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Category: CS-GO

BIG joining BLAST as partner team

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

BIG have just announced that they are joining some of the best teams in the world as they sign to BLAST Premier as their 12th partner team. Here is their announcement:

Why is this big news?

BIG were one of the teams that had a huge spotlight on them in 2020. On the 1st of January of last year, the team made 2 drastic changes. The team departed with Nex & Smooya, and added syrsoN and K1to to the main roster. Despite some struggles in early events throughout the first few months of the year, the team came back in a dominant manner. They went on to win DreamHack Masters Spring 2020 and DreamHack Open Leipzig 2020. While also achieving a 3rd/4th placement at the IEM XV Global Challenge and BLAST Premier: Fall 2020. 

BIG FEATured
Credits: ESL

The team truly shined this past year, and due to this success, they convinced Turkish star player Xantares to extend his contract with BIG until 2021.

This is what BIG CEO, Daniel Finkler had to say about BIG joining BLAST as partner team:

“We are incredibly proud and excited to be a part of BLAST Premier as a Member Team. The successful acquisition is an indication of our outstanding development in the past years. We have clearly established ourselves among the world’s best teams thanks to our team’s hard work and people working behind the scenes.”

Source

The BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2021 is set to take place between the 4th and 14th of February. The event will feature every single one of the 12 partnered teams, meaning that it’s going to be a bloodbath. The level of play that will take place at the event is off the charts, and we cannot wait for it to start!

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Credits: BLAST

Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!

Na’Vi win BLAST Premier Global Final

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

This past weekend we had Na’Vi win the BLAST Premier Global Final after being brought down into the lower bracket in the first round. They showcased amazing CS, and brought on a brilliant story line to such an event. Here is how it all went down:

Final Standings + Winnings

  • 1st – NAVI – $600,000
  • 2nd – Astralis – $200,000
  • 3rd – Team Vitality – $80,000
  • 4th – Team Liquid – $50,000
  • 5th-6th – G2 Esports – $20,000
  • 5th-6th – Evil Geniuses – $20,000
  • 7th-8th – Complexity Gaming – $15,000
  • 7th-8th – FURIA Esports – $15,000

Na’Vi win Blast Premier Global Final – How did they do it?

They kicked off the event with an upsetting loss versus Team Liquid in the 1st round of the tournament. This loss dropped them down to the losers bracket versus Complexity, but managed to win their series 2-1 to keep their tournament dream alive. Next up was G2 Esports, which seemed like a tough opponent at first, but Na’Vi caught on and won both maps. 

After that, they had a rematch versus Team Liquid, the team that placed Natus Vincere in the lower bracket. The matches were very close, but ultimately Na’Vi came out on top (16-13 on Inferno, 16-14 on Nuke). In the lower bracket final they were against one of their most common rivals, Team Vitality. These 2 had been battling each other for a very long time in 2020, and met once more in the BLAST Premier Global Final. The series went the distance, as they had gone to all 3 maps, but Natus Vincere were just unstoppable, and won the best of 3, 2-1 in their favour.

Grand Finals

In the finals, they were up against the one and only CS:GO titan, Astralis. However this version of Na’Vi was way stronger than ever before, especially after their spectacular run in the lower bracket. Na’Vi won the first map (Nuke) 16-12, a map that was heavily sided for Astralis, and went on to win Inferno 16-5 as well. With this win they took down the Danish rivals, and with it, crowned champions of BLAST Premier Global Final.

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Credits: Liquipedia

Natus Vincere showcased some great CS:GO during this event. They showed that they’ve done the work and studied their opponents efficiently. We cannot wait to see what else they manage to win in 2021!

Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your important esports news!

Ninjas In Pyjamas reveal first ever rebrand

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

Ninjas In Pyjamas have finally opted to reveal their first ever rebrand since the organisation’s establishment. Here is their video announcement:

A brief look at the rebrand

In the video we can clearly see that the Ninjas are going for a more urban and street-like look. The logo itself represents a shuriken, which is obviously related to their name. However the colour they are going for constitutes a more vibrant outlook on their brand. With this change they’re obviously going for a much simpler look, showcasing the true meaning of being a “Ninja” within NiP.

Ninjas In Pyjamas rebrand – Community reaction

Obviously everyone took it as a shock. The iconic Ninjas In Pyjamas logo has been used since the year 2000, and its iconic look and colour were unique. Prior to previous rebrands related to CS:GO, NiP have also decided to release the inspiration for their new logo:

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Credits: NiP

Some have also expressed their feelings regarding the new colour scheme that NiP will be following. The new neon green is something that no one expected, in fact, some have decided to switch the colour of the new logo to the old one to see how it looks.

2021 has been filled with rebrands and new looks for esports figures and teams. Some of the most notable ones are Damwon Gaming, Dignitas, and Rogue. This is certainly going to be a new chapter for NiP and its fans, and it will be very exciting to see what they can do all throughout this year.

FPX reveal CS:GO roster

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

FPX (Funplus Phoenix) have opted to reveal their 2nd chance at a CS:GO roster. This time round they have gone for a European based roster which has been together for quite some time. Here is their announcement:

FPX reveal CS:GO roster – Who did they get?

With Godsent’s announcement of their departure of the old roster, FPX saw this as a golden opportunity to get back into CS:GO. FPX have obtained Jesse “ZehN” Linjala, Martin “Styko” Styk, Pavle “maden” Bošković, Asger “farlig” Jensen, and Jonatan “Devilwalk” Lundberg as coach.

FPX first acquired the Danish squad of Heroic to participate in Flashpoint 1, but after Astralis announced that they were poaching es3tag, FunPlus Phoenix lost interest in the roster. This meant that the Heroic roster would only play a few matches for the team and eventually the Heroic squad dropped out of the event. This led FPX to sign the North American roster of Bad News Bears to finish off the event. Ultimately, it was a total disaster, as the team only managed to scrap up 7th-8th place.

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Credits: Flashpoint

What’s next for FPX?

In their announcement, FPX state they are still yet to announce their fifth and final member of the team. They have recently parted ways with in-game leader kRYSTAL, so it will be very interesting to see which player they get to replace him.

Update – 26/1/2021

FPX have now announced that they will be welcoming ChrisJ to the lineup as they brought him on a loan from Mousesports. ChrisJ has a 1-month loan contract and he will be competing with FPX for their upcoming tournaments.

Until then, be sure to keep yourself updated on all the important esports news by tuning into www.esportsguide.com!

Cloud9 signing Xeppaa as fifth for CS:GO

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

Cloud9 have just announced that they are signing Xeppaa as their fifth and final piece for the CS:GO roster. Here is their video announcement:

Cloud9 signing Xeppaa as fifth – Who is he?

20-year-old Erick “Xeppaa” Bach is a professional CS:GO player which may still be unfamiliar to most. He started his career back in 2017 with Team Problematic, but then progressed forward to play with numerous rosters. In May of 2020 he joined Chaos and with the online CS era at the helm, Xeppaa was unstoppable. He’s had an unbelievable 2020 with Chaos Esports, winning 3 of the biggest North American events, and outshining some of the best North American players.

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Xeppaa still has a lot more to discover when it comes to CS:GO, and is looking to progress further as an entry rifler for this brand new Cloud9 squad.

Is that all the news?

HenryG, current Cloud9 CS:GO manager has also made Xeppaa’s contract details public. He states that Xeppaa’s contract will be 3 years long, starting in January 2021, and has a total deal value of $432,000, with potential of it increasing to $540,000 with a bonus.

Cloud9 signing Xeppaa as fifth could be key for their newly formed roster. Their upcoming event is cs_Summit 7, an event filled with tons of talented teams.

Be sure to keep yourselves updated by tuning into www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!

Koosta transitioning from CS:GO to VALORANT with Gen.G

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

North American organization Gen.G has announced that one of their main players, Koosta will be transitioning from CS:GO to VALORANT. Here is their announcement:

Who is Koosta?

Kenneth “Koosta” Suen has had quite a journey when it comes to his CS:GO career. He kicked it all off back in 2014 with Tempo Gaming, and slowly climbed up the tiers of CS:GO teams. A few years later he found himself representing Ghost Gaming, and later on Cloud9. After the Cloud9 roster turned to shambles Koosta, Daps and Autimatic were transferred to Gen.G. They played a few events in 2020, but ultimately the squad didn’t adapt well to the online CS:GO meta, and eventually departed. Here are some their best results:

Why is Koosta transitioning from CS:GO to VALORANT?

On December 26th, Gen.G benched the player that kickstarted their entire roster, PLAYER1. Ever since then, the team had been looking for a solid replacement, but hadn’t found a solid player yet. Now with the announcement of Gen.G parting ways from their CS:GO roster, it became a feasible option for Koosta to re-sign with Gen.G but to represent them in VALORANT.

Koosta has not yet made a statement regarding his switch, however with North American CS:GO taking a big bump when it comes to organizations backing up players, VALORANT seemed like a more feasible option for him.

We’ve seen many players with a CS:GO background transition to VALORANT; however, with each swap and change, we are seeing clearly the fall of Counter-Strike in North America.

Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!

Team Spirit parting ways with iDISBALANCE

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

CIS organization Team Spirit has announced that it is parting ways with long-time player and awper iDISBALANCE. Here is their announcement:

Why are Team Spirit parting ways with iDISBALANCE?

In their statement, the exact reason as to why they are removing iDISBALANCE from the main roster isn’t mentioned. However, it is stated that despite the team’s improvement in performance, the team needs to become stronger. 

iDISBALANCE joined the Team Spirit lineup back in 2019 after transferring from Syman Gaming. He is a very well known awper within the CIS scene, and with so many organizations looking for talented snipers, he will surely find a new home soon.

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Credits: StarLadder

Is that all the news?

No. With this roster change, the organization has brought on degster and Patsi on loan from team ESPADA. These two individuals have strengthened the ESPADA squad and will certainly be great assets for Team Spirit. The 2 new additions have a 1 month loan contract, meaning that their first event will be DreamHack Open January 2021. This event will feature other top European squads like BIG, FPX, as well as Sprout and Gambit.

This is what Nikita Chukalin, Team Spirit CEO, said about the change:

“I am grateful to Artem for the 2 years that he spent in Team Spirit. Together we were able to build a stable team that performed well not only at the local level, but also internationally. However, we have big goals to accomplish, and to do that we need to become stronger. We will play our next tournaments with degster and I hope that he will be able to prove himself in our team. He is one of the most talented young players in the CIS and we appreciate the opportunity to work with him. If we succeed, Abdul will sign a contract with Team Spirit for the next few years.

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This new Team Spirit lineup is going to be tested to the best of their abilities. But we’re certain they will do their best, despite the very recent roster change.

Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your international esports news!

Godsent reveal new CS:GO roster

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

European organization Godsent has finally opted to reveal its new CS:GO roster consisting of a brazilian squad. Here is their announcement video:

Godsent reveal new CS:GO roster – Who did they sign?

Godsent have picked up 2 familiar faces within the CS:GO community, TACO and Felps. Both players previously represented SK Gaming / MiBR, and have a very long history within CS:GO. With regards to the rest of the roster, Godsent have brought on upcoming talents latto, b4rtiN, as well as dumau. These are 3 players with very contrasting histories, but under Cky’s coaching and Dead’s management, the team will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

This is what CEO’s of Godsent, Henrik Denebrandt & Ludwig Sandgren had to say about their new roster:

“We are very much honored and excited for this new project and for everything it will bring to our organisation. We are very confident that we will do epic things together in the coming years. The transition would also not be possible without our fairly new cooperation with the betting company Betsafe.”

Source

Here is the full Godsent lineup

Players:

  • Epitácio “TACO” de Melo
  • João “felps” Vasconcellos
  • Bruno “latto” Rebelatto
  • Bruno “b4rtiN” Câmara
  • Eduardo “dumau“ Wolkmer

Coach:

  • Olavo “cky” Napoleão

Manager:

  • Ricardo “dead” Sinigaglia

It’s been a while since we’ve seen TACO back on the server. With a roster like this, filled with youngsters which are hungry for competition, and an organization like Godsent backing it all, the team is destined for success. 

We cannot wait to see them taking part in officials, but until then, be sure to keep yourself notified about everything that happens in the esports world by tuning into www.esportsguide.com!

Triumph signing new roster for 2021

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

Triumph Gaming have announced that they are signing a new roster for CS:GO in the 2021 season. Here is their announcement and player reveal:

Triumph signing new roster – Who did they pick up?

In their new squad, Triumph have decided to keep Shakezullah and Bwills as players, and Tacitus as coach. With regards to their new additions, Triumph have brought on Cooper-, cxzi, and viz, whilst benching penny, one of their former players.

This new squad for Triumph has already achieved some success. As recently they have participated in Mythic’s Winter Cup, placed 2nd, and with it, cashed in $1,000 in prize money. Definitely a great start for the new faces on this team.

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Credits: DreamHack

Triumph’s new lineup:


Players:

  • Alan “Shakezullah” Hardeman
  • Brendan “Bwills” Williams
  • Austin “Cooper-” Abadir
  • Danny “cxzi” Strzelczyk
  • Wesley “viz” Harris

Coach:

  • Marcos “tacitus” Castilho

This is what Shawn Bischoff, General Manager of Triumph had to say about the new roster:

“We’re excited for CS:GO in 2021. Despite many challenges last year, we managed to prove that there is incredible talent lurking in North America. Our goals with this roster are to continue to invest time into new talent and prove once again that we can win at the highest level. We hope that our fans will trust our process and welcome our new players into their lives. North American CS:GO is alive and well.”

Source

With one of Triumph’s main players, Junior, leaving the team to join FURIA, the organization had to make some heavy changes to their CS:GO division. With these changes, the team is determined to have more success in 2021, especially in North American based events.

Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your latest esports news!

Twista departing Ence coaching staff

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

Former Head Coach and Analyst, Twista has announced that he will be departing Ence and its coaching staff effective immediately. Here is his announcement:

Twista departing Ence – Why?

In his statement, Slaava “Twista” Räsänen does not clearly mention the reason as to why he is departing Ence. However, if you look at the recent drama that happened internally within the organization, you can easily come to your own conclusion. The thing that stung the most was the coaching ban, which was executed back in September. Twista received a 15.75-month ban due to exploiting a spectator bug during his time with team iGame.com.

Twista has been with Ence since the very beginning, sharing his best moments with the team at IEM Katowice and BLAST Premier Madrid 2019. Here are some of the team’s best results with Twista as coach:

What’s next for Ence and Twista?

According to their statement, Ence will be announcing its 2021 CS:GO roster and plans later on during the week. We’ve already covered some of the rumoured players joining the team, and from what it seems like, the team is going into a whole new direction.

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Credits: ESL

Due to Twista’s coach ban, it will certainly be a difficult task for him to find a new home till his ban expires. However, this doesn’t mean it will be impossible, as there are many teams that are in desperate need of someone with Twista’s knowledge and experience. We will just have to wait and see how it all pans out for both Ence and Twista moving forward.

But until then, be sure to keep yourself updated on all the latest esports news by tuning into www.esportsguide.com!