe.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I would give it 60 because of that possibility.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Oh, no, 40%. Oh, okay, 40%. Sorry.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, I should have also taken into account the crazy scenario where VP beats Spirit, but okay, fuck it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah, but it is like, whatever. You can thank him another 5% for that one. Whatever. All right, Jason, what do you think?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You think they're 66% better?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think I underestimated it, to be honest.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Players have all the say that they want.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And then you have to assume that ZywOo doesn't dominate the playoffs and doesn't beat them in the final and all that stuff. I think that's pretty reasonable.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. Pretty much. Watch Rob be their best player in the playoffs. Wouldn't it be funny if we never had the situation where S1mple stole MVP from ZywOo? I'm not actually sure. What's he doing these days? Who the fuck knows?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
no no the other way 60 60 yeah okay yeah yeah so we'll average that one out watch this watch this magic happen on the screen right now so 15 33 don't you do it bro there it is we will decide that donk is the semi-final mvp and people are just gonna screenshot that man like i i swear to god i swear i swear to god i should look your best when this spreads around the internet I shouldn't have.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I know, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Four times. We didn't get the last one, right? It's been played seven times here, I think. Eight.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I was going to say something about the Bontopho view for the Shiro conversation. I mean, one thing we constantly come up against in like EVP and VP discussions whenever we look at Shiro, his win numbers are not great, typically, because it's partly, of course, partly that comes down to ecos.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, Donk's going to farm more of those and like, of course, but he's always been like, he's always somewhere kind of in a different stratosphere, you know, whenever it comes to those numbers. But Shiro, actually, for a guy that's clear second star and all that stuff, is fairly low, even for an AWPer, typically.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
So that's something that just definitely supports your thinking about how little he's going for the big impact plays. And so that just plays a part.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
yeah he's really he's usually going to be the guy who just gets you one kill every time you're like every round you win he's just going to get you that one kill it can be a big impact kill or whatever but it's usually not going to be more like it's always going to be just that that thing right so yeah uh final topic i suppose oh we might have but just with the playoffs vitality we haven't spoken a lot about them uh i think that rob's edition is working out pretty nicely for them overall
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But it's also having kind of that initiative about it, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, Rob's always going to be the guy who's like super technical about everything and he's just going to come up with all these weird things to do in a game that is just like, you know, 5% is going to make your game 5% better or even probably less than that, you know, but he comes up with enough of those and it's just going to make a difference, right? Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Yeah. And I think that the thing is... But that's how you have to approach it, though.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Look, I understand if you get mad about like, okay, people are shitting on you for bad performance or whatever, you have a shit game and then everybody's like, you're a shit player and whatever. What?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I understand if that impacts you. But if it's something as stupid as that where you're like, it cannot possibly be serious. People cannot possibly mean it. And if they do mean it, they're just like, why would you even take that into account? So just getting it, I kind of agree with that part.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
It's unbelievable. I let shit like that get to me as well. Like when somebody said something super stupid on YouTube or whatever.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
See, that's the healthiest way to do it. That's how you're supposed to do it. I've been saying that for years. But usually it's never the stupid stuff that gets to me. It's never the egregiously mental things that get to me. It's always something that I kind of feel like... That has a little bit of truth to it. That has a little bit of truth to it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Whatever it is that just gets to you at some point. Or things that get to me is people being really stupid and just completely overlooking absolute... Things that are absolutely obvious. So that sort of thing. See, look how mean people are.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But that's one of those things. How can you let that get to you?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Why would you say that to me, man?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Are you using the fucking HLTV app? Yeah, dog. You're going to be one of the only people in the world who do that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I don't even, I'm not even sure if anybody's maintaining that.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I mean, that's, that's a very idealistic way to go.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
That's the thing. Most people forgot. Look, I don't actually know if we're doing anything about it. I don't think so.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But if you just use the site of the phone through a browser, you're going to get a good phone experience. I use desktop on the phone. Sometimes I do too because you just have to.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I think the app's great. Do we want to do any men's health? You're welcome.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You got a lot of bullying at the beginning. I guess you have something to say.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
But that's not $6 million.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
$2 million for a house with a garden.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Do you want like a Sydney penthouse too or some shit? What do you want?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
You did that one too?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
And that does the job. What are manicure scissors?
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Striker, what's up with your balls? I'm staying away from this conversation. Well, we do.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
All of the above.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I feel like that should have been the topic of today's mental health conversation. We already did it.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
I meant the fatherhood one.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Why don't you do one at the same time with both of us? Like hosting both.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Keep your balls neat and tidy.
Talking Counter
Episode 123: VRS deep dive, HLTV, IEM Katowice groups, reviewing new rosters
Especially this year after we've kind of had this sort of a movement. I mean, that's part of it as well. Also, Copenhagen weren't that great before that. And this was just kind of a continuation of the trend, right? So that's part of it. But also, I mean, we had Maciozo on the podcast, I don't know, two months ago, one month ago. or something like that.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I mean, I think you have really good players on that team. I think Malbz will be a really good player.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I think right now Malbz is, I feel like, putting too much pressure on himself to fill Nico's shoes. And he sees that he's not doing the same things... that Nico was doing in those roles, not in terms of output and fragging, but controlling things, right? But you can't like put that pressure on yourself.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I won't necessarily use the... It's more the harassed. The verbiage that was being used, right? And then I was like, excuse me? And you're right. And I had no idea about that whole conversation. But then Donna chimes in, right? And he's like, oh, yeah, yeah. It happens, you know, like in everything.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Just play the game like the way you're kind of used to playing it and let other things sort of slowly work out, right? You have Heavy God, who I think is a great also addition in that role. Yeah, I like Heavy God a lot. You have Hunter, who with a little bit more maybe freedom could find some of his groove back, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Then what you're missing is obviously going to end up missing Monessi, who's irreplaceable, same as Nico. That's why we talked, Chad, a year ago, how whatever you do, you keep these two guys, you know, somehow, but whatever. And then you need to find an au pair. I don't think, you know...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Probably, in case you bring Shu, Itoji would be awesome because they play together, but he's... Even for more money in terms of salary, I don't see him leaving Maus for G2, right? So then you would have to see at the time what your options are, what you could do, and sort of...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
consistent consistent performance i think i don't know i guess more consistency out of exertion but that's like he played great in kluge final right he played really well but he didn't play like that in this final you know and okay it's a tougher opponent in different circumstances but that's what you need to do if you want to win a tournament like this and and what they weren't in this game yeah exactly so they need to
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
figure out also for their players individually how to get them to have good output, more consistency. And listen, I'm not even talking about just stats. Like your stats are obviously always going to be worse if you play more eco rounds and you're playing from behind, right? Like they're always going to take a hit.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But even in some just when it is gun versus gun round and some rounds where you do have opportunities, I think Nuke T side is the best example of that. They had plenty of opportunities to probably even win that half. But round after round, round after round,
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And it was just like the most ridiculous conversation where it's like, no, it's these guys doing it to these...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
shit gets fucked up right there's some lapses in communication surely because that's the only thing that can explain how you lose some of these rounds you know and unfortunately from my experience there's also an element of fear factor going up against the team i mean i know even for let's say maybe the phase team in in 2019 um when you will go up against the stralas like it's just tough like they're just owning everyone and you know you have guys
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I have guys on my team who believe that they can win and that they're, you know, better than those players. But you just know they're very strong as a unit, right? And once things start or they win a round or two by doing their thing for Astralis, it was like they would block you at the perfect time. You know, that would cause you to lose the round.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
other ones and it's like wait what are we talking about like penguins and this was like the last five minutes of the drive and i'm like this is just crazy i can't believe like and it's a full shot like everyone's you know chiming in giving their thoughts but uh yeah it was maybe it was a long day yesterday i don't remember where did he uh yesterday was short yeah it wasn't that long yesterday was it no wait
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, you just see, like, the mood change a little. Like, your entries, your space takers, like Nico and Rain, like, are at 20 and 30 HP on Dust2 because they ate the nades at Cat, you know? And it sort of... It chips away at the mental of the players and your team, right? And that's just what great teams have going for them. For FaZe, it's winning the bullshit rounds. For...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
other teams it's you know it can always be different things but you're also battling the psychological not just the players on the server right i think i talked about it in maybe the the mongols vitality game where it's you know it's because you're playing vitality that you've made this move that's a little bit uncharacteristic for your you know because you're stressing you're thinking like they could be everywhere right yes
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Obviously, they don't have seven players on the map and they can't be three outside B and four outside A. But that's how you're tripping because you know they're good and you think they can't make a mistake and they know that you stack this bomb site, they're going to go to the other side when that's not the reality.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They're human too and they can make mistakes and they can fuck up and you can definitely shoot them as hard as they can shoot you. But getting over that glass ceiling a little bit can be tough.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Oh, my God, dude. Was that the round where Sphinx was like, after that, he just pushed.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
He was just like playing so slow. And in the end, he ended up saving in tunnels. But that's vitality, Sphinx.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
You know, that's why three years out, Sphinx is the Shiro of lurkers.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
It's one of my better ones.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
So even their map pool is a bit shallow. Yeah, yeah. Or maybe dust and inferno. Maybe their nuke isn't as... But they took nuke off vitality. Yeah. They did, and it was also a little bit of vitality. But Ancient and Mirage are probably two best maps. Then you'd probably say Anubis. But Dust2 has been pretty weak, although they did beat someone on Dust2.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
There's a massive comeback. They beat Knavi on Mirage. But I think that for them, for Eternal Fire, maybe a little bit...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I'll tell you that physically, you can make both. Well, I can't. Well, I can. Oh, there we go. But no, I think, you know, remember 2016, 2017 and the Brazilians, right? SK slash Luminosity. They would also play everything.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Like they had that approach that they would, okay, it was a little bit different that they would play some smaller tournaments sort of to warm up and to practice in an official capacity, right? And get those games under their belt without necessarily caring about whether they would end up winning the event or not. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Here it's a little bit different because these tournaments are big and they're important and they have a lot of prize money and the VRS aspect of it as well. But, you know, if you can put yourself into that mindset where, okay, we're playing these four tournaments in a row or three tournaments, but this is the main focus, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And these other two, I'm not saying they're taking it as practice, but it's like you're focusing a little bit more. You're trying to peek at this tournament, right? And... Maybe that's the way, because when you talk to players, they always say, you know, practice is like, okay, you practice, but it's not until the games that you really see what's working, what's not, what's not happening.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
So if anything, they'll have the biggest, the most data and the biggest sample size, you know, from any team. It's going to be something crazy once we get to the major, the amount of LAN officials they've played in this year.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But how many scenarios have those players then been in through all these different maps, retakes, situations, 4v3s, 3v4s, no nades, a lot of nades, no time, little time, right? Like now you're sort of a lot more exercised into what's going on.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They shouldn't have played Dallas, though. No, they shouldn't have. Right? Because you get extra week or more, and they'll have to go to US and then go back or potentially stay if a lot of teams are staying.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Like people did during China.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, but maybe stage two teams will also stay in the U.S. after Dallas. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, I think also because they played each other in Cat, you could see there's an eternal fire trope in that game. And Mongols against Maus at the Major and maybe a little bit in Cluj. But yeah, I think it's interesting. I would say that for...
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
my money Mongols play a little bit better CS potentially as a team like Eternal Fire sometimes maybe a little bit easier to read and to play against they like to group up potentially a little bit more but still yeah two of the teams that are
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
up and coming uh from you know not your usual suspects and usual names and also they get the benefit from the high seed right the Mongols especially in terms of their initial matchups and you know they don't need to play the best teams until the 2-0 game and until the the the playoffs uh even perhaps so that helps a lot and that's a problem for the Asian team, Team Liquid.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
because of all the travel, because they're the ones that are avoiding, or maybe, actually, I don't know. They're not going to be in Melbourne, I don't think. No, they're doing Dallas, I'm pretty sure.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
That's more than Vitality got from winning Pro League in prize money plus the club money.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
It is but it's right now a lot of teams share a spot because they have a lot will change a lot by the end of the year. But I mean, that's also a couple 100,000 for teams that are at the very top.
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
So it doesn't matter as much to the teams as the club reward does, which now both PGL and ESL have.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Who could realistically challenge Vitality though now? Now we can have the conversation. So is Spirit fucked? Because I don't think Spirit is fucked. See, what you said about Maus, I kind of felt that way a little bit about Spirit. It's not that I don't rate them. It's like I just have a hard time putting them as really the best.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And of course, they win the major and there's no taking anything away from them. And they have the best player in the world. But it seems like outside of that, that's the problem for me.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
like everything outside of donk is where the issues lie and and where you feel like the gaps are compared to the other teams but i don't even know the other teams just the vitality right specifically in this case i think spirit winning the major like did like a little amnesia magic trick where we all forgot how much they were struggling leading into the major like they did not look good for months leading into the major whatsoever
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They didn't go to Pro League first season, I don't think. I didn't think they qualified, though. That's why. Oh, yeah, okay. Did they play a second one? Pretty sure.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Well, yeah, because we did the skits. All the invites were done. We did the skits with Duncan Malton.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But they're skipping stuff now too. I mean, they won't be in Dallas, right? Yeah, they'll be in Melbourne. They won't be in Dallas. They're going to Astana. So, but here's also the thing. What you said, yes, I get it. But for Spirit, I don't think that's the case because of two things. They made four finals in a row, right? With Katowice. World finals, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
World finals, major, Bounty, Katowice, right? One, two out of the four. Then they skip Cluj. So they have a break where they can practice and reset. And they suffered from success a little bit. Let's put it that way. So after a break and you're coming back and you made four finals before that, you're not thinking like, oh, yeah, we're ramping up. You're already ramped up.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
really and you just needed to make some small tweaks teams have caught up with you right and you feel like you're going to be back in the saddle back going for me at the very least you shouldn't be losing to mouse kind of yeah you know but maybe mouse just feels maybe mouse is just not the best matchup for them i don't know so i think that's why for spirit honestly you bring kiosuke teams that make the change after elizabeth they should be one of them the kids obviously extremely talented but
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And I don't care who they bring him in for.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, like either of the two. And then you have people who say, but their roles and this and that. It's like, I don't care. First of all, if he's such a great player, he can adapt. Second of all, the other guy who remains on the team outside of Zontics or Magics can adapt themselves, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
In this era where everyone is talking about firepower and individual skill, you have a guy like that on your academy team, you promote him.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But you question whether it can even like sort of... At that, you know, I was going to say whether it even works with Donk on the team and such an aggressive rifler. But at that point, you're sort of just like... Fuck it. Like just see, you know, we have- How can I turn this down? We have so much skill right now that surely we can figure out a way to make it work.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, I think so. It was very sick.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
It is. Especially after Magus has 69 kills.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Also, Spirit won't be able to do that for much longer because you'll have some team from the outside just willing to take a chance on him, right? And buy him out.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
yeah or maybe even I don't know how his English is oh I think he said he has decent English yeah so maybe even an international team so that's also the thing for spirit right they need to take that into account and yeah now it becomes okay are we good enough to beat Vitality and sure you believe you are and I think that's why Lisbon will be huge for them, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And I can get behind it with you guys and say if they had a couple of guys really ill and, you know, at that point, also the vibe in the team is, you know, you're obviously not feeling 100% and the confidence is down and you're sort of writing off the tournament in a way, right? You're doing your best under the circumstances, but the circumstances are extenuating in a way.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But Vitality won't care that much about Lisbon, though. All of their eyes are now on an IEM and the major.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
yeah i mean i don't for me there's no doubt about it like it's just it's just consistency across a longer period of time they don't have to win everything yes exactly but consistently you know if navi was able to win for a little bit longer could have said it would have been a short one but also that's why i'm saying you know like we started talking about spirit so much because we're talking about who could potentially challenge vitality right
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, I was going to mention FaZe next.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
No, I don't think anyone can. That's my point. But I was going to bring up FaZe because we haven't seen them here. And they had like five days to just take off without playing and everything. But do we feel like they have what it takes?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Well, it felt like their setup was this weird thing where they moved Rain sort of to A door, but Elish doesn't really go outside as much as he goes secret, and then Rain gets to be a little bit outside as well, right? It's not all meta, really, is it? Yeah, exactly. They didn't go either way, really, with that.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But for me, it's more of a question, regardless of the position swaps and the role swaps and everything, do they have enough firepower to challenge Vitality? Can these players... Elysian Frozen can shoot.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
That's why Lisbon is big for them as well. They need to make a dent in that tournament because if you now look at it and say they've had three weeks since their last tournament to practice and get things in order, and then they show up and let's say they don't make the playoffs... So what do you need to happen then?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And then there's very little left outside of position changes if they haven't done them for Lisbon and the roster change.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I mean, it's again one of those things where, you know, also Vitality, they would lose the pistol in the second round, right? It happened both times on Inferno, happened once on Dust2, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
yeah i think the the problem is also you know nav had a poor tournament but it's also now nav now plays upper on on nuke right and he's always been a ram player that suits him better and he feels like he could do better there so you know how mad can you be when you force a guy to play out of position you know on one side of things and also i know on the other side jks does that on some other maps right like
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
has to play Cave on Ancient. And then it's also who has to be more aggressive at times. But sure, maybe you even have that agreement, but sometimes in practice it doesn't transpire that way. Players fall to their old habits and that's just the pace at which they...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
play the game so I agree that there's that issue but to me it's also more of the same in you know not playing enough default as CT right like on their Inferno some you know a lot of times starting with the first gun round you just play you just heavily gamble in the mid round instead of going for maybe some information plays and then if you're wrong you really can't even go for the retake and you just concede the round and sure you save the guns and
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, so for Maus, it's always like a bad start and not really being able to get going. Also, I mean, let's start with Dust2, just B site getting absolutely bullied. Yeah, Jimmy was 0-6. Jimmy was 0-6. Pinks wasn't doing much either. Like, you know, they would just both die. They wouldn't even get a single kill and the site would fall. So, and Zyvo was even, he was not having a good game.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
You can go into the next one and your economy is accumulating. Also, the rounds are accumulating for your opponent, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
In general, it's also a little bit deflating for the players players you know fighting for not to really fight for rounds that much and other thing that unfortunately that hasn't been too much improvement in is some of the mid-rounding they don't search out on the t on the t side right yeah on the t side of info
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
If they take some control, even if they have a man advantage, and then it's a little bit too simple sometimes in terms of the endings, maybe not sending a scout on one side or at least putting pressure on one side before going to the other, which potentially makes it easier for the CTs to make the correct gamble, right? Sure.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
All right, a bit controversial, right? I don't hate that, the peek from Kwon.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
There needs to be more to it.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But maybe he, I think he probably had the first spawn, so he just wanted to go for it. It's like an L4 against...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
pistols you know they're going to be on pistols and sure it could be a deagle and he could one dig you but you know just think of it maybe this way right if i don't know you're playing dust too and they're out long and you get and then now you're going to swing long for the fight i mean that's a good fight for the city at some point you have to take fights even though they're on pistols right i have no qualm with it but it wasn't together i watched it back
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I definitely agree with you that in that particular game, there were plenty of rounds that Liquid should have won that didn't. But that's exactly the difference between a team that's top three, you know, and contender status in a team that's not. Like, they will...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
almost every time lose rounds like that because of things that they are lacking, whether it's communication, whether it's protocols, whether it's just players who won't screw up by doing something without saying it or not doing something that they're told and things like that. So it's a long list of teams that could have, should have, would have that didn't.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
On Dust2, he was not having a good game, like for his standards, right? And they still made it.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
uh is it 3d max maybe yeah man those that kind of stuff makes me sad you know because they're not in positions to win the round but for me it's also look at the player look at their roster the only inexperienced guy on that team is ultimate right and he seems to be doing pretty fine
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
so why are you doing it why are you not letting guys like nav twists nerds jks sort of read the game and read the round unless i am reading the situation completely wrong and those players some of them are maybe incapable of playing that way but i don't get that sense Just do that and let them sort of figure it out.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I'm not saying... What also maybe people are unaware or don't understand is when you play default, it doesn't mean that everything that happens is random that you do or all your reactions are random. You still have reactions. You still have your banana retake, mid retake, this peak, that peak, this app setup, that mid setup, right? But it's just that...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
you let the round develop while you're able to gather more information. And as you gather information, then you make some of these calls, right? And not just decide because you had this read in freeze time, all right, we're going to do this four mid setup. Or in the mid round, we're going to rotate the third player B and just play passive B with three guys. It's like, why?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Okay, you're inviting them because if you don't do stuff on Banana, they're like, go for the B execute. Sure. But what if they have a correct read or they just had this call that they want to go A? You have two guys on A. Two guys cannot defend against five players. Unless they something fuck up. The best they can do is get three kills.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But then you still have a 3v2 retake on A, which is winnable for the Ts, right? And also asking the two A players to get three kills is a tall task. Sad.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
against a coordinated hit so that's why it's just i could understand it for a younger team more inexperienced team lesser team to play that way like heroic did in their time right because individually they didn't have as much firepower as the other team so hey they had to do that to even the odds for themselves but that shouldn't be the case for this liquid squad
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They had the issue that they've had last season, too, where they are unable to beat the top five teams.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I'd agree with that sentiment. Yeah, I want to get into that a little bit later. I want to wrap the final up first. A couple of interesting things as well. Mezzy was the highest rated player in the final for Vitality. Mezzy had the lowest amount of kills for Vitality with 42. The highest were Ropz and Apex with 45. Wow, so good team effort. Mentally, it's only three kills between them.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They can beat teams below them, but not teams above them. And sure, EF, but I'm thinking a little bit more. Vitality, Spirit, NAVI, even though they're struggling at the moment, FaZe potentially, right? Like all these teams that are...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
But look at it this way, right? You have a proven winner in twists. You have a proven winner in JKS with G2 and FaZe as a standard. You have a proven winner in NAF in terms of the Grand Slam with Liquid. You have nerds who feel like he's a winner too, you know, like plays like it. And you have ultimate who doesn't suck at the very least. He's young, he's gaining experience.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
He's had some very good games, had some inconsistency too. Like he can probably, it looks like he can also be a part of a winning team in that sense. So where's the problem? Exactly. Right? It's the role questions. Some of the intangibles and the organization and that stuff is like where they still have to figure it out because on paper the tools seem to be there. Could it be team culture?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Just tells you like it's been everyone, you know, having part in the win as well. But yeah, I don't know, just...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I think we've been going for a good amount. I guess I want to end it with kind of... We talked about who could... It's an hour, 10 minutes. An hour, 10. Not that bad. So could like... We talk about who potentially makes a roster change and whatnot. Does Na'Vi need to make one?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
it's so crazy when when you're watching them play and then there is a couple opportunities here and there for mouse but you know then obviously on dust two ones with that it goes out long that one round apex is sort of faking it like they're taking long and the rest team is outside b and mouse over rotates because all right they'll be hitting b all the time now they have a long spawn they want to take advantage of it they get into an empty bomb site it's sort of
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, but for me last year after Duncan Nico jail was the most impactful rifler. That's true.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
because he won them the major with some rounds uh some other tournaments i feel like he had a ton of impact too and then some of the other ones it was bit bit also including the major inferno against phase and whatnot right and they're probably close to each other in that regard it's just like where are they now yeah i guess that's the sort of a big question and then it is about whether it's
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They've just fell off in the hours or something, or is it maybe they change stuff about their game to keep it fresh and they're not used to it or something along those lines, right? That's what they have to figure out and fast because they're falling out of that contender conversation.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
It's not going to be too long. I want, first and foremost, the viewers out there to appreciate this taking place. You two guys have had a couple of long days.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
3, 2, 1.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
I know, but I'm kind of like, I'm just, you have, it could be either FaZe or G2 in the case they lose Modesty. But someone surely takes a swing at fucking S1mple. I mean, he's there, bro.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
jason is there jason thinks he's done i think he's done he's there you can give him a fucking season man you can give although the guy who was like four times number one player in the world or three times you can give him a season i think he's toast i gave him a season i think i i gave him a couple of tournaments but or one tournament but you know he's he's shown flashes what's also
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Bro, that Falcons team, give me a fucking break. Whoever you put on that lineup was going to suffer. It was doomed.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
He's also capable of...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
combat topping and he's in this category yeah in the situation where he just transcends the game you know and that's why i'm saying like i think people are i know he's gone through like stuff and you know the the mental and and whatnot and everything but if he says that he wants to play and he says that he's available to teams to pick him up i mean imagine telling someone two years ago like you could have simple on your lineup
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
they just ran circles, um, around.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
On a free transfer, you just have to negotiate the contract with him on salary. You could have motherfucking Sasha Kostylev on your team.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Is it soon? It should be soon, no? He's been on the bench for a year and a half.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And I think one detail about what you said about after the cutoff, the teams make changes there and use the two months to prepare for the major. I think... it's not just that, it's also you can beat other teams to the punch, right? Like Shui is on the market. Well, you can take him off the market, right?
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Because some team, there's probably plenty of teams that are being like, okay, let's wait for the major to end and then we'll see if we need to make any changes. Well, this way you preempt that and sort of get the guy already so you don't have to worry about competing with someone for him once the major is over.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
little bit under the weather at times would be much easier to just you know chill out take it easy get ready for the plane but thumbs up guys we're doing it we're doing we're doing it well you guys are really flat you can't yeah you can't talk about dash hall conversation and i probably can't talk about this one either from yesterday but i'm going to regardless it was maybe the strangest
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Yeah, what was that about? Everyone consoling him, sort of like, please. Wasn't it like repenting? Sorry, Doc, we couldn't help you.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
No, I feel you. I was going to say I want to feel that way too, but I just can't anymore. Because you can't deny some of the results. They've just been really consistent. And I think that's because of the...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
structure that they have and the work that they put in you know the coach with the different team game leaders and and the staff you know the assistant coach performance everyone right and so cyclone was actually talking about don't ask them about it in the interview and he was saying just the culture that we have you know and the players buy into that and i think that's really powerful and can take you
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
A long way, but not all the way, right? And I was saying, yeah, but it's close. The best team they beat is the Falcons, right? And now they beat Spirit. It's a big win. And they also beat G2, so you can't be like, okay, but I want you to beat Spirit in an arena. It's like, okay, yeah, sure, but not all tournaments have an arena, right? And these tournaments still count.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
So yes, there's definitely... That's what I said on the couch is...
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Was I fucking wrong about G2 at the start of the season, right? I said something along the lines of, I think they'll make most of the playoffs, but they won't win a single tournament. I mean, they did make playoffs here. They didn't in Kato, but their floor is nowhere near as high as I thought it was going to be with this team. They haven't installed the floor yet.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
They're still waiting for that to get shipped in.
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
conversation i've been a part of in a long time and it started by me asking harry harry if you could be an animal what would you be right and harry said penguins a penguin he wouldn't be multiple animals he would be one penguin i feel like that makes sense and then after a little bit he was like wait actually no fuck that aren't penguins the ones that get harassed uh by sea otters
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
possibly but that's the thing like having that part of his game that nico has that some other players have too that are you know secondary callers and second voices not every good player has that or necessarily develops that you know some guys are just really good in their role and he that guy can also be the yard player the rotation player and stuff without calling a
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Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
as much on the map but still do his job really well the leader can tell him hey i want you to play red pole this round or i want you to go yard control right so i think that's like something that mouse will obviously try to develop and want but you know whether he does that or not only time will tell you know even a player like nico it took him years too to get to that point you go back to so how do you compare it like is malbs now nico joining mouse or
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Or Nico joining FaZe, right? But because Nico joining Maus was just a bit of a turret, you know? Like, he was just mechanically insane and was just owning people. This part of reading the game a lot better and especially controlling other guys came, like, years later, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
Are you thinking this is an R. Gary situation?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
yeah i don't think it has to be um but maybe right like depending on what if you get shu and then maybe you go for ash because they have a relationship money from gamer legion yeah but you will get money if you sell monacy in the half of the season instead of waiting the full year and then he walks for free right i think for g2 that's the problem i think
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
you know, unlike last season, like, I can't really say with confidence that the G2 players believe that this team, you know, could become the best, right? I think they know that they can win, but a lot of things can have to go their way, right? But I think the confidence in the squad is lower than it was last season, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
And now you look at how Vitality is playing, and they've added Robs, like, that just becomes even more difficult, and all of that leads to, why would Montessi stay?
Talking Counter
Episode 128: Who can beat Vitality? Assessing G2, Liquid, Faze, Spirit, NaVi, Mongolz, EF
on this team right if he can go even to falcons and reunite with nico or maybe somewhere else although i don't see where else he could realistically go so if you're g2 just long term just get sure right so you know i i don't think i rated him as highly as other people but he's still a better option than snacks right like if anything he's much younger he has a lot to prove still and then
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yes, they have changed some of the rules a little bit.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's been like that for a while. But the more of the hits that you would have seen there would have been when two guys are going to contest, like, a loose ball. Okay, right, right, right. And then I think they had certain rules to do with, like, your head being down because that's where the problem is, right? Like, concussions and shit like that. So... Began paralyzed and shit. The boring stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Some of the other big hits, like, you would see... When people go for a mark, you know, it's called a screamer. If you're going off someone's shoulders, right? So the ball's coming in and he's run up and he's jumped off the other bloke's shoulders. Like some of those are crazy, mate.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think we're out going nuts, beef pie everywhere. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Two insults that I want you guys to take back and use in your day-to-day. So they're essentially the same thing, but either of these will stick. So it depends on the level of sting that you want to go at someone. You could say someone has a face like a drop pie.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I saw, um, we put out some of the stuff with the dispatch, uh, on the social media over the last couple of days and the trailers, I think played throughout the group stage, but it wasn't meant to properly. And then someone, like, sent me an Instagram, like, message request. And I was like, oh, so they're paying for the skits now? It's like, the whole thing is sponsored, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Face like a smashed crab.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Think about it. It's a fucking mess. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's good.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Mate, I hope they air some of the stuff we did yesterday, like today, because I think I had a banger line.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Well, you know, she's just so prevalent in the world of getting fucked, and that's what's been happening to us on Talking Counter for years now. Fair enough. There's a link there.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
That was the best one I've ever had. That was the banger? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was good. Yeah, but that's all right. We'll see.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's a lot of body acting. You can play it up a bit more tomorrow.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Well, there's accusations that the cash is rigged going around.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Probably today.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And Mindfreak. And Housebats. And Housebats. It's like a conglomerate of all the big Aussie teams. Let's move away from the cashless talk. We want the people to get... Jason will edit it. How many people have been listening to this fucking podcast anyway?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Should we talk about some Counter-Strike?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
yeah i suppose we should we can a little bit some of the news maybe to kick things off yeah bro actually is there any like hot and fresh climate on my phone this morning i woke up like half an hour ago look i'm surprised that we're even doing this because time is pretty limited i do like i needed to fit this in now because i have to go in and rehearse some stuff at 1 30 and then i need to go do some shopping and then i need to go into the venue
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Of course they're paying for the skits now. But maybe we'll talk about that after that happens and we'll get, like, Alex in or whatever because that was fun to do. That was a fun little thing. Hopefully we do another season and we bring different people in, bring Yanko in, bring Jason in, give Hugo some more lines, give you some more lines that'll be nice too.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And the problem I have at this event is because it's like my quote unquote home event. You know, you're kind of a bit more thin because you want to go network with everybody and see everybody that you know. And it's just like the days fucking fly by. Yesterday happened so quickly. Your quarterfinal was probably one of the best games that's happened in recent history.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
There was hope in the heart. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
The dream died. This is the one thing. This is more holistic to arena games of Counter-Strike or important games of Counter-Strike. You can't control the outcome. The G2 versus... Was it Maus?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
This is Lisbon.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
The G2 Maus game in Lisbon. Didn't work. It was dog shit. That was like a 13-3 and a 13-8. And it was just shit. Like nothing happened. It was G2's shit. Or was. Even worse now. Fucking terrible now. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But it's like, that's the thing with arena games. You can't control the outcome, but as a caster, that's where you want to be able to have a good game because it's the most fun because you get to be there and feel that emotion with the crowd. And when it's shit, it's just like, it's super deflating.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
My mom was laughing when I showed her the demo cut of the thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, well, here's the thing. Is that going to be, oh, that is in this first episode. So I don't know when this is going to air. I think episode one is out. It's not out yet. It's out today, I think.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And they both killed.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
or greater than the sum of their parts like but it would have been cool to see him in like a liquid or something where the team's more established just to see if he still hangs you know if he's still good if you're a liquid or somebody that type of a piece is a really good piece to have because then you're future proofing if it's someone who is proven within a game of legion roster to be able to find good players that you then he can make work even if you have one of your good pieces go somewhere else or retire or whatever or stop performing and you get rid of them he can find you the talent yeah right
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I agree with the sentiment of, well, how would it work with bigger personalities and style players? But Liquid felt like a no-brainer because it would have been reunited with Shui, right? They had the Game Allegiance success back in the major against, well, they didn't beat Vitality, but they made it to the final.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
and it's a team right now that's struggling, so he would have actually brought positive to the roster, right? It's not like they're at the top of the pops, and he joins, and it's like, yeah, I'm kind of liquid. It's like, no, they're a team who are on that cusp, and he could push them over. So I think that for Ash now... He's kind of like, well, he can coach for a long time.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
There's no reason he can't. Yeah, yeah. As long as he stays. So it's not the end of the world. It's just it felt like he was in the position where maybe Saul was, you know, a couple years ago. Yeah, right. To then leap into the bigger orgs. And now Game of Legion must be paying him a pretty penny. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I didn't see it on Reddit. Do you know one of the weird things? You guys probably experienced this too. And I think I obviously experienced it for the majority. You can put it on the table. No, bro, it's so good. I'm actually, I was trying to figure out how to get more of it out. I bought a whole packet of Zupadu.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I keep going to the Woolworths and going on like little shopping runs and being like, oh yeah, I remember living here.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, we know that.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
No, I'll have to pick some up before I take it. I got three packs in my fridge, man. I should have brought them up. You can do a whole lot more than that with two suitcases, man.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think, like, the Shui one dropping the ball there, it was either Liquid or G2 who had to get him, right? Yeah. And Liquid come out on top.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
ancient, this was before CS2. I think it was before CS2. Yeah, it was. They had that molly that landed top of the B ramp that they could actually scale past or whatever on the rush. So there were always some quirks there. And I think still maintaining that in your game is great. But he now has the scenario where he just has some of the sharpest tools in the whole game.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Okay, so... Oh my god, what the fuck? He's doing prop comedy now. Where would this have been?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So having that is a luxury because you hear Niko, it's like, oh yeah, play with Ilya, he just gets it. You're seeing that in the... the cross cuts on the way into the game yesterday, it's like, yeah, he's one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world. That's kind of what you get when you have one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So that's why he's most with that roster, though.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
has to happen well look if you look at mip in the dirt fanatic in the dirt astralis on their way to being in the dirt vertus pro kind of in the dirt like those four orgs i just named there over well the ones at least still in counter-strike because there's no luminosity sk anymore right you look back over the first five six years of cs maybe a few more, those are the big names.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And they've all been mismanaged to a point of now, they're not even in tier one conversation anymore. Like Astralis and VP are, but they're like, we'll let you play because you're there in the rankings, but really you don't play good Counter-Strike, right? They don't play in good CS. It's curious to see how far G2 fall.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Like what is, how far do they drop down before they start pulling themselves back up? And that's going to be like, this season for them is done. It sounded like from that interview that after this season is over, there's going to try and be a drastic reshuffling, but you have to keep three. You definitely keep Heavy God and Malbs. That's your starting point.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And then outside of that, where do you go?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think it's a situation right now where the failure of other teams is what G2 need to pounce on going into the playoffs. So how bad is FaZe going to be
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
come the major like what type of result are they going to get is carrigan poachable right because even though that age comment you had you'd still want to bring somebody like carrigan in and if you get him at a point where maybe you say okay look we'll get you know one maybe two years out of you and then if you want to transition into coaching you do that with us and you'll become our guy right
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Oh, is that because you're in the big boy class?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Like, that's the type of a gamble, or not gamble, that's the type of thing you'd want to be setting up, because that sets up the longevity of your organization there.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Oh, no, of course he will be.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
That seems like a bad idea. Glass and pool shouldn't really go together. No, never. Terrible idea.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It was barbecue. Yeah, okay. Yeah, that wasn't great for Paul Blue. We did tell that story, Jason did, I think. But do you guys notice when you wake up in the morning that there's been a whole news cycle since you've gone to bed and you're having to catch up on not just one thing, but seven or eight different things. It's like, holy shit. It's tough.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think the G2 conversation is one, but FaZe is the other. And the big one, we've spoken about this before, is them letting players go for free. And how they find themselves in a situation where they picked up a leash. So they took that, I don't want to call it a risk, but they took that gambit. And then it just, it's not cohesive. The team doesn't look together. It looks shit, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And I don't want to say I've been anti-phase since the addition, but I haven't been on board with what they've been putting out. Like I think earlier I was like, no, I think Frozen should definitely take over all of Ropz's roles. I think that they should let Rain like still try and play a lot of the positions he wants to alongside of Alige.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You can use those two, but they've clearly repurposed Rain to make room for Alige and allow Frozen to keep playing the positions he wants to. Not on all maps. Like for example, Frozen plays Ramp on Nuke. but whatever they're doing doesn't work. And Carrigan keeps taking like all these, these tweets after they bomb out of these events.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And he's like, you know, not going to stop me from working hard and this, that, and the other, like I'm paraphrasing, but it's like, bro, it's not on you. Like you're, well, maybe it is because if he's the, essentially the one who has the final say on what positions are being played, then maybe it is on him. But like, yeah, The constellation of the team, he can do all the prep work he wants.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
He can come up with all the strategies he wants. He can watch as many demos as he wants. The constellation of the team is the problem. It just doesn't work. And they will know that reason deep down inside than anybody watching will. They just need to be honest with themselves on what that problem is.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
No, exactly, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
This is the problem. You got to leapfrog off of that because Alige coming in replacing Ropz. Ropz wasn't a vibes guy either. No. Ropz is... Some days we get Ropz on a media day and he don't want to be there, which is fair enough. Like, I understand. Some days you get Ropz and, yeah, he's personable. He's a nice guy. He's good to talk to. You talk Counter-Strike with him. He loves that.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
He loves doing nerdy things. That's the thing Ropz likes.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
um but not like when you compare the personalities you're not looking at either of them to push the hype or push the excitement but what you're hoping they do is not drag yeah yeah yeah like don't add to the bad vibes so unfortunately for alige what happens in this conversation is it's not working so if you're not winning the vibes aren't high right because you're trying to yeah and
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's tough to keep... These days here felt like... I imagine... If I was going to put myself in the position of a fictional character being, what's his name? Killian Murphy from 28 Days Later when he woke up and nobody was there. That's what it feels like waking up every day and seeing Hooksy join Astralis or your kinder to Furia. And you go, is this real life or am I still asleep?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
because of his history with complexity and him having a bit of a resting bitch face and him getting a bit tilty, right? Those things now get attributed with, okay, well, is Alige like the toxic element of this and is he bringing other people down around him? I want to like think a bit broader than that because that seems pretty reductive. It could be, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But like I said, the team would only know. Like Reign would know if Alige sighs after a thing how much it pisses him off. Like only Brokey would know how much those things get to him. But when you look at it, there's a lot of criticism around Brokey and his performances falling, right, drastically.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But you have to not just point at Brokey in the sense that, okay, what you were getting from him before in FaZe when it was the FaZe that we all know and love, it's a different team now. They can't win...
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So you get an extra bag.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
by chaos right that's not their way it's not crazy moments anymore it's not the unbreakable mentality so that means that brokey has to become a different type of player a different type of orpa is that possible becomes the question well so far he hasn't been able to do that is that because they're still trying to be what they were and they're not transitioning into what they need to be which is a different thing like they need to become a different thing it's not that team anymore
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
When you look at the history over the last two majors, they were in both major grand finals. Sure, they didn't win them, but they were in both of them. And it's going to feel like it's going to be a massive drop off from that. Like phase, not, I don't want to say they're self run, but it's more intimately run, right? Eddie. And it's not like the, the people in the org, they watch, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Like Tico and stuff. They, they like watching, they support their boys, but they, They're not running like an album that we just had on from a YouTube perspective, right? I agree that they should change something, but I don't want to sit here and do the hot takes and try and pin a guy to the wall and the most wanted poster and be like, this guy has to go.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Because what the problem is for the team is one that I can't identify from the outside looking in. I just know that they can't be the thing that they were if the team is the way it is now. That version of FaZe has to sail and they have to try and be something else.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's just sad because walking around Melbourne, every time me and Alex were doing some stuff for Victoria for the tourism thing, and we had some Counter-Strike fans come up and they were like, oh, we're going to be there on the weekend. And we're like, oh, who do you want to see in the arena? And all of them said FaZe. Everybody said FaZe. Nobody said fucking FlyQuest.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Am I still dreaming?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
FaZe died for this. FaZe would have given a better quarter even with these problems, but that's just because they have the players who know how to play. So it's no poo-poo to fucking GamerLegion. They're still early in getting that experience. And they will be, if they get more of those reps, a good team.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But yeah, it's been fun down here. Everyone seems to be having a good time. I was telling people that this would be more like a traditional city that people are used to in Europe. But now that I'm exploring it a bit more myself, it's got a whole lot more to it than I remember. I used to come back here when I was a teenager and we would play national events in Melbourne.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
We just have too many teams at the moment who are good enough to get to playoffs, but aren't good enough to play in playoffs. Exactly. Aurora The Mongols. Game of Legion. They're like good. They play good Counter-Strike. They have good players. They just aren't good on stages and that takes reps and that's fucking hard to learn.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Cause it's like all of them were yesterday unlocks them. I think it's better than the, Eternal Fire win in Kato because both of those teams were limp dicks on stages, right? Both of those teams are very limited to no experience in that type of environment. So somebody had to win.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It was a 9-10 carry performance that got them across on Inferno. 9-10 was fucking lights out.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So I'd have to fly over from Perth. It's about three and a half, four hours. But I just walk the main streets. And where we are right now, this is fucking sick. We're in such a good spot, such a nice view. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
When they...
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
If Mouth don't make the final, this will be the first event they play where they don't make the grand final. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? That is mad. Yeah, that's fucking crazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's close. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The only loss Vitality had this year was at the... Turn of Fire, yeah. They lost to EF, right? And that's... So, like, yeah, I like the analogy of Astralis-Liquid 2019. I think, you know, I want to try and look to Nuggets for the other teams of how it could be competitive. Like, for the Mongols... They played FaZe for the first time ever, which is crazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
That is insane. And they beat them, which would be a massive confidence booster because for a team like the Mongols, as you're coming up, you're looking at other skill-based teams. They base their game off of skill. So FaZe, that's a big scout for them. The Liquid one was back and forth. Senzu's still having a tough time.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
He was better on Ancient, not great, and I don't even think they were necessarily super sharp. The kills that he was getting, but they were still important kills.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You know the mentality there though. It's just a full ego swing.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
like hopefully that win means a lot to them because they had the full crowd support I see people on Reddit like oh my god that's so disrespectful that they were mean to Liquid it's like oh did you like that they just kicked Justin yeah yeah yeah this is the thing when I'm casting that game there's people at home listening to every word I'm saying. This is why I can't win, mate.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Stuck in the dryer. I said this on HLTV confirmed, right? And people are like, lol, bro's excited over a washing machine. And I'm like, dude, you guys don't get it. Normally, you don't have any amenities whatsoever and you have to wait for the hotel and then they lose shit or it's delayed.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Whenever there's an Australian in the server, if I'm overcritical because I'm Australian and I understand that if I am even the slightest bit nice or optimistic about what they're doing, the European and everybody, other viewers are going to be like, he's biased.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
If I go the other way, then I get like, I get accused of having like tall poppy syndrome in Australia, which is like, you know, other, cause I used to be a player and these guys are doing good and I'm trying to cut them down. It's like, I can't fucking win. So it was like with that game last night, I did my best just to, to stay out of the nonsense. See,
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
and you know like yanko's getting a go out there and bat for nico so like this is easier too but yeah it's like out there and the crowd was obviously like i think there's a difference between a hostile crowd and one who is just like giving you a hard time and the aussie crowd just giving them a hard time and i think actually if anything it helped liquid like it it made them be like all right well fuck these guys right like
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
let's prove especially for the other four not sure he's not invested in that choice he's just happy to be there yeah let's show that this is the right choice that we made the only choice they could have made
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Twist played really well. We've got a couple of them now. You can see him unlocked in the rifling positions, right? Able to get multi-killed and take away the burden of having to worry about all the micro and everything there. So I think that's really strong. And this is only the second event for the new Liquid roster.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So the fact that they've looked better as a team overall, there's still some problems. Janko, over to you with the problems.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I'll be critical, remember?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Well, that's fine.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And no spirit here to beat them this time.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Just to be able to feel like you're living a normal day, which to other people is their normal day, but to us it's only when we're at home. And I've only been back in Malta for seven days this year. What the fuck? Yeah, well, because I did the stint. Since the season started? Yeah, because I did the stint in Australia, right? That's crazy, bro. I flew out to the award show. Then I went back.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Are you allowed to take that many liquids?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's just weird. Let's just recap the timeline. They win the major by... losing more rounds than they won. So that shows that they got past with team counter-strike eking out games. And that's not as used as a negative, that's a positive, right? The fact that you're still able to win the most important event in that fashion is huge.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And then you fast forward, they had that lull, but then they came back. And when they came back, it's where players found their confidence. So you'd have a massive JL tournament, you'd have a massive BIT tournament, Wonderful would have a tournament. IMA started to play well in those positions.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I was like, okay, so now we have individuals who can single-handedly turn games on their head in key moments while they're still playing the same baseline of team Counter-Strike. So that kind of, you know, bailed them out of situations or not bailed them out because games of Counter-Strike are won or lost by players doing insane things.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And then Na'Vi had players doing that, which helped them get to, you know, more finals and a couple of trophy wins, this, that, and the other. But then since the late stages of last year, it's kind of in the mud. So, are they not happy with each other? Is the confidence there not of the individuals? Well, the individuals definitely aren't having those pop-off moments anymore.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Is that because other teams have gotten better? But could that even be said? Because so many teams made roster changes this year. There's only a couple who made roster changes and are looking good, and that would be Vitality, Mouz, Spirit didn't make any changes. Outside of that, everybody else is floundering a bit, right? So... Na'Vi struggling in this environment, it's hard to quantify.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And it's hard to even think about what the solution should be because when they came together initially, everyone was like, these guys are shit. They're never going to do anything. And then they won a major, they were team of the year, and now they're, well, not doing anything again.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
They would be so tempted to go to join Ilya. Yeah. And so, I think... They'd be trying to build the team now.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Alexei, you have to keep Alexei.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, and then went straight to Caddo. And then the Caddo was into that really long run.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It feels like from what we're saying here that they're just playing to what Na'Vi are playing, and they exceeded their potential previously. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Lisbon. And then London for DHL. Yeah. Bloody hell. Yeah, it was mad. But it was awesome. Like, that's what, this is what the California... Cha-ching! It's what the California World was meant to be like before the pandemic. Like, that's what we were doing back in, like, the 2017, 18, 19. That's why me and Henry moved to Malta.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But you said before you didn't think that they should make a change before the major. No, actually, that's not what you said.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You said FaZe should, and then you said we'll get to Na'Vi.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
After the player break. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or after the major, I mean. Now it seems tough. No, no.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
They have the academy roster that's doing well.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Probably not.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
If you want to win a top-tier chemistry, everyone needs to be at 100%, not 80%. This is the problem. That's why I see you need a refresher. And what tends to be refreshers for teams in modern CS is a player change because that reverts everybody back to the baseline of putting out their highest. Unless it's a bad roster change, and then you get Nexa.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But if it's a good roster change and it sparks confidence, that's the other thing. Confidence is key. So if you get a good win, if you win a game against... Let's say they beat Vitality in the game. It's a confidence-building win and one that will bring the belief back into the team. But outside of results or a player change, I don't know how you do that.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Maybe we try doing some Mike Tyson hypnotizing stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You want to win the round, Harry?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Even when I was playing, you'd have multiple variations.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Right? So, like, and a default... I think the thing in modern CS now is that the reaction to utility sets that are coming your way on certain maps is a very key tell for teams on how to react, right? But, like...
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
if you look at vitality i've had some like really corny casting lines where it's like you know the v it's for variety right because the way it's good the way that uh the way that they like go into a lot of these rounds it's not always just going to be default and you know from game to game they'll change it sometimes it'll be really like pouncy and team-based early and then in the next map they might
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
cs nerds that love nothing more than a sit around thinking of things to do well they all but it feels like i think what you pointed out there with you know the downtime as well they have a really good balance i've spoken with with jack he's the the mental coach for them the aussie bloke rugby player um so you know i've had a couple of times we've sat we've had you know lengthier conversations and i remember as well going back to shanghai major last year
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And, you know, me and Alex and Connor and Mohan, we rock up late. They'd all been there for what had been forever because of the RMR. Yeah, yeah. For a month. And I remember and I go down, I'm like, how are you guys finding China? And they're like, oh, we love it here. And I'm like, no, like, you know, how are you enjoying it? And they were like, no, we love it here.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And I'm like, what is this bit we're doing? And they're like, well, no, like, because we've been here for so long. We're just trying to positively reinforce this thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Even little things like that, even though it seems silly, but if it starts that one guy fucking flames his bitch about something one day and then that leaks into the next guy and the next guy and the next guy and it can infect the team. They have everything covered
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
like obviously we don't know the intimate details of things inside the server but the the new addition of rops has obviously changed whatever the tainted mood was before with sphinx whatever reason that is it doesn't even really matter but that's changed they've got some of the best counter-strike players in the world in the server of zywOo and then rops then you said on the cast of the day if your third best player is flamesy you're in a pretty good spot yeah yeah and then mezzy who goes under the radar so they have like this really in every in every position they had people who were stars even mezzy was a star mezzy
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, I mean, Mizzy did everything other than orping. And he was meant to be like this massive fragger, and he plays these positions that are unsung hero positions, but he does a lot to support the team and that type of work and can know on the other side of the server while everyone else is what his job has to be. But you've got the... the mental down or what's the word? It's not community.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's a culture. The culture in the team is, is key. They have a really good network there with all of that. You know, the amount of times I would see Jack and apex in the gym and when they used to have Matthew there as well, before Amy took over as the manager all the time, he'd be in there and they'd be doing these workouts. And you know, there's a, there's a really good vibe there.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Then apex as well. I think Alex was talking to him after EPL. Maybe it was you. I forget who said, but someone was like, yeah. And apex is making sure that he doesn't take any of this for granted. Like he's, Living in the now and understanding what he gets to do and how this is awesome and whatnot. And he's had that career shift.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think the fact that the career shift is still a bit of a conversation away from hyper ADHD kid. entry fragger into in-game leader, that's so far gone now. It's great in the retrospect and looking at it, but he's been doing this role for a significant period of time now and has brought himself into the conversation of in-game leading greats within the game.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Also part because of that, but you're looking at the accomplishments that they're getting. If they win the Grand Slam here... Their team of the season, without a doubt. Obviously, they are the favorites going into the major. Whether or not they win the major, that's the highest pressure event. Falcons could be peaking by that point. Anything could happen.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But they've had such a dominant part of the season. And in the new world order of Counter-Strike with the VRS, their blueprint of how it's worked out has been perfect. Now, it wouldn't have been perfect if they were losing tournaments and dropping down the VRS and they had to go to some other ones to get points to stay in the top six teams for the fucking stage three. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But every choice they've made with event, they've gone in, they've been focused, that every time they prep for the match, they've been ready to go. They've converted the tournament into victories. And right now, there's no reason that this one can't be the same. Semi-final against the same team. You've had both ESL events, Katowice and EPL. You play Mongols again.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And then maybe, just maybe, you play Maus for another grand final. Your confidence going into that is going to be through the fucking roof. Like, they are set right now to have this locked and win a million dollars.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It was from OG.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Someone commented that somewhere, didn't they?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, they got ZywOo before ZywOo was ZywOo.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You did the phase one. And before that was the Na'vi one. Yeah, I didn't do that. I think Na'vi was like season 14 or something like that. That might have been no crowd at all. That might have been just as we were coming out of the pandy. I'm not sure exactly how that one unfolded.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
This would be sick. This is, as far as I understand, in terms of attendance, bums in seats... For any given day, this is the third highest as far as ESL events go. Cologne's number one. Rio, which would have been the major, would be number two. And then Melbourne. Yeah. Which is ahead of Katowice, which is crazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Twice a year. I'll shoot for twice a year. In a market like this, you should come once every two. I think the same with Brazil. You should come once every two. You definitely shouldn't go every year. We went three times within the space of what felt like fucking six months. I know it was a year. It still felt like it was so fucking bad.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Oh, yeah? Yeah. I'm trying multiple times a day. It's getting a bit old. In between the butthole sunning, bro. I'm trying to get that energy back. Gentlemen, I have to go rehearse some stuff shortly. It's 10 to 1 right now. I would like to, if I could, just quickly have a shower before I leave. That's fine.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Not paper bag, yeah. Anything else we want to get out there for the people?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I spoke to him about it. He seemed like a nice guy.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
He needs to wait, though, Janko, to see if Astralis get bought because there's a high chance that Astralis go under or disappear.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, I think there's a few options. Danish Counter-Strike does have a lot of talent. They're just in the wrong places.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It is the rhythm of the night. Now, Harry and I have an announcement. I don't know how official we can go on the record. We're adopting. You need to send Mrs. Spock information that she requires from you.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You can do that.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I have seen the logo. Yeah. I don't know if we should be announcing any key details, but we will be playing you, me, and Hugo alongside of two other people. And look, we're going for the win, Janko. As you should. We're not here to fuck around, but we might need a sub for Hugo if we do make the playoffs. So if you're available...
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Hugo doesn't put his personal life out there. I won't say what he's doing. It's for a good reason.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Okay. We'll send an official letter in the mail.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Lifting trophies, yeah. Sounds good. All right, so, yeah, we're going to do a warm-up tomorrow. No hard feelings after that. I can't have you carrying it through to the matches that we're going to play next week, Harry. I need you locked in.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not close, but it's not far, right? So, yeah, I think, like, it'll be every 10 years, I imagine, that we'll have a major in the time zone like this because it is really tough for the viewers, right? That's the one thing that... I understand because the Europeans, the Americans are used to a completely different time zone.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Don't worry about him. I'm locked in. We were talking about Lily Phillips. That's a Bonnie Blue type situation right there. That's the Lily Phillips spinoff.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I think for Europe, the playoff weekend is actually pretty good. The first game starts at 9 a.m. Sure, maybe that's a bit early for game of time, but the next game starts at midday. 9 a.m.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
And then you tune into the game.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's like, it's a different cycle for people to be used to, but it's also cool because I think there's like our demographic of viewers who play and then there's our demographic of viewers who watch, right? And if you're a parent in Europe and you're like, you know, in your thirties or whatever, do you ever to watch in the middle of the day as opposed to having to stay up until fucking midnight?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You don't want to stay up to midnight as a parent. You want to get to sleep. You're like a three-year-old. You're like, I need to fucking sleep, man. Yeah, you too, get it?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
I thought you were doing that yoni. That's the vagine. What's the thing when they sun the anus? I don't know this reference.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've just been watching anime. I don't know who these guys are. I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. It just shows that the cultural zeitgeist that Harry finds himself in is completely different to mine.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Sunning the anus, also known as... Perineum? Sunning or butthole sunning. Perineum is the area in between. Is a controversial wellness practice that involves exposing the perineum, the areas between the genitals and the anus to sunlight.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Proponents claim various benefits, including improved libido, energy, and sleep. But there's no scientific evidence to supporting these claims.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Oh, you did. You won and done.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
True. You got it past the key point.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's crazy.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You're not going to sign your butthole?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You're not excited about it?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
She comes up to the green room yesterday and she's like, yes, I was on a plane listening to Talking Canada thinking that I could catch up on what's going on in the scene and you're talking about your hemorrhoids and I'm like, well... It's a men's health podcast as well, you know. We're not just Counter-Strike around here. We want to think about all the problems in the world.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, you do never know what you're going to get. We've come to talk about your latest and greatest health ailment. What would you like to share with the world?
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
If you were talking about, like, Fitz and Swagger Souls and those guys, I remember them from a couple years ago because Henry was talking about them. They used to do, like, the Misfits podcast, but that was a long time ago.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
That would fumigate like 40 floors.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Okay, having your blood sucked.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
We were staying in... I asked like I know Melbourne. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, okay.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
We went to a football game the other night, right? Oh, St.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, yeah. You're a big fan. Bron was back on an Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday. You couldn't believe it.
Talking Counter
Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
So here's the thing. I'm not a football guy. I grew up... My dad is British and he played soccer. So I played soccer. It was either that or dancing. So I went with soccer.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
No, they gave me a choice as a kid. They're like, do you want to... Looking back on it, I wish I did dance. I could have been in, you know, as growing up.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
You're just passing the time, bro. That's true. I was like a left back or something as well. So you're like- The most useless position. Just put this guy somewhere where he can do the least amount of damage. But I never, like, I would get my grandparents and my uncles and stuff would watch football. They were more of the football side and my mum's side. And I'd, you know, watch games and stuff.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
But I wouldn't say that I had, like, a great grasp of the rules. Like, I didn't understand them intimately because I never played. So we're there and these guys are like, oh, so why are there four posts? And that I can explain. And I'm like, why do they bounce the ball? I'm like, I think every 15 metres you have to either bounce or dispose the ball.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Yeah, I don't know. That I don't know.
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
It's up to the umpire's discretion, right?
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Episode 132: ft. JustHarryGG, IEM Melbourne, G2/Falcons/m0nesy triumvirate of engagement
Is that Yanko's friend, The Observer? Yeah. Yeah, I was like, wait, what's happening here?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah. Yeah.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah. I don't know.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I'm wearing them right now. I'm too old school. In reality, it's like it's a red carpet event. So should wear a tux. I don't have a tux. I know, but I was going to say we are esports. So just getting gamers to wear a jacket, I guess, and a shirt and a clean shirt that is a success in its own right. So probably a bit too tall of a task to touch that. But yeah.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I had one last year. I'll have something similar this year. Okay.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
That's what I was talking about. Exactly. Yeah. Maybe I'll go get some tomorrow. Yeah. You can do that. There's a mall across the road. Yeah. It was fun last year. I'm looking forward to it this year as well. You know. It's good to have everyone. Honestly, there's so many people from the industry. I was surprised even last year.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Now you're going to have even more people because they saw what a resounding success it was. And there's like... All the tournament organizers are sending people or having people come here, teams, agents. I saw that guy, Geron, tweet like, oh yeah, just going into the paddle tournament and finishing negotiations on a couple of deals probably as well.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Some transfers might happen here in Belgrade, might get closed. It's cool.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah. But just before that, because you mentioned GetRite, I saw this the other day. Is that because Rez is not on NIP anymore? Moment of silence. He spent more time on the roster than Get Right or Forrest. Yeah, which is crazy. Get Right is a first ballot Hall of Famer. That's how long this dude's been on NIP. He survived thick and thin.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I was laughing because I was doing... I can't wait for him to pop off now in Game of Legends. He's going to be great in Game of Legends.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Right, Jason?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
That's weird. Yeah, okay. All good. That's fine. We'll get out of it. I think the whole Vitality thing, and you guys mentioned this at the time, or someone did, was Spinks, you know, obviously officially now benched or whatever. and him tweeting out and saying, yeah, I felt it was time to move on. Just you willingly... Leaving ZywOo. Leaving ZywOo.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Leaving the team which has ZywOo on it tells you how deep the problems must have been for him with other guys on that team or just with the way the team was ran that you're going to be like, yeah, the best player in the world, arguably, or the last couple of years, I want to go somewhere else. That's just wild. It's crazy to think about.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, we were speculating about like whether maybe he'll go to Liquid for JKS and then they still have the... Yeah, the thing with that... Because of the nationality, but...
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
yeah some people do it some people just i also man like people again we have this dude on discord bob bobinski i don't know right i mean it's the same one it's the same on reddit and i he has the same username what's up he always brings up like just stay listening he hates my take on shiro that you know okay oh he's not a top five player in the world and all that stuff
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
And then he keeps making arguments for it. And one of them was like, it's always like rating. I rated this number one. I'm like, as much as you use stats, because he was like, that was a big one. Oh, why is he only six, right? Was he six? He was six, Jay was five, and Nico before. And then it's like on HLTV, on the page, like on the announcement, right?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
They put number one, 66% or 63% opening rating. Success rate number one, right? But how many times does he even go for it? But that's so misleading because all Shiro's entries are going to be holding like a defensive position. And then if someone is like aggressively pushing or gets overly aggressive, he's just going to like hit the easy shot, which I'm not saying is like... not valuable, right?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
But it's a little bit misleading when you put it better. Oh, this guy's great at opening. It's like, no. He's good at punishing people who overextend.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Chad, we all know that you talked to them beforehand. You knew the train was coming out and then you were just being cheeky and just... So now that you can make this little... Have this little... have this little charade where you're going to be like, yeah, I feel like I had an influence. We know you get to green light all the updates.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We'll just keep an eye on Chad's Twitter and we'll know what they said.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, I think the problem is... I just fucking hate where it's equal. So I don't care the state in which train is to some extent. But... I really would be shocked if it doesn't get updated a couple of times before we get to the major because the map is a little bit flawed. Like some things just feel weird. Like, you know, Ivy and Yard like should be a little bit more, you know, all the angles.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Should be more involved with each other. Old Bomb and all of that stuff. It's like too closed off. It feels real claustrophobic. It's like, yeah, it's easier now to sort of be split through CT spawn and go. But like that was such a, you know, that's like,
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
the structure of the map, if you change it, or some of those things that you've changed, isn't gonna make that strategy much more viable because there's such a long trip and it's like,
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
it's a whole completely different conversation the other one is pop dog because it just feels weird for you to have to go around you know like almost make a u-turn like if there was a way to get there from t holes and make the fight a little bit different like i i could maybe get behind it but this is just just the path you need to take as t just feels i wish there was almost like a stairwell that cut that path in half like the length of it but i look so i don't i
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Also, fuck Vertigo. Finally out. Wasn't played one time in the playoffs of the major and only played... three times in the elimination stage?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, at least with Train, you're getting... Yeah, and also Train is not like the old Train, so it would make more sense.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. I think... it's fine like i think it's fine that they realize okay we're doing this thing but you can't go from zero to a hundred immediately and also they just picked the three big to like pgl blasting esl who've been doing this for a long time and you know they're not some like
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
scammers or anything and that they did have events especially Blast and ESL before that were promising some stuff like qualification for future tournaments and that you know honoring that doesn't hurt anyone just I feel like that's why we said a couple of times you know this year is a little bit of a transition period and
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
You can see that for Valve, it will be important to smooth some of these things out in the way VRS works. And there's, you know, not to go into the whole Imperial discussion, Imperial female team discussion again. They're going to be in Katowice as well, which is an even bigger one. But, you know, that's the growing pain of changing to VRS.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
You're ranking and changing to this, like, completely different circuit. You want to have the remnants from 2024, which didn't have it, and how people were gathering points. I mean, I was also surprised, like, how is Astralis, like, getting in? What the fuck did they do that they still have points, right? And I went to the GitHub thing and saw the… It's frozen again. We're back?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We've changed the USB-C port. Continue. So I was looking at events, and I saw almost all of their points come from the two wins against Maus and Avi at World Finals. In the studio setting, right? And that's what has kept them alive. They've lost all points to all these other teams. And there was a couple of wins there against Eternal Fire.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I think, but maybe even one of them was the best to one, like in Rio. Yeah, it was, if I remember correctly. So, you know, that felt weird, like that you would stay in the red because of like two, yes, two teams that were ranked very highly at the time. But still, that was just strange. Yeah.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We're still a 40 hour travel. We also had that dude waiting for you in Malaysia when you got off.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We did talk about Nerds to Liquid.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We talked about Nerds to Liquid. I think Heroic is interesting because of what we just saw today when they made it official that Nilo is on the bench. There's another player. I mean, not on the bench. He's a substitute. And Madden. Madden is there, who was with Saw on end. So that's probably Saw wanting to bring him in. There's this dude who, what's his nickname? TN1R?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, I don't know. Or maybe it's just because Heroic got... The invite to Blast Bounty. Katowice is... Yeah, they are in Blast Bounty.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Katowice play in Pro League. Yeah. I don't know about... Cluj is 16 teams, right? So they won't be there if it's 16 teams. PGL. I don't think so.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, but if it's... Because they just got the last spot and only because... Like the 24th team is actually FURIA female. But they have the men's team and they can't have two teams. Which is so crazy. So someone could have bought...
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
like, bought out the team, or Furyk would have sold the team to someone, they would have played, like, for a different org, that's not, like, that's a crazy thing, never mind, but, yeah, so they'll get all these slots for Heroic, which is important, obviously, and maybe they're just going to, like, replace, unfortunately, some of these Sangle guys, like, one by one, you know, get Madden in there for someone, get Nyla in there for someone else, and that's, like, how the Heroic roster is going to look two months, three months down the line.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Fuck those Tangle guys, Jason.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I hate everything about it. That's how it is. We're back in 2001. Why?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We had the same problem when we had the playoff teams from the major going straight to the next major. And then teams who were falling apart couldn't change enough because they had to keep the core of the team. They want to change three players, but they can't. They can only change two. So it's constantly like this problem where they have to play out the whole season with a roster.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
no but if they lose the core still they have the problem no i think that like they're probably less i i don't know exactly but i would assume that after a couple of tournaments then they can like get rid of one of the guys yeah but that's also shit that's shit like that that's that's the heroic and falcon situation right now i feel like i don't know how it would be like if you just let
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
keep their points, right? That's like ESL's world rankings. And then you have, okay, we lose Spinks, but if you get a player who's been on a good team, we'll get his share of the points and then we'll be up there, right? Like, we don't need to get a whole... You don't start from zero.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I can get, like, if I'm Falcons, let's say, I can get two guys from FaZe, one guy from Vitality, one from Liquid, and one from... Sure, and with their points accumulated. And when their points combine... Because I have good players, you know, I'm still... Because it would be crazy if you had, like, let's say, Nico, Monacy, Jimmy, Magisk. And whoever is a fifth.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
And there's no core there. And now this team is like outside the 32 for blast bounty. Yeah. Like no matter that they haven't played a single game yet, that team is not going to be, you know, like that. And you don't want to have those sort of scenarios. You don't want to have guys being ditched after two months, middle of the season.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
And, you know, you also wonder what are the conditions that these guys are signing in for? I mean, Dexter was about to be benched on Heroic and now he went to Falcons with that core playing with two of the same guys. Like, you know, why would Falcons want him if he was going to be benched by Heroic? Right. But it's just like sort of.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, it's just dead weight that you bring along to get these invites. And now you're seeing teams... We're actually... This is so fucked, Chad. I'm actually fucking... I'm hating it. I'm hating it so much. Here we go. Because we finally got there with the majors. They're at the end of the season, right? And the changes happen after it.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
And we don't have that teams coming into it or definitely not on as big of a scale. We don't have events that don't really matter after the major that we have to... play and watch and talk about, right? But now we have this rule where we actually, at the start of the season, we have rosters, we have the undead show up, right?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We have fucking corpses coming out of the ground, forming teams that are going to, you know, change after two months.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
So now the events at the very beginning of the year that we would talk about and say, yeah, all right, everyone's fresh. They made their changes. They're feeling good. Now it's going to be like, right, well... You know, we'll see how long... Yeah, that's speculation, right?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
That's going to be top priority for Valve to figure out. If that's what starts happening two months into the start of the season, they have to address that for the middle of the year. So to protect the players. Yes. But also, players are adults.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
But players are making adult decisions, right? They're making choices. No, no, no, no, no. Fuck that. It's a bad environment to be in. It's not a healthy environment to do business in and make decisions in. Yes, they're making those decisions... Which are sort of best for them, but it shouldn't be that way where that's the best decision that they have in front of them.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
You shouldn't have to play with a guy who wants to bench and that to make the most sense for you. Because then someone's going to say, oh yeah, but they could have refused to be sold or refused to play for this team. what, sit out the season?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
No, but for Heroic, it made sense, because Falcons probably paid through the nose, and they did the calculations, saw that they could still get some invites with this other core, and probably saw, and the Heroic management have sort of a longer-term plan than... That's why they have two guys on the bench, and they understand that they have a significant budget now to work with.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Not necessarily they're going to spend everything they earned on players, but they have a little bit more than they had in some of the seasons prior. You can come up with a plan that makes sense with some young talent, some dudes who are very efficient in their roles, and then also adding maybe a superstar player or some firepower to really make it all work together nicely.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Also, you saw this thing where Cadian did this interview. Yeah, that Stan and Yabby didn't know that he was going to Astralis. And Astralis just brought him without talking. They signed him without talking to Stan and Yabby at all. Which is funny too. They signed him and then they sort of, they're like, hey, he's on the team, figure it out.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
To be honest, it was probably a good move by Astralis.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
yeah because it's probably the best way to do it because you're like hey he's here yeah and now you have to figure it out because if you ask them they'll say no and they'll be like enlist all the reasons and you could never convince them in the to agree on it right but if you just do it i like it better to ask for forgiveness forgiveness than for permission yeah that's what i've been saying for years i've now not that
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Not a rule to be followed, though, at after parties. No, no, no, no.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I also think for Snappy, he's going to be like on a sort of a...
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
redemption yeah and then a little bit of like vengeance yeah too in a sense of like his name i think the first thing he probably told nip when they approached him like listen i have full control yeah of the way we play and like i want to put on the player sure i don't think he cares about that it's like he just wants to his game his team to play the way he thinks is best and that's it you know and i think exist
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
as a coach is like a good match for that where he will like help facilitate whatever it is that Snappy wants to do more so than sort of try to push his philosophy on Snappy. Just probably like in what Snappy wants to do, like just have some suggestions, you know, some bits and bobs that could help out.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
But it's interesting because Ants was definitely punching above their weight, you know, our second best team in the world. Yeah.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, there you go. We're all converted. As long as Amcal is still out there, you can be a fan of them both. Well, they got rid of everybody and then bought a new roster today. Yeah, they finally blew up their roster.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
you know and left only one guy there in in in wrinkle who is very talented so yeah gamer legion also like bringing resin from nip and also pr right so they changed the mouse academy for a bit yeah yeah they changed the players well walt which is uh surprising to see vault yeah ash was seeing this was like solely to make like the roles work and everything but
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
It's kind of, you know, I was surprised by it.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Do you want to know the lingering health issues?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I feel like you can't just... Unless it's like something really fucking serious because I can't deal with that right now.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
And a lot of bad situations too. I don't think he's an amazing player. I don't think he's a terrible player. But I think he stayed on too many iterations of NIP rosters where like, if you're changing shit, change him.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
yes it's like and i think it probably will be good for him to have a different environment a bit more of a low profile team yeah right lower expectations from that team definitely and just sort of maybe try and find some fun in playing cs again yeah i'm with you yeah i hope he does good i hope he has actually a really cool like second half of his career
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
It would be so hilarious because he would be the ultimate your time on NIP doesn't count. Yeah. What if he just became the badass he was supposed to be? He is the final boss. That would crack me up.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Boombitch and Axl.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
He was, like, pretty poor at the RMR, man. I was a little bit surprised. Yeah, it wasn't great. And I don't know if the team was maybe already sort of... Dead. ...falling apart, or maybe they were just, like, the environment in the team while playing is, like, super stressed and... Dude, Nafany's there, so probably...
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
What do you think about the complexity changes, the additions, the two NA players?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
No, I'm not asking you to analytically break it down, just like sort of the change itself.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Well, they're going to be shit. They might as well be shit trying to grow local talent and eventually be good. What's the point of TSM? They just want sticker money. What?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Don't everyone?
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I don't care about which org does well. I mean, yeah, there's some that you have complexity with Jason Lake and all that stuff that you're rooting for a little bit more.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Also, them coming in and backing out again, that's bothering. Yeah, but TSM have done that.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
With a really bad team.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We fucking love North America.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I better be right on that one. Shit, can I look it up? Day drinking is awesome, man. It's like the best type of drinking. I forgive him.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I guess.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
don't know either no you have to find the money for it elsewhere but i think it all works as they decide which projects they want to have and everyone gets to say who's the part of it jason's going in the discord there we go oh it's in his it's in his twitter what does it say uh igl at complexity from nick i don't know but i mean yeah i don't know we'll just wait and see
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Wait, you video called your asshole to a doctor? No, no, no. It's just my face. We're just like... throw it on the flashlight sir oh shit sorry mate no he didn't actually that's the thing that doctor just all right that's fucked up here take this prescription for this cream and that is the weirdest butthole i've ever seen you really need to get to work oh my god
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
That's where the truth is at. That's where the truth is. Also on Twitter, you know, Elisha's having a new role. He's going to be the opera for FaZe. Broke his IGL. So if you want to trust Twitter, Chad, trust that as well. I'm calling Graham.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
He went on a holiday with his wife and kids. Looking to get a break from it all. He's frozen again.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yeah, let's go. Jason needs a drink. Thanks for listening, watching, a little bit of both. See you next week.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Oh, this is a trick question because actually once you go into the minus, it's like minus 28, minus 18 Fahrenheit. What is minus 30 degrees Celsius in Fahrenheit? You asked me minus 40.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Well, with the timestamps.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
People will be able to skip it.
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Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Oh, no, Jason. You can't do it to him.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
No, I mean, it is. The thing is, for that particular way where it's made, it's like these clay pots that you have, right? And then you put the meat in, you put the potatoes in, and then you put them into the charcoal, right? And then you put it all around because they can handle the heat, the clay pots, right? So then it's cooked over like... whatever, six hours. It's slow cooked.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
So that's why it's so tender and it has all the juices and everything.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Yes. I mean, it was just kept on like a temperature in the oven so it doesn't like go cold, basically. But it's a specialty here. There's a couple of spots that do it really well. And it's a way to make like...
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
wheel mostly lamp too um can be a bunch of other stuff but yeah forgot to take a fucking picture man i've i forgot i want to head back there tonight and snipe one real quick and yeah yeah probably at some point or tomorrow before the before the show but um yeah it's it's fun last time you you weren't at my place last time you were here we stopped in for a shot of tequila before going out to the bar so you could change yeah wow that's all it was chad had a rakia
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Handle it like a champ?
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I know why he doesn't drink is because if he did, he would be worse than you.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
There was only five days. That's also a myth. The only thing alcohol does to antibiotics, it just like, it kind of... makes them not have as big of an effect. It's like, you're not going to die if you mix it. Like you just, if you want to get drunk or run antibiotics, like go ahead and then just have them for a day longer, you know. I really needed those to work.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Come on, guys. Jason would definitely argue that alcohol in itself, in the right dosages, is an antibiotic. You just need enough of it to kill the bacteria. I haven't been sick. Why do they always, if you have a wound, if you've been shot, oh no, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
You pour some alcohol on it, you know, to clean the wound. Or to get the wound drunk.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
Great. My girlfriend made a mistake once. Not like that. I was just thinking about it. I didn't keep up with what you guys were saying. She had like some skin brush off when she was like doing some exercise. I don't know. So it's like the way for it to heal faster can be to put butter on it.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
right okay butter can help with it like sort of or at least you know speed up the recovery or something and she was like oh yeah shit we have some butter so she went to the fridge put some on of course instead of picking up butter she picked up salted butter oh so literally salt on your wound and then just made it so much worse instead i was like what the fuck is happening i put salted butter instead of like regular butter yeah that will get you that's not ideal
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
No, it's not a deal.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
We don't.
Talking Counter
Episode 121: Train is BACK, reflecting on roster moves, status of the NA scene
I know.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, I think also what might have been the case is that Liquid wasn't expecting Nuke at all. They were really expecting Inferno potentially, right? Because MBR beat Na'Vi on it and Liquid had that loss against FlyQuest, I don't know. And then maybe they didn't prep as much for Nuke because if...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
There's no reason for you to prep Nuke if you're sure that they're going to pick Inferno because that was going to be your ban in the second phase.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And it's also just... It's like an AWPer. It's a lot of it heroic on steroids, sort of a style, right? And that's why I even said in the game, I'm like, your whole game plan against Liquid is just... take space and hold to punish.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Or rely on timings, like they lost a fight before MIBR in a key round where it's like, you need to understand if let's say you've killed ultimate on mid, on Anubis, right? And you've taken, you know, they killed him in camera and you've taken that. You have to understand Liquid is gonna do something. Either push the sides Or come back and retake mid, which is what they did.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So if you drop a knack, your plan needs to be like, if this happens and we get a kill out of default, we need to either group up and hit the site in 15, 20 seconds, right? And trust that timing. Or if they push the side, right? Like even if they try to push the side and not that gap, you leave one player there to lurk.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And then if they push the side, you're there in numbers and your lurker can go to work, right? Like you can get the trades if they go for the aggressive player and the lurker can work. That's all it is that you do that every single round, every single map, right? It just depends on the structure of the map. It's a little bit different. And it's like, Liquid even, it was so obvious.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Like, they threw a smoke main deep, A main, and that's when they converged on mid. And you switch to MIBR, and you're just chilling in front of the smoke. It's like, that's why you actually... That's actually... I've seen this when we were on... Nico would say, let's walk through the smoke because he knows that that's just a block smoke. It's just a block smoke.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
If you go back to the Dallas final or the game against Vitality, that was the final, and you watch Inferno, you'll see a lot of those calls. You'll see a lot of calls where it's like somehow in the mid-round he has a read where to go, where the space is. But that's because of understanding... you know, there's no sense for them to throw this nade now at this timing, right? To smoke now.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So it must be that they are like inviting us or whatever. So let's just, you know, fuck it. And sure, it's risky, but more often than not, he's right.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
They're really nervous. Like they're nervous. Like they're nervous. I think, I think, I think if I had to get, this sounds shitty, but if I had to guess, like I feel it's, drop, probably, because he's a new IGL, right? He's new at this, and it's a little bit stressing sometimes about, oh, do we do this? Are we taking a little bit too much time to make a call to his teammates?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
That's how it looks like. I might be wrong. Maybe...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
he's saying it and the players are freezing and they're not moving and doing what he's telling them but regardless that's what's them i just remember the complexity game at the rmr on vertigo where they came back on t side it was brilliant it was patient they were just abusing rotations from complexity punishing them it was great like if they can play like that they have a chance tomorrow but i have i i have a hard time believing that they can turn it around you know so quickly and
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Just the quality of Maus feels insurmountable for them at this point.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. There's no reason not to. They will pick Mirage.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, but even there, they win the pistol, second round, just a straight-up A execute, right? And then drop fails on Ultimate. Ultimate wasn't even looking at him as he got out of that. If he kills him, Ultimate is the only guy who's in front of the smokes, so they have a chance. And then even the reset round after that, it was, like, a really poor round for MIBR. Just...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I know you don't. I go out of it as well. It's actually the worst experience playing Counter-Strike in my life. He's not holding any punches.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, you can. They're playing too poorly to use that narrative. Yes, absolutely. And the biggest reason for that is their individuals are playing too poorly. And that ancient even against Heroic, just disconnecting mid-rounds. It's a team that...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
hate to say it but it feels like a team that's not super alive man because like some of those rounds how they go it feels like players are just not communicating enough in the mid round like they're just not they're just lazy you know they're just like waiting for whatever to carry them to say but they're not updating the information like enough and that's leading to sort of botched calls and losing rounds and looking silly which then obviously is going to be very frustrating for Kerrigan because he knows that it looks like shit and
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
just becomes a bit of a vicious cycle. But yeah, I don't know. It's not.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I mean, I wouldn't even go that deep into it.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I don't touch solo queues. I don't touch solo queues. But... It would have been better, I think. Not better. It would have been less bad because I could just shut out, you know, turn off and just run around and do the same. Be another just... Be another incommunicado Russian. Right?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I think also it's like when you look at the fact that the arena is... Everything is in Chinese there and all of that stuff. And PGL got the rights for the English broadcast. So what's the upside for... us being there right now, you know?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
The only upside is for us that we could have more of a feel that we're at the tournament and get some, you know, from casual conversations with the players or staff from different teams, maybe get some information that we could use in the broadcast. But is that worth probably like... Hundreds of thousands of dollars?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Probably $100,000 to $200,000 in terms of paying for the extra stay and moving all the production people and the equipment and everything. That's an easy answer, bro. No, it's not. I was only worried a little bit. Is there going to be tech issues with the delays and everything? It's been pretty smooth. Yeah, they found a way to get it done.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So it's like, yeah, it's shitty for everyone that's here in the sense of it's weird hours. Mostly so for the people in production because they're there for... All day.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Well, you have feeding issues. I mean, that goes without saying. Jason sometimes only eats once a day and it's like a box of Pringles.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, that was after a 10-man. And it's not shit, it's puke. He was physically ill from the counter-strike that was being played.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But this way, you know, trying to communicate with people or people like the stuff our colleagues do in 10 Mans, like... Yeah, not for me, dog. I'm good.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Just ignore it. Jason, soundproof booths don't work. Don't ask for them.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
The fire safety issues.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, I think it's a couple of important distinctions. I think first and foremost, it's on the production, right? Like the TO has to address it because expecting people to be educated about it, you want them to be excited.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And sure, maybe the crowd in Europe or somewhere else is a little bit more educated than in Asia or somewhere else, but not to the level where they're not going to be completely silent about it. And you don't want that either. So I think it's enough that you...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
show that he's there so that people understand what's about to happen, and then switch to not the last guy, but the second guy who might potentially make a 180 and kill him. And then see what happens. Just keep it on someone else until the
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
kills happen I don't like the x-ray turning off thing because first of all once you see it and he's still behind it's gonna still create yeah you know excitement but you should see flanks unless it's like in smoke or something like that like those moments are different to like if it's a ramp flank on barrage you know that's coming from a while away but I will say this from watching
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
games here and there in the arena at ESL events I feel like for example they're overdoing it they're turning off the x-ray too much if you're in the arena and you're watching a Counter-Strike game with no x-ray you have no idea what the fuck's going on it's pretty hard you have no you can't like it's so hard because the screens are not ideal for watching a game that has so many yeah details and stuff right like imagine like watching Hawk you know probably would be a good comparison sometimes
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
if he doesn't scream and the light doesn't go that it went in you don't know right so i actually hate because you want the crowd you want those moments and if you're in if you paid for the ticket you want to fucking see what's going on so i think it's more about just switch away from the guy it sucks but you've shown him get it so you've shown tabs for example you've shown him he's on the flank you have x-ray you've shown that he's like okay he's behind him they don't know
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
and then switch to one of the players who are on the other team, right? And that way, if you see the kill feed on Tapsin, you'll still get excited because you'll see the multi-kill and they'll die. In the replay, obviously, the guy will just press the Tapsin button and you sort of covered it, right? Like you've let the crowd be excited.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, they don't get to see it for Tapsin's POV, but, you know, Tapsin gets to get the multi-kill because you haven't been on him.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Someone said they were shushing them.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Shout out to the commentators.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, and I think it's a unique... Because I was thinking, what's the best case scenario for this? Like, you don't even want people... You don't want the crowd... You don't want it to be quiet. Yeah, you don't want the crowd to be, like, educated enough to know and to be quiet. Why would you want... Like, what's the point of coming if you're going to do that to a game?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And it's tough because we're the only thing... No, but we're the only thing out there that's, like, the specific situation where the players are dealing with imperfect information. You can give something away. Every sport... you see everything, right? Everything's out there. There's no fog of war.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So it's like, yeah, that makes it a little bit tricky, but I'm always for excitement and like production being creative about sort of not giving it away as much as possible. And at the end of the day, bro, You have to be aware of it if you're absent. That's what we talk about when we're playing stage matches. I'll tell you. And I know I'll get ripped apart for this. I said it during the cast.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I'm surprised I didn't get ripped apart. I'll get ripped apart and I don't care. But one of the reasons why Nico didn't take more time in Stockholm with the Deagle was exactly that. He knew that the crowd was going to... Because he already heard them starting to... He knew like...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
ramp up as he's going up the ladder if i wait another half a second like this guy's gonna turn like that's just how it is playing on the stage right and he made the shot whatever he missed he sucks he's terrible he's choco i don't care but that's the reality of it right and it comes with districts and it's it's a matter of fact of playing on stage we talk about it in every single aspect of counter strike we talk about different calling on t side when you're playing on the stage momentum calls
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
and all of that stuff we talk about using the sign cues of H's flying over that was what Astralis abused for the longest time before people even knew that they were using that and then production started showing like random nades being thrown so that you know where there's no one there so that it's like okay when you go back and you're a team and you watch that you can't count on it you know being a thing
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
for example that's something where the crowd can be educated for that's something where they can learn to not react if he's like baiting you guys to and then you know he's doing that boom to get something no but i mean send out the booze no i mean and then you do it well then you are like sort of helping him when you know that you're not just getting who cares about that he's like he's obviously fishing for it you're helping like that stuff yeah education can help but
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
just say just you know i don't know i i i don't have an ideal way to compare it but it's like shooting a free throw in basketball and like people are like fucking whistling at you you know oh mate in australia like it's like bro yeah keep your focus bitch yeah in in australia like i remember
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Hey guys, that's my dad. And he's not fat. I'm only eight. Just has big bones.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And it was so fucking bad that at some point I'm like, I'm just going to ruin this guy's life now. I don't care. So we would spawn on A retake for Mirage, right? And we would spawn on like cat and mid. And he would like start walking top mid to go flank. And I would just run behind him. And as he's walking up like ramp, walking behind ramp, I would just start shooting with like a USB.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
um what was the other match that we didn't talk about there's one more uh we did mbr liquid fury of pain a little bit not a heroic heroic can win that they could i mean they were supposed to beat them in rio they choked and through um i'm really impressed with this heroic at the major so far both games yesterday against mongols today yesterday it was on anubis on ct side lose a 5v2 lose a 5v3
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, but I mean, yeah. And today it was... on Ancient, lost a 4v2. Oh, yeah. And lost one. That game went overtime, didn't it? Sort of a 3v2 that, like, you know, you can't put it as much on that round. Like, some things play good in both, but the 4v2, like, they just played it poorly. Oh, horribly. You know, and that's the issue, man. It's, like, comes down to those things for them.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Like, most of the time, it looks good. The T-sides... They look solid, right? Good momentum changes. Nerds was a beast on Mirage today, like both CT and T side just owning on middle.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, their lowest rated player was Tessis. Yeah, okay. Surprise, surprise. Another high-pressure match where he doesn't show up. I think it was decent on Mirage, but like, I don't know. That's honestly the problem. It's just like this guy, even on Heroic, like with the full Danish lineup, it's like whenever it's a grand final or something, it's not the same level of play you're used to seeing.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Or sometimes when he does end up playing like decent, it's... when they're, like, having no chance to, you know, like... There's no pressure because the game's over. You know, so it's like, I don't think he's a bad player. He does seem like a choker a little bit.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And I think when they were discussing in Heroic when Cadian got backstabbed, and, you know, I think the player he wanted to change was Thesis, most likely for someone, because that's how it looked like. And talking about people getting nervous and everything, like, that's just the vibe that I was getting. And I'm not saying, obviously, it's very possible that he can overcome that, sort of.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And if he's able to do that, then yeah, that puts them definitely in a different sort of a conversation. But until I see that happen on, like, you know, more than just once, in a sense, like, I'm not convinced.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
This one was safe. We would not be canceled, but a can of worms would indeed be opened. That would have been the end for some. Not us, though. Okay. Not us, though. Tell me about these worms, Janko. But not today, Satan. Not today. Oh, dear. Maybe, you know, we'll see. It will open eventually.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So they know where he's coming from. Because he would like... One thing that he would bait everyone. The second thing is even when he's the last alive and he can't win the round, he's like 1v3 or 1v4, he would not just go and die. So the next retake round starts. He would literally wait for people to come at him so he kills them, right? He's playing for stats in retake.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
He's the hammer, whereas someone like, you know, Zywoo is a scalpel.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
They just didn't show up ready to play. Nobody had hands. First two days, bro, they're just like...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
not ready to play it was the Liquid not the Liquid it was the first one but then the MIBR game like on Inferno JL got absolutely bodied yeah it was like 6-1 it was unreal watching that watching Insani in Banana was like a man fucking possessed yeah that was god mode looked like he was cheating it was insane how good he was he was so good great timings owning the A-wise he was incredible Jason can you check where JL's at in stats for the stage so far he's gotta be in like the bottom 10
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, me too. I was saying, does he end up being maybe the most impactful right player at the end of the year, depending on the run?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
They qualified. It's so crazy. Shiro and Dong had 20 kills. The rest of the guys had six. Oh, that's two, right? Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
just dies in ramp without getting a kill, you know, immediately early round on A and you have lost all A control. What do you do then? You know, like that's also the issue, but here's the thing, right? Obviously, if you're going to make changes in Spirit, you're going to remove Chopper and Magix, you know.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, he's playing for stats in retake. And I'm like... There's everything that's wrong with the world today. I saw this the other day in an official match. Everything.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I guess. So who do you get as an IGL? That's the first question. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Also, why do we have to be like a 16-year-old or 17-year-old? He's our savior. No, no, no.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yes, can only play this one. I'm not saying, we talked about this with Twists. In the podcast, you look at personalities, right? And if he's more of a quiet, passive, whatever, like a naff person, yeah, you're going to be the lurker, bro. But if you're more of a fucking Gikindar eating the screen and licking the monitor, then you're probably going to... I think he got closer at this event.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
i think he somehow actually started sitting just play a stretched little bro like holy no but you know i'm saying like if he is that talented like navi probably navi absolutely regrets selling monacy sure and you know like if they just pulled the trigger earlier and kept monacy you know instead of simple like they will have another phenom wonderful is good but imagine that navi
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
team yeah yeah yeah exactly so so it's like you probably if your spirit you've seen that and even though let's say you know even though someone's willing to pay half a mil for the kid like you know he's the new biggest thing right like you're probably like yeah sure i mean we like money and that's all great but we could make that money back in like one pgl tournament if we win it
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
next year right and then you keep those you have Donk you have him you have Shiro you have Zontix get a fucking laundry machine to call for those four guys I'm saying like you know anyone with half a brain should I always like Jerry I don't know what happened to Jerry in that Paravision team they didn't do anything and then he got benched I thought he might be like a good choice but
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Now I'm not like so sure. I don't think electronic for whatever reason seems to fucking saw destruction wherever he goes.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah. So you don't want him if you're spirit, but like who else is there that you could get? I don't know if any of these like tiers.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Oh, no. It's going to be everywhere.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Zontix-led spirit to spring finals victory. Yeah, I don't know, but it also just doesn't look good. Like, on a macro level, it doesn't look too great. It's just chopper on an individual level, man. I don't know what's going on. Like, there was two things. First of all, the one we won on Mirage from Cat. That was just sad. That was just sad.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But maybe even worse for me, Jason, was the round against Heroic. on Dust2. Spirit is on the CT side. Heroic is on fucking Glock Eco. It's Magix and Tropper on A on ramp with two M4s. And these dudes, like, you know, Heroic comes out cat. They get, like, two kills or three kills, but they both die and Heroic plants the bomb. And then Shiro comes up with, like, the USP and kills the last two guys.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So we could get safety you're playing against Glocks just fucking shoot. It's like, you know, come on, man. Well, there was the confidence thing again.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
That part's even fine because nerd smoke or whatever. And Don from Donut killed the guy on A then came back to deal with nerds and found him. It only had three bullets left. And as he, like, nerds was hiding in that corner. It's like, at that point, as he's going to fight him, that's when Chopper should be close, ready to trade because he can't, like, kill them both. And he even dinks him.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And Dropper still doesn't go through the... You could just blindly run and keep spamming as you're running. You're going to kill him. That was crazy. They still ended up, luckily, winning the round. But it's... I think actually what happened was if he killed him there and...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
was in donut then they couldn't have planted but because of this they planted they forced the next round they didn't win but they got another plant and then the round after that they won and that's when they got rolling like that's when they started because spirits money wasn't great and their cd and it ended up going to ot yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
you know Spirit should have saved a couple of those rounds where they just decided to go for it which was kind of stupid some of those rounds just meant like how are you not seeing this like you're the idea if there anything should be like you should have the understanding of the game right and you should understand that's the play for you right and you need to go for it and that's just it that's the end of it and
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
From slope, yeah. Just like Niko.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I might get five out of the six in my mid thing because I got nothing in the 0-3. I got Vitality in the 3-0. And then obviously I had Na'Vi in the 3-0 and Mongols in the 3-1. So those two just... I might get everything else right. I had G2, Maus, Spirit... Liquid? Liquid...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Ah, yeah, but I don't need. To get the Pick'ems, I need one. But yeah, to get five out of six, I need two.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Did you guys get five in the first one? Yeah. I got seven in the list. I'm just a fucking idiot, Jason. Time's time. I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Phase Fury is huge. I think the only game that's not great is the MIBR mouse. And MIBR could make it better, but I don't think they will. This was the old roster.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
And that was going to go up and go on the stats for Dust 2. For which team, both? No, on that game. Up, up, up, up, up. Oh, gotcha. Ah, okay, yeah. And then there, yeah. 16-14 win for Na'Vi. Look at the round distribution. Like, round timeline. Oh, just dominant T-sides. God bless. You see, like, they couldn't fucking... Defend anything. And they choked on CT side.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
They started, like... They fell apart. Like, you could tell it got to them. No surprise they have Tassus on their team.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, there was no way.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
These teams got a lot better at it. But man, still, like... I don't think people quite understand how much more stressful best-of-ones are for these, like, favorites. Yeah. Right? Because...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Players also get a little bit stupid about it because they worry about every little thing that may or may not happen and get more affected by a silly round happening where a guy gets lucky by killing them, you know, get shot through the smoke randomly or a guy kills you blind and everything just because the stakes are higher because that's the one map you're playing, you know, and that round might define it and...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
it's shitty right like but that's why we still get upsets in them you know and i really hope that what's left for the majors is no more best of ones stop doing the book holds and this one versus nine thing just do it properly get rid of swiss And have all the teams play each other in the same stage.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, I'm a double elimination.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I don't like it either because we have the seeds. What are we doing?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, but that's the problem. Why is there going to be a lot of Swiss? Because Valve fucking loves it for whatever reason. Maybe one of them is Swiss. I don't know. You know, not very popular the Swiss right now in the Counter-Strike scene. But I think that probably also we want all the teams playing against each other at the same time. Not the shit with skipping stages. I hate skipping stages.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Why don't we just do a 32-team Swiss? You are not serious. You're just trying to rile me up, Chad. I said my mental is stronger.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I'm a Jedi Master. I'm not a fucking Padawan.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
It's meant for a large body of teams that you cannot properly see. So the Swiss system... But we can properly seed.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Here's the problem. We have a couple of problems. We have a problem that 32 teams playing at the same time is 250 people that you have to accommodate. Logistically, it's a nightmare. It's probably impossible at this point in time for the scale that we're operating at.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Well, I mean, yeah, if Valve was going to contribute... Well, actually, they contribute travel and accommodation. So that's actually it. Just the amount of game stations. What am I, a fucking 90-year-old man? Gaming stations. Get to your game stations. I'll borrow some PCs. But, I mean... Okay, so let's see if that weren't a problem. Yeah, just have them all play.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
It could even be something as simple as the World Cup in football. It's like four team groups, even though I hate saying... I don't like that.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, it's... Just once? No, they played... It's around Robben one time, but that's shit. We don't want that. But I'm saying, like, just do it... Just do the... The GSL. Yeah, but do it with 16 teams. Like, do the Cologne times two.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, exactly. And just do that, man. And that's it. And you get eight teams out of that, and that's your playoffs.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
and it's first versus I think it's me it's first versus 32nd second versus 34th you know and that's how it goes and then when you drop down you have another chance and that's it bro is the fucking world championship you get two chances you can't do that see you later I think that's fair enough yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
What are you getting there? The 9th.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
At least there's one. But I can, you know, as long as I have an extra PC for you, I can hook you up.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, that's how it works. Oh, right, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Please, for the love of God. Back again to the account.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
yeah yeah I'm excited to get home after this and I'll have the sun you guys will have winter I like the winter I want it to be cool bro I hate Belgrade it's fucking it's so crowded around holidays it's like ideally I would I always get out but you know with the baby you can't it's too much work and also it's been I've been away for two you know we've been like I've been traveling too I just want to be out so you know gonna keep it pretty chill but it's just so but here's the did you see Maui's tweet about the bracket if the favorites win
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
So it's... How confident are we in this potential bracket? Well, we're not... I'm not confident in FaZe beating FURIA. And that would actually change it by a lot. But if FaZe, Maus, and Na'Vi win, this is the bracket. Mongols versus FaZe, Vitality versus Maus, G2, Na'Vi, and Liquid Spirit.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it would be Mongols, FaZe, Clan, G2, Na'Vi, one side of the bracket, and Vitality, Maus, Liquid Spirit on the other side. But I prefer the if Furia beats FaZe. You want to hear that one, Chad? Yeah, yeah. Mongols versus Maus. Okay, good game. And Liquid versus Furia. And then Vitality versus Na'Vi. And Spirit versus G2.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Vitality. In either case, because I feel like Na'Vi and Maus will win, the only one that can happen is FaZe. So you either get Vitality Na'Vi or G2 Na'Vi, in that case, in the quarterfinal.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
If FaZe win, they play the Mongols.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
yeah then you'd have to pump that storyline FaZe we know they can always do it we know they can do it stage warriors it won't matter at that point it doesn't matter because they've been in like the loudness true and everything so the fact that it's just like a bigger arena I don't think it matters because I want like I want the Mongols to go deep and at the moment the way the FaZe are playing they don't deserve to go deep I want a Mongols G2 rematch Grand Final that'd be sick
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
You should just always play face it. I only play comp with you guys.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Still a more difficult path than for Vitality to lift the major trophy.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
The sweaty, grindy face it.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
The important thing is no one will lift the trophy by beating shit teams, and that's all there is to it. Yeah, you can get to the playoffs, and maybe Liquid with different opposition wouldn't make the playoffs, but... That doesn't mean they'll go on to win the tournament because of it.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I've only seen one FaZe game. I would put Liquid above FaZe in any game versus, except for the head to head. If it's a head to head, I'll go with FaZe.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Well, my Elo is not that high. I'm at 2,500. I didn't get boosted by JKS.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
What game did I cast? I casted one FaZe game. Right now, the hottest team obviously seems like Vitality. And then you put, I'd put G2 before the Mongols simply because, okay, they beat them, but it was the best one. And you look at the, now it's the best of threes, the playoffs. I still go with G2, but then Mongols is the third one.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
He just pumped Chad. He took a weird turn. He just pumped Chad. Yeah. But I think...
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
no matter who ends up winning tomorrow like it's going to be a super interesting playoffs just with like mongols there that's the one storyline how far they can take it second one g2 last dance will nico win his first major in his last tournament with the team and then actually switch teams yeah right after winning the first major you know what will happen to his second major after 10 years yeah that's never happened right at that level no there's no way that's happened
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
not with that level of disparity maybe apex but it's not 10 years it's less 8 or something you have Navi obviously going for the repeat you have Spirit with their you know Donk's rookie year will he be able to to lift a trophy and they would bookend the year they would win Katowice the first big trophy of 2024 and the major last big trophy twist can he return to his old home and lift a major trophy under the liquid banner FaZe do they still have it left in them
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I think Liquid starts... Fallen is the closest one for the, actually, I was going to say for the 10-year thing, but it was 2016, so it's like eight and a half years.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I think they're highly unlikely, but you have also the Maus, like if they get over the hump somehow.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
narrative around them being studio merchants right like that'd be it took them two years what better way to doubt to shut everybody up it's just a while and now we'll play their g tour vitality i mean they they've they've they've deserved deserve it for how they've played in the in the stage but i just i really want just a blood bag also gives a really good game on the quarterfinals like we we kind of dig that
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Oh, but he also, I mean, he turns it up a little bit in the second half of the year. Yeah, for sure. But I think for me, it will come down to the playoffs, right? Like if Monessi is able to have a great play, even though now he's below in this tournament, even Nico, but it's Donk, Zajvo, Nico, Monessi, right? In the elimination stage.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
and it's you know always your flat your stats get a little bit inflated when you're like owning people i mean vitality played mibr in the best of three right as well and own them and all that stuff so it will come down to the playoffs right big boy games yeah yeah and i think probably it's down to between um monessi and zaibu unless dong has like a sort of a
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I would say yes. I mean, you're saying they have the weakest, let's say, structure and team play out of and need more individual performances. And they really only have two individuals who can... Even the second individual isn't always there on the T-side.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I think people are talking a little bit too much about them. If they were that good, they would have won one of the last two games.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, but that's because the expectations were really low, not because they're really good.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, yeah. But that's because the default, we had that in phase. We had, because when we think that the CTs are going to fight us for mid, so you can do two things. You can pop aside, you know, to try to get ahead of them, but you can just be like, fuck you. We'll do the default still. We'll just bring, we'll literally have, we had a five man default.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
We had a five man mid default where we would bring,
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
the a guy and the b guy would go underground with an extra guy the a guy would just go with the pack and we were like had a different default we would just do it and sort of be positioned for the fight to come in first the quick one with the insta flash and running through con and then the delayed one um kind of to to what to do so i think it's more just like in that default
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's probably fair. to say at this point in time, because probably the second name you would put there is G2, but even they have more structure and look better. They look much better as a team, much, much better. And also they have more players who can do it. So it's not like, oh yeah, we need Niko and Moise. You know, like Malbz and Hunter. Hunter played well today.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
he goes there and they have that that type of a play as well in their in their playbook but still when it's like kind of just standard stuff he will be more towards this maybe i was maybe i was reading too much into it because it was also kind of like bookended by there was like a modesty interview i think it was with james where he was like talking about oh you know we had some or maybe it was snacks
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Let's say he's matured even slightly. There's a big fucking difference between playing with Grim and Floppy and fucking Niko and Magisk. you know, let's not fool ourselves, right? I don't think he will have a lot to complain about in terms of what they're doing on the map and their decision-making. Oh, come on. What do you think, Jason?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I'm not even going to go after Elisha on this one. A bastard could always find something to complain about.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Or Elisha would have never been in a team with such good players. Never in his career has he played with players of that caliber.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Actually, put him instead of Magus. Fuck him.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
yeah and even snacks is having a really good impact he had great i told you i said this in some episode when we talked about snack i said he's not a bad player he's a guy who's playing with zero confidence and you see that clutch the one v2 and him doing the thing and playing around that's a dude who has his confidence he's got some swagger lo and behold all of a sudden his stats are he had that disgusting 2v5 with nico today oh that was crazy that was you would have been asleep huh yeah his scout shot has been smooth for me i've slept through all g2 games no stress
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I get what you're saying.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But the first kill, he wasn't like 1v5 and then 10 seconds passed and then he got the first kill.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Just that the first kill is not a trade kill.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I think it's a technical 1v5. It's a fucking 1v5, you cunts! It's a technical 1v5. You need to have a second or two after the trade.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But here's the thing. I rewatched. They were not ego peeking him.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I'm not upset about anything. Watch this. One, two, three, go.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Owned. Yeah, that's actually sick. Right? Yeah, it's British. But remember, I asked. We had this for Katowice because I asked for it.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, no, no. It was for Donk. I asked for his highlights, but from all the death POVs. Just so people see what's the time to kill for him. Because when you watch it from him, it doesn't feel like you fully appreciate. He feels like Neo in the Matrix. You don't fully appreciate how little time. Oh, my Lord. This is stupid.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But when you watch it from his POV with the x-ray, you can see that, for example, the guy from bench, he tried to, he swung, but that was when Donk swung on the fire guy and he couldn't see him. Like, I thought Heroic was ego peeking, but actually a couple of times they tried to double peek him. But it was a little bit unfortunate how it worked out.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
all of them and then waited more it wasn't full ego peaking so just a little bit unfortunate and just how good this guy is like it's just fucking insane ego peak isn't the right way to say it but i think they definitely got a little bit sloppy watch this with x-ray right now these guys he tried to pick him together but then he didn't see him so he fell back but the opera was still in fire he dies and now they double peek him yeah that's crazy tessus should have gone first because he's lower hp and then to get the trade because one bullet killed even still they do like
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, Refresh 1 was the real 1v5.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Galil, that's like 1v6.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
It's easy to kill with the AK.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
We're going to take a break over the holidays. He'll get up early, so we'll do one that's like PM for me, middle of the day for you, and morning for him.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, he won't be. He goes to bed at 9pm. So it will be like 6am for him, 10pm for me and 4pm for you.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Everything for you guys.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
We actually will reply to it this time.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
We'll do our best to reply to it, yeah. All right.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I realized how dominant or quick the game was when I saw you at breakfast. I was leaving, I was doing the last two games. You only did the first game and we were at breakfast together. So you got back before I even went in and I'm like kind of aiming to be there, you know, 40 minutes before I need to be on.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Five, yeah. Yeah. I think also for that game in particular, I mean, G2 has always beat FaZe in groups like this year and maybe even a little bit longer than that. Perhaps they even met in playoffs in one tournament and they beat them.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, in general, they have the upper hand. So even if FaZe was... not struggling as much as they are. I still think it would go to G2, but yeah, for it to be this dominant, I think it feels great for G2. I mean, after the stumble against Mongols and some silly rounds in a best-of-one, they just ran through everybody else, like, no problems whatsoever.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Did you do the FaZe-Miles game?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
all right so i guess like some proactive nature from rops but i didn't see it we were casting something else because that was pretty surprising i mean well yeah i sat here i said i did the vanilla pickems but i'm worried for phase and tomorrow it's phase fury and i said i might i i wanted to swap phase yeah for furia but i didn't and they play each other tomorrow carrigan versus fallen one more time bro did you see any of the pain furia game yeah
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Did you see the last?
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
The scrappy rounds. We had a tech pause and we were watching. We were like, Furia just won a 1 AK 4 USP round. And then they lost to Glocks. Literal Glocks. And they even got the first kill with a nade.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Richard had a great message about it in the group chat. I'm not in the group chat, so I missed it. Never mind. I'll tell you about it later.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
No, but I saw it. Two really good teams. Average teams fighting.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
six and it could be less so you have one asian team which is crazy to think about but you still have a chance for fury to make it through that would take another and mibr well actually that is going to be a hard match for them it's impossible they start one can beat phase but mibr versus uh mouse they start one map down because of mirage there's no way they played like ass today as well i was they were so disappointed they were way worse than like they looked at the rmr they were so lost on t-side bro like but their mirage sucks bad reaction even on anubis bad reactions slow reactions
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Yeah, but that was like Lukawa's in a 1v3, right? It was a 1v2. 1v2, but he was like... He should have never... You know, he was like, it was really hard 1v2. Oh yeah, he killed the first. Drop should have instantly started running towards B once the kill happened. He stuck around for like five more seconds and that's why he got shot in the back.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
Which tough team did they play? They played Na'Vi. Na'Vi, the best one, which they lost.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
I tried to set it up. I have ways... My mind is working a little bit slowly listening to all those interviews, but I think just... Yeah, it depends the way you look at it. But I have a stronger mental than Jason. You won't rile me up, Chad.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But they didn't beat any tough teams.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
But they're also like Liquid's bitch.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
That's like G2 and Spirit. I'm with you. But I think also for Liquid, that's the problem. You watch that Nuke game, and you watch their T side, and you're like... What the fuck was that? Oh, man. You know, it was 6-6 at the half, 3-0, 9-6. Okay, you lose the round. And then they did this thing, like, they didn't force buy after that to try to get the reset.
Talking Counter
Episode 118: Shanghai Major Elimination Stage, Playoff Preview
They equaled, but they spent too much money. So once they lost that round, they equaled again. And they gave, like, free momentum to MIBR, who it was 9-6. Then it was 11-9 for MIBR. I think after that, 11-10, 13-10. I think something like that. Or maybe even 12-9, 12-10, 13-10.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, that's how I found out. Woke up and jet lagged and saw the headline. I was like, okay, that's weird. Yeah, I don't know. This feels to me like this is a bigger deal because of how shocking and surprising it is. To me, I don't even... I'm obviously not Turkish, but I feel like there shouldn't be some loss of national pride in this team.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
The fans have to just cheer for a new team name, essentially, but we're still going to call them the Turkish team. We're still going to call them the Turkish representatives in professional Counter-Strike. It is still a Turkish team. Unfortunately, you're no longer with the Turkish org that started in-house and in-region and built itself up, but you're still the Turkish team at the end of the day.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Bang Bang. That's an EWC game.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I'll tell you what, it'll be a cool thing to watch an organization like Aurora to try and figure out how they want to navigate for a Turkish fan base. That's kind of an interesting idea.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
You want to get all those fans converted as quickly as possible.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
What the fuck, dude?
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
This is an insane video. This is an insane video. Yeah, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I don't think I could add somebody pissing on a jersey. Well, you can't see the dick. You can't see the dick, but you see a nice stream of fucking Turkish pee.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It says another record-setting for the Counter-Strike scene. It doesn't really give a value number to it. Okay. But, I mean, yeah, you have to imagine it's going to be absolutely massive.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
These are franchise-shattering losses to lose these. I think it's almost sad, funny thinking back to the statement when the negotiation with Niko and they were just like, yeah, we don't mind losing Niko. And you fast forward six months and it's like, well, I bet if we told you that Niko was the key to having Modesty on your team, you'd mind losing him because now you've lost both.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And I don't know how you rebuild from this. We talk a lot about the potential and how good some of the players have looked, but you lose Niko and then you lose Monacy. That's so much firepower. That's so much talent just leaving your team that is going to make everyone's job harder now. Like, Mobs is going to have more pressure on them. Heavy God's going to have more pressure.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's just going to get worse. When you don't have someone like Monacy, you can just bail you out, or someone like Niko who can take control and bail you out of a situation. So I think G2's going to enter a pretty rough stretch
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And we also invite a little bit more of a broken brain syndrome on this kind of a show.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
We had to get a headline. We had to get someone spicy.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I might be, I might, I might be reading too much into this, but I don't, I also don't think so in a way. I remember like hearing a Taz interview from that event where he was talking about how like, you know, Hunter started stepping up in terms of calling. He said, modesty starting to get way more vocal within the team.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Well, he's provocative, right?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And he's like, one person I really want to work on being like more vocal within the team is snacks. And I was like, what?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But he said it. It's not just a... It's like... Yeah, look.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But you know how he is in these kinds of podcasts when you're talking about Counter-Strike is he's way more reasonable. He's not going crazy like with the Twitter take. He's willing to have a conversation, willing to entertain disagreement. He was fun. He was great.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's just, yeah, yeah, no, it is fine. It's just, I think if you look at the track record, like how we kind of just talked about, you had that conversation about if you're going to have Nico and Monacy on the same team, two of the biggest star players we have in Counter-Strike, it's going to be expensive.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And it's like, well, yeah, but you knew that and you put yourself on your path to that when you paid $600,000 to get him away from Na'Vi in 2019 or whenever the fuck it was. You paid the money to bring this guy in and develop him to a point where you could lift trophies and And of course, that's going to be expensive.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But then what you did was break up the roster that was having some success with dropping JKS, with dropping Hooksy. You say, now we don't want a tactical IGL. We want to go in a place to make our star players happy. We're going to go for an IGL who just kind of has to manage the game and gives the guys a lot of freedom.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And now you're in a situation where you've now lost Niko because you let him go because you didn't think he was worth the money. And now you're going to lose Montessi. because someone's coming in to pay him more money and modesty has lost his buddy that was making his life easier. And now you need to go back to that strategic IGL who you had just cut to make these two players happy.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
So it feels like G2 has just been in a loop of like making all the going down all the wrong paths.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Right, right, right.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I remember talking to him at the Istanbul airport.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, he was toast. He was so hard on himself.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
He needed to get the fuck out of mouse at that point. He needed to get the fuck out.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Also, you just lost your two biggest attractive pieces for other players to come to your team. Like, you know, players are going to have respect for mobs and HeavyGod, but no one's raising their hand and saying, please, God, I want to come play with HeavyGod. They'd be saying that for Monacy. They'd be saying it for Niko. But you've lost that ability, too, to track people over.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Get your Dota player.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Those three weeks are going to be fucking gold. Weather's going to be nice. The sun is going to be out. The water's going to be warm.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, the Undertaker. Yeah, yeah.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's not gonna happen.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
well on the bench even though cloud and i don't counter-strike anymore yeah but that's what i'm wondering because he just collected a paycheck on the bench and they're like you're actually a relatively valuable piece we might be able to sell you for something but he just doesn't get a play for two years yeah that's just what's happened to perfecto well as long as he's getting that bench money you know someone's got to take it true but i think just to finish up on this whole monacy to falcons thing i think for falcons
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
okay yeah yeah yeah just yeah yeah it's not that ominous it felt like that felt like that felt like i was like is he breaking up with me right now that was how the conversation felt no and you're still thick beard yeah i'm still thick bearded i grew it back after katowice after the shaming it actually looks kind of sick chad i'm not gonna lie i like it well i delighted before well we're gonna see how it goes this is usually the time this is usually the length where i wake up one day and i'm just like fuck it all and just go just go nuts i'm at that point
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
but you can you got modesty you got nico you you keep magic so there's your core and then you can bring in carrigan in-game lead and who else would you want from phase specifically wow it don't have to be let's see who else would you want uh twists maybe i would have said naff But I think with the current... Well, you got Magic, so you don't really need NAF.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, but things change.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And I think it's going to be... I think it'd be really hard to get them out of Liquid, to be honest with you.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
One more reach into the Brazilian cookie jar.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But this modesty change probably wouldn't happen until after the major, right? Apparently, it's rumored to be before. Okay.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Can we can we move on from the childish stuff?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
the childish stuff yeah we got the big boy news all right shuhei joins liquid on loan ah the new in-game leader has stepped into the light out onto the stage taking the reins from twists who's passed them off jks has hit the bench and it's gone to mither's gone as well that's right mither is gone so naff twists ultimate nerds and shuhei is your is your team liquid lineup heading into the major
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah. Yeah. It was about that same, that same measure.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, there's a lot of reasons, I imagine, that liquids really kind of geared this towards alone. Yeah, I'm with you. I like it. I think, I mean, potential issues of Shuhei aside that got him dropped out of Malice that we don't know about. I don't even know if they were issues. It could have actually just been a difference in philosophy.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I think the real – I think a lot of this is going to rest on – For a team that had the kind of, we've seen NAF really struggle with some role confusion, is what roles does Twist switch back into now that he's not IGLing? Are there roles going to be given up? Is he going to change spots on a map? Is he going to play more buddy system with nerds to be kind of that second aggressive player with him?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I'm interested to see how this team gears.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
When you're interviewing forest, you got to match the beard power on the other side of the table. You know, you have to, you have to be able to push back against that.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Well, I mean, I was thinking more CT side where I know Naf has been moved around a little bit more probably than T side, and I know I'm going off of conversations with him from pro league of where he just feels uncomfortable. And that's where I wonder – because –
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
This also ties into, like, when I joined as coach, the first conversation I had with Twiss was he really wanted to start transitioning out of, like, playing anchor rules. Like, in that Liquid lineup in, like, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and when I stepped in. Did you say with Twiss or with NAF? With Twiss.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
He wanted to step out of more, like, he didn't want to anchor the A-bomb set in Mirage, for instance. You know, he wanted to get out of these, like, positions where he was kind of like a turret. He wanted to be more involved.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And I know my sense of NAF is I don't think he should be your bombsite anchor players. He should be the supportive player at a bombsite who's assisting and a little bit more mobile and shifting between maps. Or shifting between spots on the map.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, so this is what I'm saying. I don't think NAF should be your anchor. So what I think is going to rest a lot on this, is Twist going to go back and take any of his anchor positions? Or is he going to play in the spots that NAF would probably want?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I don't know where all the spots are going to go, but I think that intersection between Twists and NAF and what positions they're playing is going to be really important to see where they place these players on their CT sides.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I guess, I mean, there's so much questions going into it. I just, I think, I think those positions between Twists and NAF and how they fall on different maps is going to be really, really important to how this team plays. But NAF has to be the anchor.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I don't think he has, why does he have to be?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Okay, well, that's what I think. I think there's going to be an element of this where I feel like Twist should probably, I think Twist, I want to see him anchor on a couple maps. I want to see him take over some of those positions because he's done so well in them.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It might not, but I tell you, I think that's going to be an area of where we might see some issues stem from this next lineup of liquids.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
it's just it's over that's fine like well i mean well i mean it depends also what i mean if we want to mince words a little bit depends on your definition of tier one you've said top 20 teams like you could he could probably target like a gamer legion at some point if something does come on jason get the fuck off
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, dude. This renovation's been going on for five years, too. It's still going.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Oh, it actually is. I was going to say, I mean, they might let him go not for free, but for cheap. I don't know how the contract is structured, but I imagine he's making some percentage of his salary while he's on the bench.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Hashtag not biased. I should call Steve right now and put him on. Just be like, Steve, you let him go. But also they still have your kinder on the bench. So if their contracts, but if their contracts, if their contracts are structured in a way where they're getting a salary, like even if it's like 30% or 40% of your salary while you're on the bench, you're still paying these guys for nothing.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
At a certain point, you're going to be motivated to get them off your books, right? So just, again, not free, but here's a fucking fire sale. Please let me stop paying this guy to do nothing.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Probably. But look, if you could get rid of KD and after that team collapsed, you can do anything.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
The fact that Astralis came knocking had to have been a great day in the Liquid office building.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
He's not really a counter-strike guy. He's like an MIT stats guy who just... Data analytics and all that stuff. And he was like, oh, I can do cool things in this field.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, a few more skits will get thrown into the mix, so the award show is going to be down to it, down to the wire.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's a it's it's two big victories for all previous IGLs in the world who love seeing people step into those shoes and bail out, pull the ripcord real quick.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And if you don't fucking have it, you better lie to me and you better make me believe you have it. You better be prepared to fucking bluff this shit out of your team.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
The end of the year, like.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
You need a Niko exception.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It was like, I forget, I forget what he actually called it, but he did like, what were the topics? It was like worst team, worst roster change. And then he would have like worst fans, worst event of the year. Yeah. It's like basically like the Razzies of fucking Counter-Strike awards.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
By drinking the Kool-Aid.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
You want me to just do a rapid fire and see if any of them grab your interest?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Okay, well, starting a couple days back. All right, let's start here.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Joel had a lifetime ban by Isik.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
We could do like the mediocre award show.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
That would be a unique language to learn growing up in South Africa. Yeah.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
This was just average. It was just solidly average and it gets a gold medal.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I mean, it's really sad, but...
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
i i can't fault them for playing but you can't really fault the teams this is one of those this is another one of those learning experiences of the vrs which you'd hope this valve is just going to have to come up with something to patch this like you if you don't complete the event you're playing in you lose the points you know i think but the problem is well the problem is aren't the playoffs scheduled over the mrq
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
So then, I mean, that comes down, too, to the ask where people have been saying, which is entirely reasonable, if you're going to demand that schedules are out two years in advance, then your MRQ needs to be out two years in advance, too, so we can schedule around it. You can't just drop it into the calendar three months away.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I know. I know. It's really nice. And it's nice to be back in a high news time period as well. Like, shit's been popping off. It was so low-key for a while, and I feel like the last, like, three days was just everything coming at once.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And they've all been pretty patient without any results coming out of Brazil, despite having some incredible players and teams through the years. So it all feels like they've been pretty patient and holding back. And now they're at the point where they're just like, let the floodgates open. Let it all out.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
To piggyback on the Yala Compass thing, did you see this weird thing that happened to LinVision within the VRS?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yes.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
And I mean, to make it a little bit more for listeners who might not have been super up to date on it, they were in a situation where if they won, they lose that Chinese spot that Chad was just talking, the extra spot. And if they lose, they probably get accused of throwing. So they just took the forfeit and highlighted the issue.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
dude i was i was watching a game and i walk i go to the watch party channel to like watch the game with some people there's like geopolitics going on and i was like all right everybody chill the fuck out i met a guy in lisbon who was like oh yeah i'm in the discord but i'm not bob bobinski i'm not in there do whatever the fuck you want
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah. Yeah, man. Well, I think I think my I would I would say to the, you know, I think the op is just not a priority when you look at what would need to improve that team, right? Like you're gonna look at magics and zontics before you even think the op is a situation from Odyssey fell into your fucking lap for free. Yeah, you take that any day of the fucking week. Yeah.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
happens to my town actually and liquid and liquid.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
We did not. I don't think they released anything with the statement, just that it wasn't happening. And I haven't heard the same rumors as I did around the PGL Argentina, where teams were really concerned about going Katowice, Argentina, and then back to Europe again. So I haven't heard those same rumors of it being travel issues for teams.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yes, that's an action tomorrow, yeah. We have a lot of new stuff tomorrow.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
The invites or the format of the event?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Because we have the new Liquid roster as well.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
No, just finish your thought. Finish your thought first.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
New Liquid roster, New Jersey for the Turkish boys. We got everything coming in tomorrow.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I mean, from one perspective, too, on even a more basic level, it's a shitty thing for the Americas region where two events scheduled to be in that side of the world have been rescheduled this year.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Well, that's what also is a little confusing about this, too, is we don't even know why this was moved.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
There's not a leak. There's not a rumor. There's not just some random person on Twitter putting out the reason. There's not some weird shady article from some random website saying anything. No one has said a word about why this has moved. So it's like, okay, maybe political. Maybe who knows why. Maybe teams don't want to – I don't even know. I have no clue why I was moved.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It just – I know it would suck if you – I know I saw in the thread a couple of guys had like bought plane tickets and bought hotels and now it's moved and now they just lose out on that money, which obviously sucks and is obviously something Blast probably didn't take lightly when they made the decision.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, a little studio tour. Yeah, it just sucks that in the first, what, three, four months of the year, we've had two events of the Americas that get rescheduled and pushed back to Europe. So a hard time.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I think I was, you were Yanko. Definitely someone, but the idea of having this- All the Americas events being this two to three month stretch.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It was, but I don't have anything to say about it. Yeah, go on.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I think out on them in the sense of them as a title contender and as a top three or four team in the world is a good place to be. I think for me, I'm out on them in the sense that I'm just like your top 10 team and things look really bleak at the moment. So I don't know if I'm fully out, but I don't blame you for being out.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah. And I mean, I would go down that same road where I don't, I've just heard this secondhand, but I know like kind of the, the thing that we heard was that there was just like a mainstream journalist that like wrote like a big article, uh, about, about the gambling sponsors and Turkey just doesn't allow gambling affiliations with their competitive teams. Have we lost Yanka?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It feels like Na'Vi's going to take a free fall down the rankings, to me.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Given to the major.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
With the state that they're in, the situation they're in, I feel like they're a really tough team to GM and figure out a way past this quagmire they found themselves in of bad results, lackluster eye test, names coming in and feeling uncomfortable. Everything feels off with FaZe at the moment. And I don't know what the solution is.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's very possible that we might have lost Janko.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I don't know how you would look at that as someone as a GM and say, how do I fix this? Do I drop... Kerrigan to Falcons. That's how you fix it.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Let's chat about Bucharest.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Apogee being a upstart Polish squad. Yeah, with Jacob in it.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Go on.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I don't think so. In terms of what?
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
No, I don't think so.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They're going to have one of the Vs. You know, not completely facing each other, but one of those slanted Vs. Oh, okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They have them in the booths for the group stage, and then for the playoffs, they'll move it around.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They did fix that, right? Because there are technically two days of this event.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
You love Dumau.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Without the improvement across those years, you'd think somewhere a bell would go off and be like, something needs to change.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, exactly. That's a very young team. That's the one Dead's involved in, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Our boy, we're calling him.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I like what I saw last time I seen him play. I'm excited to see him here at this event.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Anytime you get electronic up on his feet shouting shit across the room, I'm signing up for that fucking show.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I hate seeing that because they have a team of such not bitch ass players.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
All of these T, all of these players at various points have felt like the bad asses on there. You know, like fame and flit in that major win run. We're fucking sharp on point, aggressive and calm. I don't want to see the sit back and fucking rest on your heels for, for a minute.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Huge. That's a massive pickup for Nikodaz, one of those awpers that struggles with riflers coming into the team. Good for him. Good for him. Good for them. Again, OG, we still – I mean, we haven't really had to talk about OG a whole lot recently because they – yeah, they've been stuck down there for quite some time, and they haven't even had like – What was their old strategy of roster changes?
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I just like this event because I do like the fact that the top four teams are missing. I would have actually liked to have seen Na'Vi at this event, but top four teams gone. Let's see who's the best of everyone else. No one's touching Vitality. Mouz and Spirit, I think, for this field are pretty close to untouchable. Maybe not untouchable, but...
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They're going to win a shit ton of games against this field. I would like to see Navi in the mix. But let's figure out if that kind of – that ranking system that Chad – because I agree with yours. It's like those three teams and then Mongols and Aurora are now like the next two. And then it's the field. So I just – I like seeing this battle of the rest of the field.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Who's the next team looking like they're making the biggest improvements and the biggest step forward? Yeah.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They lost to SAW at EPL as well.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I think mostly losing and being eliminated by Spirit has hidden, I think, how bad they actually look. Okay. I think this Na'Vi... That's why I said I think Na'Vi's going to hit a free fall. I think this team is unraveling. I mentioned it on the Duncan episode. My feeling around Na'Vi right now is like...
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
We should be looking back on last year and appreciating how incredible it was they had that kind of a year with this team because this year, to me, feels like this is coming back to the norm of you don't have the pieces to be hyper-competitive for an entire year. It's where the conversation started, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Yeah, and it feels like you amazed us for a year, but now this is back to reality a little bit.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
You had that taste of success and something weird happens when you get there because on the path to success, when shit goes down in a game that's bad, it's like, all right, boys, it's all good. Shit happens. Let's focus up on the nuts, move on. Now, when you've had that taste of success and won that major and been the best team of the entire year, when that shit happens in game,
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
you're usually pointing a finger or you're like, why didn't you do this? Or, you know, I didn't have that flash or that's not where we rotate in this scenario. You know, you do, you do get a little bit more pointy of the finger when you feel like that success that you had last year is so close, but you're not finding it in the same way.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I think, I think they've hit that point where some of the egos have gotten big enough, not to be like completely overblown and cause massive issues, but to the point now where there is a little bit of, you know, why didn't, why did you do it this way? Or, you know, like a little bit of blame going around.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
They would pick up like the big name players who had just been like lost from there. Yeah, like the last like year of someone's career. And it feels like they've gone a new direction now, a new philosophy with it. But we just haven't heard from them. But so cool. Let's see what Nikodaz does.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I just paid my taxes last week. If it makes you feel any better, it sucks. Yeah. It's great. We love it.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Over under on the number of times we fuck up Eternal Fire and Aurora on day one.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Remind the people where they came from.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Do we want to go with... I mean, we might as well just continue the Aurora idea.
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Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
I mean, the only thing I was finishing up was just like the way we heard about it was just like gambling sponsors where we're just like we're told 100 percent the government just doesn't allow them to those to like the Turkish entity, which is why they had to kind of fire sale it so quick because it was like, OK, well, now we've lost all the funding and all the money.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But yeah, I have to imagine there's a contingent of Turkish fans that probably feel like hard done by or like this decision was for money and going away from the Turkish organization. I have to imagine there's a contingent of Turkish fans that don't understand the kind of situation that they were put in. So I think that's where those tweets come out that seem almost apologetic or remorseful.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
The same way Brazilians almost have to endear themselves to a really aggressive fan base, I bet the Turkish players have to do that very similar thing as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
But also, it's confusing to me, too, because this should all just be public, right? Like, why don't they just explain it?
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
Not even the players necessarily, but why doesn't the org just say it? I mean, they kind of allude to it in the tweet, but just straight up, you could come out and say, hey, we're not allowed to have gambling sponsors due to the Turkish government, so we have to sell the team because we can no longer afford to pay them salaries.
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
i think it's i think it's yeah i think it's that or you you do the uh the obvious strategy i think for a team that's probably put in a weird situation overnight that you're not prepared for is you gravitate towards the ewc games where you're gonna get you're gonna get some of that partnership money to help fund some of the some of your investment in other games that's where i imagine eternal fire would go well they have teams in valorant league of legends pubg and brawl stars as according to their website
Talking Counter
Episode 130: EF/Aurora, m0nesy and niko reuniting, siuhy loaned out, PGL Bucharest
It's been a minute, but you've still been busy. You've remained on the road.
Talking Counter
Episode 127: Shahar "flameZ" Shushan
And doesn't... I bet he's not humble when they play.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You should just say like, like map core, you know, maybe we get a sponsor for that universal music or maybe Adobe will sponsor us.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, that's what I was going to bring up as well. I love it. I love that he's – I think he truly believes that. And this is why it's so exciting, man, because who better to put a team together or, you know, figure it out with a stand-in than Kerrigan? Just remember Katowice in 2022 with JKS standing in for two different people.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Exist standing in for them instead of all of – Cromen standing in instead of all of their winning tournaments. They're like – In the finals, they're being competitive. So this guy has the experience to get it done. He knows how to put enough structure in, but not for it to be overbearing, to make it sort of work.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And I think also for S1mple, people talk a lot about his mentality and everything. I think... For me, S1mple is one of those guys that any toxicity that comes from him or anything along those lines is because his teammates aren't as good as him, right? And they just don't see things the same way. And that creates frustration. That creates disappointment, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like when you end up losing because of that. And it was at times with that Na'Vi lineup in 2021 when not only he had good teammates, but he realized this is the best team that he has and he became a better teammate too, it felt like. He wasn't on it as much as maybe in some different iterations of Na'Vi.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
So I think you come on a team with Karrigan, Elige, Rain, Frozen, these are all experienced dudes, right? They will not be making basic mistakes, they won't be doing stupid shit, right? You're more or less on the same page about how CS is supposed to be played. So I think in that sort of an environment is where...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Look, we get Neymar together some Brazilian rappers on it, you know,
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You can get a lot out of him and you won't see, you know, the size and the frustrations and the disappointments as much.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, that's how you know they were desperate. He was in Bucharest as well, so it was him and the MEO who were there. They're bringing out the big guns. They're really trying to... Get some vibes going, but it wasn't meant to be. But yeah, I was also a little bit surprised. Everyone was so shocked that they made this change before the major. I thought they had to.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, that they had because it was clearly going nowhere. And, you know, maybe it's a little bit surprising that it's Broky. I guess not because he was struggling.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And it's just I think they maybe also looked at the options, who could we get depending on who we replace, and that it made the most sense to sort of, okay, if we can get simple for Broky, that's better if we maybe bench one of the riflers because our options are more limited in that department. And here you're just going all in in terms of,
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
you know skill firepower just this whole wild situation that they're creating for themselves where you know it's hoping that that will be enough to to power them through because brookie was struggling i mean it wasn't just the stats it was the eye tests unfortunately it was on some key moments like that third map against falcons in the semi-final in bucharest and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
It's just, you know, whatever the reasons for it, as I said, it's not easy necessarily to be an au pair in that lineup maybe for him and his style. But regardless, still has to figure out a way to raise his floor a little bit and just be more consistent. Because his ceiling, we could see his ceiling, and it's pretty high. And he's also that electric player, a bit of an X factor.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And even Kerrigan said in the tweet that, you know, It's not Broky's fault and whatever, and that they have no idea what's going to happen long-term. Meaning, like, you know, it's not like his time in FaZe is completely over. It's just at this moment, they had to make this change.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
it's like without that young core and those young prospects and those you know potential players that still have room to develop you don't really have a long-term direction anymore so you're kind of frozen yeah you got frozen that's it yeah so you need to get the next guys it's so crazy because you know at least with vitality and sphinx it blew up you know they clearly like were issues and they disliked each other this one just faded away
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
It just fizzled out, you know? It was just like, oh, we didn't really reach out to Twist to re-sign him. He didn't really want to go anywhere, but, you know, he didn't feel wanted. Liquid took advantage of the opportunity and got him. Same thing with Ropz, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, a little bit different with him because FaZe was struggling, and you're going to a team that has ZywOo on it, so it was actually a clearly better opportunity for him, but... Man, it's just like... I remember us on the podcast, you know, when Rob's joined FaZe and we're talking about them. They have a sick core for, you know... Years to come. Years to come, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, sure, you know, depending on when Kerrigan will retire and whatnot, the IGL situation will have to be sorted. But outside of that, they're sick. You know, they're in a sick position.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
That'd be the question. I mean, on paper it should be, but unless, you know, it's hard to say without knowing what the reasons were for his slump, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think a great benefit for him is that Twist is on Liquid, and obviously they were together on FaZe, and then... Probably Twist is the guy who would best answer that question. You know, he's already seen Ultimate has been on the team for a year. He's played with Broky for, what, two years or maybe a little bit more than that.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And it's enough for him to know, okay, Ultimate can be better, can get better than Broky, and he's on the right track. Or I'd rather take, you know, Broky because I know what he can do and I know how good he is and how to utilize him best. Yeah, exactly.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
How do we feel about, sorry, this is maybe derailing it a little bit, but why not Dexter and Simple? How do you all feel about that? Dexter?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
No, wait, no, they're in stage. They're in stage two.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You all are crazy, man. You're going to go up against Kerrigan, man? Seriously? You put him in the playoffs? Compared to some of these other guys, I have him in the playoffs. Like, why not? Do you really? Yes. Do you really? Yeah. I think they'll make the playoffs.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And then if they make the playoffs, who knows what could happen. Because what they were able to do in Shanghai especially, Copenhagen not so much, because they were really good at the time.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Sure. All right. I agree with that, though. I mean, we've said it time and time again that that was clearly the problem with FaZe because so many games that go the same way that they would close out in the end, they just weren't able to. So once you lose that and then things are messy to begin with, there's not really much left.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think also I don't want to go too deep on this right now, but I think, you know, with all these changes in phase two, you wonder how big of a shuffle we might have after the major. You know, we're talking about Kerrigan potentially, you know, and how there's definitely teams that would want him if he's, let's say, done with the phase project and just wants a fresh start somewhere else and so on.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I wouldn't put it... I don't think it's going to be done anytime soon, in a way. I don't get that vibe off of him, right? It did sound for a little while. I think I mentioned it on a broadcast at some point, but... You don't get that vibe. I think, if anything, he might be done maybe with FaZe after this, but I don't think he's done with CS.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think he wants more because I think he feels and sees that he isn't the problem, right? Like, he isn't the reason why his team is struggling or failing. Like, sure, could he play better individually in some games? Yeah, but...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think, to be honest, it's also a thing where like how... much longer does fallen want to keep doing this to himself in a way sure right like are you now going to go into this new sort of a project and become a rifling igl for the you know first time in your career like are you really motivated to do that and also probably if you are why you know i think that would be a legitimate question like
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Why are you doing this instead of, let's say, retiring? And sure, the easy answer could be I still have fire, still want to compete. You know, I still feel like I can do it in that way. But maybe, you know, he just hangs it up and becomes the coach for that team. And someone else takes over the mantle and he takes that road.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Although it is hard for some of these players seeing them transition to coaching immediately because it's so taxing being on a team. It's the same schedule. Right? The travel and everything. And you'd imagine they would want at least a little bit of time to just be at home and not have to go to the airport every week and just be with family, you know? So...
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Allegedly.
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I said it even like... It's kind of... Just like watching the game, it's kind of crazy that both of these teams were in the final again. Like, they flew straight from Australia, man, and had to play... But I'm so fucking happy.
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think... Or no problem at all? No, I don't think Brolan's calling has simmered off or anything like that. I think it's just the same thing that it has always been with Maus, is how high is their ceiling? And definitely bringing in Spinks for Shuei has raised their ceiling a little bit.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But you can see in these biggest of games, you know, outside of the Cluj final, really, where you saw Exertion step up and have a great final, it's like their players just can't match what the other team has, right?
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And we were sort of giving them a pass because it was Vitality, and they were owning everyone, and it's IWU, and it's ROPS, and, you know, they made it close one time, I guess, but not really. Yeah. And then, you know, now it's Falcons who come in with a day's practice and spank them two times.
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, one time in the arena, second time in the studio, which is even worse for mouse because, you know, before people would... Give them benefit. Yeah, studio. Yeah, exactly. Right? So, I think that for me is still the question. Like, okay, you can... Right off Melbourne, say it was an off day, right? Like, Mouses is a better team than what they've shown there.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But it's these games, you know, that nuke against Falcons. They're 12-10 up and can't close out and losing overtime. And it seemed like they crumbled on Dust 2 a little bit. Just, you know, pretty much owned by Falcons. It's like those are the ones that...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
give you concern right and that that's what it comes down to right how good can torgy and exertion pretty much and jimmy like or how consistently how consistent can they be because we saw that crazy you know map or series from jimmy or or what was it i just mentioned exertion and the grand final
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
torgy definitely has series where he can pop off but then they will have a series where they go missing you know and i'm not talking about i'm talking about like really being a liability for the team right whether it's exertion not being able to create any space or being the entry desk whether it's torgy just being out of position or not hitting his shots whether it's jimmy you know not not doing a good job anchoring and and sort of being caught out or being inefficient in his lurks right like
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
that that's the problem you know and and figuring out how to sort of get more out of these guys or or do it on a more consistent basis and whether that's up to them sort of to step up a little bit or maybe there's something within the team dynamics that you can change i don't know usually in my experience it comes down to the players just sort of delivering in those moments
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
What is it? They've been right there. They made semifinal of the Rio major. If you go back to 2022.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, I'm not saying they need to make a change or anything like that. They're obviously still a very good team, and I agree with all that, but everyone's in it to win it. You're not there to play second fiddle to anyone, right? No matter how good Vitality is at the moment or how good Falcons have been in this last month, even in Bucharest before Monastir joined, so...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, eventually they'll have to figure it out. I think the peaks from these players are good enough, right? Sure, I agree. But you can't expect to peak all the time. It's more like how can you play your...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
you know let's say if the peak is the a game like there's too much of c in there like there needs to be more of b right and hopefully a couple of guys c does not get you a degree at yaco's fucking university yeah it's not where you get a major that's for sure he doesn't get you the the grand slam or the major or anything like that um but but yeah so i i think that's it for them i think yeah we're done we're done with mouse so what about spirit then
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think Spirit is still paying the price of, you know, winning the mage. Winning the mage. Winning 69 kills. It's like, well, it's literally that. It's like, you know, and it's sort of, we've been talking about this, it's kind of that... you can almost give them a pass for it, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, you just won the major, you know, give Magix or whoever a season or give that roster a full season and see if somehow that has given you a spark where you're able to go out and keep dominating. They also won Bounty, which was the first tournament of the year, right? But then...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Katowice happens and the Vitality dominance just starts and that's not the only team they've lost and that's why this tournament was disappointing for them because they've had a month off and I know that can also be a negative thing to not have the officials and everything but you had time to theorycraft to come up with new things you've watched your opponents right you're coming in with some new stuff
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And I'll tell you something, and this one's for you, Bob, because I watched the games. And this is where you can pull out your stats, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I noticed Shiro was trying to be a bit more aggressive. Right? He was actually trying to go for some aggressive peaks. And I had to go and look it up, right? So for this tournament... Shiro had 20.7% opening attempts, right? Which puts him in the top half when it comes to opening kills. While at Katowice, he had 12.9%. And he was the bottom five.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
He was still ahead of someone like Jim Pat and Broky. But he was the bottom five players when it comes to opening attempts. So that's a...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
huge jump for someone like like shiro that's like a 50 or more um sort of a jump i probably messed this up you're not supposed to do maths on camera ever i i like children that was like a that was like an oratorical strategic retreat you like took a step back conceded one point and that's fucking smacked him with a fact on the other side
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
yeah so so if that is indeed the case and something that they worked on and are going to try and do more that's great because he doesn't even have to be that good at it he just has to go for it just so that you know people see it on on film and just have to take it into account and i felt he played his best cs in cloud nine when he was trying to sort of carry hard carry that team and was taking more risks and being more aggressive you know when they sucked and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And all of that, that's when he played his best individual Counter-Strike. So we'll have to wait and see. He still saved in the last round of the half in a 1v2, so fuck you, Shiro, for that. That is pretty gross. All in all, you know, let's see if there's going to be an improvement in that department.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
The one where he was 0-12 or something.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You have to watch through this thing, Bob. You have to see it, Bob.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
The only way they beat Vitality is some ridiculous game from Donk, right? Like, Vitality has them beat in every single department, and Zai was also the best player in the world this year, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And teams are just able to put so much emphasis on Donk and limiting his impact and sort of playing in a way that makes it hard for him to find impact and find his frags, where it's like he has to play the game on nightmare mode
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
no one else is a real threat in an aggressive manner right like you're not scared of shiro and and trying to make an opening or anything he's like great at punishing and great at clutching but who like magisk needs to have another sick game or chopper needs to be doing something right to alleviate some of the pressure and that's not really happening and you can't really expect that to happen
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Kyosuke.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
yeah i think that last year it was a little bit weird just because of the triangle also navi spirit g2 and then you know they would get owned by g2 but they would beat navi so somehow navi beats g2 for them and they play now in the final they could win i don't know but yeah i think this offseason they they either promote him or someone else gets him it feels like why would he sit another season out on the bench yeah agreed all right should we glaze vitality now or should we start with falcons
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
well we can start with falcons i guess all right back-to-back finals not his best performances what do you have to say he sucked ass not much to say i mean he was worse in the rivals uh final than he was in the melbourne one i think he could find impact on the maps that they were able to win and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Unfortunately, you look at Melbourne, you look at that nuke, and he was their best player on CT side, their worst player on T side. I think in all those rounds, he only had eight kills on T side nuke with all those overtimes and everything.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And that's going to be really hard because, you know, he knows that if he was only able to get a couple more here and there, just an opening here, an opening there, might have been enough to push them over the finish line. I mean, they still should have won that game, but whatever.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
um and yeah i think actually in in grand finals this year it hasn't been that great he's had a fall off compared to you know some of the other uh games or just the playoffs in general um so yeah i think it's just a little bit of a slump maybe for those moments i don't i don't really know what to put on it.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Because before, I could say, you know, he gets a little bit too emotional maybe in some of these games, right? Like, he wants to win it so bad, he tries too hard and tries to force plays that aren't there and tries to do too much in rounds and whatnot, you know? But I didn't really think that in these games. You can also tell on the player cam, like, he doesn't get super mad anymore.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
There is, but for the most part, it's like, to me, he looks more poised and a little bit more calm, right? Like I think some of them happen individually, but it does feel like the focus is still in the right place. So I wouldn't put it to that. And maybe it's just a slump.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Maybe it's a little bit just with the addition of Bonessi and like having to, you know, maybe do a little bit more talking at the moment because he's so familiar with him and Bonessi isn't, you know,
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
doesn't know all the things that are set for the team and he's getting adjusted i don't want to find excuses for him he just played bad you know but i know nico and i know that he'll definitely put in the work and do whatever it takes whatever it is in his power to sort of get out of it and next time they play vitality i would expect a different game for him and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Also, we shouldn't forget that at the start of CS2, he was struggling. Obviously, for different reasons, you know, getting adjusted to the new game and people were saying, oh, did CS2 kill Niko, right? Like, will he ever be able to find that level again? And then he was. So I think you'd be a fool to doubt him, that he wouldn't be able to bounce back.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But yeah, without a doubt, it's been a tough couple of finals for him individually. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, and I think also... Jason doesn't buy it.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think also this is where someone like Lars and Zonic also come in after these two finals, and I think they can do a very good job of sort of harnessing these two defeats and channeling the emotions from these two finals the correct way, right? Because... definitely Falcons had their opportunities in both of these finals.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I thought Dust2, even though it wasn't close scoreline-wise here at Rivals, I think it definitely could have been a lot closer, could have gone Falcons' way. I think that's where Niko will definitely regret a couple of rounds. You know, the 3v2 on A where Mezzi jumps on the boost box and Niko doesn't get the kill.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
The one where he's swinging out Cat and sort of doesn't almost even hit Apex properly. There were rounds.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But, you know, to channel it in a way, you know, be angry about this, right, in a way and just think about these two losses, you know, like while you're putting in the work and just so that you're so locked in the next time you face them, right, where you're going to be like, all right, now we actually had some time, like now we're going to get you and now we're going to show you what we're actually capable of.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Right. Because if you don't address it, if you don't channel it properly, then it can sort of just linger around and leave this bad taste in your mouth. Yeah, exactly. Great word.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
so much is similar the call outs are different but you know the same instant smokes are going to be thrown on pretty much every single map so i think it's i think there's like a quick on ramp in terms of what utility is used everyone already knows it you just maybe timings and getting the feel down which is critical i know dude but come on like there's so many things on every map like i listened to an apex interview and he's saying talking about nuke and it's his favorite map and he feels like their playbook is so deep that he has like 40 different things he can call on the map
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like, you know, that that takes time for you to be able to imprint that. And sure, you can call and say, honestly, throw this smoke. And then but that's like so hard to do on the fly to sort of explain it. And every player will perform better when he knows what his teammates are doing as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like if you just kind of tell him what he's doing and he can focus on that, like, yeah, he'll be focusing on that. But. won't really be aware of all the space available or what the best reaction is unless he understands fully what everyone is doing.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
So I think you could see the problems of that in other games too, but a lot against Vitality where you can see that their playbook is a little bit limited and that they would have...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think it's also just they're under more spotlight in this roster, you know, both Kikson and Tassus. Well, Kikson definitely more so than Tassus, the most spotlight he's ever been under in his career, right? And on the other side, you have Tassus who had the heroic stance and they were, you know, close in some of these tournaments, but could never get it over the line. But yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
In general, obviously, Falcons will be looking at the big picture. They'll be thrilled. They made three finals in a row, winning one of them, right? Like, no time to practice with Montessi. Now they have two weeks before Dallas starts, so not a heap of time, but still enough to just get a little bit more regimented and definitely a lot to learn from the games that they played.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
They played some very good teams today. Just one thing I want to add with the spirit and Falcons thing. You know, the game they played was on the second day, right? Like that was the game two for both teams. It was the upper bracket final. It was the last game of the day. It started at 9 p.m. Falcons only arrived.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
two days before that from australia and still falcons are able to come back after the first map loss the third map goes into overtime and they're able to grind it out like it's when i think with those circumstances like it it's a little bit more damning on on spirit right that they weren't able to close that one out against falcons who are definitely you know very
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yep. Absolutely. But before that, I'd just get rid of best of ones first. You know? Sure. That's the main issue for me when it comes to maps at the major. We still have best of ones in MR12. That's crazy. But... Yeah, absolutely.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think so. I'd imagine so, right? Because I think even for the underdogs, you know, it's like best of ones is just so random. You might feel like you didn't have a proper chance really to show what you have. So...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
haven't really had a great chance of variety in a way haven't been able to establish anything yet it's fair I guess I think that's where the teams also got a lot better you know I was talking about this a few months ago how teams are like unaware how quickly
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
mr12 goes right and how little room you have for mistakes and how quickly how quickly come yeah how quickly comebacks can happen it feels like now at least these top tier teams you know your mouths your falcons your your vitality like they understand this extremely well yes right and that's why you don't see them falter that's why vitality is able to come back from being 12-3 down Mirage, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Because the belief is still there. Even though these guys need just one round, like, we've done this before, we can do it, we know we can do it, right? Also, even if the score is, you know, whatever the score is, you know how quickly it can turn around. If you can just win... We had the Glock Eco from...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
from falcons you know on mirage you've been around like that and all of a sudden you're in the driver's seat like the rounds turned completely on his head of course you don't bank on winning a glock eco but you know that it could be just one round that can make it happen so that's why these teams are a lot better at it and i mean i mentioned the comeback from vitality they still lost in overtime but
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
just we talked about mental fortitude or the the the staff the behind the teams and whatnot like vitality is definitely the crown example of how to sort of manage the team and pick your tournaments and and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
create this culture and create a good atmosphere and have everyone be on the same page right and that's what allows him to perform at this level because you've heard Apex said it and it's absolutely the truth you know teams like this rosters like this you get it maybe once in your career right and he's been there obviously and some of the guys so and so you know Rops or ZywOo and whatnot and
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Messi definitely, but understanding that you need to maximize the potential of this lineup while you can. You never know for how long it's going to last, when it's going to go wrong, when are other teams going to upgrade a lot and you might be struggling to keep that consistency. And I love just because everyone is bought in. That's what Vitality is.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Vitality is an example of everyone buying in, right? And you see, ZywOo has been playing his best year of Counter-Strike, right? He's been incredible in finals. He's been the reason why they're winning some of these finals, which is... what we've been wanting to see this whole time long. He's definitely taken that extra step, if that was even possible somehow, in his game and in his career.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But when you see him sort of shout and fist bump his players and get up and also do a little bit of the hyping up, not just the fragging inside the servers, when you can tell, damn, this team, this is a proper team. You know, and... Without that, they don't come back in Melbourne. They don't come back here. They lose probably two, three months ago their first game, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
It's that unity that they've been able to build and that sort of fraternity that they have, the brotherhood that they have on the team, the bond that they've created is what makes them so incredibly difficult to play against on the server as well.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
in the game yeah right that attitude so the fact that zywoo is now like obviously i was not going to be doing the same edgy stuff no matter how hard trace tries um or darth mike for that oh yeah i don't know why do people like feel this need to have to do it you know i i i like mike and i think i don't know if it's maybe blast pushing for that as well but
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
It's like, why do we always try to get Monacy and ZywOo there and you want them to talk trash to each other? That's never going to happen.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
They want trash, get Apex in there. That's who we're going to get to talk trash. It's like you're just making it kind of awkward. You're annoying the players, right? Which, okay, I guess you're happy because you still got some content out of it.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You know, but it's always crazy to me is like, you don't need to, why are you forcing this on the players when there's already enough storylines that you can ask them different sort of questions where you can get good answers for them, right? Like, just feel it's so unnecessary and it's kind of lazy in a way.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah. He's American. That's it, Jason. You guys have that. I think just also just to end, I guess on the ZywOo point, you know, last year he played only 10 maps of grand finals worth and his rating was 1.18. He's like, actually he's doubled that this year. He has 21 already. He has 21 already and his rating is 1.38. MVP at 05. Yeah, he's obviously the highest rated player when it comes to that.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Just to give a quick comparison, Niko last year, the fourth highest rated with 113 rating, 13 maps played. This year, 17 maps played already, but 1.02 rating. So a big drop off for him compared to last year.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Unless somebody does this in the backseat.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
We'll see. Usually he plays better in the second half of the year, if I'm not mistaken. So, I mean, that would be crazy seeing him top that off. Just another thing. So, ZywOo this year, 1.38. Donk last year, 1.40. And Donk for the whole year on LAN played fewer maps than ZywOo did already. He played 19 and ZywOo already has 21.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But I think also the fact that they had these 20-day breaks, you know, after Katowice, 20 days. After Lisbon, 20 days before Melbourne. Now they'll have, well, not 20 days, but a little bit... Two weeks. A little bit over two weeks before Dallas. So it's like being able to give players that week without CS is like so nice. And obviously makes it easy to do when you're winning, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And then are able to do that. But again, requires everyone to be... to not take it for granted, right? And maximize your time off. But then when we're back, it's back on the grind. Everyone is, you know, 100% focused, 100% committed. And I think it's the blueprint how to handle things in this era in a way.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah. Yeah, but I also want to... I don't know how things are like... For example, you look at this Rivals tournament. It was 350k total prize pool, right? Yes. It's okay. It was supposed to be on stadium event in Mexico. But they get 80k appearance fee. Yeah, okay. And then there's the frequent flyer stuff.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But it's like, I don't know if teams just next year look at it and are like, well, let's just skip this event, you know, and let's just play a PGL event instead. Or let's skip both, you know, and focus on maybe the bigger things. Like, do they really need to? I mean, you're saying fly from Australia to Copenhagen as if flying from Australia to Mexico would be any better and then having to fly back.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think you'd prefer that because... Online CS?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Well, there's the, I think the fishery event first, then Cologne. But yeah, regardless, I just mean like Jason said, because you don't have to travel for it and you can just attend it and whatever happens, you don't lose or gain that many points because it's online.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
but the way if you play the first four for them this year then you can speak skip like the second rivals or something and have more time to prep for another event so maybe that's what we'll see some of these things do i don't know next year will be interesting for that i don't want to get into format talk yeah i will blast we'll have to restructure some stuff for sure but yeah that's that's right we we haven't really had any big vrs or tor updates tournament operation requirements
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
mouse number two falcons number three spirit number four okay so they're probably yeah fair enough yeah i just wanted to see for example i needed to check where pain is at because pain has lost their last nine matches right and sure they had a coach in melbourne they had this the demo guy for a couple of tournaments now they get dgt and they still you know lost their both games they got too old by wild card right and it's like surely they must have fallen significantly third in america's and 17 overall
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think, well, Cluj or Bucharest. But for me, they're the third best behind Astralis and NIP. I think NIP is the more controversial one. What about the Fnatic one?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Well, yeah, I guess that's I guess you'll also take Fnatic because of the majors and everything at this point. That's the thing. Like it's hard. Vitality is peaking right now and their peak is higher than some of these teams. Right. Like obviously winning five events in a row. That's I guess why you said maybe it's unfair to rate them yet. And that's the reason.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
What happens if they don't win the major? All of a sudden, it's like, yeah, it's been a great three months, but you didn't win the big one. There's a good sum of fling. I think for me, all the time, it's still Astralis number one. Because they could have had these different streaks if they don't lose one game at some point. And I get it. They didn't have it.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But in those top ten, four of them are that one roster.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
right like and just a 2018 2019 the dominance was incredible and NAP is also why they have to be in it and obviously they have the it was only the very beginning half of the teams were still playing 1.6 or source like they just had a head start on people or the competition wasn't as fierce it took a lot of catching up for for teams with them yeah but they still
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
They still achieved it, right?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah, exactly. I think that's why. And it's always unfair for the guys who came before, right? Yeah. Because everyone that comes after, they're the baseline. And that's who you watch and that's who you learn from. And that's stuff that these guys had to come up with and figure out on their own. Like, you just have it there because they have already been doing it. It's there for you to mimic.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think the problem is multifaceted here, because for one, what sort of offers is S1mple going to get? Even the Falcons one that he got was going to be the only one. First of all, S1mple isn't going to go to GamerLegion and stand in for them or play for them because they need an offer or because they want them. S1mple can only go to a team like FaZe, to a team like Falcons.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
There's...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Well, people will just start hating for them winning everything. Apex is French as well. Right? That's true. That might be... It will just be... But just these two games between Falcons and Vitality, it's just been such high-level CS, man. Not just the skill on the server, but the mind games, the calls, like... It's just been so, so good. It's CS at its finest. It's the most entertaining.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And that's why you're excited to see how it can look like with Falcons having some time to actually integrate Monastir.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I don't know. There's a stand-up in a couple of days.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
to a team like Liquid, you know, these big-name orgs that can, first of all, put a good team around them, and second of all, pay him, right? Like, I don't think, you know, he's going to, and maybe he should, like, that's a completely different conversation. He'll take a pay cut or, like, get a much, much lower salary just to get back into the circuit, right? That's one thing.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think it's just Spirit against Terran, but also Na'Vi. How far can Na'Vi fall? Yeah, because the excuse has been, oh, they only lose to Spirit and I don't know who else. Falcons as well in Melbourne. Okay, now these teams aren't here. So let's see where your level is at against these sort of teams. And also for some, you know, Aurora finally had a month off.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You know, they finally had some time off. And let's see how they will look like after that. The Mongols.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think this is where you know what I talked about in the previous episode and like we were just because these big names were struggling and big players like were on teams that have been struggling we got enamored with Aurora and the Mongols but they're not really contender teams so let's see how they look like in this tournament
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I think so. But it's also how much can he do with everything that's going around the team, right? Like in terms of the org and everything, like what's the mood like for these players? Are they even, you know, how motivated are they? Yeah, exactly. And whether they're getting paid on time or they're being asked to take pay cuts, I don't know. I don't really care.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But, you know, is he coming in and just a shit show where no one really cares? Right. Like because that's a problem, then there's not really much that he can do. But if the players are still committed to the roster and like them as a team and, you know, maybe tomorrow they play for a different org, they won't care as long as they're getting paid and shit like.
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Second thing, like, yeah, he should have definitely played more CS and... made it clear that he wants to still compete on a tier one level that i didn't get that sense from him or or like from what he has been up to you know this year or probably ever since he was on the bench for Na'Vi, right? But then on the other side of things, it is simple, right?
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But if that's the case, then definitely he can he can help.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Why are you so fucking joyful, man?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
It will also be fun to see who is the least bad Brazilian team. What's the opposite, Jason, of a Super Bowl team?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
The mediocre ball, but... yeah just call it cereal bowl like probably all right here's just i guess we can end it on this because we'll cut we'll probably do an episode in before the playoff starts or something i don't know we'll see what happens we'll figure it out like spirits tournament to win maybe navi as a resurgence or already mongols g2 whatever
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Like we talked about those previous episodes, G2, Monacy, you don't develop players like that. They're generational talents. I mean, that's who Simple is. He's a generational talent. He definitely doesn't have enough reps in CS2, in pro play, like to be able to sort of
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
But the question is, you can use this for your odds thing at some point, Chad. What are the odds that by 2030, we get a Brazilian super team?
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I can put 2028. Okay, let's do it three years. Five years is a bit crazy. Let's do three years.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
January 2028. How old is Insani? January 2028. Season is starting and you have your Brazilian super team.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
Lato.
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You'll see them in Dallas. You'll see them in Dallas, Chad, and you will be humbled. You will eat a humble pie.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
You'll do content with them. You'll talk. You're going to have to look. I'll make sure. I'll talk to media services. You're going to have to look Dumau and Lato in the eye. I like them. I'm sick of you guys. I... I don't believe you're any good and you will never be good. Good luck. Have fun.
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
adjust his gameplay from csgo to cs2 i think that's what's going to hold him back to um deliver on a super high level but can he play better than broky did for them absolutely right the problem for me is
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
actually, you look at FaZe, and I think one of the reasons why Brokkie was struggling is, like, you bring in a leash for Ropz, you bring an aggressive player for a passive one, right, and sure, Rain does some switching around, but at his core, he's a more aggressive player, he likes to take fights, and then what is the AWPer going to do in that scenario when you already have Kerrigan and the leashes, the space takers, right, like, all he's going to do
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
is support right like that's going to be his main job just to support the riflers right like use a lot of utility all of that stuff i mean you don't want simple to be doing that for you necessarily and i don't know this is where it's going to be i'm just so excited to see man what kerrigan does with him
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
And if he's able to do this, because if he does something and they actually look good, and Kerrigan is going to be the best in-game leader S1mple ever played for in his entire career, right? Like, without a doubt. And he's a guy who can make it happen, and this would be his Austerlitz. Like, it would be his...
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
absolute masterpiece if he's somehow able with simple as a stand-in and everything that's been going on with their lineup and how absolutely miserable not only this year has been but probably the last six months of the previous year you know if he's somehow able to put it together and you know we go to the major there's a lot of best ones there up until the playoffs and if they're able to sort of do damage and and and and
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Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
look good it's a team that no one will want to face in the playoffs because it's an absolute wild card it's a loose cannon
Talking Counter
Episode 134: FaZe -broky +s1mple, inflammatory comments, BLAST Rivals PGL Astana, Vitality v Falcons
I don't want one to be... Who the fuck cares what the people have to say? You think they know what they want? They didn't know they wanted an intro until we gave them an intro. Then they didn't know the Harry one was cool until we played it to them. So we'll just do whatever the fuck we want and you all out there can either enjoy it or you can...
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
They actually all kind of like the vibe, but it's early. And think of it this way, too. The last FURIA roster, we just got tired of talking about because there was no improvement. There was nothing positive, nothing exciting and interesting to talk about. At least this team, we're like, okay, well...
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I shouldn't say I hope he doesn't coach. What the fuck? Well, because he's in the same... What the fuck? He never finds a job again, actually. Okay, let's not act like Fallen is going to be out of work if he chooses not to coach Counter-Strike. This is what I mean. Fallen doesn't have to work. He's in the shroud position.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So as soon as he retires, he's like, I'll just go streaming and make bank or I'll go do... Put my attention more elsewhere.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
No, but he's been doing it for 10 years. And when I was on Liquid, he was doing practice and streaming after practice. It's something he's kept up with. So it's like, I assume he's enjoying it. Like, I assume he's enjoying these projects.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's true. Yeah, he did have his choice of 20 computers spread out through the whole conference room.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I shouldn't have said I hope he doesn't coach because I obviously would have enjoyed the experience.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It doesn't make any sense for him to coach when you think that he can just go make way more money and have a way more chill experience.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Maybe he just wants to keep competing. Okay, great.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
His shit's activated on the valves in the Steam store.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
she'd like to stop traveling to all the events with him yeah like it's a pretty cool lifestyle until you want to settle down have kids exactly all those kind of things right he fucking retires we're getting him on this fucking show i'm telling you yeah get him dish all the dirt yeah yeah go and i can get him what dirt oh he's got some he's got something okay all right on him i mean on just anyone else yeah he knows things what happened in sao paulo in 2016 before that
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's a nice cock chair in this hotel.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I gave him my passport. We got you flagged, baby.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, a couple. From what we've heard, a few of them. Absolutely. Even like an upgrade cock chair situation as well. I'm a regular room to the presidential suite. Are you sweeting again? I'm not sweeting again, no. I didn't get it this time. I don't have a membership at the Omni properties.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's a vastly different experience from you.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And to what, where we're in America?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You fist-bumped the boy.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
What was his name?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Kramer. Of course it was Kramer. Gerald R. Ford became vice president when Spiro Agnew resigned. So he was never elected as vice president. The vice president resigned first. Ford got bumped up, and then Nixon resigned.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Anyways, but it's a great event. Spring break 2025 is back.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Okay, we were diving right in from Kramer to Bestia.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It is amazing to me too.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's not. Nothing will ever be the same as that.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
There's been a lot of announcements and I haven't kept up with all of it.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, what do you think?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You were paying nothing because of your interns. To do all the work.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I mean, it's basically both sides saying the same thing.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's a weird situation because it very clearly is heartbreaking and sucks no matter which way you look at it. It's an unfortunate event for people who busted their ass to get the major. So that's one side of it. I think the other side of it too is from the Blast perspective is they're putting on a three-week event that's probably costing them millions and millions and millions of dollars.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So if they want to set a deadline and say you have to be prepared and you have to show that you're capable of getting to our multi-million dollar event that we're throwing, I think that's completely reasonable.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I'd be sponsored by the Icy Blue Mountains any day of the week.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
See, right now... I'm not saying there's anything with money of why they're not coming. I'm just saying I think it's entirely reasonable of Blast to say, we're putting on this event and you need to be able to show that you can get to this event by this date.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think it's very similar to the ESL Astana situation where they basically said, you guys can do both events, we'll make an exception, but you have to fucking be here. Sure.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I guess also the next question would be, since they're saying they have the visas already, like, Or is it worth, is Blast going to look, are they going to look at the new evidence or the new information or the new data that's given to them now that the deadline has passed?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Because if they've already invited Legacy and they've already passed the deadline, I mean, it might just be, it might just kind of be a screw it situation.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So, I mean, I'm with the echo in that if they have the visas and they have and all they're doing is picking them up, give it to them.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
But I mean, it gets stickier now that you've actually told five other people that they get the spot because now you have to go back and take that spot away from five or six other people in an entire organization and give it back to the original people who should have had it. So no matter what you do, you're fucking somebody over.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And it's only gotten worse over the years. It started when I was in college, and it's just gotten worse.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, like little beer-brewing hipsters started roaming the streets with their little mustaches, just twirling them up, their weird hats.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Why are you doing this? Now that you've done it, you can't get it back.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
There was a couple of others as well that I think... Actually, I mean, I think as far as North American events go, this is probably smoother on the Visa route than most of them.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
In the NHL TV article, just because everyone's going to read it, I mean, Blast has a comment in here that they said, Bestia's current legal representative has since confirmed that the team began the visa process incorrectly and without proper legal support prior to Blast's involvement or prior to the legal party's involvement.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't know, there's just like, I don't know, there's so many details to this. And I know from what I've heard too, they've also applied for visas like three or four times throughout the year also that have been rejected every time. So they're probably in like a low priority and probably a flag that makes it more difficult. It's a weaker passport.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I've heard from other Europeans that if you get denied for a visa, it's harder to get them in the future. I don't know how all that works, but I don't know.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. Before you go too hard in the pen in any one direction.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I've got a lot of New Jersey fans still reaching out to me these days.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
There's a couple states that you don't have to treat quite as equally as the other states.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Well, Florida's a nice easy one.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Washington, like the top left, not the right side.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't know. It's just a weird place. Can't I just love everybody equally? You can love everyone equally.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I'll take care of it. Pass them on. Just forward them.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
My beard, I went for a trim before coming out here to Dallas. And she gave me a trim and I didn't catch it at the barbershop. The lighting a little, you know, weird, but I got home.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You can't add every piece of context to everything you say in public.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Well, how dare you, first of all.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
No, it was light, but like, I don't know, looking in the mirror that was like a little bit further away, I didn't like notice it. But when I got home, I looked in the mirror and it was like, I wanted to do like kind of like a gradual like fade into like keeping this longer. So it kind of built into it. It was all blended in nice.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, you did insult their kind of shit.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So what makes me scared about that game is you only have to lose that game once.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Come on, Turkish fans. Your team hasn't been playing that well lately. They don't play well in the arena. Have they?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Not good. Eye test.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And she did like a really short cut on the sides, but left the goatee at like pretty much its full length. So I got home and I literally was just looking in the mirror like, I'm Edward Norton in American History X. And I was like, and now I have to shave this. And now I have to get rid of it. I can't walk the streets like this. That would have been a look for you, I'm sure.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
We handled the audio issues. We did not force the record with crappy audio conditions. And I feel like we all learned something today, which is that sometimes you just need to delete a setting in OBS and re-add the exact same one, and it works.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, but Mongols and Aurora, they're out of necessity.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And I tried to blend it in with my own razor and it didn't work.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, they look like they're actually playing the best as a team.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
He's so frustrating because he's one of those players that pulls off that bullshit so many times that you swear his game just works a little bit differently. Do you ever play with those guys where it's like, you never seem to get caught from behind. Or someone shoots at you from behind and they miss five bullets. Like, every time. Like, you just have this weird luck factor about your game.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I guess, do you...
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
we've had this conversation before do you have because since gamer legion is not doing the major this is their last event before the player break yeah you hold that whole like this is their super bowl i used that for astana too as the framing and they were zero and three yeah well they didn't bench him he has visa issues that's why he's not here for a player who doesn't need a visa to enter the states that's an interesting way to frame it gamer legion thank you very much
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's just been a shit ton of counter-strike lately, man.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
He's had a couple of rough playoff series.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
The best thing that could have probably happened for Vitality.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't buy the Apex thing when he came up to the desk and said, we're not really thinking about it. Like, I know they probably... Which part?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, the streak. And like, they're not thinking about all the records they're breaking. They're not thinking about all those things where it's like the baggage on their shoulders. And I want to be like, bro, like, I understand that players probably feel like they don't think about it, but it's there whether you're consciously thinking about it. Like, it's every question in every interview.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And just watching their cams at this event...
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think they prefer that as well. But that's also why I think the loss is better to take here than to take it at the major. Of course, you want the major.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
What happens? What do you think? It would have to be the shittiest feeling if you got all the way to the major final and lost. And you lost. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Probably has the firepower too.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Holy shit. Were they keeping Mongols low at least? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You could justify it.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
They lost five of the last six on that third map.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
We were talking about it this morning. The seeding games at this event were actually fun as fuck.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Going into a major.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So he's got so many plays cuz I don't think he I don't think he made that aggressive of a walkout palace throughout that entire time that was like right out of
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
This is the first day I've seen anything that makes me feel like he's on the path to properly coming back into the pro scene.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I like it.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I like it. I really do. I feel like there's this sense that I want him to fail and I don't. I want him to succeed. I think Counter-Strike is in a better place, as you just outlined, if S1mple is doing better. This is the first thing I've seen that makes me think that mentally he's actually trying to get into it.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Don't you hate the fact that it's like Kerrigan, Simple, and these guys with all the experience saying, practice is going great. Isn't there like something that's making... No, but that's the reason I'm buying in.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, you're used to having to push past the exhaustion. But also, I've never, like, done quite that kind of a schedule, but I've done that whole thing where you land and go directly into a live show or media day. And even when you're, like, exhausted, like, I guess, not the adrenaline, because it's not anything super crazy, but I guess, like, the... The adrenaline.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You were getting excited. I can't help it.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
He passed it off to me. I did apologize to him after that. I said, I'm sorry. That's just the way it works out sometimes. He's staring at me.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Just get the perpetual honeymoon period?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
The longer a team's together, the tighter... Which player on that team are you making the rotate, bitch?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Okay, so you said Vitality, Spirit, Maus, Falcons... He's thinking more of a player. Who would be a player that's not on those teams? Those are the seven teams. So you have Liquid available, you have G2 available.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think of the players remaining, he'd be probably one of the five people in consideration.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
This is the hard part. Well, where do you want to go with that? Because you have some options.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's almost from the Deva school of opting, I feel, with Sam Pius. Yeah, yeah, yeah. because i mean there's a name for yeah that'd be the names like device some pious uh wrinkle maybe why is josh so upset right now he does look angry because we played last night and we had our pc set up here we go and the power got taken out and he didn't move
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Mongols versus Aurora. No, but that energy of going into a live show carries you pretty well through the exhaustion. But you crashed hard once you got off the show. I remember you fucking died as soon as the show ended.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Oh, popping the circuit. And Dinko's holding his ground.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
There's no one that will take that spot unequivocally.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It was like three days into the event. He was the number one ready to play at the event. I was like, oh, Hooksy effect.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I wish device would leave Astralis and go chase trophies.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Tanir. Tanir? I think he's sharp as fuck. We're building a team for the future right now.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
What about Nerds? Yo, I'll throw a wild one out there for you. Nerds is good. That's topical as well. This is maybe one of the sad parts of the Bestia thing. Tomazin was wild.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
They have to, right? Yeah, 100%. What are the percentage chance they bring back Simple? Say he has a good major.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. Better for Sybil or better for Na'Vi?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think that's way too... If it was past 2026, I'd be surprised. Yeah, well, me too.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Dude, I was telling Yeki, and I guess this ties into your little star power era of Counter-Strike. Counter-Strike's fun as fuck to watch right now.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's really fun to watch right now.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't think people fully appreciate how much IGLs were just puppet masters over the years.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's a testament to this is where I'm always like, this is why I have faith in the devs of Counter-Strike.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I know they're not always slow to update things and get moving, but the updates they've made, like all these little additions that give individuals more decision-making powers and differences, that's part of the reason why this game is actually exciting to watch right now because, yeah, you have the team structure, but you have that individual freedom and individual ability to take that freedom when it's presented to you.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, that's not a surprise. You could tell watching them too that they were exhausted.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
i mean yeah i think i i was on the same line of view of thinking of it like man i hope vitality don't win this event so we can like set up like a can falcons take the major way from them but if it doesn't matter if they win or lose because in reality the storyline of them winning every event they've attended for six months and then like record-breaking win streak all these other things added into it like that story is pretty crazy too on top of that you have mouse lying in wait kind of flying under the radar because of their losses to falcons which like if they can somehow
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I'm just going to skip to the timestamp. Did you put this beer here?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. Yeah. Good-looking 70-year-olds. Really? No, not really, but... He's young and horny.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Did he tell you they tried to set him up with a girl when he was in Michigan?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
uh i think you said something like that my 70 year old neighbors we had dinner and dingo was there and they she messaged me the next day and she sent me a picture of her with like um just just some some girl and she's like would your would your friend from ireland be interested in going out with a young lady in this picture with me she's 21 years old and she's blah blah blah and let me know if he's interested in going on a date old people it's cool people right
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I brought three.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
We got back. We flew from... Was it you or me?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
They looked okay in their first match against FaZe. And then the other matches after that, it was just like, you guys have regressed. Like, everything after that was kind of gross. I have no opinion. Yeah. Wow. That's a first.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I was hosting. You were on the desk. Alex and... Or Matt and Henry were casting. Alex was doing COD at the time.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. I don't know. You guys can talk about it. They have some real issues, obviously. I haven't really pinpointed them yet after watching this. I'm waiting for the major to see when they have more time and get things a little bit more settled.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Twist looked really good. I think Nerds had an off event. I think Ultimate looked okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't know.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think part of it is, up until this point, when Twist was IGLing, they just didn't have the people to pair up with him to have more success in the aggressive moves and more aggressive plays that he was making. Now that you have Twist, yeah, that one's weird. But you still look at that. You're like, Nertz is a little bit quieter than he should be.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
NAF still struggling to get comfortable in these anchor positions, which is going to be an issue if it continues at the major. I think if he has a bad major, I think if you're Liquid, you have to look at whatever options are available out there afterwards, which is sad to say, because I love the little fucking Canadian bastard. One season is enough to get him out?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think no, but when it's such a problem with the roles that he's in, I think the conversation would have to be had with him if he's motivated and wants to try and make those roles work. But I think the fact that if he's going to continue being the anchor and he's clearly not comfortable in those kinds of positions, then it has to be a conversation.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's why I was hosting because Alex was like on some... He was an ESL employee at the time.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
But yeah, he's been great for them, and his best asset for Liquid over the years has been how consistent he's been. It's just failing him right now, which is kind of scary. How old is Nap now, 27?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So he was doing like... Yeah, I think he was doing COD. He was not.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Sure hasn't really taken like a time off like some of the other guys have.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
On top of all that, I think he's been in Liquid since what, early 2017, I want to say? 2018, maybe? 2017, 2018, right? Because he's on Renegades, I think, in 2017, potentially.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Maybe it was World of Tanks or something. I don't know.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
oh all right well sorry sorry he won't listen to this he's too busy what's he doing nothing that's just yeah i don't know what to i don't know what to make of liquid i mean are they better or worse than the previous lineup with justin better okay but i don't think i don't think that has anything to do with justin i mean yanko disagrees it's hard to say that to be fair because it's been like maybe
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
But I mean, I don't think it has anything to do with Justin. I think it just has to do with Shuei coming in.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Okay, then it would be Yanko's because I haven't taken a sip yet. All right.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's cool seeing him and Ash showing the value of what a coach can bring to the league.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
What if they bring S1mple? Would they be a contender?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Fuck's sake, boys.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I like that we just had this conversation about G2 because I want to turn the corner on the G2 topics. For me, this one year from them winning Dallas with Stewie last year to now, that's the end of this arc of this whole Nico and Monacy. They're firmly in rebuilding territory now.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
poor decisions is where it's put you from winning Dallas last year to now.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
This is also why it's so strange, though, because it's weird having an org like G2 where you praise them for the intelligence of the roster decisions to grab mobs and heavy god, like young, new players with a lot of potential and a lot of time left in their careers. But then you also have to shit on them for being like, how do you let Niko and Monacy go?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Especially because the Maus departure is still so tight-lipped. Like watching Trace ask Shuhei that question and just seeing his reaction to it, I was like, oh, nobody wants to touch this one. Like there's not even like a lie being offered.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
No, I'm sure plenty of people know. It's just weird.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And just said, I'm not talking to you until you answer this question.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Hi, sweetheart. You're live on a podcast right now. Oh, hey, Andy. Okay. I need to call you back. I love you. I feel bad hanging up on you. You have a pretty dress on.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I was laughing because Chad snaps on the walk back because I had my volume on.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I guess, I mean, I don't know. Can we kind of attribute it? Because I know we had the conversation when CS2 first came around that the transition from CS2 of the old guard from CSGO, those people are going to get worked out much quicker than it happened CS 1.6 to CSGO. Sure. That didn't happen until four years in, four or five years in. Now it's like two years in. These guys are getting pushed out.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I mean, outside of like the IGLs, like your Kerrigans and Apexes and Device, outside of like your really specialty players.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. You know, think of like rain now having a second kid. And this isn't to like put a spotlight on rain and say you can't do it. But we know from just having one kid, if you are a player who has to grind and think of ideas of how you're going to handle situations and think of ideas that you want to test, think of utility.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Like there's just so many hours in the day now where once you start getting into like the other things in life, you just don't have that many hours to spend. So eventually you're just going to get you just can't keep up.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Now that the money is good enough, it's maybe maybe now that the money is good enough, people can start finding ways to organize their life. So it's still centered around Counter-Strike the way professional athletes have to do it. But yeah, I think it's just going to it's just going to be tough at the moment for some of these guys to keep up with the fast pace changing.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
She probably has some funny things to say, though.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's been a little bit of a party lately. I'm like overwhelmed. It's more fun when we do this in person. It really is.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's dangerous. Be nice to Kinga. Be nice to Kinga.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Oh, yeah, dude. He did get massively sunburned.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's what was so weird.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
He's got a good point there. But, yeah.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's not much. You're just trying to be like, you're helping like family that are, you know, your friend's family or the bride's family. You're helping just make sure people are getting drinks they need and just making sure shit's on track.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
else has happened in the news guys i don't know i was really happy for molido having his moment on stage in astana that was really cool those are the kind of moments that make me just like really happy for other people like that's a memory that that kid's never gonna forget yeah that's true you know like and you don't you know i was talking when i was talking to your kinder he's the same thing he was like i just pulled him aside after that he's like i told him you not a lot of people get those like those are hard to come by in in this in this game so enjoy that like keep that memory forever
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Astana is such a cool name for a city too. It's just a banging name. Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
If something goes wrong, you take it so the groom can just enjoy the night.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't remember what I was like, but I don't think I would have been a fully... I know I would have been a train wreck if I was myself in Counter-Strike at 17 years old with what I was accomplishing and then telling me, oh, now you're getting paid $20,000 a month and oh, now you're one of the most famous people in the world and oh, now you're on the best team in the world and now you've won the major.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I would be a fucking trainer.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah. I like it. Cause I mean, just think of like his comments at the HLTV.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't give a fuck. Like, dude, be you. Be you entirely. And I mean, we don't get those funny answers at the HLTV Awards if he's not being him. And if he comes out and he says, yeah, I don't care about... I mean, I'd like him to pretty it up so it doesn't sound so bad. Exactly. That's the one thing he'll learn as he gets older.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, we already pretty much... I don't know who the groom is in this situation, but... Well, there's no groom, but plenty of people are getting fucked in esports these days.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's the thing, I don't think he meant that disrespect. He's thinking it from the angle of, what's it like playing in front of a crowd? He's like, I don't care. It doesn't bother me.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Problem is he's in a team who's all telling him that's the way to go about things right now.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It was hard to get too hardcore on like an 18 year old kid who's doing like an interview on a stage.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I heard that it was like two people who faked the engagement and they got helped out by, I think, like another streamer from the region who like helped buy their tickets. That was the Aurora owner, I think. That was your Aurora owner? Yeah. Okay.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
If we get an event ever in Salt Lake City, we could throw in some Jesus jammies, like the Mormons. And then we're partying.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You should. What do you reckon, Jason? I'm not going to go full cowboy, but I'm going to get some bolos. I don't know what a bolo is. It's a bolo tie. It's a Texas tie. Two strings. Two strings instead of an actual tie. I want to go full.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, a lot of social media fucking going on.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
They're wearing them all over that show, yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Okay, you want to get the authentic with the belt buckle, the boots, the hat? Yeah. That's going to run you a pretty penny. Chewing tobacco.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You want to write some cowboy outfits?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Well, you got to buy it for that.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I don't know. Hard to clean off those cowboy boots. Okay, let's change this up. Shouldn't it be easy to clean off those cowboy boots? Let's change this up. Those ties are really nice. Look at this, Chad. These look great with this bright blue one. Do you think I'd look good in that?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
No. Maybe a couple, but not really. Maybe downtown. Yeah. Jane and I did a wedding in New Orleans the other day, or the other week. New Orleans. And there's just like, it's a wild place. There's just like groups of people walking around full-blown dressed as pirates. And I'm not talking like Halloween outfit pirates. I'm talking about full-blown cosplay pirate pirates.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And there'll just be like a group of six of them wandering around drunk. And then like 10 minutes later, you stumble into another group of five pirates just wandering around.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
No, but Jane and I did want to go talk to them and ask them why they were walking around like pirates, but we never completed that task.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
You can't?
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
That's not fair.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I can't ask if, like, is there a reason why there's multiple groups of pirates around, or do you just enjoy being a pirate?
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I'm not wearing a cap anymore.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
The filter. Has that been bothering you for two years and you haven't brought it up? It looks so out of place.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
He's been messaging me on WhatsApp.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I bought brand new XLR cables as well. So when you said you didn't pack them, I was like, damn it. Sorry, man. It's all right. Nice. Feels like we're out of juice.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Is there anything we didn't cover? I think we covered everything.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I fucking love Valve trolling when they release these updates. I find it incredible. When they tweeted out and said, like, here's our one update for the day.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Not the yesterday one, before that.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I think they actually literally just push that patch to be able to push a patch with one update in it. Yeah, probably. Just to troll.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And if you're in that position, it just probably brings you a decent amount of happiness.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
This is the only fun I'm really going to have.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I bet some of them do and bring it back to the group. I bet there's like two or three people who wade through the dog shit. And they're laughing. It's like the talent team. We all tell each other, stop reading comments, stop looking at threads. But every once in a while, we all hop in a thread and read through it. Some of the stuff out there is fire. It is. Some of it's good.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Mostly when it's not about you.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
All right.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Barely even that, let's be real. Also, really early on, we should just give a shout out to Alt-Z.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, for the intro music. Yeah. Yeah, he created a little edit. A little video accompaniment. You'll love it.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
I got a chance to talk to him on the walk back from the studio to the hotel one day. Still want to be a porn star? Yeah, he still wants to be a porn star.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
It's close. It is crazy how it's all within the same building because it's the massive complex.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And you get those big windows as well.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
Yeah, it wouldn't be the worst thing. I need it as well. But yeah, I was talking to him during that 45-minute walk just about how it was going. And one thing he mentioned was, one, it's been really cool. He said FalleN's been a huge help as soon as he's gotten in. But he's been working closely with FalleN.
Talking Counter
Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
And FalleN's been asking him what he wants and what he likes and how he wants to be set up for his plays. And he's been helping FalleN work out how they want to play as a team. So he's in these back-to-back situations
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
where he was brought into Liquid and refreshed their meta, and now he's been brought into FURIA, and he's doing something similar with FalleN, but also being the translator and the helper for Molodoy, who he is the go-between. So it's kind of a weird situation, but I think from speaking to the people in the team, I think they're all enjoying it for now.
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Episode 136: IEM Dallas, s1mple hath returned, mouz peak, Falcons shaky, Vitality still haven't lost
So thank you. That's all I got.
Talking Counter
Episode 119: Shanghai Major Conclusions
But all in all, I had a good time. Good. Nice. Thanks, Jason.
Talking Counter
Episode 124: BLAST Austin Major, IEM Katowice reflections, Astralis and mouz and G2 oh my!
Yeah.
Talking Counter
Episode 124: BLAST Austin Major, IEM Katowice reflections, Astralis and mouz and G2 oh my!
As if he just pulled this back on me for some reason. Yeah, Jason. Why do you hate the Mongols, Jason? Yeah, Jason. Why the fuck did Chad say no?
Talking Counter
Episode 124: BLAST Austin Major, IEM Katowice reflections, Astralis and mouz and G2 oh my!
57. Sorry.