Edition #408 | oct 16th, 2023

We had a lot of roster changes in the last few, but this newsletter is more about people staying where they are. Which is, admittedly, less fun.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

NAVI

*16

*13

Apeks

Vitality

*13

*6

BetBoom

fnatic

*7

*13

C9

G2

*13

*2

Grayhound

• Predicting the future: By the time you’re reading this, you’ll already know the results of the Group A and B games - but at the time of writing we don’t. We hope you enjoyed - rubs temples - NAVI 16-13 Apeks, Vitality 13-6 BetBoom, fnatic 7-13 Cloud9 and G2 13-2 Grayhound.
• Rest of the week: The group stage will continue through Wednesday where Upper/Lower bracket finals will be played very late if you’re in the US, very early if you’re in EU and just in time if you’re in Australia. See you Friday morning with a recap of it all.

Astralis Roster Update

device stays put

Despite still having a deal until 2025, Astralis have extended device’s contract to the end of 2026.

Is it a coincidence that they did this after Heroic kicked cadiaN? Yes.

But it still makes you wonder: did Astralis feel forced to do this with Heroic looking for an AWPer? If not Heroic, did Falcons super team rumours make them sweat? Surely device would’ve been looked at with zonic there, or anyone with working eyes for that matter.

Regardless, this is positive news for Astralis.

Keeping hold of your franchise player is usually good - we all remember what happened last time device left Astralis - and the team has looked like it’s on an upswing for the first time in ages. Rocking the boat now would be insane; otherwise known as a classic esports move.

After all the chopping and changing Astralis has done, CS2 is a great chance for them to re-create the old roster’s dominance as all other rosters settle in together.

At least on paper since AWPers are currently useless in CS2.

Astralis’ starting five is still:

🇩🇰 device

🇩🇰 b0RUP

🇩🇰 blameF (IGL)

🇩🇰 Staehr

🇩🇰 Buzz

🇩🇰 casle (coach)

Vitality roster update

One step forward, one step back

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Having taken the world by the scruff of the neck and shook it up when they swooped for Denmark’s crown jewels a few years ago, Vitality found themselves… well, not quite back at square one, but without one of those jewels.

zonic’s departure was one that might’ve killed a lesser being - but Vitality are no lesser being.

They went back to square one to find the only coach who they felt could lead Vitality - the man who led them before zonic, XTQZZZ.

The Frenchman is beloved inside of the domestic scene, oft revered for his understanding, mind for the game and drive - though TSM might disagree on the last one, given he walked out on them within a month or so.

This gives us a lovely case study on just how good zonic’s coaching is. We know he’s great, but just how great. If Vitality fall apart without him, it’s time to crown him the indisputable greatest - but if XTQZZZ matches his trophy output…

Well, then maybe Valve were onto something. Maybe coaches really don’t matter.

In the meantime, Vitality did secure the future of the sometimes controversial, but undeniably successful apEX as their leader. It’s always good to keep some consistency, and apEX’s new deal runs until 2026.

Frighteningly, that’s three years away. Not frightening necessarily because committing to the volatile, aging apEX for that long is a bad idea, but more because 2026 is only three bloody years away.

Man, we’re old.

Vitality is now:

🇫🇷 apEX (IGL)

🇩🇰 Magisk

🇫🇷 ZyWOo

🇮🇱 flameZ

🇮🇱 Spinx

🇫🇷 XTQZZZ (coach)

Recommendations

Stuff we like

• What’s better than learning? If you said memes, that’s very cringeworthy. However, we did find a way to compare the two. History, in memes. Thanks, napz.
• dickle shared with us the ‘good singing enit’ of "**王OK”,** whose haunting vocals and delicate guitar plucking made for an eerily enchanting experience.
• We’re not big MMO players, but the just-edgy-enough Josh Strife Hayes is, and he’s taken on the challenge of finding the worst MMO in the entire world. Watch a man go through every stage of grief in every single video. It’s great.

IEM Sydney 2023

The CS2 era will begin without the CS:GOAT

Well, well, well.

It’s time to get our tin foil hats on.

10 days ago, s1mple tweeted that you “shouldn’t play this shit game (cs2) rn.”

And, lo and behold, the GOAT of GO will miss the inaugural CS2 LAN IEM Sydney.

The reason? Well, NAVI neglected to give us one in their statement, though Luis Mira says it’s because he does not have his EU residency papers yet.

He moved to Poland after the war in Ukraine, and it appears that if he leaves the EU now he might not be able to get back in.

So that’s the boring answer. You can choose whatever headcanon you like.

s1mple isn’t the only one to miss out for the sake of some red tape, either.

Jimpphat, a key part of MOUZ’ win at EPL S18, is also being forced to remain at home after failing to secure an Australian visa.

MOUZ reached #1 on the Valve rankings this week, but they’ll have to do without their teenage phenom of an anchor down under.

Everything Else

In God’s image

🏗️🛠️ CS2’s janky and we love it

• As us humans, CS2 is not perfect. This skin however, totally is.
• And poof, like a true ninja, the T disappeared in a puff of smoke.
• I spy with my little eye not the terrorist in this image. Seriously, where is he?

🔥 88MPH baby

• Nicoodoz is feeling nostalgic in this interview and likens his new team to Copenhagen Flames before their Antwerp run. Can he find his flames again in Copenhagen?
• Not only is it funny seeing Kjaerbye and Olof back in the server, it’s also funny seing how Olof won.

➡️ More roster moves

• Forget about s1mple not making IEM Sidney, the new NAVI Junior team is where all the hype’s at.
• “Nevermind replacing cadiaN, a new assistant coach will do” - Heroic while adding ScrunK.