Even though Katowice is done and dusted, we’re still trawling through some of the content that we managed to collect while over there and decided that was a bit more juice that we had to share with you.

We got some pretty pictures, but more importantly, we got to speak to the coach of NA’s only hope in CSGO. And no, we’re not talking about Complexity.

We’re of course talking about Team Liquid’s coach, Damian "daps" Steele who was happy to speak with our very own, Adam Conway, about the results they had in Katowice.

Ending on the 3rd-4th place wasn’t that bad considering they got knocked out in the semis by the eventual tournament winner, though daps was eager to note that they hadn’t even been able to have a proper bootcamp. He told us they were “coming into these events with minimal practice” because of the travel, which is what contributed to them losing “super winnable” rounds.

With this, we asked daps what the next job for him was; as the coach, obviously, his job would be to try and grab the reigns and sort these problems out. He said that the number one goal for him is to solidify their map pool, naming Nuke as a map that they’ve had mixed results on so far. He also mentioned that mentality has been a big focus of the team recently, which he feels has paid off well.

We then asked him about his experience in VALORANT and what it was like coming back to Counter-Strike, as he was previously a player in Valorant before coming back to the better game.

He said VALORANT made him come to the realization he doesn’t like competing, but he likes “creating a good environment” along with “creating strategies”, and coaching lets him be a part of the whole process “without the playing part”.

On the note of NA CS in the context of VALORANT though, daps doesn’t remain too hopeful. He doesn’t see many players coming back to CS like he did, which he attributes to the lack of tournaments and other financial investment in the region. He said that players are making “pretty good money” playing VALORANT, so it doesn’t make sense as to why they’d come back to CS.

With Team Liquid setting sights on the NA RMR and the major, we’re hoping they finally get some practice in. Go get ‘em, NA’s primary hope.

kennyS is back. To sh*tstomping tier 500 teams, but back regardless.

And when we say tier 500, we’re not being totally dismissive. He quite literally smacked a team called 500 in the qualifier to move a step closer to Paris, and apparently, that’s enough to get people gassed.

By people, we do mean Thorin.

He will at least be at the RMRs for Paris, and it’d be a cool story if Falcons were able to qualify for a French Major and kennyS’ comeback would be in his home country. Though we would get a case of deja vu from FalleN, coldzera, and co. just a few months back.

Which failure would be more amusing?

They won’t be joined by any other French teams — except maybe Vitality, if dupreeh is still out - as all of the others fell in typically French ways.

500 ended up sneaking through with iNation - a Serbian team - in the Last Chance qualifier, while the other big stories came in the Closed A Qualifier. Not just one, but two UK teams qualifying for the RMR.

If you hate English people (or Irish people), we recommend not going on Twitter during the RMRs. Or just blocking them all. You won’t miss much. Into The Breach aren’t completely out of nowhere, but Viperio are a team of people you probably haven’t heard of and a real, genuine UK team with just two Irishmen — if you count the coach, that is. Otherwise, it’s just one.

Quite how this was allowed to happen is beyond us, but we’re sure their losses at the RMR will bring joy to most of Europe.

Don’t adjust your sets.

GamerLegion, Apeks, B8, 1WIN, 9INE, Aurora, forZe, Eternal Fire and Monte also qualified in Europe.

Elsewhere…

Imperial and BESTIA (ex-ISURUS) went 3-0 in the South American qualifier, with Fluxo, Flamengo and Paquetá getting through in similarly simple fashion. paiN and Complexity swept through in NA, with MIBR (yes, we know they’re not NA) and Detonate qualifying as well.

IHC are joined by a new Mongolian team, Eruption, in the Asian RMR, with VERTEX and TYLOO sneaking through the qualifier too.

😮 When real life meets CS

• You know CS players are starting to get a bit unworldly when an enemy mentions a dog and they immediately assume it’s about them. The ‘4 legs’ specification is what killed us.
• All of you eco’ed for a little bit and helped DAVEY raise $1500 to help victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Great work, community!

⌚ Times have changed

• There used to be a time when Dota 2 was the big lad, and CS:GO stood in its shadow. Well, not anymore. There’s a very old new kid on the block.
• According to nitr0, choking isn’t an issue anymore for Liquid. We’ll let the rest of the season decide if you cleared your throat right, Liquid.

📺 Content worthy of your gaze and attention

• Who better than the one and only STYKO to talk about Apeks’ evolution? Watch it on the inferior CS:GO podcast (go Overtime on Inferno), HLTV Confirmed.
• Want to save like Jame? Repent your sins to the AWP Jesus and learn what gear he (among others) uses. English subs included.