Let’s get to it!

Q: Hey EndRz! Thanks for taking the time to be on Triple P! Can you introduce yourself for those who may not know who you are?

Hi! I’m EndRz the Current AGM and AWPer of DRG, Formerly the Recruit Historian, Co Creator of The Weekly Recruit and 2 time recruit Allstar. Former Player for SAV, ATL, HG, ABW, COW, OS, and FLT. Happy to be here man.

Q: Quite the resume! You’ve had an extensive career in CSC it seems. Is there any insight you could give me on how all of this came about? How did you get into CSC?

Yeah, I Joined CSC just after Season 11 had finished. I was looking into finding some sort of league for CS when I got back into it because I had played like the Open qualifiers to the Minors in 2018 (failed spectacularly of course) but I wanted to compete when I got back into CS I came across the Recruit Grand Finals for season 11 on Twitch or YouTube and I thought you know what I want in. I signed up for Season 12 and well I’ve been hooked ever since. Every season or two I think “Ya know what I’ll take the next season off” then signups drop or I play a few combines and the pure joy I get from beating my friends kicks in you know?

Q: This is definitely the most unique way I’ve seen so far! Stumbling across a VOD / Livestream of the game is a good way to get into it nowadays (shoutout Cam King and Firehawk). This clearly took off into a long career in CSC! Apart from playing, you told me you used to be huge into Written Media! Can you give me some insight into your time with media?

So my media career kind of starts and finishes the same way that being, Gabehasbongos happened. I joined written media because Gabe was trying to find tier writers and my time with TWR had finished up and Gabe knew putting me and Counter-Strike in the same articles would be great for clicks and we knew we would need a calm voice for the readers who didn’t wanna just hear me and FNL’s Counter-Strike argue every week, so we brought in Skrunkly to be the sort of middle ground between us and after that season I moved up to prospect and stopped writing because the Prattle already had some great writers at the time also brought in by Gabe. I have always and will always love written media though because it allowed me to kind of rant and rave about the league which I’ve always loved doing. Also gabe beat me for written media head so I had to leave in disgrace.

Q: Gabe is a blessing and a curse. Gabe is all knowing, but not at the same time. We love Gabe, but he is also so evil… But Gabe, Counter-Strike, and You are all franchise management! How has that been with DRG and working with Proto and CeeThree?

Also Skrunkly! The Recruit Rascalz moved on up. But to answer your question its been wonderful, I’ve been wanting to do more in CSC for a long time I first wanted to be an AGM in Season 16 and that has been something that was put on the back burner while I served my term as Arbiter and then finally this season got the call up to be and AGM for DRG, Proto and Cee have been tremendous partners to work with and learn from they’ve been FM for a while now and they’ve really helped me sort of get my bearings and trusted me to work alone while also being there whenever I need them.

Q: Recruit players are always the ones destined for greatness. I’m glad DRG has been good to “work” at! I think we finally address the elephant. We have a history with Prospect Predictions, and I have started to come around to the DRG train. How has this season been with your current prospect team? You guys have really been coming back around, and you guys clinched Playoffs!

We’ve had our ups and downs. Going from 2 loss streak to 3 win streak back to a 3 loss streak is rough on anyone, but we’ve bounced back well and playoffs are in our future. I’d much rather us get the losses out and see how we bounce back earlier rather than finding that out in a best of 3. That all being said though I wanna say that we had to make some moves to get us into this situation and we got lucky being able to trade for FatDwarf who’s been a demon. As for the players we drafted though Hamlet (Olmlet) has been a rock solid support and secondary voice, Fresh has always been a demon who can pop off any given day and Mr. Cool has been the glue IGL who’s been willing to do whatever is needed from him. Also can’t forget our Sub luck when we’ve needed them and the guy who we sadly had to cut to make room for FatDwarf, NTFreak who was an absolute soldier and I’m so glad he found a home on FLT. This season and this turn around doesn’t happen without everyone who has played for us this season and I’m glad I’ve been able to kind of cultivate this team feeling we have where it feels like we are all friends.

Q: It’s definitely been a great time to watch from the outside! A lot of talent on that roster. I’ll switch a little bit to ask about Jigglypuff. Are you a big Super Smash Bros. Fan? Like the Pokemon?

The Jigglypuff picture is because Melee is something I used to want to be really good at, realized Fighting games weren’t something I could put enough time in to get good at but whenever I’m available for CSC Melee tournaments I try to be around to either Commentate or Compete in them. Also puff is so fun even in Pokemon. All around I just love Puff.

Q: I can respect a good puff fan! HungryBox is the goat anyway. I got the last two questions for you. Is there something that EndRz does off the server? Are you secretly a chess genius? A die-hard Destiny 2 player (that’s me lol)?

I wish I was a chess genius! Personally I really love Speedrunning, There are some old VODs out there of me running Resident Evil 2 Remake from when I was younger and currently I’m looking to run Requiem once I can get my PB to a respectable time, I also love speedrunning Call of Duty Zombies Easter Eggs. I love the grind of learning time saves and trying to compete with myself even if I will almost never be able to compete against the top runners in any of those games or maps. I also love watching Pro Wrestling (Shoutout AEW for running shows near me) there is something so amazing about being in a crowd of people who all know this is a performance and that its predetermined but all collectively losing our minds over the stories told in that ring.

Q: I would have never guessed Speedrunning! Especially Resident Evil. I have seen you and Evan chatting about wrestling though… Alright EndRz, the final question, the end of the Marathon! What is your favorite cheese and why?

Favorite cheese has gotta be provolone, and I’m not just trying to stroke your ego here. The local Pizza place near me uses provolone, I use it for stuff like pizza grilled cheese. All in all its a nice basic cheese that isn’t plastic american singles you can throw it on pretty much anything it’ll be wonderful.

Q: Officially the first Triple P guest to get the question right! Even the explanation is spot on. That wraps it up! Anything you’d like to add before we get out of here?

Yeah, Really quick Shout out list - NeKo, Milky, Spence #FuckSpence, Ry^_^, Valid, Acedawondabo, Zulf, Tony Dong, and Readers like you for making all this possible! Also When you hear this bar Ping @provoloan!

Huge thanks to EndRz for working with me on this! I was a chud and kept going to bed when he was available, so that’s why this is a little late. Special thanks to everyone who makes Triple P possible. As always, thanks to MxgaGOAT, Silky, and Esnupi for helping and making this possible. Next time I see you guys, the playoffs will have started! Make that final push, get prepped, it’s going to be a lot of fun! Triple P WILL be extending into playoffs with even more special guests. See you next week!

Gloop Troop (BS) vs Walling Wizards (H4K) - Mxgagoat

At this point, beating BS should come with an achievement notification. The Gloop Troop are sitting at 9–1, have won seven straight, and just survived another team throwing everything at them. ATL pushed them into overtime on Tuesday and still walked away empty handed. Now H4K get their turn, and I think this is a more dangerous matchup than the difference in records might suggest. The Wizards have won their last two, recently held TEE to three rounds, and have already shown they can put together a performance that leaves everyone wondering where the hell that came from. BS deserve to be favored, but H4K have enough behind them to come into this expecting to win.

The veto is where I start getting curious. H4K’s beating of TEE came on Anubis, so there is a pretty good argument for trying to get back there. Of course, BS already survived a 22–19 marathon against JDM on that same map, so there is no reason to expect them to be scared of it. Wherever this lands, I want to see H4K make BS chase the game instead of letting them settle in and get comfortable. If the Wizards build a lead, they need to finish it before BS get another chance to remind everyone how good they are in the ugly rounds. I am picking BS, but H4K have a real opportunity to make a statement here. Taking down the Gloop Troop would get everybody’s attention.

CHALLENGER

Floppers (TEE) vs Whimsical Whiffers (AG)

Let me start by saying that this is the tier I know the least about but can I cook up a storyline tonight. In comes TEE and AG both sitting at a record of 2-8. Its time to win or go home for these two teams and tonight will decide if this season was a failure or success.

The Whismical Whiffers are 2-2 in their last 4 after starting the season 0-5. I have never seen a team be so hard headed when it comes to trying to force a map pick since last seasons AG prospect team (2-6 record on nuke) why does this team love Cache so much? Besides the glaring issues with map selection I will say that the players have started to turn it around it last couple of days with KEE and Parish both having a big part in the teams two wins. If we examine their losses a bit more clearly they are 0-4 in games decided by 4 rounds or less so is it a clutch issue or do they have trouble getting started in their games?

Tee is coming the opposite of HOT. Let me be blunt here they have had a horrible season so far and are 1-3 in their last 4. Shockdizzle remains the lonely bright spot on this team full of issues. Now that I have gotten the bad out of the way here comes my corny speech. TEE … guys… ONE win and youre in. All the struggle of the season can be worth it by locking in tonight and showing up. IF you can make it to the playoffs anything can happen and anyone can catch fire and to in that position you got to win tonight. Maybe they got in their own head after wining a game on Inferno and then dropping the next game 1-13 but I would say to try to end the night on a map of your pick(nuke?) AG seems to let it go through till the end so 50/50 ?

LIKE I said at the start I just want to see good CS I DONT CARE if you have no wins or have the best players in the league. What have you done for me lately? Both of these teams need to throw away the entire season and remember that the only thing that matters is being the first one to 13 rounds. An ugly win is still a win, if that means players have bad ratings but rally behind 1 player then so be it. Tonight will show which team can clear the mental block of a rough season and shift focus to the present.

CONTENDER

Salty Scripters (H4K) vs Daikoku Drift (JDM) - sn00pe

Finally I get to hype up two teams Ive been singing their truth all season. They have both taken different paths to get here and are playing for different goals tonight but this will for sure be a great match up to keep an eye on.

First lets start with H4K, they have been on fire lately and have risen from a mid tier to a top of the standings team and have a real shot of being able to finish top 3 if they can get some help from other teams tonight. I dont know what took them so long to catch on fire but they have seemingly put it all together at the right time. Im telling yall do not let this team catch fire going into the playoffs. OH ALSO STOP TAKING THEM TO DUST 2!! Besides that Richie has come alive recently, Protocol is right behind her and they look capable of having multiple all stars on this team come end of season. Also real quick shout out to F!ction hes been playing crazy and its nice to see him step up big.

Now lets shift the focus to JDM. A team I was heavily invested in at the start of the season they continued to let me down week after week and I'm sure if I was upset I can only imagine the players. Some way some how they have managed to win enough games to be on the edge of making playoffs and I think it comes down to tonight’s match. Can they step up and knock down H4K or will they crumble with their season on the line? I dont know the correct anwser to this but if Im on the stream team Im focusing everything on this tonight.

Fate of the season on the line vs top 3 seeding possibility who wants it more? Just to add something quick these two teams could possibly be the best two teams at dust 2 so I wouldnt be mad to see dust come out tonight.

PROSPECT

Piranhas (GF) vs Crowned Cobras (BOA) - Charleston

We’ve seen a huge reversal in the teams playing in these upcoming matches. Both teams are 100% locked into the playoffs but I believe we are going to have an exciting showing here.

Let’s go ahead and take a look at the Piranhas (GF) v. Crowned Cobras (BOA) matchup. Both teams have had a very interesting season, with a current standing of 6-4 between the two of them. Overall rating for GF has been much higher than BOA, but with some easier matchups over the last four games I can’t help but say that things are still going to be close. Zooming in on BOA we see some ridiculously close games against two top teams:

A 16-19 loss on Mirage against the Aimlock Anchors, and a 13-16 loss against the Cedar Creek Creeps on Anubis. Two overtimes without a win are sure to push this team into a mental state swing. They will be wanting to secure that 7th win here and with 3 players above a 1.0 HLTV I can’t help but say that we will see yet another close game for BOA. Now looking at GF, this group has had a massive shift over the season. From an 0-4 start to an indominable 6-4 over the last 6 Match Days! These games were no easy bake oven cookies either, especially with the solid 13-3 win against FRG on Cache. After this huge win streak for GF, they’re actually looking (statistically) like the favorable team to win this next matchup against BOA!

Something I like to see when comparing teams are how their top players are performing. In this situation it actually seems like we have a tie for first. This is a great sign for a good showing, meaning either player (Scruby or drunk deMone for BOA, kcKaiser or willqt for GF) can take the lead and prevent any poor play from completely ruining their games. Better if everybody involved plays their best though! What makes this game most interesting has to be their overall team statistics. Just looking at the two and playing spot the difference, the 14 RD between the two teams may seem huge. BOA has been very good at picking up rounds even on their losses so this may be what pushes them ahead. BOA also has definitely been dealing with a slightly tougher set of matchups overall.

What’s more interesting though is their CT and T side round win percentages. GF being #2 in the tier for T side rounds wins (62%, 1% under the current #1 team) and BOA are holding onto the #7 spot for CT side round wins (62%!). Now flip the sides around and you have both teams holding onto a 49% round win for CT and T side respectively. If this goes the way that’s expected, don’t be surprised to see a double overtime game this time around. With all of that being said, let’s hope to see an absolutely incredible game out of these two teams. May your AKs be lubricated properly and your helmet straps snug. Fight hard everyone. Two full Match Days remain before playoffs.

RECRUIT

Cryptic Crawlers (FNL) vs Tofu Ticklers (COW)-Nade23y

This match could effectively end a teams journey this season. COW has made 2 roster changes over the last few MD’s adding SlowDad and Kashmoney. FNL are the hottest team in the tier and looking to try and make a run at the number 1 seed, though their destiny is not in theirs to control.

FNL: 6-1 over their last 7 games, they may even have a claim of hottest team in the league with how dominant they’ve been. Outside their one loss, only 1 team has won more than 8 rounds. They’ve been skunking everyone lately. They’re 3 games out of 1st, but that’s not the end of the world as they’re in 2nd. So still holding onto that first round bye. To get the #1 overall seed, they’d effectively need to win out & GF lose 3 at minimum. They hold the tiebreaker over RD over them, after splitting their H2H. I said it prior to MD1 “If they grind like they did that game, they can be another team with a low floor to start, but by end of season could be a steam train teams are hoping are on the other side of the bracket.“

COW: This is kind of it. With 4 games to play, they are 2 games back. If they can win this game, and if BCH lose to GF, they’re back in it. A loss here and they could be 2 or 3 games back, with only 3 to play. It’d take winning out & BCH losing out to make it to the playoffs. They do have a huge advantage in that, they own the tiebreaker vs BCH. So if they end the season w/ the same record they’re in. SlowDad has been a monster since getting added to the team and gekkon has found his form again. If the rest of the team behind them can get something going, they can make some noise. Or at the very least play spoiler and mess with playoff teams' final seeding. COW have it all to play for tonight, and unfortunately they’re facing the hottest team in recruit.

Fossil - AWP - Pretty Penne (Upsetti Spaghetti Challenger)

• How has your S21 been going so far with the guys of Pretty Penne?

It’s been going good other than the two losses. We probably shouldn’t have lost those two maps but then again we just didn’t fully understand how to play ancient but after we sat down and really looked at how to play the map, we are good now.

• How are you feeling about your personal performance so far this season? Averaging near a 1.4 is a wicked rating, leading the charge in the MVP race. Is this something you were wanting to achieve, or is just in your blood to tear everyone apart in your path?

Personally I didn’t really feel like I was doing all that well until it keep being pointed out by my teammates as I just felt like I was doing my job as awper since people were peaking me I was just shooting them. It just so happened that it happened a lot more than usual.

• How are you feeling going into your next two MDs against the teams in the Hitmen and the Seaside Slashers? Only two losses on your record this season, what are you all taking from those games to try and ensure that you don’t drop another map the rest of the season?

Just taking it 1 game at a time and focusing on myself. I don’t really try to predict or change my playstyle for anyone other than myself. Also we are just making sure that we as a team know what we want to do and how to move together as a unit.

• Everyone is looking for their trophy, but apart from that, are there any personal goals you are looking to achieve this season?

I want more friends. It was the main reason why I joined a league in the 1st place. If I wanted to focus on winning I would’ve joined an ESEA team but I’m fine with just making more friends!

• Most players have their own funky way of getting in their flow before any given matchday. What does your pregame routine look like?

Doing anything other than playing CS seems to work. Puzzles, deadlock, drawing, making videos, talking to friends, etc. I try not to make it too crazy other than just dming for like 10 minutes before getting on just to warm up my hands.

• Lastly, is there anyone on UPS, or in CSC, that you would like to poke a little fun at or hype up?

Don’t let me awp you. (also check out my YT videos if you wanna watch semi decent CS clips!!!!!!!!!! x3333)

Thank you for your time and good luck in the rest of your season!

Resent - IGL - Crusaders (The Armada Contender)

• How are you feeling about the Crusaders season so far?

So far, so good! Feeling like we’re working hard to find our groove and correct some mistakes we’ve identified throughout the season. Been a lot of fun playing this season with this squad.

• How are you feeling about your personal performance so far? Do you feel like you’ve been playing up to your expectations, and is there anything specific that you’re looking to work on personally to finish out the season?

I’ve had my ups and downs so far, but for the most part I feel content with my ratings relative to the added work that IGLing for a team brings. I would love to perform better of course, and I hope to ramp up my practice workload to be in tip-top playoffs shape.

• 7-2 so far this season is a pretty good start compared to most. Is there anything that you feel your team excels on? On the other end, is there anything you feel like the squad could work on that could’ve turned the tides to be undefeated up until this point?

I really like how cohesive and dominant our T sides have been. It feels like we’re really finding our rhythm with getting entries and working map control, but at the same time we’ve had some struggles in our CT side which is new to me as usually teams I lead have the opposite problem. It’ll be smoothed out in time for the big games though!

• We all know everyone wants a trophy, do you have any personal goals that you are aiming to achieve this season?

A second trophy is really what I’m working towards, but more importantly I just want to do the best I can to elevate this roster and try to unlock its potential. I know how strong this lineup is on paper, and I really want everyone to shine since all five of our squadron are immensely talented.

• We all love hearing insight on how people prepare for a CSC match day. What does your match day routine consist of? Is there anything specific you like to do before a match to get yourself mentally and mechanically prepared?

A lot of the time, I’m just loading up a warmup workshop map and feeling out my taps, bursts, and sprays. I try to kill 1,000 bots within 30 minutes, and if I have time, a warmup server or going over utility in refrag does the trick for me. I like to listen to music that gets me into the mentality of winning, and steel my nerves before the match starts so I can lock in for the squad.

• Is there anyone that you would love to shout out (or talk trash to) in CSC, or on FLT, whether that’s someone you’ve enjoyed playing with or against?

Man. So many people! This organization in general has treated me very well, and it’s awesome to play in a league like CSC. Shoutout to really everyone that I’ve been able to get to know, and to all my fans and friends I appreciate the support! I hope to impress and put up a great season on FLT’s behalf and wouldn’t be here without my past franchises and the friends made on the way developing me into the player I am today 🙂

Thanks for taking the time <3

xSkerunkly - GM - The Acheron

• How are you feeling about the organization’s season so far?

I am happy where we are for a new franchise. I think a lot of the time, there are some things that a lot of new FMs have to shake out, and I think we are almost there. We went into the draft with weird picks in Elite, a rough plan in contender, and no CLUE what we were doing in Challenger and Prospect. We definitely got lucky in the draft with our prospect team and got a lot of our targets in Challenger, Contender, and Elite. I am overall pretty happy that we have started to grow our community slowly but surely!

• How have you enjoyed your time so far as a non-playing GM? What has been your favorite and least favorite part of being a first time GM?

OKAY NO ONE GET MAD. My least favorite part of being a first time GM was figuring out the GM video. I think I was slamming my head against the wall trying to figure out what I wanted to do and also how to do it. My favorite part has been able to watch party all of our teams. I have some regulars who come through the discord every match day, so it’s nice being able to connect with them and have a small community within our server. Shoutout Fastrunner and Matt for making time to watch our teams!

• Since you have a little more time on your hands being non-playing (presumably) what are some things that you have been focusing on to help out the different tiers within MYT?

Since I don’t know TOO much about the game, I try to leave the coaching and mentorship to JT and KingXVX. I think that I have become a team mom in a way where I am always around and ready to put out fires. The quick problem solving and sub finding is a lot of fun for me, almost more fun than I have had while playing seasons! I also try to put a lot of time into our community events. We have been planning a MYT trivia night with some of our Elite players, who are also Sporcle geniuses. If you don’t believe me, ping Blink and ask him what the capital of Suriname is.

• For those that might want to get into the management side of things, what are some good qualities that you think are most beneficial for a player to bring to the table that is looking to make their way into an (A)GM spot?

Be personable, be kind, and love your communities. Being management means that you are literally a figurehead in the league and are the examples that a lot of players look up to and need to talk to. No one on a team wants to talk to their (A)GM who is mean and evil, so having those people skills is actually really important even if you don’t think so. Being kind is one of the biggest things that I think a lot of people overlook just in general online and even offline, so keep in mind that being a good human also extends into CSC as well. Also, be eager and give your time. There is a lot of behind the scenes that management does during combines and preseason, between scouting and discussions on rosters. Be ready to sit and listen to a lot of CS games, especially when you are scouting for the tiers that have the combine demons (Pander and TRAINS to name a few!).

• I know that most love to know what goes into a player’s pre-game routine. Is there anything special that you look to work on before any given matchday, or even before a day of pugging?

For me personally, I spin around in my chair three times, take everything off my wrists (hair ties, jewelry, literally EVERYTHING), and then put the hair up. Very ritualistic and when the hair goes up, you know it means business. If I’m pugging, I am straight up going in raw. I believe in no warm up, no bots, just pure aura and skill (whatever you do, do NOT look up my ratings back when I played.) Our teams though, we have our MYT retakes where Octagon shits on Advar, Advar shits on me, and JT shits on everyone. I know that a few of our players are also Kovvaks grinders, I think others play Deadlock as their warm up (looking at one of my AGMs). But even during retakes, it’s a time where all of our players are together and have a bit of team bonding, which is really special to me. It takes me back to my WET days, my very first season, so having those traditions stay true is like a blast from the past. I love every player within the franchise, and I am really thankful for them to be a part of our debut season!

• Finally, is there anyone on MYT, or in CSC, that you would love to shout out, poke fun at a bit?

I could literally give flowers to so many people here in the league, but I am sure that it would turn this article into a novel…so I’ll keep it brief. Within MYT, I want to give a huge shoutout to our players. Being in a new franchise is scary, you never really know what to expect in terms of new management, the new players, or even their philosophy. I am really appreciative of our players and all of the players who have come and gone. I also want to give a huge shoutout to my future maid of honor, Cagey. I think I have said this somewhere before in CSC media, but that guy is literally the only reason I am this deep into the league. I have so many kind words (and honestly some mean ones as well) for him, he is the best dude to be around and is one of the most genuine people I have met through my time in CSC. Forever and always, #BCHUp!

Thank you for your time <3

That does it for the End of Regulation this week. Next week will bring (ideally two players and one person from franchise management) new faces to the article. If you are interested in being on here, please DM me! Yappers inquired and required.

Who finishes the season with more games won, COW Prospect or BOA Contender?

Right now Cow’s prospect team remains as the only team yet to get a win in any of the tiers(0-9) while BOA’s contender team finally got over that hurdle last week after a close 13-9 game against TEE. Both teams on paper have almost exactly the same stats top frag for COW ramiaberry (1.04) and St1md (1.04) the only big difference I can spot is the bottom rated player on COW being about .10 off from the lowest rated player on BOA(.84)

I think most people would look at the remaining games for both of these teams and say that BOA are the obvious choice to finish with more games won as they BCH and GF this week who both sit at 5-4 and then finish the season at NAN 6-3 but in my opinion I think once you take a closer look at their season a lot of their losses have been quite bad. To be quite blunt when Boa lose they kinda get destroyed and are sitting at a -46 round differential compared to the COW team that is yet to find a win and sits around -44 round differential.

Im going to go out on a limb and bet on COW prospect to finish the season with more wins. I really like the changes saunce made. Even though I think it was about 3 matchdays too late I think bringing in a solid group of players with nothing to lose and letting them vibe out will lead to more victory. COW have been so close to reaching that point with 3 OT losses in the season and 2 of those OT losses coming in their last 3 games played. Lupinmay was dropped from a struggling NAN team but has become a different player since getting to COW with a high rating of 1.33 and most recently a 1.02.

COW will have to go against some brutal scheduling as they play AG with tier favorite MVP alc, followed by a game against the top seeded UPS then finishing their season playing a bottom of the standings JDM team. I know I sound crazy but I think I can see them taking 2 of 3 games here. #MOO

What team is most likely to repeat as champions this season UPS premiere or HG Contender ?

On one hand HG assassins look like the favorites to repeat in contender again. Last season they didn’t enter the playoffs as the one seed and then lost z1ppy to elite this season but that hasn’t slowed them down one bit. Since starting the season 3-1 they are now 5-0 in their last 5 games with wins on 4 different maps this season and seemingly banning out their only weak point (Anubis)? They are on track to steam roll once again. Not only are they winning the games they should be winning but its the manner in which they are. They are steam rolling the competition and have only had some struggle with who I consider to be some of the top teams in the tier (UPS and COW) Jin has the case to be the MVP of contender and all Im left thinking is imagine you lose your best player z1ppy to elite and then have to rebuild and get a player like JIN? The csc gods favor HG.

Maybe the easiest choice to make in this entire article as somehow Keagoo has built another top team in Prem this season. Alongside UPS Jason having a 1.64 in 7 games this season. Yes that is not a typo Jason has a 1.64 maintained throughout 7 games. Not to mention that Crazy and Kowalskey are more than capable of putting the team on their back when needed or if Jason has an off day and decides to drop a 1.3 stinker. Seeing as how UPS have locked in the #1 seed and have to prepare to face a BS team that is 3-6 and then will face either AVI or HG the hardest match up for them would be #2 OS who are the only ones who were able to take a game off of them in the regular season which would be the finals match up.

With 3 games remaining and teams within reach of HG I think that they are more capable of losing their #1 seed before playoffs and that provides teams with such a big advantage especially in the case of UPS prem that I would have to take UPS prem as the team I'm putting my money on to repeat this season. MAYBE this time it wont be a sham championship like last season against my BOO.

Who will finish the season with the highest rating ?(Alc - 1.37, Hazard - 1.36, Fossil - 1.38)

Three different players from three different tiers all trying to carve out their own story this season. Lets start with the recruit favorite for MVP Hazard. You might ask why I'm writing about Hazard when his teammate legion has a 1.60 in two games this season but that’s exactly why I'm shining the light on Hazard. They have been able to lead the tier with a 1.36 rating throughout 7 games played so I have a large sample size to back me up. Now we have to examine it a bit closer because the FNL recruit team right now is in the playoff race so maybe They let off the gas pedal and relax a bit to try out new techniques or plays.

Maybe my favorite player in the tier and the player I have most invested in besides (stampy) Alc the famous awp tier breaker I proclaimed from day one to having been misplaced in prospect is leading the tier with a 1.37. I think he might be the favorite to have the highest rating when its all said and done strictly because my man is solo carrying this team to its success. That’s not to say he doesn’t have any help AG have players at 1.0,.99 and .98 which is serviceable. One thing I worry about is that teams can adapt to them and just decide to take him out of the game by game planning and avoiding him or by saying unga bunga awp he can only shoot one time and then get traded. Maybe he can farm the winless COW team but after that he plays a very prepared FNL team and an H4K team that also has their own tier mvp candidate in Terminator.

Last but certainly not least we have the player I’m most excited to talk about because frankly I have very little knowledge on what goes on in Challenger. Fossil comes in with the highest rating in the league (1.38) besides Jason but I mean a 1.64 is so crazy high I think that would have to set some kind of record. I think the most impressive part is that UPS isn’t even farming the tier or so far above everyone else its not fair. They currently are sitting in second and teams in 3rd- 8th place are only a game behind them. They are having some issues with Ancient it seems 1 for 3 record throughout the season but besides that the whole team is doing their job. Tbone and Purgatory are great compliment pieces to Fossil with Rgood and Schmoo being able to have step up when needed.

So taking in all that data who do I think has the best case to finish the highest rating? Lets see , Hazard is sharing the load with his teammate Legion who seems like hes a tiebreaker on his own. I dont think Hazard will fall off but I can see a world where he wont have to have a great game and allow Legion to shine and still win.

Alc on the other hand is AG I know I said he has help but he sits at the top a 1.37 and the next player is at 1.0 rating. AG Prospect is the Alc show and right now they are fighting for their playoff seeding so expect big games to solidify the season.

My issue with Fossil is that I think similar to Hazard they have teammates that can also life game and take some pressure off of them and they can win without being the top dog. Alc and AG live and die by his success so Im putting my money on ALC to finish with the highest regular season rating B.J. (besides Jason)

Q: Hey rath! Thanks for “sitting down” with me and taking the time to be on Triple P! Can you give me a brief introduction for those who might not know you?

Yeah of course thanks for having me I’ve enjoyed reading your articles this season :). A bit about myself yeah, this my first real season in CSC although I did sign up in season 17, I didn’t end up playing anything but combines/preseason. I do have a lot of comp experience however in league of legends if that counts as that’s been my big gaming background. Outside of gaming I like to read fantasy novels, watch movies and play piano.

Q: Thanks for reading along with the previous editions! I also enjoy reading! What are you on right now? I’m reading through Throne of Glass right now, and I’m always trying to get more book recommendations.

I’m currently making my way through the Stormlight Archive Series by Brandon Sanderson, on book 4 right now. But I’ve also been burning through the diskworld series this year (Terry Pratchett) and they are amazing, think Monty Python energy and properly funny.

Q: I really do enjoy High Fantasy novels. I’ll have to add those to my TBR, but I don’t know if I’ll get through the 41 books in the Diskworld series. Switching gears, how has this season been? It looks like it’s been a while since you played in the league last, what made you want to come back?

This season’s been going really good. We have a great squad over at FNL, the team is great with really good vibes (shoutout to Juan, Lue, Moo, and Zulf) and the support/coaching from the GM/AGM’s at FNL is all you could ask for.

My previous season I was ended up really busy with school at the time so after I got dropped I didn’t bother to look for another team. I finished school shortly after but the place I moved to had terrible wifi and I couldn’t play any online fps games, so this is me returning from a 2 year hiatus as I just moved and got better wifi in August 🙂 So now I’m back trying to scratch that competitive itch again.

Q: Well, we are all happy you’re back! And clearly you haven’t lost your touch. 1.09 on the season, and your #3 in support on Analyitikill. Is there a secret to your individual success? Or is it just the rath difference?

Obviously it is a lot easier to play when you have a good squad and IGL so credit to them for sure. Personally I’m a big believer that you get out what you put in so I’ve been doing my best to get my individual form up by playing DM/ Kovaaks, while relearning all my nades and spots through lots of demo review from pro vods

Q: Is there a specific warmup you like to do, whether that’s in game or in Kovaaks? I just changed recently thanks to my teammate (shoutout max) and do some Kovaaks to get the aim warm before getting into a server. Do you have a map you like, Kovaaks playlist, only DM, etc.?

Normally to warmup I load up aimbotz and do 50 standing still kills on the ledge, 50 counter strafing kills, then I do 10 sprays on the wall with the ak and the m4 each. After that into DM for 50 kills and time to play.

Kovaaks wise it’s all about the viscose benchmarks rn, but not normally a warmup up kind of thing

Q: This has to be the most serious warmup I’ve seen in Prospect, at least. Let’s talk outside of the server. You mentioned you play the piano, and I would love to get some insight into that! Is this something that started when you were younger, or maybe happened along the way of growing up?

It’s a more recent thing I think 2 years or so now, but I’ve been playing music since I was 8. I was a big guitar player until I had to stop cause of hand pain and played sax throughout school. Piano started in part due to the hand injury but mainly because my girlfriend is an amazing flautist/violinist and I wanted to be able to play classical music with her.

Q: That’s actually beautiful, I did not expect that answer. Are there any pieces that come to mind when I ask what your favorite piece is to play with her?

Of course we play a Bach Siciliano that I quite enjoy and we are working on Standchen right now and that is lots of fun

Q: That’s awesome! I didn’t think a League and CS player could be so sophisticated, bravo! I only have a couple more questions for you. Is there anything you do to pass the time that might be considered niche?

Some examples I could give are like playing a Trading Card Game, or being super into running, things of that nature.

Yeah for sure I’ve not been in the past a TCG player but I’ve been getting into commander MTG with my gf and some friends recently and it’s a great time. I’m a big hockey player too though since the move I’ve yet to find a new squad, csc is definitely helping me get that competitiveness out that I’ve been missing on the ice. But yeah lots of sports and games I’m a person who does better when I’m busy 🙂

Q: Both Hockey and MTG seem to be big in the CSC space, and for good reason. Well rath, I’ll ask you one more question, and debatably the most important one.

What is your favorite cheese and why?

Oh tough one probably mozzarella, I love it on a prosciutto sandwich with some arugula and spicy peppers. I’m not the biggest cheese guy tbh so that’s probably it, love a good sandwich though

Q: Well, it’s okay to be misinformed. That’s all I have for you rath! Thanks for talking with me. Is there anything you want to say before we close this out?

Yeah thank you so much for having me on it was a pleasure, and to all my prospect players y’all better watch out FNL’s coming for ya 🙂

And that’s all folks! Thanks again to rath for taking the time, and of course, another round of thanks to our amazing Media Head Mxgabyte, our Written Media Head Esnupi for green lighting and helping name Triple P, and our Head Editor Silky J for making sure all of our articles are coherent.

And thank you, the reader! I can’t make articles without folks to read them, so whether you voice your opinion or not, thank you. I already have next week lined up with (of course) another very special guest, so make sure to check in on the Media Announcements! As always, I will see you next week!

Gloop Troop (BS) vs Hydras (ATL) -Nade23y

A future title preview? The current #1 and #3 teams in the tier. It is not impossible that they will see each other come November. This BS team has been red hot rattling off 6 wins in a row and asserting dominance over the tier with a +41 RD. ATL is (hypothetically) the closest competition to them being 1 game back in the standings with the 2nd highest +/- RD of 19. A crazy gap, it would take a minimum of 2 maps to close that gap. BS: A chance to separate themselves from the pack even more with a win here tonight. They’ve been dominating all season without a certified allstar. Gryphon technically is right now sitting in the 10 hole for stats right now (per analytikill) but one bad map could send him tumbling down the charts. With how dominant they are I wouldn’t be too worried. They’ve only let opposing teams get >10 rounds on them 4 times all season. You don’t see that type of success often, for a team without a clear allstar. Just a good group of guys going in and playing a great team game. ATL: With tier-MVP front runner nokk- at the front of the pack, this ATL team can win rounds/maps/maybe even series based off his star power alone. Aside from being kept in check last MD, teams have tried and failed to slow him down. Which points to the fact that the team behind him are no slouches either. They can and have won games even when their MVP is having an off night. That should be scary for the rest of the tier.

CHALLENGER

Royal Rattlers (BOA) vs Argonauts (ATL) - Nade23y

With 3 MD’s left, teams on the edge of the playoffs need to lock in and try to not drop games they shouldn’t to keep themselves right where they are, or climb the standings to get better seeding. This match fits with what BOA is hoping to do tonight. With a 3-6 record, November is not promised to them. Two teams in AG and TEE are nipping at their heels trying to snatch that playoff spot from them. For ATL, sadly playing in November would require them to win out and get a lot of help. The bright side, a win tonight would have them sit 1 game out of title contention entering the final week of the regular season.

BOA: This team started the season off to a good start going 2-1. Then dropped their next 5 to find themselves with their backs against the wall. Maybe that’s how they want it, as they bounced back on Tuesday with a 13-8 win against a solid MYT team. Led by Genie and Vin, this team has had a rough season. But it’s not how you start, or how the middle of the season treats you. It’s how you finish, and BOA is starting the final stretch off on a good note. Looking to put distance between themselves and the nonplayoff teams; tonight is a critical game for them. A loss tonight could see them putting even more pressure on themselves going into next week. A win tonight, and there's a lot less pressure on them as the season comes to a conclusion.

ATL: There’s no easy way to say it. This team has had a rough go of it all season. Their lone win came on MD5 vs TEE, which funnily enough was the match I picked last time I guest wrote for the tier. Do they get motivated to play better when they are chosen for the Match Spotlight? We will find out tonight! avisual leads the team with a 1.08 rating, backed up by some csc vets in Rockin and tjediski. They have the experience in place to play in this tier. They just need to go out and prove it. A win tonight keeps their playoff dreams very much alive. It gives them the tiebreaker over BOA and moves them 1 game out of playing in November. For this team, their season for all intents and purposes ends tonight. A loss and they’re effectively done. They’d need to grab 2 wins next week and get a ton of help. To make life as easy on themselves as possible they need this win tonight.

Both teams have it all to play for tonight, their dreams of that sweet sweet emoji being put next to their name can be made extremely murky or crystal clear tonight.

CONTENDER

Team Kill (AG) vs Freeway Freaks (FNL) - Provoloan

This is going to be a middle table brawl between two teams, both 4-5, separated by an 8 round differential. Both of these teams are going to be playing for Playoff seeding as well. Winning this game could mean having an "easier" first round. On one side, we have Team Kill, who overall have had pretty good results, and have had close games (outside of one game MD3 vs GF). This team can clearly take others the distance, and will not have issues with winning the rounds, but finishing out the game. Led in rating by xtorii2 (1.14), this team has some good firepower. On the other side of the server we have the Freeway Freaks. As previously mentioned, they are 4-5, but have some other results of what I would call blowouts. Some 13-4 wins, some 13-4 losses. This FNL team is led by none other than Evan Counter-Strike himself (0.94), and has their highest rated player oBo (1.14) leading the charge. Who will come out on top? Will it be the Freeway Freaks or Team Kill who takes home the playoff seeding? But what would I know, I'm only Prospect!

PROSPECT

Tactical Toads (FRG) VS Cardinals (AVI) - REDSNOOPE

AVI are coming into this matchup at the top dawg spot and sitting pretty at 8-1. They have nothing to lose and can relax and just slow their way into playoffs. ALONG COMES ... FRG prospect at 3-6 fighting for their entire season and playoffs hopes. I think its safe to say that a loss tonight puts them on the edge of being eliminated and adds to another season the tadpols going trophy-less. So what do you get when you have a matchup between a team that has nothing to lose and a team that has a season riding on the line...? FIREWORKS. I think this FRG team is going to put AVI on #fraudwatch and give them a rude awakening. I wont dive into specifics but I think they are easily beatable and have the makings of a #1 seed who burn out in the first round.

Can FRG be the team that delivers that slap in the face wake up call? That is yet to be seen and I know I havent been the biggest fan of this team this season but theres just something about a underdog that I love to root for. They kinda remind of those roaches that survive nukes and dont die. They continue to find ways to stay alive week in and week out. I had them losing to NAN and they embarrassed them so bad it made me reconsider everything I knew coming into this week.

I would not bet my life on a FRG upset though because AVI have the vets(old guys) and that experience can not be over looked. I can let them slide with that one ugly loss to a very weak DRG squad we all have those bad days. I guess what im saying is who comes to the plate more prepared tonight? AVI cannot take this FRG team lightly and FRG can not afford to lose. Who did the better research and demo prep... We will find out tonight.

RECRUIT

Constellation (COS) vs Cryptic Crawlers (FNL) - mxgaCHUD

Last time these two met, COS handed FNL a 13–3 beating on Nuke. Since then, the Crawlers have apparently decided they are tired of being stepped on. Three straight wins, just eight rounds allowed across those games, and handing GF their first loss of the season is a pretty damn convincing way to announce yourself. Both squads enter tonight at 5–4, but FNL are playing like a team that wants everyone to forget how this season started. Hazard has been an absolute problem, and COS are going to need an answer for him if they want a repeat of the first meeting.

COS have plenty of reasons to feel good themselves after handling COW on Tuesday. With skii00 and Nico leading the way, this squad has enough shooting to put FNL’s little revenge tour on hold. The veto makes this even more interesting. FNL have been rolling people on Cache, while COS already know they can beat this opponent on Nuke. That said, FNL have won their last two Nuke games, so taking them back there might not produce the same happy ending. I am picking FNL to get their revenge, but COS have already shown exactly what happens when the Crawlers get caught slipping.

First up, we need to Ketchup with Mustard!

Alright, Mustard, thanks for ketching up with me after this game! A HUGE performance from you, posting a 1.48 rating. As far as your CSC history goes, that’s your highest rating yet! After a game like that, you’ve certainly brought the heat to the kitchen. What’s it feel like to put up a performance like this?

I’ve been doubting my ability a bit lately, so being able to step up today meant a lot to me. I know the win means everything to the guys, so I’m really happy I was able to perform and secure us a victory.

JuanSecond: Great answer! Now, let’s relish that performance for a moment and look at the match itself. The scoreline was a bit back-and-forth for you guys. Which side did you find harder to take control of, CT or T? And were there any mid-game adjustments from your IGL to get you more involved specifically?

T was not too bad. I think getting six rounds on Inferno’s T side is massive for us. We won enough rounds that when we threw a few on CT, it didn’t matter in the end. I’m the IGL, and no, I didn’t do anything special for myself. I play support on T and float on CT. I pretty much just happened to be in the right spot to trade a lot.

So no secret recipe, no special sauce—just being in the right place at the right time! Sometimes, that’s all it takes to turn a good performance into a great one. Lastly, with the season almost coming to a close, what’s the moment that’s stuck with you the most so far?

I really like the personalities of my teammates. I don’t think there’s a specific moment, really, but when you get to play with cool people, it makes the wins that much more rewarding. Shout-out to Nooj and his great music taste.

Shout-out to Nooj for keeping the vibes high! Sounds like this team has the right ingredients for success. Mustard brought the heat this match, and the rest of the squad helped make sure the victory wasn’t half-baked. Thanks for taking the time to ketchup with me, Mustard, and best of luck closing out the season!

Great Ketchup Moment with Mustard! Next up, we’ve got a man who’s no stranger to the top of the podium: the two-time back-to-back champ, Zulf! Is he about to make it a three-course championship meal? Let’s find out.

Thanks for taking the time and giving me JuanSecond to chat with you, Zulf! Big game out of you tonight. First, I gotta ask: how does it feel coming off another Anubis win for this FNL squad?

Honestly, man, it feels pretty damn good. We had a slow start to the game, but we quickly found our bearings! Even with things getting shaky near the end, I still felt pretty confident that we could take the dub as the rounds kept coming closer and closer to closing out!

Love to hear it! Sounds like you guys weathered the storm and made it out of Anubis with the goods. Next up, looking at your stats, you’re usually a quiet guy on the scoreboard, but tonight you dropped your highest kill count of the season with 24! Was it all aim, or was the enemy team just walking straight into your crosshair?

Honestly, I got really lucky with a lot of their util, letting me work late plays and just playing off sound cues in some cases, and in others, pure “fuck it, we ball” mentality. The way I saw it was, worst-case scenario, I die and garner info for Lue and you to get the extension picks. Don’t get me wrong, my biblical greed got me caught out more than enough times, but eh, sky’s the limit. Gotta crash a few times before you can really get the handling, no?

JuanSecond: Biblical greed is crazy work! But hey, sometimes you gotta take a few risks to get those rewards. And with 24 kills on the board, I’d say the Lord was watching over your crosshair tonight! Just try not to let that greed become your team’s next biblical disaster.

Lastly, with the season almost coming to an end and your team already securing a playoff spot, your eyes are set on a championship. With the potential to make this your third title, what’s going through your mind right now?

Imma keep it a stack: as much as I want this to be a threepeat and take home another win for the lads on the squad and for Big Chief Evan Counter-Strike, I’m more or less just happy to come in every week, smoke up a lil, and rock with a community on a game that all brings us in to join up in these servers and hand each other belt-to-ass time and time again. Win the chip or drown in pools, I’m just happy to be rocking it with the lads. Off some sentimental shit, though, IM COMING INTO THESE LAST 3 MATCH DAYS SWINGING! AIM IS BEING PRACCED, SMOKES ARE BEING DRILLED, AND MUSIC IS BLASTING WHILE IM FRESH OFF THE TONKA! IM LOOKING TO GIVE THE TIER HELL AND STRIKE SOME FIRES UNDER SOME ASSES. I WANNA SEE YALL OUT THERE THESE LAST FEW MATCH DAYS SMILING EAR TO EAR, HAVING A BLAST, AND LET’S CLOSE OUT THE REGULATION RIGHT! Cheers, lads!

NOW THAT’S A CHAMPIONSHIP MINDSET! Zulf might be happy just rocking with the lads, but don’t let that fool you. The man is loading up for war, and apparently, the bong isn’t the only thing getting lit! A threepeat is on the table, the aim is getting pracced, and the music is blasting. FNL has its eyes on the prize, and Zulf is ready to make these last three match days as chaotic as a full-buy rush into a stacked site.

As always, Zulf brings the energy and good vibes! Keeping that momentum rolling, we’re moving on to Muppet, who’s been a PFA super-sub for the Tier this season. He might not be on the roster every match day, but when the call comes in, the frags certainly do too!

Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me, Muppet! After doing some research, I just found out this is your third game of the season, and all three times you’ve posted a rating above 1.0, with your most recent performance being a whopping 1.6! You might just be the perfect super-sub. Are you a simple plug-and-play kind of guy, or do you need a system to get you activated?

I would say I play a similar way no matter what team I play for. Having teammates who know what they’re doing definitely helps, but no matter what, I’m just here to shoot my gun. Also, I’m definitely not perfect, haha. The way one of my teammates put it today cracked me up: “0 comms, just straight frags and aura.”

“Zero comms, straight frags and aura.” That’s gotta be one of the funniest scouting reports I’ve heard! Forget the playbook; just plug Muppet in and let him cook. With three games played and three ratings above 1.0, the results speak for themselves!

Next up, I know you’re stepping in for a high-flying team like the Cardinals, and with Pander calling the shots and directing traffic, things should be running pretty smoothly. But was there a point tonight when you abandoned the original strat and trusted your own instincts to make a play?

Pander made it really easy for me with pre-round game plans, so it mostly just made sense, and it was pretty easy to follow what he asked of me. But I definitely looked on my own for ways I could make plays through my own gameplay, using timings and maybe a little ego-challing during mid-rounds.

Gotta love a player who can follow the game plan but isn’t afraid to take matters into his own hands when the opportunity presents itself. Pander lays down the blueprint, and Muppet finds a way to put his own signature on it. A little ego-challing here and there never hurt anyone... well, unless you’re the one spectating loser POV!

Lastly, after another great performance like that, when can we expect to see you back in the server? Are there any hopes of seeing you become eligible for Season 22?

I try my best to sub whenever I can, usually only through DMs, though, because I don’t check the FA channel. I just PFA’d this season because there were a lot of MDs I couldn’t make it for, and unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll sign up as a full player next season either. The only season I fully signed up was Season 18, and I won a trophy, so I’m satisfied with leaving it there. But anyone who wants me to sub, just hit me up!

And there you have it, folks! Muppet might not be looking to make a full-time return, but when the Cardinals need a stand-in, there’s a good chance he’ll be ready to clock in and start collecting heads. Season 18 gave him a trophy, and he’s apparently happy leaving that chapter closed, but his super-sub services remain available through the DM department!

Thanks for the interview, Muppet! Whether you’re on the roster or just passing through, keep the frags coming. Low comms, high impact, and a trophy already on the shelf. That’s not a bad way to leave your mark on the Tier!

Great closing statements from Muppet! Now we’re switching stations and tuning in with DJ0! Let’s see what he’s been spinning up in the server.

Hey, DJ0! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. First question I want to ask: as a support player, we don’t typically see that role taking home MVP honors, but you pulled it off for your team tonight with a 1.27 rating, your highest of the season! Was there something that finally clicked tonight, or was it just a lucky break?

It’s an honor to finally be interviewed! So I’m always up to play a supporting role in order to help my team, especially if I’m not 100% comfortable in the system yet. However, on previous rosters, I’m typically the guy running around, taking space, and getting multi-kills. I’ve been hesitant to utilize that aggressive play style this season, but I was finally lucky enough to showcase that against COW.

Great response, thanks! Sounds like you’ve been keeping the volume down on the aggression this season, but against COW, you finally cranked it up! It’s always nice when a player can adapt to what the team needs and still find the right moments to let loose.

Next, I want to ask: how much of today’s result came down to preparation, and how much came down to individual performances from you and your teammates?

We couldn’t really prepare for this team because, from my understanding, they had swapped out a few players before our game, so it really came down to individual performances and the notes Ry was able to cook up.

When the opposing lineup changes at the last minute, sometimes you have to throw the original game plan on shuffle and trust your teammates to deliver. Credit to Ry for still cooking up some notes to help the squad get ready!

Lastly, next Thursday, you guys face a HOT FNL team that’s been on a streak. Do you have any words for them before you meet in the server?

I have nothing but respect for FNL and their players. They were a good team last season in Recruit, and I’m hoping I can replicate the success I had against them here in Prospect.

Nothing but respect! DJ0 is giving FNL their flowers. Next Thursday, the playlist changes, and both teams will be looking to drop a hit in the server!

Next up, we’ve got someone who might as well have told the other team to Alt+F4 out of the server last night! With a monster performance under his belt, Alt is proving that closing applications isn’t the only thing he knows how to do. Let’s get into it!

Hey, Alt! Thanks for giving me a second of your time. Monster game out of you tonight, posting a 1.63 rating, which is your season peak so far! With only three games left in the season, is this the peak for you, or is there an even higher-rated game waiting for us before playoffs?

No problem! Yeah, hopefully I will have a higher-rated game here as we get closer to playoffs, but as long as the team and I are winning games, I don’t really think about stats.

That’s what you like to hear! The rating might be climbing, but the focus is still on getting those dubs. Alt’s clearly not ready to close out the season just yet. There’s still time for another performance upgrade before the playoff! Next, I want to ask: what did the other team do tonight that genuinely caught you off guard? You finished with 10 deaths, so I’m assuming at least one of those had to come from a ratty play on Nuke.

Honestly, nothing really caught me off guard in tonight’s match. Going into it, we really wanted to force them onto Nuke and stick to the game plan we had, and show that even though we lost our last match, we are still the best team in this tier. Tonight, I think we proved that with our win. As for ratty spots on Nuke, I actually don’t think I died to anything too crazy, which I’m glad about, haha.

So the game plan was locked in, the other team never managed to pull out anything too sneaky. Sounds like your squad had the whole map running on your terms! And with that kind of confidence, I guess the other team was the one looking for an escape route.

Lastly, with the season coming to a close and only three games left, let’s look back at the matches you’ve played so far. What’s been the most memorable game of the season for you?

Looking back on this season, the most memorable game for me was definitely our MD7 win over AG. We had a crazy 4–11 comeback on Mirage. Even with us being down by so much, we never thought we were going to lose the game, and after getting to overtime, the energy the team and I had was off the charts. It was a super fun and competitive game, so I think that one really stands out to me the most.

Most teams might start looking for the exit after falling that far behind, but your squad decided to keep fight back and I love it. That kind of belief in your teammates is what makes those comeback wins so memorable.

Thanks for the interview, Alt! With a season-high 1.63 rating, a game plan that delivered, and a comeback victory over AG already in the books, you’ve got plenty to be proud of. But with three matches still left, it sounds like this squad isn’t ready to hit the exit button just yet.

Someone out of this world delivered a godlike performance last night! The rankings are shifting, the competition is heating up, and one player is making his presence known among the mortals. Here’s Deity with a quick interview!

Hey, Deity! Thanks for giving me a second of your time. You posted a 1.24 rating tonight, earning yourself team MVP honors. What’s it feel like coming off a performance like that?

It feels great to get a dominant win over a highly rated team like AG. I was very surprised to see that we lost the first blood battle, despite the score, which shows how much our team play has been improving.

Great answer! Even when the first bloods aren’t falling your way, the scoreboard tells a different story. Sounds like your team has been finding ways to win rounds through teamwork rather than relying on individual heroics.

With tonight’s win over AG, you guys have climbed to number four in the rankings. What’s it feel like seeing the summit getting closer? You’ve got H4K, UPS, and AVI sitting above you, and you know you’ll have to face top competition in the playoffs. How confident are you in taking down those three teams? And do you think one will require more preparation than the others?

While I’m happy we are improving our playoff seeding, only one team reaches the top of the mountain, and we are not there yet. We play UPS for our next match, so that will be another tough test against a top opponent. I’m not too worried about hypothetical matchups right now, just the games that are right in front of us.

A humble answer from a guy named Deity! With UPS up next, there’s no time to get comfortable admiring the view. Lastly, with the season coming to a close, I took a look at your match history and noticed that a lot of your games, win or lose, have been close on the scoreboard. Could you give us a little insight into which situation is harder to handle: closing out a dominant win or recovering after letting a lead slip away?

I have complete confidence about closing out games we are winning. Recovering from a slip is harder, but my team has been able to adapt in those situations to get the rounds we need.

That’s the kind of confidence you want heading into the postseason! Anyone can feel comfortable when they’re ahead, but being able to adapt when things start going sideways is what separates good teams from dangerous ones.

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Deity! Congratulations on the team MVP and the climb to number four.

Next up, we’ve got someone who might have a few screws loose, but one thing’s for sure: he knows exactly what he’s doing in the server! He’s been putting opponents in the blender, and tonight’s performance was anything but dwarf-sized. Here’s Fatdwarf!

Alright, Dwarf, thanks for taking a little JuanSecond with me! Huge game out of you tonight, posting a 1.74 rating, the highest of the night! You also seem to be a big-time entry fragger, with an opening duel percentage of 58%. Are you the type to dry-swing everything and take the fight, or is there someone behind the scenes setting you up with utility so you can crack open a site?

Hey, hey, Juan! Pleasure to be with you. That night was a crazy game for me. I was playing against a guy who coached me and taught me how to use my utility better, so I had to show him what I learned from him.

I’ll say I was more of an entry fragger in the first few games of the season, but because of NTFreak coaching me, I’m trying to use my brain more while I play, so I’ll say I’m more of a support player right now.

My start to the season was a bit rough. It was really new for me, all that communication, seeing that much utility, and dealing with a lot of fakes. I don’t see that much strategy in my solo queue games, so it was way different here. I’m really grateful for my team helping me get through that. They have really good game sense and knowledge, and I’m learning fast with them.

But especially, they’re very patient with me and my slow ass, which is way different from my last IGL, Paladin. I feel he’s a bit francophobic...

P.S. I still love you, Paladin! Wish I had that much ease understanding the game.

A 1.74 rating against the guy who taught you the ropes? That’s one way to show your appreciation! NTFreak taught you how to use your utility, and now you’re putting those lessons to work against him. That’s gotta be one proud coach... assuming he’s recovered from the scoreboard!

And the character development is real! Going from a dry-swinging entry fragger to a more calculated support player is quite the upgrade. Turns out the biggest thing Fatdwarf needed wasn’t more aim, but a few extra brain cells and some well-placed smokes.

Next up, this is your third time playing Cache this season, and every time you load into it, you seem to pop off. Is Cache a map opponents should be banning against you, or are you ready to take on anyone brave enough to challenge you?

I think Cache is really my map, and my team really loves it too, so please, we would love some challenges on it!

Well, you heard the man! Opponents, consider this your official invitation. Fatdwarf has claimed Cache as his territory, and apparently, the dwarf isn’t interested in playing hide-and-seek. He wants challengers lining up at the door!

Three appearances, three big performances, and a player who’s practically asking teams to test him. At this point, banning Cache might be less of a tactical decision and more of a public service announcement.

Lastly, I want to get a little personal with you. After your recent outbursts in Prospect chat, some people might look at you a little differently. But I want readers to get to know the real you. This is your first season in CSC, and so far, you’re certainly leaving some kind of legacy! For those who don’t know your game or the man behind the keyboard, tell us a little about yourself.

Euhm, no idea what you are talking about. My goal is to keep the best image of me, and I think it has worked so far. As for my game, there’s not much to say except that my IQ and waist-to-height ratio are below average, so I have a lot to prove on CS.

An innocent man, apparently! Nothing to see here, folks. Just a perfectly normal, well-adjusted player with absolutely no history in Prospect chat.

But in all seriousness, Fatdwarf’s story is a good reminder that there’s more to a player than what you see in the server or the chat. He’s learning, adapting, and putting up some monster numbers along the way. The self-awareness is there, the Cache confidence is definitely there, and the screws... well, we’ll let the readers decide about those. Thanks for the interview, Dwarf! Keep learning, keep fragging, and keep those Cache challengers coming

Great conversation out of Fatdwarf! Next up, we’ve got someone who might actually be a Terminator, minus the bot-like movements. This machine is running on pure aim. Let’s hear from Terminator!

Hey, Terminator! Thanks for taking a little JuanSecond to talk with me. You’re the AWPer for this H4K squad, and you just dropped a 1.52 rating, which I believe is the highest AWPer rating of the night! Is this a message to the other AWPers in the league, or just a subtle display of skill?

Yeah, no problem. To start, I didn’t realize the rating I had after the match. I’m just playing my game and not looking at stats. I just want to see the team win, so it just happens. There isn’t a message about my AWP performance.

A 1.52 rating, and the man didn’t even check his stats afterward? cockyness or truly humble? The other AWPers might want to run a system check and check him PC.

Next, I want to get into your team’s map history. You guys have been picking up wins against teams all over the place. Are your map picks purely strategic, or are they planned out ahead of time? Is the AimlockAImers map pool just that deep?

Our map pool is a mixture. We put some thought into what map we play against which team, but we also decide to play certain maps since we feel good playing on them. Of course, we want to have better odds of winning, so it happens to lead us to having a good-sized map pool.

So there’s a method to the machine! There’s preparation behind the picks, but the team also knows when to lean into its strengths. A deep map pool gives you more ways to attack, and it sounds like this squad has plenty of options in its arsenal.

Lastly, there’s plenty of talk about H4K potentially taking it all. Now, I’m no fortune teller, but you guys are sitting comfortably near the top of the standings. With AVI and UPS above you, which team should be more worried about H4K coming for its spot?

We heard those talks about H4K possibly taking it all, but we still keep our heads down and play our game. Both teams above us should look out, since you never know when a team starts to break down or has an unlucky match. On the other hand, being a bit under the radar in our current team standings could be a good thing, since everyone will be looking at teams number one and two. Most won’t see number three as the actual threat until it’s too late. At the end, it’s just my way of seeing things. It would be nice to win it all, though, as it’s my first season of CSC. But whatever happens, happens.

Now that’s a scary thought for the teams sitting above them! While everyone keeps their eyes on first and second place, H4K could be quietly running diagnostics, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. No flashy promises, no unnecessary trash talk. Just a team staying focused and letting the results speak for themselves.

And I like that mindset from Terminator. He’s got his sights set on a championship in his first CSC season, but he’s not getting ahead of himself. Thanks for the interview, Terminator! Best of luck to you and H4K as the season winds down

Next up, we’ve got someone who’s as sharp as a blade and just as dangerous when he swings into a site. After breaking out of a slump, he’s looking to carve up the competition as the season winds down. Let’s get into it with Razr!

Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me, Razr! After last night’s match, you came out of a slump swinging, posting a 1.37 rating. What, if anything, did you do differently compared to the last two weeks?

So last night’s match was the first game I played while not on medication. After the 13-0 against COW, I had my wisdom teeth removed and was on prescription medication. Not being on drugs makes you play better, so kids, say no to drugs, say yes to Counter-Strike.

Well, there’s a recovery story I didn’t expect! After getting your wisdom teeth removed, it sounds like the only thing Razr needed was to get back to his usual self. Just remember, folks, that’s Razr’s personal experience, not a prescription from your local doctor—or your local IGL.

Looking at your stats for the season, you’re really on fire when it comes to entry fragging, posting a 63% success rate. Can you clue us in on your approach when it comes to breaking into a bombsite?

My style of approach is knowing I have a faster reaction time and better crosshair placement than most people. Swing confidently and you get the kill.

Razr’s entry strategy seems simple: trust the aim, trust the crosshair placement, and swing like you own the place. With a 63% success rate, the results are doing plenty of talking for him.

Lastly, we’re coming up on the tail end of the season, and the Toads are sitting just below the playoff cutoff. These last three games mean a lot to you guys. What’s the team’s mental like right now?

With playoffs around the corner, FRG has to lock in and get these last three wins. Now that we are back to full strength, I do not foresee us losing these next three games. The mental is great. We are locked and loaded for anyone, anytime.

That’s the kind of confidence you want to hear with a playoff spot on the line! FRG knows the assignment: three games, three wins, and no room for hesitation. The Toads are back to full strength, Thanks for the interview, Razr! Best of luck to you and FRG as you fight for that playoff spot. With a 63% entry success rate and confidence like that, the opposition might want to start checking their corners twice.

Next up, I swear this guy is worse than your drunk uncle at the family cookout… Everybody give it up for UncleSkippy!

Hey, Skippy! Another banger of a game out of you, and another MVP to add to the collection! Is this just going to become a weekly occurrence for you, or should the rest of the Tier start getting used to seeing your name at the top?

I sure hope so :)

Short, sweet, and straight to the point. You heard the man, folks! UncleSkippy is looking to make these MVPs a regular family gathering.

This was your highest-rated game on Ancient this season. Your previous two showings were already solid, but this one topped the charts! Was there anything you guys did differently this time around compared to those previous matches?

Our captain/IGL, Octagon, definitely did his homework on our opponents and their tendencies, so the calls and strats tonight just felt like they were much more effective than our last two matches. Also, as we gain more playtime together over the season, I feel like we are steadily improving.

Shout-out to Octagon for doing his homework! Turns out, studying your opponents pays off a lot more than showing up to Ancient and hoping the other team forgets how to play. Between better preparation and more time building chemistry, MYT seems to be finding its rhythm at just the right time.

Lastly, with MYT steadily climbing the standings ladder, you guys are sitting pretty comfortably in a playoff spot right now. What’s the mentality like on the team as the season winds down?

The mentals are great, and I can’t wait to keep winning.

That’s what you like to hear! No panic, no family drama, just good vibes and a team ready to keep stacking wins. MYT is climbing the standings, the playoff picture is looking good, and UncleSkippy seems ready to keep handing out losses.

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Skippy! Best of luck to you and MYT as you head toward the postseason. Keep those MVP performances coming.

Last but certainly not least is Cosmix.

Hey, Cosmix! Thanks for sitting down with me. Looking at your stats, I see this is your first season in CSC, and you put up a huge performance tonight with a 1.43 rating! What’s it like being part of a team as strong as the Gone Fishin’ Piranhas in your first season?

It feels awesome being part of this squad. We have a blast playing together, and it’s always fun to rage-bait Kaizera—or at least try to. Going into every game, I have an idea of what I want to do for my team, and today I had to shoot my gun.

Well, when the game plan is to shoot your gun, a 1.43 rating definitely gets the job done! Sounds like you’ve found yourself in some pretty good waters with the Piranhas.

Next, I wanted to ask about the team’s lineup. You guys were missing a piece when Will left, but since he returned, you’ve been stacking up wins. Was getting your fifth player back a huge mental shift for the team, or was it more like slotting that final puzzle piece into place?

It was a bit of both. Will leaving was a big problem for us because he brought a lot of firepower and ideas to the team, so we had a big hole to fill. At the same time, it gave us a chance to figure out what was missing from our game. When he came back, we switched a few things around, filled that last piece, and everything fit perfectly.

Sometimes, you have to swim through a rough patch to figure out what’s missing. With Will back in the lineup and the pieces falling into place, the Piranhas seem to have found their bite again!

Lastly, with GF riding a hot win streak, what’s the team’s mentality heading into the final three games of the season? Are you guys feeling the pressure, or are you ready to keep the momentum rolling?

Coming into the final games of the regular season, we’re making sure not to get cocky. We want to keep playing our game, not let small hiccups ruin our flow, and take it one game at a time.

That’s a solid mentality to have. The Piranhas have been feeding on wins lately, but they know better than to get too comfortable before the season’s over. With three games left, they’ll need to keep their heads in the game and their eyes on the prize. If they keep swimming in the right direction, the rest of the league might find itself in deep water!

That’s all from Cosmix! Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions, and best of luck to the Gone Fishin’ Piranhas as they close out the regular season.

That’s a wrap on this match day!

And that closes out this match day’s edition of JuanSecond! I want to thank everyone who took the time to read along, whether you clicked in just for your team’s interview or stuck around to read the whole article. I appreciate every single one of you giving me the time of day!

I’ll be back again Thursday with another round of interviews, so keep an eye out for the next edition. Until then, enjoy the games, support your teams, and keep the good vibes rolling.

Q: Hey Dan! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me. Would you mind introducing yourself for those who may not know you?

Hey! Of course, thanks for having me. My name is Daniel (DanML) and I live in Cambridge, MA (I just moved here this year). I’m new to CSC this season and have been having a great time with it. I’m a software dev, a D&D enjoyer, and I live with my wonderful wife and our sweet, older cat.

Q: That sounds wonderful! What brought you into CSC for your first season? Do you have some friends here, see a post by our content team?

Actually it was pretty unexpected - I had made a reddit post a couple months ago to advertise for a weekly wingman rec league my friends and I started. I made some kind of statement like “CS doesn’t have rec leagues” and someone commented about CSC being what I was describing, for 5v5! Shout-out whoever reddit user “i7estrox” is for that. I had no idea CSC existed until that point (which is a little crazy, because I had searched for something like it in the years prior).

It was late in registration when we found it, but my cousin @Hk and I signed up together and grinded through the necessary faceit and combine games to qualify for the draft. It’s been an awesome time!

Q: Shoutout i7estrox! This perfectly goes into my next question, can you tell me a little about your wingman league? This can be a shameless plug if you’d like. To my knowledge, you’re the “owner” of it?

Lol, thank you for that! Yes, I run hla.gg with lots of help from a close friend, @Pixel8. It’s a small community wingman platform we’ve built over the last couple of years together with help from a couple friends, including @Hk. We’ve got a weekly league on Wednesday nights with a bunch of regulars of all skill levels, and if you’re reading this, we’d love to have you jump in and play some games with us. The league nights have been a blast.

We (the devs) love the wingman game mode, and there are literally 50+ high-quality maps on the workshop for it, but most people don’t know they exist. HLA lets you play them with your friends, up to 4v4, with all the server stuff handled by us.

It’s all a big passion project in the hopes of fostering a positive community, quite like what CSC has become. That’s actually why I was so blown away when I jumped into CSC and saw the “casual competitive” vibe it’s managed to foster, because it’s exactly the community spirit we’re looking for on HLA. It gives me hope for what we could be someday!

Q: It’s quite the project! It’s cool to see map dev’s in the server, such as Quoting or JimFK who had some maps in game! How did this come about for you? You wanted to do something that you thought hadn’t been done?

Yea, we’ve got a few awesome mappers in the Discord! I think it started in early 2025, when I reached out to HomeFries (co-creator of Debris, which is in the current official wingman pool) because we loved his map Splat. As luck would have it, we were all going to the Austin major, so we got to hang out and actually get to know each other.

Early on I made it a goal to introduce myself to the creators of every wingman map we host and offer HLA as a place for playtesting and community. Over time it’s gotten easier for people to trust who we are and that our intentions are good, and that’s been really rewarding.

As for why we built it, we just wanted to make something people would use and enjoy. We’ve all worked as professional software devs for about a decade now, and I personally wanted to build something that wasn’t just a product to make money. We’ll hopefully set up a Patreon sometime this year so people can help cover the costs, but the real goal is to build a community around wingman.

Q: That’s all super cool! I personally like playing Wingman with IRL’s, and this is a great opportunity for us to play together without getting BTA, if you catch what I’m saying. As for CSC, how has your rookie season been? You’re team is #1 at the time of writing! How has that been with your team and the environment that you’ve been in?

I couldn’t have asked for a better first season! I’m on a team with some great people, the vibes are good, and we’re doing really well. My gameplay has been a lot more consistent than I thought I would be capable of, so I feel more confident now than I did at the beginning of the season. I’m really having a great time and looking forward to seeing how this season concludes

Q: I’m happy it’s been good! I have just a couple more questions for you before I let you go. What’s something you might have a talent for outside the server? Are you a pro magician? Know the ASL Alphabet?

Hah! Well I’ve DM’d a couple D&D campaigns for friends over the last 5 years, so I hope I’ve gained a talent there. I also think I’m a pretty decent cook!

Q: I’m sure your wife loves the cooking you whip up in the kitchen! I have one last question. A Triple P classic. What is your favorite cheese, and why?

Cheddar! My wife and I share the same opinion here: the sharper the better.

But what’s YOUR favorite cheese?

Q: I do actually love Provolone! Gotta be the best cheese by far.

That just about wraps it up! Thanks for your time Dan! Anything you’d like to add before we close it out?

Thanks for taking the time to interview me! And thanks to all the folks that keep CSC running so we can all have such a great experience 🙂

That wraps it up! Thanks again to DanML for sitting down and answering a couple of questions for Triple P. I also would like to take a second to acknowledge that yes, this is a couple days late. I apologize to the quiet Triple P readers. I managed this one poorly so I’ll take that on the nose. Next Triple P will be back on schedule this coming Saturday! SO make sure to watch for the drop, as we have another great guest (as always)

Again, thanks for reading, let me know any suggestions or players you want to see highlighted in Triple P! See you Saturday!

St1md - AWP/Lurk - Sovereign Serpents (Kingsnakes Contender)

• How are you feeling about the Sovereign Serpents season up to this point?

It’s definitely been a tough season up to this point as the record shows. A couple close losses in the early part of the season, and a few more recently with a lot fewer rounds in it from us. We lost a main player for how we drafted the team before the first match and so we had to scramble a lot earlier on, and we’ve never really seemed to have found our footing since then. We do seem to be on the up right now though, which is a good sign.

• How are you feeling about your personal performance so far? Do you feel like you’ve been playing up to your expectations, and is there anything specific that you’re looking to work on to finish out the season?

I’ve had a few good matches to start the season, and then 2 matches I really feel like I let the team down. It’s definitely been a little harder for me to judge my performance as this is the first time I’ve played a lurk or weak site anchor role. Obviously you look at players like Ropz or Heavygod on pro teams and have high expectations, but I think you can’t measure performance based off of players on the best teams in the world because of how set the roles are and how organized they are. For the end of the season, I’m hoping I’m able to play consistently at a high level and open up the ability for my teammates to get in the game and make plays.

• 1-7 so far this season is not what the team is looking for. Is there anything that the squad is working on that could help to turn the tides to secure a playoff spot? What does your squad excels on, even if it might not be translating to the results you want?

Definitely a hard start to the season for the team. As I mentioned earlier, having a lot of changes on the team has made it hard for us to find our footing, but we seem to putting things together now with this new lineup. Hopefully, this week we can show that we have a solid team and the first win we got this season wasn’t a fluke. As well, we’ve been working on our map pool and trying to get that a little more expanded because we’ve definitely felt a little one dimensional in terms of that. I think our team has really excelled in comms, especially in the last few matches. Obviously you have to back up those comms with hitting shots or you’re not going to win matches, but we have a good basis to win matches if we can actually translate those comms into teamplay consistently.

• We all know everyone wants a trophy, do you have any personal goals that you are aiming to achieve this season?

Obviously we’re a very outside shot to even make playoffs at this point, so I have to keep my expectations low on that front. I would love to make the top 10 this season for tendy, and I definitely have my work cut out for me if I want to make that after the rough matches I had the past few weeks. Regardless of whether I make it or not though, I would just like to end the season feeling like I put us in every position I could for us to win rounds and matches as the season comes to a close.

• We all love hearing insight on how people prepare for a CSC match day. What does your pregame routine look like? Is there anything specific you like to do before a match to get yourself mentally and mechanically prepared?

I have a pretty random work schedule, so sometimes it can be hard to get a consistent warmup before every match. On the days where I’m off early enough, I like to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half to warm up. I usually start off with a refrag task set that does all the basic aim training. If I’m planning on awping that day, I have a separate training I do as well for flicking and reaction time focused on awping. I’ve started adding in the procedurally generated workshop map as well recently, as it keeps me on my toes and keeps me actually focused on proper clears and adapting on the fly. If I have time before the scrim starts, I’ll also do some little refreshers on util as well, but I tend to use a lot of util on the fly if I’m lurking or weak site anchoring, so that’s usually the last thing I focus on as any set util I throw, I feel confident on enough to skip unless I’ve missed it a few times recently.

• Is there anyone that you would love to shout out (or talk trash to) in CSC, whether that’s someone you’ve enjoyed playing with or against?

Definitely shout out to Fury for keeping me this season, it’s been nice to be in a franchise with quite a few familiar face, and I really love the environment he’s created as a whole. To Ericcc and Quack, I appreciate the coaching, hopefully there’s a point and time I can show y’all the time you’ve spent coaching me and the team turns into some consistent results. Cody and Brennan, I’m waiting for y’all in tendy so we can finally settle the debates about who the true carry in the stack is.

Thanks for taking the time, and good luck in the rest of your season <3

TPots - Rifler - Wave Wranglers (The Beach Challenger)

• I know you have only been apart of the squad for 4 MDs, but how are you feeling about the S21 so far?

I love the energy the team has even if we have so many unfortunate things happen. Plus Holycow became a Doctor which is cool. I wish I could of joined sooner, but I was getting bullied by that MMR number

• Is there anything that you think could have gone more in your favor to turn this past week into 2 wins? Taking a top team in DRG to OT is a good feat, but what do you think the squad needs to work on to close out some of these games?

I wasn’t there these last two match days sadly but it seems adding semaj and having alot of chemistry in the team, I feel these next 2 match days can be wins for us.

• How are you feeling going into your next two MDs against the teams in the Commodores and the Molotov Mages?

I honestly feel we can pull this off. We got an old man CMK to guide us into victory as long as he doesn’t cast fireball on us. I feel we can edge out a victory here. We got great talent on this team and I believe we can all get shooting this week.

• Everyone is looking for their trophy, but apart from that, are there any personal goals you are looking to achieve this season?

My personal goal is to try and sneak into the playoffs. I know it’s unlikely but you gotta have heart even if the chances are low. I need to step up to the player I need to be.

• Most players have their own funky way of getting in their flow before any given matchday. What does your pregame routine look like?

I kinda just order a McDonalds chocolate milkshake and watch a JL video and play aim rush maybe go on a walk and definitely take a neuro gum.

• Lastly, is there anyone on BCH, or in CSC, that you would like to poke a little fun at or hype up?

I have faith that old man CMK can turn back the years and be the best awper NA. I wanna thank Cagey for letting me play also. But Goose also needs to lock in on TFT bro like come on cant be losing that LP.

Thank you for your time and good luck in the rest of your season!

MxgaBOT (Mxgabyte) - AGM - The Molotovs (NA Nades Elite)

• How are you feeling about your team’s and the organization’s season so far?

Personally, frustrated, but still very much invested and believe. We’re 1–6 in Elite, and there’s no way to make that look pretty. We’ve had some close losses where a couple rounds could have changed the conversation, but we’ve also had games where we simply weren’t good enough. I’m part of that too. I can’t sit here and talk about what everyone else needs to improve without looking at my own game and what I can do better for the squad. I still believe we’re capable of turning things around, and I’m going to keep putting the work in to help us get there.

Looking at NAN as a whole, there’s a lot more to feel good about. Our Challenger team is sitting at 7–1, Contender has a winning record, and Prospect just picked up two wins last week. It’s easy to get caught up in your own team when you’re having a rough season, but there are a lot of people across the franchise doing good things. I’m proud of them, and I want to make sure our Elite struggles don’t take away from that.

• How are you feeling about your next 3 matches in the coming week? A double header vs TEE and FNL on Tuesday, and finishing it off against OS on Thursday. Is there anything you all are looking to improve?

Well, whoever put this stretch together clearly wanted to see how much faith I actually have in the comeback. Those are three capable teams, and we’re going to have to play good CS to get the results we want. I still believe all three games are winnable. We’ve shown we can compete, but now we need to put together complete games and actually collect the wins.

For me, the biggest focus is making sure we’re giving ourselves a plan everyone understands and then staying together when things get uncomfortable. Cleaner communication, better trading, and making sure we’re ready to help each other instead of leaving somebody to figure a round out alone. We also need to do a better job finishing the rounds we put ourselves in position to win. Tuesday is going to test us with two games back to back, so keeping the energy up and bringing the same effort into the second match will matter.

• In the time you have apart from working with your squad, what are some of the things you try to focus on to help out the other tiers within NAN?

A lot of it is just trying to be available and finding somewhere I can be useful. I’ve done some demo review for our Prospect team, looking for things we can talk through that might help them turn close games into wins. Sometimes a team needs another set of eyes to point something out or give them a different way of thinking about a situation. I want players throughout NAN to feel like they can reach out and get some help. Being an AGM means caring about more than the five people you happen to be playing with that season.

• For those that might want to get into the management side of things, what are some good qualities that you think are most beneficial for a player to bring to the table that is looking to make their way into an (A)GM spot?

Be dependable, communicate, and show that you care about the people around you. If you say you’re going to do something, follow through. If something changes, let somebody know. A lot of management work is keeping up with the little things before they turn into bigger problems, and people will notice when you consistently make their lives easier.

I’d also say find something you’re good at and start helping. Maybe you enjoy scouting, organizing practices, reviewing demos, or reaching out to players. Take some initiative and show that you can handle responsibility. You also need to be able to have an uncomfortable conversation without making it personal. Cuts, roster changes, and disagreements are going to happen. Players deserve honesty and respect through all of that, even when the decision isn’t one they’re going to like.

• I know that most love to know what goes into a player’s pre-game routine. Is there anything special that you look to work on before any given matchday, or even before a day of pugging?

I’m not sure anyone is lining up to steal my pregame routine with the way our season has started. From the calling side, though, I want to go into a match with a good idea of what we’re trying to accomplish. What map might we get, what are we comfortable doing, and how can we put our players in positions where they feel confident. I’d rather have a few things everyone understands and can do together than come in with twenty ideas and have nobody on the same page. Getting the team comfortable and ready to communicate is a big part of being ready to play.

• Finally, is there anyone on NAN, or in CSC, that you would love to shout out, or throw a little shade at?

First off, @DJ_Jazzy_Jess really needs to change her name to @DJ_Jazzy_Unc because she is old as dirt. Her first demo review came on a VHS tape, and I’m pretty sure she was there when Dust2 was being built. Somehow she gets to be NAN’s shining star while I’m over here doing media, scouting players, helping teams, and personally making sure the Elite squad stays humble in the standings. Where is my recognition? Where is my award? I’ve put a lot of effort into making this franchise entertaining, and I think it’s time we stop overlooking the obvious choice. Love you, Jess, but I will be campaigning against you until this injustice is corrected.

I’d also like to throw a little shade at everyone who isn’t on NAN because y’all are all haters, and I’m choosing to believe every prediction against us is a personal attack. Please stop using our record, results, or any other inconvenient facts to justify your decisions. Specifically, Spence, because #Fuck_Spence. You could win every match for the rest of the season and I would still find something to complain about.

Thank you for your time, chud.

That does it for the End of Regulation this week. Next week will bring (ideally two players and one person from franchise management) new faces to the article. If you are interested in being on here, please DM me! Yappers inquired and required.

ELITE

Aces (TEE) vs Impastas (UPS) - Mxgachud

UPS are delivering right now, and unfortunately for TEE, they are next on the route. The Impastas have won four straight and are sitting at 6–2, with muhp putting up some ridiculous performances and Ec1ipse and ronobos giving opponents plenty of other problems. TEE enter the evening at 5–2, but their last outing was a rough one against H4K. Beating ATL and then getting held to three rounds by H4K makes it a little difficult to know which version of this squad we are getting tonight.

TEE also have NAN earlier in the evening, so they could come into this warmed up and feeling good or already sick of playing Counter Strike. Z1ppy has been their biggest individual threat, and they will need him showing up against this UPS squad. I would be interested to see TEE steer the veto toward Mirage, where they have won all three of their games, although UPS already showed against H4K that they can handle themselves there too. I am picking UPS in a close one. TEE absolutely have the ability to end this streak, but the Impastas have been giving me fewer reasons to doubt them lately.

CHALLENGER

Muck Menaces (BS) vs Drakes (DRG) - Mxgachud

Somebody is getting a bounce back tonight, and somebody is leaving with a little more to worry about. DRG had their five game winning streak ended pretty convincingly by JDM, while BS took UPS into overtime before falling short. At 6–2 and 5–3 respectively, both squads have plenty going for them, but this is a good chance to show they belong with the teams fighting near the top. Saken has been shooting his ass off for BS, with Harames and Sn0w giving them plenty behind him. Quicksy has been the standout for DRG, and I expect him to have a big say in how this one goes.

The veto is what really interests me here. DRG have won all four of their Ancient games, while BS have won three of four, with their only loss coming in overtime against UPS. If both teams are willing to meet there, we could get a damn good scrap on a map neither side should be afraid of. I am leaning slightly toward BS to take this one. DRG have the better record, but I like what BS showed against UPS, and I think they have enough shooting across the lineup to get it done.

CONTENDER

Sirloin Sizzlers (COW) vs Riptide Raiders (BCH) - sn00pe

This is such a juicy match up I almost wish I was sick and missing my game tonight so I could watch this game in the BCH discord.

COW has made the case and shown everyone that they are a top team and not to be taken lightly. Honestly they have done such a good job drafting and building this team it provides such a stark contrast to the rest of their teams in other tiers. This could be Luux’s applciation to GM and I would say to fast track him to his own franchise. 4 players with a 1 rating or above second place past the halfway point they havent faltered yet. Two respectful losses to the #1 seed and a very strong FNL team. ZENG has a 1.25 on a top team and that is very different from players who farm stats on shitty teams. He is the real deal and is on fire right now.

BCH on the other hand have a different storyline this season. Even though they have one more loss than COW I still think very highly of this BCH team. Besides NAN(lol) I think they are the cream of the crop of the 5-3 teams. Losses on dust 2 and Anubis to me are always a mixed bag to try to get take aways from. Little details can cost you the round and the game on those maps. I would like to see both of this teams on a good ethical map tonight maybe CSC’s favorite map Ancient? Fsgccr and Ready have been on a hot streak. Plus IF im not mistaken they also signed Mas who in my experience is a crazy solid player. A new setting for players can revive a whole season.

THIS SHOULD BE A BANGER YALL!!

PROSPECT

Friendly Fires (AG) vs Nebula (Cos) - Pander

Stepping back to observe the big picture, this is a titanic clash between two powerhouse 6-2 teams vying for top-4 seeding in the playoffs. Zoom in a little, and you start to notice cracks in the facade. If you only look at the results since the end of week 2, this would be a matchup between two scuffling 2-2 teams. One of these 6-2 teams will get a big jolt from a win, and the other drops to 2-3 over their last 5 games.

AG also needs to demonstrate they have a legit second threat to step up consistently and take some of the pressure off Alc. Their roster is fairly well balanced, with three players juuuuust above 1.0, while Alc maintains rarified MVP air in his 1.3+ rating. This isn't implying that none of the players CAN step up, as several big games have come alongside Alc's games, but none are showing the ability to consistently drop solid games, which may have led to recent fumbles against HG and UPS.

COS similarly need a second player to rise to the occasion and help out logical, who has cooled off a little bit after a scorchingly hot start. Deity's the most consistent player, rarely straying far from 1.05-1.10 week in week out. Buns and Dz1 have had a few hero games here and there. Zer0's been dropping hero or zero games. Much like with AG, if one or two of these players could level it out a bit and keep nicely above the green side of the rating line, this team's easily one of the scariest in the playoffs. COS has to be a little hungrier for this victory. Aside from a MD3 win over BS, they don't really have a marquee win to their credit. AG could at least claim victories over BCH and BOA early in the season. But this is a what-have-you-done-for-me lately league, and one of these teams will end up 2-3 over their last five games while the other sits gloriously atop a 7-2 throne.

RECRUIT

Constellation (COS) vs Tofu Ticklers (COW) - Nade23y

This match could be very important similarly to my write up next week. A COS loss brings them to 4-5 and regardless of other results, means they’re only 1 game ahead of a nonplayoff team. Meaning another bump in their road and they could drop out and head to Cancun early. A loss for COW and win by BCH means they’re 2 games out of playoffs, & with 5 games left could effectively end their season. Same for AG if they fall to FRG tonight. Both teams have a lot to play for, even though the stakes aren’t ridiculously high as they appeared for AG vs BOA last week.

COS: A loss to GF is nothing to be sad about, no one’s been able to find the chink in their armor all season. They have the star power with skii00 and Nico to go toe to toe with the 6 other teams in the tier, and BRG/SuperStormz1 are having respectable seasons as well. Meat is leading her troops well, and it shows. This team has what it needs to dance with anyone. May they find the consistency to play against GF come playoff time.

COW: A rough season for the team, but playoffs are not out of reach. They’re only 1 game out of playoffs as it sits, and BCH has not been a worldbeater by any stretch. If SlowDad and gekkon can elevate their game & get good contributions from their team this team could be a dark horse for a playoff run. For now they may just be playing “spoiler” even if not in the proverbial sense, since they are still within reach of a spot.

I’m starting my own segment called “JuanSecond,” where I go through the day’s matches and reach out to the winning team’s MVP or captain for a short post-game interview. Luckily, I had the chance to sit down with a few folks after their matches and get some responses.

(Apologies to the franchises NAN, BCH, OS, and COS. At the time of writing this final draft, your match stats hadn’t been posted, and I didn’t have time to conduct an interview and type up your responses.)

First up, we have a member from my own team: Luehrsy!

Q: Thanks for sitting down with me, Lue! You had a fire game tonight, posting a 1.27 rating—your highest rating in the past four matches. Can I ask what got you out of the slump and what your mindset was going into this game?

Finding consistency is by far the hardest thing I’ve tried to do. A lot of it comes down to realizing my role. I’ve spent my last three seasons being the problem solver mid-round and never really the person put in position to take the first fight or control the important parts of the map.

My slump came when I was trying to solve problems while also handling the other parts of my role, and obviously, I struggled. I do a good bit of demo review before each match, looking at my own play and reviewing the other teams, specifically focusing on the areas I want to fight in.

Q: Great response, thank you! My next question is: what do you think was the biggest difference-maker in today’s match?

The trust we had on T-side. D2 is very spawn-based for fast plays, and we didn’t get the right players in the right spawns for a lot of the T-side, so we had to mid-round. In doing so, we trusted each other and made the right plays. I don’t think it was clean by any means, and I think our team would agree, but it was more than good enough.

Q: And on to our last Juan here... Right now, on Analytikill, you’re ranked 28th overall. Where do you see yourself ending up rank-wise this season? So far, you’ve been on a tear, posting 1.0+ games!

Umm, I don’t know. There are some shooters in this tier. Stats don’t always tell the whole story. I’d gladly take a 1.0 rating in a win over a 1.5 in a loss. As long as I can find consistency with my decision-making, the stats and hopefully the wins will follow!

That’s all the time we have for Lue, but moving on to our next match, we have WillQT from Gone Fishin’ Piranhas!

Q: First off, congrats on the match! You’ve been on fire this season, posting multiple 1.1+ ratings, with your most recent being a 1.5. What does it feel like to put up numbers like that for your team?

I definitely started the season off on the wrong foot, but being able to put up games like this feels good. Not only personally, but doing it for my teammates is the best. These past two weeks, I’ve found some consistency, and I think this week has been my best. Every match I play, I’ll get better and better. There’s still so much room for me to grow.

Q: Going into this game, what was your personal game plan and what expectations did you have for yourself and your teammates? If someone were to underperform tonight, were you ready to step up and pick up the slack?

My game plan was simple: be there for my team, execute the plays called, and have a good time. I’ve definitely been trying to keep the vibes good and spark some laughs within the team, especially when tensions are high. That’s particularly important as the captain. I’m starting to find my place, and I’ve been enjoying trying to be an entry for the team. I’m never afraid to take fights.

Q: This was another big win for you and the Piranhas, with your last one ending in OT and this one wrapping up in regulation. Is this some sort of message to the rest of the league that, no matter how far you have to go, you’ll find a way to get it done?

The first two weeks of the season were unfortunate for us, especially for me as a player. We were without Carrie for the first three MDs, and during that first week, I struggled to find my footing without her voice on the team. I went on a trip during MD3 and MD4, so when I got back for MD5, I was feeling refreshed and ready to go.

With the addition of Biggie, it felt like we finally had all the puzzle pieces we needed. Our first win came in a crazy OT game where we could’ve very easily gone 0–5, but we kept it together and found a way to win. I think no matter what, we’ll keep pushing through and fighting as hard as we can to get the dubs.

I fully trust my teammates. Kai is a literal piranha, always shooting people to shreds (40 bomb). Cosmix is my site buddy, the one I feel most comfortable making random plays with and trust to have my back. Carrie is one patient motherf*cker. She took three Val players under her wing and taught us how to play the game to a decent level, and she’s always teaching us something new. Biggie is the newest addition, but he’s our AWPer, hitting some crazy, clean shots.

I love this team. We’ll only get better.

Some great answers from Will there! Next up is not your uncle, but our UncleSkippy!

Q: Alright, Skippy, BIG game from you tonight! You posted a 1.50 rating, making it the second-highest rating of the night. Can you tell me what was going right for you tonight? Was there any moment that specifically stood out and made you go, “Yeah, it’s my server, and they’re playing in it tonight”?

I owe a lot of my success tonight, as cliché as it sounds, to my team. I thought our comms and teamwork were excellent from the jump, which was something we specifically wanted to focus on after coming off an L. Because of that, I found myself in very favorable positions all night.

One round that specifically stood out to me was a five-man pistol stack outside on Nuke against the enemy’s full buy and AK-47s. The timing on our execute was perfectly called based on a read made by sm1ke. Also, shoutout to heartbreakmotel for a fire 7–0 start to the match. It was huge in helping us get an early 5–0 lead.

Q: Looking at your team’s trend right now, it seems like when you do well, the team ends up winning, and when you’re in a “slump,” that’s when the cracks start to show. What helps keep you in the zone and locked in during these matches? Is there something you do or someone you listen to that helps keep your head above water?

I feel as if it’s very easy for me to lock in because I love Counter-Strike and I hate losing. But if I find myself struggling or getting tilted and need to lock in, I’ll put on some Lil Peep and buy an AWP, and all my struggles and pain fade away.

Q: Lastly, your team currently sits in the top eight in the standings. Aside from the top two teams, who are some others you’re keeping an eye on?

I’m not really looking at or worried about any other teams right now. I believe we can easily beat any team we match up against.

For our next Juan, this guy dropped the highest rating of the night at 1.54: Biggs!

Q: So, checking the scoreboard, you put on a showstopper of a game tonight! A 1.54 rating, making it the best of the night. What does it feel like to not only put up big numbers on the scoreboard but also set a seasonal best?

It’s an awesome feeling to perform well on the server and set a PB. I didn’t even know I had set a seasonal best, so I’ll take it! As great as it is to perform well individually, I’m even happier that we took home the win. My performance reflects Panders’ calls and my teammates’ reliability and consistency on both T and CT.

Q: This is your second game on Cache with a rating above 1.5. Is this just a map people should avoid playing you on? And did you play Cache before it was released in CS2?

We’re confident on several maps, and Cache has been one of them recently. Should people avoid playing me on it? For sure, but only if I’ve got this AVI crew with me. We’ve done our homework and feel good on both sides.

Cache is a fun map that I enjoyed playing back in GO. I have good memories of playing it years ago on my old laptop with a wired G502 mouse. Since then, I’d say I’ve improved my skills quite a bit and gotten a mouse that doesn’t weigh as much as a brick (no disrespect to the G502; that mouse lasted me years, lol).

Q: Lastly, with the Cards sitting at the top of the mountain and looking down at everyone else, what message do you want to send to the rest of the league as they come for you guys?

This team clicks well. We have fun, and when we have each other’s backs, we’re a dangerous group. We may be at the top, but it’s CS, and any prospect team could be in our position next week. I speak for my team when I say we enjoy playing against good competition. We’ve got a solid run going, and we’re not looking to slow down anytime soon.

For our final Juan, we’ve got a team that’s feeling themselves after taking down UPS! Here’s Pook From ATL

Q: Big game out of you tonight with a 1.3 rating! How did it feel coming off a previous Ancient match this season that didn’t go so well, especially knowing you just helped hand UPS their first loss on the map? Looking at the scoreboard, it was a close game, but you outperformed their entire lineup. What do you think was the biggest factor in pulling off that win?

With your team currently ranked 13th overall, you’ve got some breathing room above the playoff cutoff. What’s the mentality like right now? Is everyone focused on securing a playoff spot, or are you just vibing and coasting through the rest of the season?

It felt good knowing that we gave them their only loss on Ancient, a map we aren’t the strongest on. I honestly couldn’t tell you the biggest factor. My team and I have been putting in the work, and I think last night everyone saw the effort we’ve put into making this team a powerhouse. We have a few things to work on, but overall, I think we’re finding our groove.

We aren’t worried at all. These next few teams better study hard because I can tell you we’re coming to fucking swing, baby! We’re taking this championship home with us. The vibes are amazing after beating UPS, and we believe it’s game over for the rest of the league.

Pook sure does have a way with words, I’ll tell you that…

If I could have Juan Last Second with you folks for just a moment, I want to thank each and every one of you. Whether you read only your team’s response or stuck around for the whole article, I appreciate you giving me the time of day!

Going forward, I plan on doing this for every match day, so if you win and you’re the match MVP or team captain, expect me to slide into your DMs shortly after your match. Thanks for spending That second with me ill talk to you all soon.

Daimyo (OS) vs Hydras (ATL) - Mxgachud

This is the battle of what should have been and what could have been. ATL, with the firepower they have, should have been undefeated. OS could have been if Spence hadn’t decided to spend half the beginning of the season playing fake outdoor sports instead of real shit like CSC. We said touch grass, Spence. We didn’t say make a hobby out of it. Now these two squads get to settle things in the server, and there are plenty of players on both sides capable of making this an absolute brawl. Nokk and Griff have been a dangerous pair all season, and ATL getting back into the win column against FNL was a good response after dropping two straight. They’ve already shown they can finish close games, but OS has enough shooting ability to make them uncomfortable from the start.

Sixas and H25 have both shown what they can do, and getting the usual OS five together would make me feel a lot better about their chances. Tuesday’s loss to WIZ wasn’t pretty, but this is still the team that handled FNL and JDM and pushed BS through a marathon on Nuke. The veto could make this especially interesting because ATL has done almost all its winning on Anubis, while OS has usually been happy to remove it. Take that away, and we get to see how comfortable ATL feels somewhere else against a lineup that can actually shoot back. I’m leaning OS in a close one, but ATL winning would not surprise me. Unfortunately, it would also mean listening to Spence explain how whatever nonsense he’s been doing outside was actually essential training for this exact moment.

CHALLENGER

Pretty Penne (UPS) vs Muck Menaces (BS) - Silky J

#3 vs #4: This is the type of matchup that gets shifted to primetime on Sundays. Each team has an MVP hopeful in Fossil(UPS) with a 1.42 and Saken(BS) with a 1.29. Having played both teams either in the server or in a scrim, these teams are well-rounded, and the ratings don’t show that. While the two MVP candidates are the highlights, the support cast will need to be on for both of these teams tonight. The Muck Menaces have players such as Harames (1.09), Sn0w (1.08), and -z0ra (1.04), all bringing some form of crucial lurk or entry into any given round, with Clxtch (.88) slinging the big green while directing the Menaces towards victory. Having recently played against UPS, they are just solid. Site hits, lurks, fakes, they have it all, and it seemed to work like clockwork. The real evil empire (sorry FLT) cooked something here. The Pretty Penne bring a solid lineup that I doubted at one point, made up of Purgatory (1.1), tbonelul (1.1), Schmo (.92), and the dude with the hottest inventory maybe in all of CSC, RGood (.88). I don’t care who might have a sub-1 rating and all that. The scoreboard has people fooled; both teams are packed with some shooters. The scoreboard doesn’t show the little things players do to help set up the others for success. However, only one team can bring home the W.

I think this comes down to which supporting cast wants it more tonight and the map this battle goes down on. BS should stay away from D2 given their history on it. Both teams have won on maps the other hasn’t in cases like D2 and Ancient. I think we could see a Cache matchup or a good ol’ fashioned Mirage. Mirage is to CSC what Inferno is to Major finals. While we know what we will get out of Fossil and Saken, what will the others bring us? I think BS’ supporting cast has the higher ceiling, but it won’t matter if UPS plays like the well-oiled machine they have become. Sometimes it does just come down to hoping you can stop the star players from clicking your heads. I guess we will have to wait and see, but if you are looking for a matchup to watch tonight, I think this is the one.

CONTENDER

Fraggin Frogs (FRG) vs Wyverns (DRG) - sn00pe

Sitting at 5-2 both FRG and DRG are entering this match up only separated in standings by round wins. 2nd and 6th place and the only difference is 7 rounds.

FRG are famous for being regular season warriors and it’s looking like they’re the real deal again this season. I think we’ve scrimmed them like 3 times now and have gotten destroyed twice. I’m pretty high on this team and I can not point out a single weak link 1-5. Every match day you click you see a new person on top of the leaderboards. Dizzy I think can be an all star if they’re playing at their peak. Gabe is always in the running for IGL of the tier. But that’s not to take away from Dev and bsizzles who are capable of carrying the game as well when others slack.

DRG like I mentioned last week are the opposite of FRG they are top heavy with Brubdun carrying and coming back after a loss to NAN(lol) and dropping a 1.62. The question with DRG is if the rest of the team can show up if Brubdun has a day off. Collin , Rhino need to help out especially if FRG plan to ignore brubdun and make them regret their decision.

I’m expecting FRG to try to exploit the weakness around DRGs lower rated players. The exciting part for is how DRG are able to adapt and come up with new ways to throw FRG off their game. Will Brubdun be stupid aggro or are they planning on trusting Collin and rhino who I know can lock in and win rounds on their own. Whoever wins this will basically cement themselves as a top 2 team in the league.

PROSPECT

Gunky Goons (BS) vs Pop Flash (NAN) - Provy

To everyone’s dismay, I’m sure, I have selected BS vs NAN for tonight’s spotlight. The #9 vs #11 team in Prospect find each other in the server tonight, and boy, are there some good storylines. We have the current MVP frontrunner (if you apply the GP minimum filter) on the NAN side in Charleston, and his team of Baker, da1sy, g00seg0d, and Phoenix12212. This NAN squad has really been putting in the effort over the course of the season, being 3-4, but they have been fighting hard over time. Especially after some changes, I think this NAN team is looking pretty dangerous. When they are all activated, I know this team has a top 5 firepower with the pieces they have.

The Gunky Goons have been my tried-and-true pick for predictions, and tonight they bear the cross of Match Spotlight. They are 4-3 with the leading player Jrsooner, and this squad of Titus, OrbitalFaye, T R A I N S, and No1jag, BS has proved that they can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Taking down the then undefeated H4K, and having some great wins over other teams, I have a lot of stock in this team, as many of you know.

I think this match will be close, especially with the new firepower NAN got in recent additions: Baker and da1sy. But never count out the calling of T R A I N S, as he’s the Prospect Karrigan, and can get that round 24 call to win the game. And known Cheeseburger enthusiast Jrsooner can make it happen in the server (#knowersknow). Can BS continue their run and good form, or will NAN prove that the newest additions to their team are the real deal?

RECRUIT

Peasant Pythons (BOA) vs Blunder Battalion (AG) - Nade23y

At first glance, it may not seem like the most important match in the grand scheme of things. Two middle table teams lock horns at the beginning of the second lap. Upon closer look, however, a bigger picture becomes clear quickly. I’m not going to highlight the individuals as much tonight, but instead focus on the ripple effects this match could have.

BOA: A win tonight, and they get a 3 game clearance of the 7th seed, and the tiebreaker over AG, the team that in theory would hold that spot (COW vs BCH pending). Meaning, AG would need to win 4 more games than BOA over the final 6. Making it almost impossible for BOA to slip out of the playoffs. A win is also needed, as this team has dropped 3 of 4. A loss, however, makes things scary for the team. They’d have now lost 4 of 5 and be 1 game clear of 7th place, with tiebreakers now being up in the air (depending on results). Putting a lot of shadows over the team on how the rest of the season looks for them. It turns what was a bright outlook on the team just 4-3 MD’s ago and flips it on its head.

AG: A loss, and it makes it much more difficult to get into the playoffs. Depending on how the BCH and FNL games go. They may be 2 games out of 6th and do not hold their own destiny, as they lost to both teams during the first lap. Meaning they’d need to either win 3 more games than both those teams OR win 2, with one of those wins being against the aforementioned clubs. Putting a lot of weight on a loaded slate of matchups following the BOA game. (vs FRG, @ GF, vs COS) A win, and they’re right back in the mix. They’d only be a game behind, and depending on how swiftly they win, they could swing the tiebreaker back in their favor. Also meaning, if BCH and/or FNL drop their matchups on Thursday, they could jump back into the driving seat of a playoff spot as we begin the 2nd half of the season. Easing a lot of stress, and definitely making things feel “All good”.

This, for all intents and purposes, is a must win game, just due to the stress relief the winning team will feel, even if it’s not a true must win game. AG is a slightly hotter team entering the night, having gone 2 2 over their last four, with their 2 losses being much closer than BOA’s in their recent 1 3 record over the same stretch.

ELITE

Eagles (AVI) vs Cerberus (MYT) - MxgaChud

Alright, one of y’all has to win this thing. AVI and MYT have both dropped three straight, and the “we’ll get them next match” speeches are starting to need a second draft. AVI beat OS as they had somewhere else to be, MYT took down HG in overtime, and then both squads apparently decided that was enough excitement for a while. Tonight we find out who actually has a comeback in them and who’s going to make their GM stare at the ceiling for another night. I’m taking AVI, but I’m keeping the receipt. PiNG has been doing his part, and if the Eagles can get this onto Cache, I like their chances of finally giving us another game worth talking about. MYT’s best win came on Nuke, which AVI has banned every match, so that particular escape hatch is probably welded shut. Either way, somebody gets to leave the server yelling “WE ARE SO BACK” after one win, and you know damn well we’re all going to let them enjoy it until Thursday.

CHALLENGER

Molotov Mages (WIZ) vs Commodores (FLT) - Sainted

The tale of the tape for this one is simple: WIZ continues to be the most average team in the league based on both results and strength, and FLT needs to continue to right their ship.

Inix has been a revelation for FLT, boasting an impressive 1.29 rating so far this season and is working their way to an MVP. Jav.i has discovered his form again as well and is pulling more than his weight for his MMR of 520. The most interesting question mark for this team still remains the individual prowess of Scary, who currently is struggling to have individual numbers at a 0.71 rating on the season. If Scary can continue winning like this, it would be quite a statement about his level of influence on his team’s tactics, but knowing him, I would imagine that he desperately wants to get over the Karrigan-line and work his way to at least the Hooxi-line. FLT needs to start winning games against the middle-of-the-road teams in order to claw their way back into contention and build up to their potential. It’s not enough for Inix to carry this team to 4 or 5 wins; when you have this kind of output, you need to take advantage of them and get yourself the opportunity for a trophy run.

As for WIZ, their team composition is in much the same place. They boast an MVP-level rifler and an awper that is also punching above their weight class. While their minimum seems to be a good chunk higher than FLT’s, they still can’t even boast 3 players over the 1.00 mark, a frightening place to be should either of Evolution or CraM go missing for a series come playoff time. While I would expect Tuggle to run enough of a tight ship to keep the team treading water, I am struggling to see where this team picks up enough steam to work their way out of middling results during the regular season. At this point, all signs are pointing to the Mages being the dark horse, VP-esque team come playoffs, where everything is riding on them getting hot down the stretch. This match is a must-win for them to bank the W’s they need in order to lock in playoffs and open themselves up to the chance to be the upset kings.

CONTENDER

Wyerns (DRG) vs Chimeras (MYT) - CHUDBULLAH

Listen, guys, DRG is coming off a rough loss to NAN(lol) and is going to be ready to go to war today. They want to prove everyone wrong and show that the NAN loss was just a minor slip-up. When they’re not on Inferno, this team looks damn near unbeatable. 4 players at 1 of above and 1 player at a .99, it’s safe to say through 6 games this DRG is the real deal. Hopefully they manage to not step on their own toes today and are able to play the game they want and not what MYT want.

Speaking of MYT, here comes Soapkitchen and the boys(maybe girls also, idk). This team is the opposite of the balanced and solid 1-5 roster of DRG. They are extremely top-heavy, with Soap boasting a 1.2 rating through midway into the season. Alongside him, 2 players are under a 1 rating. MYT are a mixed bag in the sense that you don’t know what team is going to show up on match day. They hang wins on FRG and WIZ, who I rate highly, but then have ugly losses to AG and JDM, who are two teams at the bottom of the standings.

All in all, I think the recipe for a big game is here tonight. DRG fit that mold that seems to give the Chimeras a hard time adapting to. A PUG-heavy team that can outshoot you on their best day 1-5 is going to be a huge issue for this MYT team. If Brubdun and the boys find themselves on any map other than Inferno, I think the odds are strong that DRG can prove themselves a top team tonight. On the other hand, I think this is a perfect test for the MYT and the rest of the league to see where they rank among the rest of the teams in the middle of the standings. Are they contenders or are they frauds?

Prospect

Raging Rigatoni (UPS) vs Friendly Fires (AG) - Provoloan

The #1 and #2 teams in the tier face off against each other, and this isn’t the first time AG has been in a 1-2 matchup. Last time AG was here, they took down then #1 BOA. Now they’re back, and in the same spot they were. With leading MVP candidate, Alc, leading the charge, this AG squad has been on a tear through Prospect and is looking red hot. Being 5-1 and only dropping a game to HG, AG has a team 1.09 rating through 5 games. Alc sits atop his team, and the tier with a 1.41 rating, and his team is consistent enough to keep him supported through the games. On the other side, it’s the undefeated UPS. These titans are 6-0, and it shows through. They even made a change and picked up RiceLoverBoy, and are looking like they’ve played together for ages. This team can work together and keep you going until round 24, and even further in some cases. UPS plays like the game is a marathon, and they have been training for years. Will AG go back-to-back in taking down the #1 team? Or will UPS continue their streak and make it 7 in a row?

RECRUIT

COS vs FRG - Nadey23

We have arrived. After tonight, we will have completed half of the season. With the tier really starting to settle in its tier breaks, this is a golden chance for COS to reinsert themselves into the upper echelons of the tier. After a tough loss on MD6 to BOA in 2OT, this team is looking to rebound. On the same note, FRG is looking to rebound as well after a tough 10-13 loss to tier titan GF. Showing that they can dance with the devil.

COS: This team has continued to come alive as the season has progressed. It starts at the top with the dynamic duo of skii00 and Nico, but now BRG and SuperStormz1 are coming alive as well. If this team continues to grow as they have currently, there’s no reason they can’t be a title contender come the end of the season. For now, they have lost to 2 of the 3 best teams in the tier. They have a chance to prove the doubters wrong tonight as they play that 3rd team.

FRG: A close loss to GF on Thursday is nothing to be sad about. They’re the best team in the tier for a reason, AND the guys put up the most rounds of anyone on them by a significant margin. This is an important match for FRG; a win is needed, as now they’re even pegging with BOA and if they want that sweet first-round bye at the end of the season. OllieBobbers has been in a little slump lately, but the rest of the team has been there. It_Ryan is playing like a man possessed & Goergie is also red hot. This head-to-head is going to be critical come the end of the season for tiebreakers. Look for both teams to pull out all the stops tonight.

I started in CSC in season 17. I got drafted by FRG to play alongside Evan Counterstrike, Saaable, Kiddo, and Steve. Only made it to about the halfway mark of the season before I was cut for being shit at the game. Got to have a nice little stint with TEE in the back third of the season when TEE lost a player to a compromised Steam account but they made it back for play offs and I was back to being unhoused. S18, S19, and S20 I was with FNL where we managed to win back to back chips the first two seasons, but S20 ended in my grand embarrassment as we were eliminated in the semis by GF.

I started co IGLing in the S18 season alongside Saaable, CSCs true greatest mind. I would call more of the start of round strats, and she helped carry a lot of the load in the mid round. I learned most of what I know about IGLing from her and Evan. Other than that it’s been lots of demo review, and YouTube videos getting me through. It took a while to build the confidence up in IGLing but I think I’m at the point where I have a good mind for the game, and I trust my gut most of the time when it comes to the decision making. It helped a lot that we won the season I started calling and the season after.

So you found your niche, and you carved out quite the name for yourself as being the tier’s Glaive, as the most winning Recruit IGL of all time, and quite possibly the most outright winning Recruit player of all time based on longevity, W/L and trophies. What would you say to that?

Ya well I don’t think there’s anyone in the league that knows me for my awesome, undeniable raw mechanical talent, so I’ll definitely take it lol. I’ve always used my deep utility knowledge as a bit of a crutch to add value to the team knowing that my shooting isn’t the best. IGLing and developing a sharper game sense are just more tools to add to that value. The wins have never been mine alone. IGLing is kind of weird like that. I always equate it to being like the goalie in hockey. When you win you didn’t actually score any of the goals yourself. Maybe you picked up an assist by making a good call at the right time, or nailing a flash for a teammate’s entry. When you lose though the loss really hangs on you like I wasn’t able to stop enough of the other team’s shots, or I failed to put my people in the right spot for them to find the success for themselves. I’ve been very fortunate at FNL to have a GM and AGMs that actually give a shit about their Recruit team, and have put in the effort to build a fantastic team around me that can shoot, and work well together. My individual stat line has never been stellar. It’s always a group effort that leads to the trophy at the end of the season, so if I am the most winning Recruit player of all time it’s only because of the people I’ve been fortunate enough to play with.

Let’s take a moment here to talk about FNL, your relationship with that franchise and Evan. What was your time on FNL like and what was your relationship with GM Evan like?

It was a blast to be on FNL. To be able to link back up with Evan and Saaable after failing my first opportunity with them on FRG felt like a second chance at the start. Even still I think Evan is one of, if not the best GM in the league. Went out there and built two championship winning teams in his first season as GM. He was always available for a chat after a tough loss, provided me with ample coaching and advice on how to improve my game. I think the easiest way to notice the impact that Evan has on his players and the league is just to monitor how many people are always floating around the FNL discord. It’s almost always buzzing in there. After games on MDs you can see multiple players, even from other teams, that would head over to FNL for 10 they/thems or whatever. He’s done a spectacular job building that place into an actual community that I think, even without CSC, could stand on its own as a fun place to be.

So clearly, you didn’t have plans on being in Prospect this season. Tell us a bit about what it was like the night the news broke in the FNL camp.

Ya well I don’t think either of us had any clue what was about to happen. I’ll leak the DMs lol.

drFURY had just hit me with his seasonal attempt to poach me away from Evan, which I usually use as the opportunity to get confirmation from Evan that I am being resigned. I got offered my spot back for a fourth season with FNL Recruit and I obviously accepted. I was slated, at this point, to be a 5th round keeper at like 207 MMR. About seven hours after this conversation the murmurs of what I most feared started to reach my ears. I couldn’t believe it. How was it possible? I couldn’t comprehend the math of what people were telling me. I played fucking seventy six combine games averaging a 1.0 rating across them. Only eight of them were mixed Prospect lobbies. You’d think if I was anywhere near the line to move up I would have got more than eight out of seventy six combines in mixed lobbies. When I went to the CSC discord, it confirmed my fears. I could no longer chat in Recruit chat. I could now suddenly chat in Prospect chat.

I was so excited for Recruit this season. I had finally put up combine numbers that I was at least vaguely proud of. I had already made a bunch of new friends in Recruit through all those combines played. There were so few returning Recruit players this season so it felt like a fresh start. A chance to wash the taste of last seasons frankly fucking embarassing defeat out of my mouth for good. Unfortunately now it’s an opportunity I’ll not have. The tale of my time in Recruit now ends with the most embarrassing defeat of my organised CS2 play career. A story I’ll never be able to set right.

And given that you ended up out the door, you ultimately weren’t in the cards for FNL Prospect, correct? Would you say that there was a discussion at all to be had or was it a yes-no function?

I knew my time at FNL was done. Evan had explained to me earlier how stoked he was to have Prodigy Toast as his Prospect IGL this season. His old GM, coming back to him as a player. A beautiful plotline that not even I would be able to interrupt (little did we know at the time that this was in fact a beautiful plotline that the fucking CSC top brass would ultimately be thrilled to able to interrupt). He didn’t say it to me right away but I knew that he wouldn’t go back on his word to Prodigy Toast. After my initial feelings of panic, and anger had subsided I sent Evan another message and in the morning I got my formal termination from him.

Tell us a bit about the job search before the draft and what kind of conversations you had? What was the general sentiment from the GMs that you spoke to prior to landing at BS?

Honestly the job search was a good bit easier than I had thought it would be. I know Evan was in my corner still, spreading the good word of TRAINS to all the Prospect GMs that would listen. I reached out to drFURY to see if his intention to eventually pull me away from FNL still existed in Prospect. They were super kind, and basically told me they were interested, but were concerned with my shooting, and they already were in the process of talking to another IGL. I was like cool, totally fair, let me know where you land with that. Next I heard from Tuck and Big Slime. Also super kind. Basically said they were stoked on an opportunity to grab an IGL at tier min and assemble a squad of shooting demons around me with all the cap space they’d save on me. I was like hell ya I love being cost effective baby. Law over at WIZ was the last GM to reach out to me and more or less had the same idea as BS and BOA. Interested, had heard good things about the IGLing and utility but were concerned a little bit about the shooting. I think overall Tuck had laid out the most in depth plan about how they wanted to build out the roster and was the first one to actually put an offer on the table.

In my mind I think I was drawing parallels between FNL and Big Slime that made me want to sign with them the most. When I joined FNL it was their first season in the league as a franchise. Obviously Big Slime has existed before in the league, but in its current form this is their first season back in the league. I started with FNL after a terrible season where I didn’t manage to stay rostered. I’d be starting with Big Slime after a season that ended with a most embarrassing post season defeat at the hands of GF. It felt like the right place to start fresh for this season, and so on the third of September at 9:09 AM we made that shit official.

And circling back to FNL for a moment, would you say on paper you’ve ended up better off with how the draft and final rosters went for BS and FNL?

Who knows man. No one will know for certain till the post season begins. The preseason, and regular season are just teams getting used to playing with each other and fleshing out what that team identity really looks like. I won’t be able to say one way or the other that I’m in a better or worse place till we get to the playoffs. I will however say that I’m beyond stoked with how the Gunky Goons S21 roster has filled out, and I’m excited to make my first mark on Prospect even if it’s not with FNL. My new GM and AGMs included me in the drafting process just as I was at FNL and they’ve done an excellent job of making me feel at home in this new tier and franchise.

Do you have any words that haven’t been said that you’d like to say towards Evan and FNL? Perhaps a bit of friendly or not so friendly banter for what’s in store for this season.

Evan, and Bonk already know it’s all love. Packy, I’m sad I won’t get to gain any of your knowledge and experience as a new AGM over there. To the Cedar Creek Creeps, you better cross the fucking street when you see me out there cause it is absolutely not all love between us. After I finish packing up Saunce and the Brisket Bombers between some thin styrofoam and shrink wrap on MD4, I will be locked on you for MD5. I will pull the knife out of my back that was placed there by the numbers committee and use it to systematically dismantle you all piece by bloody piece. Except for Z u l F because he is my beautiful baby boy and I will love him forever and ever.

So back on track to BS. What do you think of the roster that was assembled around you, and how much input did you get to have?

I think the world of the roster that has been assembled around me. We really made use of all that MMR I saved the team lol. Titus is scary as hell on the big stick. Orbitalfye has utility knowledge that could make me blush, and serves as an IGL Support player on their ESEA team, and can still shoot. No1jag is a VDC transplant with an absurd amount of mechanical prowess, and Jrsooner is another scary shooter, and possibly one of the most well rounded CS players I have ever met. We got his ass in the third round of the draft lol. Y’all were asleep at the wheel on that one. I stated earlier that I got to have input on the draft but really it was just Tuck showing me the list of players he had his eyes on and then me levitating into the air as my eyes became animated hearts, and my heart started visibly pounding out of my chest.

As a very last minute promo, you must have some individual concerns about your personal fragging output, having been through the preseason would you say that those concerns are still accurate? Has the needle moved for you at all now that you have gotten some time on the server? (If the answer is negative) What do you think you can offer to the team that makes up for your fragging prowess concerns?

Yes a hundred percent lol. Obviously I didn’t get moved up here because I have been top fragging all of my MDs in Recruit. To be honest I still don’t really know why I got moved up here. It’s not like I was in Recruit combines this season just absolutely demolishing people. Like I said earlier only eight times out of seventy six combines did Core think I was worthy of being put in a prospect lobby. I played in five of our six preseason games. I don’t think I put up a 1.0 HLTV in any of them. Same as it’s always been in Recruit. I do however play my role, and I do it through playing a very not selfish version of CS. I do everything I can to set up the shooters on my team for their success. I finished last season in Recruit as the number one Support player, with the fourth highest traded deaths ratio.

Titus needs a flash to swing with the AWP? I got that. Jrsooner needs a chud to run to Blue Box out of Long Doors so he can get a clean fight? I got that. No1jag needs an AK drop? I got that. Orbitalfye wants to play for a team outside of ESEA where he isn’t saddled with having to rack his mind on making calls? I got that. At the end of the day, I couldn’t care less about my personal statline. I’ve said this a million times to hundreds of different CSC players at this point but, once again, genuinely, all that matters to me is the score at the top of the screen and the trophies beside my username. Teams need someone to care about the intangibles. That’s me. That’s what I bring to the table. Is that to say that I’m not working on improving shooting? Fuck no. I’ve contacted a coach. I have a routine. I will get to the point where I am the shooter, but until then I will continue to do what is needed for the team to succeed.

What’s a fair goal for yourself this season?

My goal, that I think I was on pace to finally hit in Recruit this season, is to be a 1.0 rated IGL with a third trophy emoji beside his username. My shooting, for as much as I’ll shit talk myself, is getting better. Slowly, but surely. While that goal might be a little loftier now in Prospect, it remains the same, and will continue to be the standard that I hold myself to.

I’d love to follow up with you later this season and check in on your progress. Is that something that the readers can expect from you down the stretch?

Hell ya lets see how poorly my confidence ages throughout the season lol.

Do you have any final thoughts or words for the readers, Numbers, GMs, or otherwise?

Thank you to all of the people that keep this ship running, and create a fun place for all of us to gather and connect over a shared love of the game. Thank you to the media teams that help make CSC feel like the big leagues and give us the chance to occasionally larp as pro gamers. Thank you to the players that bring the competitive spirit and make this league what it is, and thank you to all the GMs and AGMs that take the time to organize a bunch of chuds into rosters and give us purpose in an environment that I find infinitely more fun to play in than in Prem or FaceIt.

If someone from the Numbers Committee wants to shoot me a DM at somepoint and breakdown how the fuck I actually ended up here that would be kind of tight. Like I’m gonna make the most of it now that I’m here but like come on dawg. I know I’m not the only one that believes I don’t belong up here.

Oh also I’m not a big special treatment guy but, I think I should be able to maintain my ability to talk in Recruit chat even as a Prospect. If someone could look into that I’d really appreciate it.

Joining me today to chime in on the T R A I N S situation is Evan (Counter-Strike) of FNL. So Evan you don’t need any introduction, so let’s jump on into the meat of it. Going into this season was Trains’s spot secured for your Recruit roster?

Trains’ spot was absolutely without question secured for recruit. He has been a long time buddy of mine since his rookie season in S17 and he was hands down the best IGL in the recruit tier.

His last minute move up to Prospect obviously threw some plans into the wind. We see now that Luehersy was the pick up, a proven IGL in Prospect and one that I myself coached heavily while I was at BOA, do you have any personal feelings about how it shook out?

Yes and no. Regarding Lue, he had hit me up at the start of combines and we were mutually interested in each other. Originally I had him pegged as an IGL but as combines went on he said that he was more interested in being in a star/awp role for the season so I happily obliged. I like players who come to me and know their worth and exactly what they want, so signing him was a no brainer. The big shake up on trains going up to prospect was that I had another keeper IGL lined up and I felt like it would have been unfair to them to just say “yeah nevermind.” I was under the impression that it would be more likely for pigs to gain the ability of flight then it was for Trains to go from a 5th round keeper all the way to a tier min, guess I was wrong. Essentially I made a no-no error because unofficial public numbers are NOT the same as public numbers so I got a bit too excited before it fully locked. In that capacity I feel all kinds of ways about it; rage at numbers, a bit of shame for acting a bit too extemporaneously, despair that I abandoned FNL’s greatest breadwinner, etc.

It’s been a few match days at this point, looking at your results and Trains’s, are you feeling like you made the right decision?

Had I not made prior obligations I wouldn’t have had an issue with signing him as a tier min IGL. I’m thrilled that he has found a new home and I am really grateful that Mani signed him. I think he is on a good roster and playing with Smile Team 6 alum Jrsooner, so that is sweet. I am also really happy with the core of Lue and Juan that we had going into the draft. I guess I can say that I am sad that I couldn’t keep him but I don’t think im in a position to call my choices right or wrong because that kind of judgment carries a shaky presupposition that signing other folks instead of trains is right/wrong and that seems unfair to my players and to him or maybe both. I like my prospect team, I like his, maybe one day I’ll be outside his window with a boombox and a rose in my mouth trying to win him back…

Tell us a little bit more about Lue and how that signing came to pass?

I think I had talked about it a little bit above, but he had reached out to me in or around the start of combines expressing interest and it was mutual. Lue is a pretty direct dude and knew exactly what he wanted even before combines started and I was more than happy to accommodate, because it’s rare that FA’s or EXP players just come to a GM with a sort of vision for a team. The other piece of the puzzle was getting an igl and yeah it’s been workin out pretty good so far.

Have you been enjoying what he’s brought to FNL both in the server and to the culture?

Who Lue or Trains? Lue has been great and works really well with Juan and the other boys. They all really wanna win but like aren’t antisocial cretins. They all get along, are nice to each other, compose themselves well in csc and in my franchise and are gems. They wanna get coached, they wanna win, are pretty competitive people but aren’t toxic in any way shape or form. Just from watching scrims and preseason games those boys all hype each other up so much and I love it.

And broadly speaking about the team as a whole, how do you feel about how your draft landed as far as targeted players and acquisitions?

Good! I had a pretty basic draft strategy for prospects since we already had an awper and an igl which was essentially draft people who can shoot the gun and aren’t racist pigs. In both of those regards we succeeded! Moose and Rath are both great, and you can literally see me pogface if you watch the vod of the draft when we draft zulf in the 5th, how the fuck did he fall down that far? I think that the team currently has a REALLY strong foundation and can essentially go as far as they want to go this season. I’m super excited to see how far they go.

Jumping back to Recruit for a moment, losing Trains there obviously put a damper on your plans. How have things worked out there? Who did you get to fill his shoes? How has that gone so far and just how sorely is the veteran IGL missed in the FNL camp?

Yeah dude, damper is an understatement… Originally the plan was a trains and gekkon core but once trains departed recruit I just decided to go full draft and no keepers. I had the first overall pick in the tier and went with Hazard and then got Hail in the 5th cuz those guys have synergy from VDC and then just a day or two ago we cut someone else and signed legion. All 5 of them are pretty green regarding cs but there is competitive experience from other games and me bonk and packy are happy to coach the boys. We have Hazard igling or we do now as of match day 3. I think the thing I miss the most is that Trains was able to provide structure almost immediately and without him it will take a bit of time to establish, but once we get the ball rolling it’ll be dub city. No veteran igl is tough but we aren’t throwing the recruits to the wolves, we will make sure they have the best season they can.

So to be blunt here, Trains put together multiple winning seasons for you, culminating in 2 trophies, and with his last minute move up to Prospect did you simply feel that he doesn’t have what it takes to cut the mustard in Prospect?

One of the hardest parts of GMing is that you just can’t keep everyone and it often leads to situations where you are cutting really good friends. I have cut cool guy, I have not resigned Papi Sucio, but not resigning trains was probably the hardest thing I have had to do as a GM. The cut/not resigning didn’t really stem from any like cold means/ends calculus it was literally a result of me making prior commitments to people and not wanting to go back on my word. While I think he will struggle mechanically for the tier I think he makes up for it in ways that frankly very few people in prospect can. Tier min IGLs, especially ones of his caliber, are incredibly invaluable and can make or break teams. Regardless of what team Trains is on he has my faith and support but in the interest of fairness and other obligations I made to people we had to temporarily part ways. I guess now that I have a platform to complain how the fuck did we bring a guy who had less then a 1.0 across over 70 FUCKING GAMES up to prospect? My recruit empire is in ruins!

So it’s as simple as business? Just got caught out by the last minute change and didn’t have the spot available?

On that spicy note let’s leave this here and pick it back up once playoffs hit. I cannot wait to check back in and see how these two teams look at crunch time. One final question for you, if Trains comes out and somehow wins a Prospect cup in his debut, what are you eating? A shoe? Perhaps a hat? Humble pie at the very least, surely?

I won’t eat a damn thing! I’m not praying on his downfall but I’m certainly not rooting against my own teams either. If he wins a chip in prospect I will be super happy for him and gas him up. He’s no doubt capable of IGLing a winning team! At the very least I’m expecting him to beat Saunce in regulation iykyk.

NeKo - AWP - Guppies (Gone Fishin’ Recruit)

• How are you feeling about the Guppies’ 6-0 start to the season?

I am feeling pretty good about it. We are off to a strong first half of the season and we aren’t going to let our foot off the gas pedal. We have a solid team who each brings a great experience for us.

• How are you feeling about your personal performance so far this season? Do you feel like you’ve been playing up to your expectations, and is there anything specific that you’re looking to work on?

My performance started off pretty well. The last couple games I feel like I haven’t been fully there but I won’t let it slow me down. Personally I am not working on anything at the moment since it’s spooky month and I am a little busy.

• 2-0 this past week to extend your record to being 6-0, that is what most teams are looking for! What do you think your team excels on so far?

Honestly we excel at working well with each other. The chemistry we got with a mix of the shooters is absolutely golden. But I will have to give a shout out to Tripleman on this one. He is such a fun guy and brings the best vibes and knows how to get a team to work together

• We all know everyone wants a trophy, do you have any personal goals that you are aiming to achieve this season?

Yes the trophy is the end goal, but at the same time I want to have a fun time and enjoy playing the game. (Ye ye I know it’s corny and blah blah blah but video games to me are meant to be enjoyable.)

• We all love hearing insight on how people prepare for a CSC match day. What does your pregame routine look like? Is there anything specific you like to do before a match to get yourself mentally and mechanically prepared?

My preps are very different each game day and depends on if I work that day or not. I do like to have a nice cold Gamersupps made up for match time and I’ll either de-stress on a random game before match time or play another game to help me focus and get in the zone.

• Is there anyone that you would love to shout out (or talk trash to) in CSC, whether that’s someone you’ve enjoyed playing with or against?

Honestly it’s hard but some of the recruit players are great to play against and chat with. I do miss some prospect people though like TRAINS, Biggie, and Endrz. They were always fun to go against and play with…(and of course fishyford and stinky provoloan)

Thanks for taking the time <3

-crazy - Rifler - Holy Smokes (NAN Contender)

• 1-1 this past week, with a good bounce back win against DRG in MD6! How are you feeling about the Holy Smoke’s season so far?

Our season is going great! Bans going our way and being smart about it definitely helps out. You’re always going to hope for the best but you’re not always going to get it. The AndyJ flowchart tells us that we’re going to need to pick up our game and coordination if we’re gonna keep fighting!

• Is there anything that you think could have gone more in your favor to turn this past week into 2 wins?

There were definitely a few gaps in our play that definitely showed and was exploited. We haven’t exactly had much time together to pug, but the little time we have gotten to sit down and talk it’s been like a light switch in our game. But I don’t think it was things that could’ve gone in our favor, but instead we just did a few things wrong. The good thing about that is we can fix that with good execution and teamwork.

• How are you feeling going into your next two MDs against the teams of Eclipse and the Salty Scripters?

I have the utmost confidence in my teammates abilities to pick these guys apart. We are a great team when we work together and we can persevere. That being said, we have some things that are sloppy and we can definitely clean it up no doubt about it. We know Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we have to keep being patient and persistent with our progress looking forward.

• Everyone is looking for their trophy, but apart from that, are there any personal goals you are looking to achieve this season?

Really looking to just expand my base knowledge of the game. Counter strike is a unique game in terms of mechanics that you aren’t going to see in many other games. It’s a very logical and fundamental game that will let you execute what you want but you have to keep your skill and practice in check.

• Most players have their own funky way of getting in their flow before any given matchday. What does your pregame routine look like?

Most of the time I try and have a little time to complete a warmup on kovaaks made by Gryphon. Once I feel like my aim is warm I go on DM and tap heads until I feel like I’m match ready! I’ll usually throw the volume down on those and put on music and later get with my fellas and talk strats and map bans!

• Lastly, is there anyone on NAN, or in CSC, that you would like to poke a little fun at or hype up?

I think I really do have to give props to Sspekky. He is absolutely an animal and can really give a good performance on any given day. He tells me he’ll drop 30 and I believe him every day of the week; he is RAW. Shoutout AndyJ flowchart, the quad AWP is real and #NANUp

Thank you for your time and good luck in the rest of your season! #NO4N

Pulse - AGM - The Tode-em Pole

• How are you feeling about FRG’s season so far?

I feel great and our recruit team is nuts. I love them all and I was so happy to get them. I scouted pretty hard in recruit, so I was very happy to get them. Prospect has been a slow start but I’m confident in the guys. I was gone the first 3 match days so I wasn’t able to coach or help them out but I think with me back they’ll be cooking. Contender is Gabe’s tier but they’re doing great. Gabe be shootin and IGLing, too bad we have this Bsizzles guy tho.

• Being a former Challenger player, you stepped into an AGM role for an org that does not have a challenger team. Were you looking to go non-playing, or was the opportunity too good to not pass up? How have you enjoyed your time so far as non-playing AGM?

I will not lie, I am missing playing HARD but I love it here. Me and Tony loved playing with each other in season 16 ive missed him since so being back with him has been awesome and ig Gabe being my GM is okay. But in all seriousness I love Gabe and Tony they would be the only 2 I would pass playing for. I did hope we would get a chally team, heck I might have even scouted chally players but I wouldn’t change anything. I love it here and its been great coaching and watching. Also, I do get to play retakes and feel like the greatest player of all time playing our recruit and prospect team then Bsizzles grabs the Big Red.

• Now that you have a little more time on your hands being non-playing, what are some things that you have been focusing on to help out the different tiers within FRG?

Mainly just giving advice and trying to listen to everyone or pug. I’ve pugged a lot with everyone just filling in for people. Plus now im like the cool non playing AGM that has a ring and MVP so everyone that has never played with me thinks im NA S1mple but anyways yeah just been trying to point everyone in the right direction trying to get people more play time with each other blah blah blah meow.

• For those that might want to get into the management side of things, what are some good qualities that you think are most beneficial for a player to bring to the table that is looking to make their way into an (A)GM spot?

Probably just make sure you’re willing to give the time and don’t get tilted easily (Im Reformed now), but other than that just being there, getting your name out there and getting to know people and even giving your advice when asked helps a lot. Really just make it known that you want to AGM and people will make sure to investigate it.

• I know you aren’t playing this season, but I know that most love to know what goes into a player’s pre-game routine. Is there anything special that you look to work on before any given matchday, or even before a day of pugging? Is there anything that you focus on to help out your teams before their matches?

Ngl you can ask people I’ve teamed with, I don’t warm up usually. Normally ill listen to music while doing something but before like when I was going from AWP to rifle for HR I grinded xfire and prefires. I think I would do 1-2 hours of them before each game and at least 30 mins daily but recently I’ve been doing just AWP daily warmup 20 mins before games for ESEA. But last season I didn’t warm up at all, the scrim was my warmup so uh yeah!

• Finally, is there anyone on FRG, or in CSC, that you would love to shout out?

I would just like to thank Gabe (dad) for picking me up. I haven’t had this much fun in a season since before signing with UPS!

Thank you for your time <3

That does it for the End of Regulation this week. Next week will bring (ideally two players and one person from franchise management) new faces to the article. If you are interested in being on here, please DM me! Yappers inquired and required.

Hello All, and welcome back to Provoloan’s Prospect Profiles! I am Provoloan (shocking, I know), and this week we have a very special guest! But before I introduce the guest for this week, I want to give a huge shoutout and thanks to marcos for making the beautiful graphic for Triple P! I cannot thank him enough for taking the time to make something, and I think it looks wonderful. Thanks Mr. New Jersey!

But without further ado, this week’s guest hails from What Do You Beef and is also the General Manager for Catpocalypse in the Valorant Draft Circuit. Please welcome treeko!

Q: Hey treeko! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me. Would you mind introducing yourself for those who may not know you?

I’m treeko, professional meower and awp crutch. I’m currently on cow and have been in csc since S16 and I’m also a GM over in vdc (Valorant csc) for the catpocalypse!

Q: Where does your name come from? I assume it’s from the Pokemon, Treecko, but is there a story behind it? Is Treecko a favorite of yours, did you just like the personality it had in the TV show?

It actually doesn’t come from the pokemon at all that was just a coincidence that I’ve had to deal with for the rest of my life. I played like one pokemon game in my life. It actually comes from my name so in order to not doxx myself I won’t go further

Q: Fair enough. Kind of a crazy coincidence then! I’ll get the obvious out of the way, you’re a VDC Native (correct me if I’m wrong). How long have you played there, and how has that been for you as a player or as a General Manager?

I am indeed a vdc native although I think I’ve earned dual citizenship at this point… I’ve been playing there since their season 4, which is like late 2022 early 2023, so almost 4 years now. Although I’ve been in the server since it opened. This is now upcoming as my second season as GM over there. Speaking of shameless advertisement we just started up combines for S11 so if u enjoy valorant feel free to join!

Q: I don’t think the media team will let this slide… But, how was/is the transition from Valorant to Counter Strike? I find myself having a fine time in Valorant, but with some issues understanding character mechanics. I’ve heard for Valorant to CS, there is some difficulty getting the game sense that comes with the game. Was there or is there anything that’s been challenging for the game switch?

I think the hardest thing for the switch from Valorant to CS for me has been crosshair placement. I’ve built it up from years of playing Valorant and it is legitimately so hard to fix when everyone swings much faster in this game. The gamesense isn’t that much different, fundamentally everyone just shoots the gun and executes and throws util. I feel the biggest jump in difficulty going from cs to val is forcing yourself to NOT spray constantly, at least from my experience with csc players joining vdc.

Q: CS players try not to spray challenge impossible.

I want to switch away a little bit here, and focus more on CS for a second. You said earlier that you are an AWP crutch. Did this come with time, or have you always gravitated towards the big green stick?

I’m not REALLY an awp crutch just this season I decided to awp. I think I have a better rifle than my awp anyways lol. I’m only awping cuz I know a friend who likes to complain about how difficult it is to awp so I decided to prove em wrong by awping cuz that gun is LITERALLY baby mode for people who can’t click heads.

Q: Very strong words some awpers might take offense to! I have always known you to have some good banter before or after matches, sometimes even during. Have you always had some fun banter in game?

Oh yea everyone who’s ever known me knows I LOVE to banter with people. I’ve done it since the first season I joined any competitive league. I’ve made a lot of enemies from it but even more friends from it as well. It’s all in good fun at the end of the day and I think it’s pretty fun to be a little bit silly in the chats sometimes!

Q: So all the ‘Where Prattle?’ questions are just jokes… right???? Only a couple more questions for you. What was the reason you joined VDC in the first place? Was it the love for Valo, the environment they had, or the want for a competitive league? And was that the same reason you joined CSC after?

No comment.

Story time! The first ever competitive game I played was Overwatch on an xbox back in 2018. A bit later I got a shitty laptop that could run Overwatch at 40 fps, and I joined an Overwatch pugs server with neopolitan and acidz in there and became an admin there. Then 2020 came around and valorant released and I was watching so many streams to get a key (I didn’t get one) when the game released I tried playing it and realized my shitty laptop couldn’t run the game. But alas I kept watching their esports and randomly scrolling Reddit I found the first post for vdc. I joined and still couldn’t play till like a year later where I got a functional pc and then started playing vdc :) so really I’ve been itching for competitive environments to play in since like 2018.

Q: That’s so cool! Cool to see that there are CSC names too from way back when. I even played with Neopolitian in S19!! With you bringing up Overwatch, I know you play a lot of other games besides Valorant and CS. Are there any games you would say that you are the same skill level or even better at than Valo or CS?

WELL most games I’m better at than CS I’m pretty terrible at this game LOL I’m only in prospect after all.. but Valorant I used to be better at tft when the sets were fun. And potentially Overwatch 1, I used to coach that game but I wasn’t very good at the game myself. Slay the spire 2 I think I’m better at. Prolly like chess too, basically any game where I can think.

Q: Yeah that’s probably a fair estimation. Well here’s the tried-and-true last question. Make sure to use that thinking ability. What is your favorite cheese and why?

Pepper jack cheese obviously. Provoloan is a MID cheese

Q: Alright well we all can’t be right all the time. Well that wraps it up! Thanks treeko! Is there anything you’d like to add?

Yea when prattle?

And that wraps it up! Thanks again to treeko, make sure to give her some love for being willing to sit down and answer some questions for me. If you are at all interested in VDC, she and many others are great resources! Maybe you can get a nepo hire into a recruit team. As always, a huge thanks to everyone who makes Triple P possible, and if you think someone would be a good interview, let me know! I am always thinking about new guests. That’s all, and see you next week!

Writing Team

Writer - Prov

I’ll give the chud answer that a lot of GM’s gave (why do you think there are some AGMs here?) and say I don’t watch a lot of scary movies, but I won’t cop out and not give you one. Scary, to me, is the more psychological aspect. Sure, there are good traditional horror movies that have jumpscares and people who look scary, but that’s not really scary. The Backrooms was a phenomenal movie for the psychological aspect (although there were some traditional scary movies like with Crazy Clark and a pinch of jumpscares on the “Found Footage”), and I really had a blast watching that in theaters. But for a more fall vibe, my fiancee will ALWAYS watch The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter this time of year, and I LOVE Batman. Redbull has made fun of me before, but Batman is such a comfort character, so any of those movies are great this time of year. If I’m feeling really nostalgic, I’ll watch the “so bad it’s good” Batman Forever.

Editor-Bizzy

It’s hard to choose a favorite Halloween movie when you watch them year round because they’re your comfort but I’ll choose the one I’ve revisited the most and it was my second horror movie I ever watched. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is the first movie I watched by myself. I saw Jeepers Creepers previously with my momma but wasn’t satisfied with how it made me feel. I had this idea what scary movies should be and to me they’ve become a look into the darker side of people and what they become or how they got to that point. This brings me back to why Texas Chainsaw Massacre is my top 3. It’s a documentary feel movie, shot on a 16mm film stock (this wasn’t because it was an old movie but because they had a tiny ah budget) which gives it the “americas funniest home videos” vibes. I like when I watch this you can literally feel the heat of the scorching summer day in Texas, making you really feel the misery already, and then on top of that, the antagonist, Leatherface, has a primal and survival fear and evil which makes it feel more dangerous and unpredictable. Have you ever watched a scary movie and feel like you know what’s going to happen? This movie is the one that set the bar for having no safety net in a pattern, it truly felt like the rapid editing, screaming, and the force on the viewer to use your own imagination as to what could drive someone to this. (Also, I appreciate in new movies they use a musical score but the raw sound of metal scraping, clanking, and slaughter noises makes anyone butthole pucker). All this to say, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) set the bar for slasher tropes, including the famous “final girl” that so many movies have followed.

GMS & AGMs

FNL - GM - EVAN COUNTERSTRIKE

Resident horror movie franchise chud here. My brain is poisoned so scary movies and other traditionally like vulgar and scary things are comforting to me. I’ll say that my favorite horror movie and probably movie in general are the first 2 texas chainsaw massacre movies. the first movie is like this kinda low budget grainy visceral fever dream almost. Its not gory at all despite the name, and the dinner scene is genuinely unnerving and borderline psychedelically horrifying because of how it was shot. The second movie came out like 10 years later and it is more of a black comedy then a true horror movie. Its like a true so bad its good B movie slopfest and boy do i love it. my pfp is choptop from that movie. Highly recommend both! I grew up listening to hardcore punk and metal and watching slasher films when i was probably wayyyy too young to do all of that lmao so these movies make me think about better times spent with family and friends and are like total comfort food to me.

MYT- GM- SKRUNK

What is your favorite horror movie(or if youre not into horror what movie do you find yourself watching alot during halloween season)?

This is a hard one. I grew up watching a lot of scary movies with my stepmom, so a lot of the early 2000s slashers have a very special place in my heart. I think that I can’t pick just one...so I think I am listing a few. I love The Conjuring movies, the Child’s Play series have a special place in my heart as well, and SAW rounds out my big three favorite franchises! One “not so scary” movie that I watch every season is Hocus Pocus as well, it is a special kid friendly movie that I watched with my little brother and sister as well, so I feel like they needed to be included as well!

I love the Child’s Play movies just because throughout high school, I always had literal flaming orange hair, which soon transformed into the nickname “Chucky” for the longest time. I also just love the way that all Child’s Play movies don’t feel like a true slasher and more like a slapstick comedy disguised as a scary movie. The SAW movies are a staple during my Halloween weekend because I have watched and learned so much about the way that the directors and the creatives made the movies and I think from a technical standpoint its SO cool to rattle off that info when watching with others. Finally, The Conjuring movies are important to me just because I love the extensive universe. They are like the Marvel Universe for horror movies which makes for really fun storylines.

Child’s Play, I’m terrified of dolls. Porcelain, ragdoll, any kind of doll that’s bigger than a Barbie....I DO NOT fuck with them at all. SAW, I’m not great with gore or any sort of cutting of limbs, poking things into skin, or really any kind of bodily functions. Being a nurse was never in my future..... The Conjuring movies just make me uncomfy, and that thriller like movie structure just freaks the hell out of me. I am already a really jumpy person, so when a loud noise paired with a lady contorted on top of a dresser, yeah that’s going to always scare the living daylights out of me.

ATL-GM-SPOOB

I’m not a big horror movie guy tbh, my main thing about horror movies is usually I don’t find them particularly scary. I’ll quote Algernon Cadwallader’s song, Horror, “The dead alive walk back to their graves and crawl inside, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and all of these, Just baby brother of American History”. I’ll shoutouts some horror themed media I do like, with Darkest Dungeon being one of my favorite games and American Horror Story featuring one of my favorite acting teachers I’ve ever had in Christine Estabrook. But if I had to pick a favorite horror-adjacent movie, it is easily Shaun of the Dead. Edgar Wright is a directing genius, and I think the Cornetto trilogy overall are some of his best works. Huge shoutouts Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

DRG- GM - Proto

Favorite horror movie: The Thing (1982) what does it mean to me: i played The Thing game on the playstation (not even very much mind you) as a child and it stuck with me so hard that I had nightmares about it. naturally this drove a deep fixation and curiosity that led to me watching the movie and absolutely loving it. so I guess in a way it is a movie/franchise that I’ve been fascinated by since I was a child. what specifically about this movie makes me scared: the body horror/monster designs w/ practical effects. the concept of something so tiny being so dangerous. “it could be anybody”. have you seen the human head spider thing?

BS - AGM Tuck

Ugh this is a really hard question. I watch so much horror it’s hard to pick one. I guess if I had to pick one it would be Midsommar(yes, it’s a horror not a thriller!). It’s a movie I’ve rewatched a bunch of times, and it’s just as good everytime, the Final Girl(shoutout!) is amazing in the role. As for what else I do for Halloween, it’s nothing! Maybe go up to my local dive bar and have a bunch of beers and watch all the monsters around me act a fool. Thanks for reaching out!!

AG - GM Kuster

When I think of Halloween season, I think of the Harry Potter movies. I feel like it it’s more of a Fall/Holiday Season tradition in our family. I think what I like about those movies is that it’s nice to think there could be a magical world out there, where you could escape reality for a bit.

GF - GM Milky

I’m more of a scary gamer than watcher. I’d say my big go to last few years has been Phasmaphobia with the lads. It’ll usually be a couple weeks of gaming with my IRL homies. That means a lot to me because as we get older lots of us spend less time gaming as well as our interests in the kinds of games we play has grown apart. We tend to forget how much fun gaming together is but the spooky season always pulls us back to the same game and its nice moment out of the chaotic year

BCH - GM Cagey

While I do like some more traditional “scary” films, I have fond memories of The Batman. It came out around Halloween and I went to go see it with some friends and it was a wonderful night so that’s my answer. I thought the unique twist they put on this version of Bruce Wayne was cool how he was almost like a moody teenager who learns the ropes and I’m excited to see the next movies in the series. Halloween means it’s fall and do you’ve got to tap into football as well!

FLT - GM Coltyy

It’s hard to pick a favorite tbh, there’s so many good Halloween movies. Whether you define it as a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie is up to you, but The Nightmare Before Christmas has always been a favorite of mine. The Halloween Town movies are so stupid but fun to watch too. [is there a reason its so close to home? or just a favorite for the sake of the great animation.] A little bit of everything, the animation is amazing, the songs are top notch and it is very nostalgic, every time I watch it, it reminds me of fall which is my favorite time of year

TEE - GM Drewbie

I do not do scary movies LMAO big sissy over here. I mean I grew up watching the classics though like Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, shit like that. I rarely watch anything Halloween focused these days. sorry I know that is not interesting. [any movie you watch during the fall season? harry potter, other fall related movie, etc.] I do love a good Harry Potter movie marathon lol I was never huge into it until I met my wife who has Harry Potter themed tattoos so we do watch it together on the regular.

HG - GM W1nter

I don’t watch that many movies, but I liked watching the Netflix series called ‘The Rain’. I think it’s a great watch, brother and sister are a team and then become the enemies and having the protagonist finding hope and solution through the chaos around them.

COS - GM Deity

I don’t really like scary movies but fall for me always felt like Harry Potter season. [do they have any meaning for you? or just a nice cozy series to watch during the season?] No I was never some huge fan of the books or anything but the first two movies especially felt like they were made for fall.

Player REPS

AVI - Player Pander

1408. John Cusack delivers one of his best performances as a haunted house skeptic slowly coming to terms with an actual hostile ghost in a hotel room that gets its jollies having its denizens commit suicide. the room taunts him and his pride, and forces him to face past traumas as he fights for his life and an escape from the room. The star of the movie, besides Cusack’s fantastic acting, is the consistent oppression tension from the room, built from excellent choices in set and sound design. It’s an incredibly small movie that carries a heavy weight, and delivers an extremely fun final scene.

JDM - Player ko

Although it does not follow traditional horror tropes and doesn’t really have scares or gore my favorite horror film would have to be Ana Lily Amirpour’s feature length directorial debut A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Like I said earlier, as opposed to the horror aspects coming from scary monsters or deranged killers the horror from this film is mostly from the gloomy atmosphere of Bad City, the fictional Iranian city where the film takes place, and of course the main character who is a vampire. I have seen many people categorize the film as a western due to the Girl being more of a vigilante who wanders the barren city at night only targeting immoral people and others may also consider it a coming of age film due to the two main characters, Arash and the Girl, meeting each other after a party and becoming more and more connected as the film goes on and they eventually try to escape from their wasteland city. But either way I think it still fits into the horror genre one way or another. There is a specific scene from the first night in which Arash and the Girl meet where she brings him back to her apartment and we expect her to kill him there as she stares at his neck under a spinning disco ball but instead she embraces him in a deviation from the traditional horror standards. Overall, I just really love this movie and everyone should watch it if they want a movie for these spooky times that is a bit more light hearted.

ELITE MATCHUP

Aces (TEE) vs Hydras (ATL) - Mxgabyte

This might not be the 1v2 showdown that would be absolutely peak, but it’s pretty damn close. Both teams are sitting at 4–1, and this should be an absolute brawl. ATL finally took their first L against HG on Tuesday, while TEE has quietly stacked three straight wins. Now we get to see if ATL comes back swinging or if TEE keeps rolling and gives everyone another reason to put some respect on their name. “Nokk and griff, go kill” has worked pretty damn well so far, but North and z1ppy aren’t going to sit there and let them have all the fun. There are shooters on both sides who can make this game get out of hand if you give them room. I still like lawzz leading this TEE squad, and I’m curious to see how they handle a team with the firepower ATL brings. This feels like a game where the supporting cast could make the difference while everyone is busy watching the big names. The veto should be interesting too. TEE has looked comfortable on Mirage, while ATL has done most of their winning on Anubis, but both teams have shown they’ll ban the other’s comfort map. Somebody might have to win this outside their favorite playground. I could see this going either way, but whoever comes out on top is going to have a pretty good argument for belonging near the top of Elite.

CHALLENGER MATCHUP

Suzuka Sprinters (JDM) vs Tilted Togglers (H4K) - Sainted

Finally some good food! The match ups this season have been lopsided on paper for most games played with last week’s most interesting match being two middling teams facing off. Finally, we are getting another heavy weight title fight between two teams that are clearly in the top 5. With the season hitting its halfway point tonight the chips are beginning to fall and teams like these are testing their might as playoffs are all but secured for both of these teams barring a disastrous run to the finish line. MediumlySalted is looking to keep putting together performances to keep them the MVP race, sporting a 1.24 rating across their 5 games not including the MD1 fiasco which saw them lose the benefit of their 28-14 debut against AG. How much of their performance has been stat padding against teams in the bottom half of the league and how real are they really? In any case the rest of the team is firing on all cylinders with players taking turns popping off around MediumlySalted. The lowest rated player on the team is still a respectable .91 from Perry, but with the entire rest of the team above a 1.10 it’s just a matter of not enough to go around.

Meanwhile in the JDM garage, we have a team that should be strong all season but has some glaring holes that are going overlooked. Despite every player on the team sitting above a 1.00 and a 4-1 record on the season, JDM has played Mirage 4 times, deviating once to Inferno in a comeback affair in which they fell behind 4-8 on their CT side. The return of Jerm has been instrumental for this team to stay well rounded with Silky Johnson and Goose bringing in some much needed safe hands to allow Addir and Genie to develop into the stars that this team is built around. For JDM this is a must win to prove that they are more than just Mirage pug lords against sub par competition. For H4K this is about climbing the ladder and getting an edge up on one of the potential paper tigers of the tier. In either case this is a statement game that both teams cannot afford to lose.

CONTENDER MATCHUP

Wyverns (DRG) vs Holy Smokes (NAN) - Mxgabyte

DRG comes into this one at 4–1 with four straight wins, while NAN is sitting at 3–2 and looking to bounce back after a rough Tuesday against WIZ. This is a good chance for the Holy Smokes to remind everyone what they’re capable of, but the Wyverns aren’t going to make it easy. Their only loss came against HG in the opener, and they’ve been finding wins on different maps ever since. Brubdun has been giving them plenty of firepower, rinoranchero has looked good in his appearances, and Numfa and collinj665 have been putting in solid work around them. NAN needs to be ready to deal with more than one guy having a good night.

On our side, SSpekky has been fragging his ass off, sitting around a 1.35 rating in the available stats, with marcos and -crazy giving him some good help. The WIZ game wasn’t pretty, but one bad night doesn’t erase the wins this squad has already put together. I’m especially curious about the veto here. NAN has won both of its Inferno games, while DRG has looked strong on Dust2 and consistently removed Nuke lately. We might get a pretty good idea of how comfortable each team is going to be before anyone even loads into the server. Obviously I’m rooting for the NANers, but DRG has earned some respect with this start. If the Holy Smokes can stop that winning streak, it gives them a much stronger result to point to and puts them right back in the conversation with the teams near the top.

PROSPECT MATCHUP

Keres (MYT) vs Cardinals (AVI) - Provoloan

The number 5 and 6 team in Prospect are chalked to face off. Two teams that are 4-1 and are separated by Round Differential. On one side, we have Keres, led by sm1ke. This MYT team is full of fire power. Uncle Skippy, octagon, and pec are all above a 1 rating through the season. This team has only lost to the unbeaten H4K, but I would say that this AVI team is going to be the next big challenge they face during the regular season. On the other side of the server, we have the Pander led Cardinals. With a core of DanML, Biggs, and Pander, this team has some serious firepower. Having a team rating of 1.06, this is on the higher end of team ratings in the tier. AVI did, however, just take a big loss to DRG on MD5. AVI can and will bounce back from this loss, but can it be against this strong MYT team? I expect to see a Mirage BRAWL tonight. Can MYT continue their winning ways, or will AVI bounce back and take down this MYT team?

RECRUIT MATCHUP

Guppies (GF) vs Tadpole Titans (FRG) - Nade23y

With today’s slate of recruit games it was really tough to pick. All 3 matchups have tantalizing storylines to write about. At the end of the day, it just had to be this contest between GF and FRG. The #1 and #2 teams in the tier. A real Goliath vs Goliath. The stakes tonight are high, as we approach the midway point in the season. GF: The Guppies continue to make it clear they are the #1 team in the tier and it hasn’t been close. No team has posted more than 8 rounds against them to this point. That is just utter domination. With 2 top 10 players in Auxtris (#3) & Shaggy (#5), there is a two headed hydra that clears every team's 2 best players by miles. Everyone is contributing & putting up numbers. Where is the chink in this teams armor? The GF squad looks to put a 2 game gap between themselves and the field tonight and put to bed any doubts they weren’t the clear #1 team in the tier. FRG: The Tadpole Titans bounced back mightily after their tough loss on MD4, absolutely dominating BOA. Their match vs COW was pushed to scrim time tonight, but if it’s not a 13-5ish scoreline I’ll be surprised. The one concern going into this double header tonight is if COW makes it close or wins, how will the team react? If the tilt comes (knock on wood it doesn’t) it leaves them little time to reset and get locked in for their biggest test of the season. Led by Goergie & OllieBobbers, this team has the closest dynamic duo to the aforementioned pair on GF. FRG wants this win for plenty of reasons, to show there is no gap between them and GF, to get the early season tiebreaker on GF, to be the first team to best them on the season, and to make them even to themselves while keeping their (minimum) game gap on all the teams behind them. The water is reaching a boiling point, which aquatic creature will survive the heat?

ELITE MATCHUP

OS Daimyo v JDM Kaido Kruzers - Nade23y

On paper this may appear to be an average match. Two middle of the pack teams enter the server with a chance to garner a winning record, and advantage in a potential tiebreaker later in the season. I can assure you, the reader, that this match is much more important than appears at first glance. If you take a look at the standings it is the 6th ranked Daimyo vs the 7th ranked Kaido Kruzers. The (don’t fact check me) inaugural “6-7 bowl” of this 21st season of CSC. OS: This team has dropped their last two after a dominant first 2 maps, and they now find themselves at .500 coming into this MD5. Their early season notches look to be important early on as those two teams are 2-2 as well. For tiebreaker implications come the end of season that’s critical. Led by tier mvp hopeful sixas (1.26 rating #3rd) backed up by two above tier average players h25 (1.07 rating) & the GM himself Spence (1.0 rating). This team is off to a good start, with a chance to boost their position as we approach the midway point in the season. JDM: Much akin to OS, the Kaido Kruzers trot into MD5 at 2-2 (both teams having bested FNL), JDM also defeating another 2-2 team in UPS on MD1. The difference between these two teams is that while OS lost to 1-3 AVI. JDM lost to a top dog in the tier, in the likes of TEE in the closest possible margin. This team appears to be able to go toe-to-toe with anyone through 4 matches. Led by potential all-star Flawingo (1.19 rating, #9 rated), the team drops off in a clear box-score way with no one else above a 1.0. This is not a knock on the team, it’s actually a compliment. This team is in a healthy spot currently, and if one of the other 4 players can be a more clear Robin to Flawingo’s Batman. Well, the tier should be scared. Shoutout media for letting me sub in for this one while they look for someone to take over the role full time.

CHALLENGER MATCHUP

Argonauts (ATL) vs Floppers (TEE)- Nade23y

Two winless teams will duke it out tonight. One will become victorious and win the proverbial “Toilet Bowl”. Everything to play for, for these folks. Starting a season out 0-5 is a death sentence in a 12 game season. Who will flush the other? Before diving into what I can highlight for each team. This match appears to be a strength on strength dogfight. TEE has a tier average T side backed up by the 2nd worst CT in the tier. ATL has a slightly below tier average CT side with the 2nd worst T side in the tier. The advantage in this H2H might come down to ATL’s 67% win rate on pistols. Getting out to (ideally) 3-0’s starts each half could be all that’s needed to swing momentum in their favor. TEE: Did I inadvertently pick a blitsr game to highlight? Yes. How will this impact his ego? Shrug Led by CSC lifer shockdizzle (1.07 rating, #30 rated), this team has been somewhat competitive, but unable to secure their first win of the year. The highest rated player in the matchup, part of the higher rated team. The talent he has may be the deciding factor once they enter the server. ATL: This team has had a rough go of it, but arguably been a more competitive team than their opponent tonight. Although the individual stats indicate otherwise. Led by CSC veteran tjediski (1.03 rating, #42 rated), and backed up by even more familiar faces. This team knows they are in a rough spot, and need to flip the script post haste.

CONTENDER MATCHUP

Sirloin Sizzlers (COW) vs Pho Fighters (UPS) - Mxgabyte

Tonight we’ve got the Sirloin Sizzlers of COW taking on the Pho Fighters of UPS, and I think this one could be a lot closer than the records suggest. COW has put together a good start, picking up wins on Ancient, Mirage, and Inferno while only dropping a game to FNL. ZenG has been doing some serious work, averaging over 92 ADR in the available three-game sample, and Antic has looked good in his appearances as well. With Furiousss, 8bitbanana, and Luux rounding out the five, this is a team that has already shown it can find wins on different maps. Tonight gives them a chance to keep building on that start, but UPS isn’t going to make it easy.

Stampy has been an absolute problem for opponents, averaging over 100 ADR, and widdlepuppy has been giving him plenty of help. UPS’s two losses were a close Ancient game against COS and an overtime fight against H4K, so I wouldn’t look at their record and assume they’re getting comfortably handled. The veto could make this especially interesting. Both UPS wins have come on Anubis, but COW has banned it in every completed match so far. Unless something changes tonight, the Pho Fighters will probably have to find another kitchen to cook in. I’m leaning COW because they’ve shown more success across different maps, but if Stampy and widdlepuppy get rolling, UPS has more than enough firepower to make me regret that pick.

PROSPECT MATCHUP

Fujiwara Touge (JDM) vs AK Acolytes (WIZ) - Provoloan

This is going to be a really great matchup. JDM are on a losing streak and are going to be hungry to get their name in the win column, as well as start the week on the right foot. They also just picked up new addition, lia, to the roster. She will be ready to prove she deserved that roster spot tonight. WIZ is also fresh off of two 13-4 loses. t1zz and company are going to battle ready for JDM and will surely pull out all of the stops that this team can manage. WIZ is a dark horse in every game; it just hasn’t been theirs this past week. Both of these teams are going to come into this game ready to brawl. Can JDM break the streak? Or are WIZ gonna prove that they can bounce back from a rough week? Tonight, we find out.

RECRUIT MATCHUP

Pleasant Pythons (BOA) vs Guppies (GF) - Nade23y

I swear I’m not going for double ups so often. This match has been speaking sweet nothings to me all weekend, I couldn’t stay away from two top 3 teams facing off against each other. The ramifications of early season positional jockeying was too good. Can GF give themselves a great chance at giving themselves a 2 game lead in the tier (pending results from tonight and Thursday when they play FRG), or will BOA even out the playing field? GF: Dominant to start the season going 4-0 with an avg RD of +6.25. 4 players boasting a 1.0 rating or better, 3 of those being in the tiers top 10. This team is not made up of your run of the mill guppies that’s for sure. Tripleman is on a war path to make it back to the championship game after falling short last season. With this dynamic core of Auxtris (1.25 rating, #5), NeKo (1.18 rating, #8), and Shaggy (1.15 rating, #10) they have the firepower that no other team in the tier can match at this point in the season, and beyond. Can anyone be the bigger fish Qui-Gon Jinn spoke about? BOA: This team got their 5th infinity stone on MD4, and after the scorching hot start was primed and ready to best FRG and go into tonight's match on par with their opponent at 4-0. The FRG boys had other ideas knocking them down a peg. Let’s chalk it up to first day jitters as a 5 and see how they bounce back against the toughest team in the tier. Led by Jadasun (1.31 rating, #3rd), and borderline top 10er Fishford the 67th (1.12 rating, #11th) this team needs a 3rd player to step up to match the GF boys trio.

So why write this now? Why does it matter? Why should you care to actually read what I have to say? It is hard to answer all those questions concisely, hence why I am writing this piece. I feel like I can articulate myself well for the most part, and I feel like most people feel the same way as I do. Maybe not, and if you disagree, let me know why I am off base. So let’s start slow. Why now? Well, as most of you are aware, valve just dropped probably the biggest update of cs2. They added a new game mode, Rush (I am super happy about that, adding variety to the casual game space is an absolute banger, and I think the concept is cool.) They added new dynamics to crosshairs and how you make them (a nice idea, wish they didn’t need to reset my crosshair to do it but I understand.) They added pet chickens to the game (totally on board with this as they are non-tradable and currently only accessible by xp-drops which I love). This is a big win for the casual scene. So why fuck Valve? Well, we just passed 3 years of having cs2 and we have STILL YET TO HAVE A WORKING ANTI-CHEAT. How is this even possible? I mean don’t get me wrong, CSGO never really had a GREAT anti-cheat system but at least it had Overwatch as well, which wasn’t a perfect system but it was something. Valve has gone out of their way to not give a crap about creating an anti-cheat. Genuinely, no one on the CS team at Valve cares at all about creating a system that is enticing to play for players. Every single game you play, you load in and think “how many cheaters or smurfs are playing in this game?” You load, you immediately hit tab and check the accounts. My thing is looking at their badges, as a premier 28k player, I expect to be playing against players who have quite a few badges, or have purple, pink, or red rank badges from previous seasons. One thing that scares me every time is when I see is a gold premier badge, meaning they were 30k players. The reason is, just about every player that I have seen play and make it to gold rank in premier is a cheater. Literally, just about all of them. I have two friends that I know of that made gold, I don’t know how they did it. I got to 29,999 last season twice, and both times for my promotion matches I faced multiple blatant cheaters who were gold ranks. But that isn’t the worst part, because the other type of account that usually is a cheater account is someone who has next to no badges. What do you mean you have played this game for less than 500 hours and you are already in 28k? How on earth does that happen, even for players transitioning from other fps games? I don’t buy it. At least not for the majority of times, and sure enough, they are almost always cheating. Shocker. All you have to do is click on the player’s account, and type .rip instead of .com and you will see that the enemy has a 95 aim rating, a red time to damage, among other stats that are better than pros. But you are facing them in a comp game on a random Tuesday at 11 pm. Cool.

So why are cheaters such a problem in CS? It really comes down to one thing. There are no repercussions for players that cheat in this game. Even if they have cheated long ago, they get to keep playing the game. They used to serve bans, some were small lengths of time, then they could just come back to the scene and keep playing. I am someone who believes that if you are caught cheating in a competitive game like cs, you should be banned and not able to play the game again. Otherwise, what is stopping these players from cheating? Like actually? “But Slik, shouldn’t they have an opportunity to learn from their mistakes?” From cheating? No. That is such a hard line, you have to go through a lot to cheat in a game like CS. You are doing it to ruin the experience of other people, and you know exactly what you are doing. You should be Thanos snapped out of existence from the game. In CSGO, accounts would also be trade banned from the steam market, so you could pretty reasonably count on the fact that if a player had skins like knives, they weren’t cheating, since knives were pretty expensive and if you get trade banned, you now have an online item that cost you money that you can no longer trade, making it worthless. There was no point in having skins on an account you were cheating with, because if it got banned, all the money you put into that account was now gone. BUT HERE IS THE KICKER, NO ONE GETS BANNED ANYMORE. So why not have skins and cheat? You aren’t going to be banned anyway, so you might as well. There aren’t any repercussions to cheating, so there is no reason for these people to not cheat. It is the same thing that is happening in schools these days (I was a teacher so I can speak to this). Administrations are taking away the penalties for students doing wrong, so students continue to act out. How is it that Joe Schmoe is playing on a brand new account, that is getting 40 kills in 15 rounds and headshots through walls and smokes every round, and there is NO RED FLAG. HOW DOES THIS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN? VALVE YOU SPINELESS WORM.

How can Valve fix this problem? There are a number of fixes that Valve could implement if they cared about the scene in the slightest. We will go through a couple of these fixes and explain the pros and cons to each. For starters, Valve could create a kernel level anti-cheat like most competitive games. Now this will actually do considerable work on the cheating community, as it would wipe a good majority of the cheats out of the scene. Faceit’s anti-cheat uses a kernel level system that is really good at eliminating cheaters. It is not 100% accurate, but it is pretty damn high. The main drawback from kernel level anti-cheats is that it gives the software a lot of access to your computer and information, and obviously this can lead to data leaks and hacks. I wouldn’t say the chances of these things to happen are particularly high, but they aren’t zero. Another system would be a “red flag” system. This is a very simple system, and takes little work to implement. You work into the code somewhere that flags weird behaviors or stats. For example, you could make a red flag for something along the lines of a player getting a super high amount of kills per round in a match. If a player goes a full match getting 2+ kills per round, this is highly unlikely the player is legit, and you can make this a red flag. Red flag matches would then get reviewed by a group of people that work at valve, then the person can determine if the player was cheating or not. This is not a super great system, but it is super easy to implement and would at least get a number of the blatant cheaters out of the game. And another thing you could flag are BAN REPORTS. If a player gets reported by multiple players in one game, maybe flag that too, possibly a cheater. Also, if a player gets reported 400 times in one match, then maybe that was a report bot and you can actually ban the player that report botted. But I guess that is even too much work for Valve. So if that is the case, then you can implement the system you used to have, Overwatch. This system had its own problems, but you could have experienced players review matches that were flagged, and allow the vetted reports from Overwatchers go to Valve for final ban approval. At least that way Valve isn’t doing as much of the grunt work as before. Sure, it might not be super accurate, but I am sure you can build in a trust system to Overwatch, where players that Overwatch ban obvious cheaters gain more trust, and ones that don’t lose trust. Again, not a perfect system, but at least it is something. Imagine if players got IP banned, and can’t just get another copy of the game? And then couldn’t smurf. What a dream that would be if I didn’t have to get shit-stomped by a 300 hour account that has better stats than donk on lan.

So why hasn’t Valve done a thing about these problems? Because. They. Don’t. Care. About. You. At. All. Not even a little bit. There are game devs out there that care about their fanbases, that listen to them and try to help them with what they want for the games. The CS community isn’t that demanding, we really only want two things. We want operations back, and we want an anti-cheat. They haven’t delivered either, and are probably never going to. Their pro scene is reasonably healthy, even though the NA scene is pathetic. The final reason they won’t do anything? Well, it is the most important one. They are making money by doing absolutely nothing. They are making money hand over fist because everyone in the scene keeps buying skins, keys, and cases. They will continue to do absolutely nothing about the cheater problem until they stop making so much money. Seriously, if the whole scene were to stop buying and selling skins and cases, they would act almost immediately. They would have to in order to keep the cash flow coming. Unfortunately, most of the creators with a big enough pull to get the community on board with something like that don’t care, they are making money from the skin sites so they would never call for something like that. It is a really shitty situation we are in right now.

This really makes me sad, because I actually love this game so much. I love the friends I have made from this game, they are now some of the closest people to me. Meeting people from Hawaii, Canada, Oregon and more. I have put in about 8000 hours to this game since 2017, playing collegiate CS, ESEA, Faceit league, and CSC. I have played hundreds of 10 mans since Covid times, wingman tournaments that I have hosted, other fun community event days. I watch the pro scene religiously, especially the majors and big events. I follow some teams like I do MLB or NFL teams. I care about this so passionately because this game and this community is one of the biggest aspects of my life. Why is it that I can care so much about a game where the people running it don’t care about me or anyone else for that matter. Why this game of all games. Truly, I don’t know. I have never stuck with a game this long for this much play time everyday, aside maybe from Minecraft. I think it is a combination of the chess-like nature of team CS, combined with the competitive nature of CS in general. I am very competitive at heart, and love to compete. I truly wish that one day I could play this game and not have to worry before loading into every match how many cheaters are going to be on the other team. Until then, I will remain anyway, hoping that people will finally listen and stop giving money to Gabe.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, hit me with your thoughts on the subject. Do you run into cheaters or smurfs as much as I do? Do you play comp or prem a lot? What do you think of it all? love you all, kisses. Chao.