Author: Nik Ranger

Can you play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty without owning base game? CD Projekt RedThe highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 Liberty DLC has arrived and you may be wondering if it’s possible to jump into the expansion without owning the base game. Here’s everything you need to know in order to enjoy Phantom Liberty. Cyberpunk 2077‘s Phantom Liberty DLC is finally here and it comes with a whole host of new content for players to enjoy, including new weapons, the fully explorable district of Dogtown, and an all-new story to experience. If you’re eager to get straight into the expansion’s content, you may be wondering if you need to purchase the base game in order to play Phantom Liberty, and we’ve got the answer for you right here. Here’s everything you need to know about whether or not you can play Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty without owning the base game. Players around the globe have started returning to Night City, eager to explore its neon-lit streets and once more become a part of its gripping story. Before diving into the Phantom Liberty DLC, you may be wondering if you need to own the base game to experience all the new action. Here’s the answer and some more before you jump into the next adventure in Night City. Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning Cyberpunk 2077 base game? No, you cannot access the Phantom Liberty DLC without owning a copy of the Cyberpunk 2077 base game. Once you purchase the expansion, it will be locked unless you own the base game, after which it will take you to your platform’s store from where you can get the original title. As soon as you’re ready, download both games simultaneously so that you can switch between the two game modes from the main menu. Can you directly play Phantom Liberty without starting the base game? Yes, you can go directly to the Phantom Liberty DLC and enjoy it, even if you have not yet started the main game. When you initiate the expansion and select a new game, you will be given two options: Regular Start and Skip Ahead to Phantom Liberty. Here, the game’s main menu suggests that you play “Regular Start” so that you are familiar with the events of the base game before proceeding to a brand-new storyline. If you skip to the Phantom Liberty narrative, however, your attribute points will be allocated automatically and you will be able to reset and redistribute them later. So, there you have it — a brief guide on whether you need to own the base game to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC or not. For more Cyberpunk knowledge, be sure to check our other content and guides: How to defeat Chimera | All Phantom Liberty trophies | Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for 2.0 update | How to respec | How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Can you play Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Deck? Valve/CD ProjektIs Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Deck? Tons of fans of CD Projekt’s futuristic open-world RPG have been wondering if they can fire up their copy of Cyberpunk on their portable gaming device. Here’s what you need to know. Cyberpunk 2077 has had an enormous revival thanks to a popular Netflix anime as well as tons of updates to the game which originally launched as a horrid affair. Since the Steam Deck first launched in February 2022, many fans have been wondering if Cyberpunk 2077 would be playable on it. Let’s dive into if and how you can play Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Deck. Is Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam Deck? Cyberpunk 2077 is playable on Steam Deck. The game is not officially verified on Steam Deck just yet, however, but the game is extremely playable on the device. The Edgerunners update that hit the game in early September also brought a few changes to make the Steam Deck experience better for Cyberpunk 2077 players. This update includes small bug fixes to issues such as the game becoming unresponsive after trying to change key bindings, as well as fixing an issue where the dedicated preset was applying Ultra settings instead of properly crafted graphics settings. Even without the official seal of approval from Valve, Cyberpunk runs well on the Steam Deck and should be good to go whether you want high-level graphics or crispy smooth frame rates.

Can you pet the cat in Cyberpunk 2077 after update 2.0? CD Projekt REDThe much-anticipated update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 is almost here, and players are preparing to experience their adventure as V in the dystopian megalopolis of Night City with a new perspective and a total overhaul of the game. If you’re tired of the customary violence in Night City and want to know if you can pet the cat in the game, we have the answer. At launch, Cyberpunk 2077’s performance on previous-gen systems including the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was widely criticized. Crashing, graphics issues, and low frame rates were common complaints from players. Developers CD Projekt RED assured players to fix these problems with Update 2.0, which promises a more fluid and aesthetically pleasing gameplay experience on all platforms. The free update brings Night City to life with a bunch of new features, revamped graphics, brand-new UI and more. The update also brings several new additions that tie in perfectly with the upcoming expansion Phantom Liberty (check out our review here). While Night City boasts a plethora of activities to dig into, it is quite rare to come across animals in the game — however, when you do, it is usually a cat that V sees from time to time. If you’re wondering whether you can pet the cat or not, here’s everything you need to know. Can you pet the cat in Cyberpunk 2077? The answer is Yes. You can pet the cat in Night City after Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0. This cat can be found right above the stairs outside Viktor’s clinic in Watson. The cat will be visible when you visit Viktor following Jackie’s demise. Misty will also inform you that the cat’s name is Mr. Brightman and that it is distressed because of Jackie’s absence. To pet the cat, simply approach it and press the button that appears on your screen. The cat will purr and acknowledge your petting as you continue. Can you own a cat in Cyberpunk 2077? Surprisingly yes. After update 2.0, you will frequently see a cat roaming the Megabuilding H10, where V’s apartment is located, in Night City. You may not detect it at first, but after frequent visits to your apartment, you will observe it moving throughout the building. To adopt it, you must make a left turn immediately outside your apartment entrance, then a right turn at the corner to find a trash can containing a shard. Below the can, a bowl will be positioned. The shard instructs the reader to place cat food in the bowl. You must then travel to one of Night City’s grocery stores to purchase cat food. Once you have it, return to the bowl and add some in there. Then, return to your apartment and exit after a few hours to approach the bowl. On arrival, you will see Johnny sitting next to the cat while it eats the food. Approach the cat, lift it up, and carry it back to your apartment. Put it in a laundry basket, and the cat will be yours. V will name the cat Nibbles, and it will reside in the apartment to provide you with amusement when you need to escape the chaos of Night City. That’s everything you need to know about petting the cat in Cyberpunk 2077 after update 2.0. For more on the game, here are more guides: Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Can you enter Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077 without Phantom Liberty DLC? CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty has finally been released, and players are eager to jump back into the action as Night City’s best mercenary, V, travels to a new district known as Dogtown. However, players are uncertain as to whether they can access the new area without the DLC. Luckily, we have the answer. The release of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has revived interest in the original game. After being let down by the rocky start, many players are coming back to Night City with high expectations. The expansion so far, has kept fans excited, and for good reason, it may well establish a new benchmark for post-launch game expansions. This demonstrates CD Projekt RED’s dedication to fulfilling its commitments and rescuing the game’s reputation after a rocky launch. However, now that Phantom Liberty (check out our review here) is finally available, players can explore the newly added district Dogtown, where they will encounter a brand-new spy-thriller-style plot. As players are eager to enter the new area, however, the issue of whether they can do so without the DLC remains unclear. After a thorough hands-on playthrough and exploring Dogtown, we’ve got the answer for you. Can you enter Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077 without the DLC? The answer is No. You cannot enter Dogtown if your library does not contain the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. The expansion grants players access to a new storyline, the Dogtown district, new vehicles and weaponry, and a brand-new Relic skills tree. Players using the free 2.0 update who do not own the expansion will not have access to Dogtown or any of the aforementioned features. Dogtown is a new district that extends the Pacifica region of Night City into an area governed by Kurt Hansen and his army of Barghest soldiers. The region is inaccessible to those who do not possess the expansion and thus the fleet would instantly fire at them if they tried to penetrate the barrier. However, to those with access to Phantom Liberty, there’s an entry checkpost between Pacifica and Dogtown where you are scanned by the Barghest fleet and allowed entry to the area. Can you travel between Dogtown and Night City in Phantom Liberty? Yes, you can freely travel between Dogtown and Night City while playing the Phantom Liberty expansion because it enables you to complete both the main storyline and DLC quests. However, every time you leave or enter Dogtown, you will be inspected at the checkpoint by Barghest soldiers. Therefore, if you are wanted or have enemies pursuing you in combat, it may be wise to eliminate them before reaching the checkpoint. If you fail to do so, the Barghest fleet will commence fire and ensure that you Flatline immediately. So, there you have it — the answer to whether you can enter Dogtown in Cyberpunk 2077 without owning Phantom Liberty. For more about the expansion, be sure to check our other content and guides: How to defeat Chimera | All Phantom Liberty trophies | Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for 2.0 update | How to get Thermal Katana | How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Can you change your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077? CD ProjektThere are a lot of great character customization options in Cyberpunk 2077 but can you change your appearance once you’ve started the game? Here’s everything you need to know about character customization in the RPG. Cyberpunk 2077 features extensive customization options which means you can adjust almost every aspect of your character from their eye color to their Cyberware enhancements, and of course your preferred weapon loadouts and builds. While you can make your character’s appearance exactly the way you want to at the beginning of the game, you may reach a point where you want to change the way they look, so can you change your character’s appearance in the later stages of Cyberpunk 2077? Here’s everything you need to know about changing your appearance in the Sci-Fi RPG. Can you change your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077? Yes, you can change your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077. While this feature wasn’t initially present in the game, it was added in during the Edgerunners update. To change your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077, you simply need to interact with the mirror in either your apartment or safe house. From here, you’ll be taken to the game’s appearance editor where you’ll be able to adjust any aspect of V’s appearance including your clothes, hair color, and style, your piercings and tattoos, and even your eye color. If you want to completely overhaul your appearance in the game you can, and it can also be changed as many times as you like for no additional cost. The only restriction the appearance editor has is the ability to change your gender, if you want to do this, you’ll unfortunately have to restart the game with a new character. Once you’ve decided on your new looks in the game, simply press the ‘confirm’ button, and all the changes come into effect right away. That’s everything you need to know about changing your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077! For more content on the game, check out our guides below: How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Best streamers to watch for Cyberpunk 2077 launch CD PROJEKT REDOne of the most anticipated games of the generation, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally here, and as the hype of the new release reaches its peak, we decided to share the top streamers you should be keeping an eye on. Eight years after the reveal trailer mysteriously popped up online, CD Projekt’s latest title is finally upon us. The excitement surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 has been immense over the years, but we can finally experience the sights and sounds of Night City. Gamers around the world will be jumping on day one across multiple platforms. But if you can’t get your hands on a copy, waiting for the next-gen upgrade, or simply prefer to watch, then you’ve got plenty of options. Given the magnitude of the release, most of the world’s biggest streamers will be sharing their experiences. From the biggest content creators on YouTube to internet celebs on Twitch, here’s who you should keep an eye on for the Cyberpunk 2077 launch. Dr Disrespect There’s absolutely no looking past Dr Disrespect as someone to keep an eye on for fantastic content in Night City. Fitting his image and aesthetic incredibly well, there’s no surprise that he’ll be going to “a whole ‘nother level” with the game. Read More: Play Cyberpunk early on Xbox with this trick – We’ve already seen a number of unique teasers from the Doc with his unrivaled attention to detail. Building up to his incredible event for ages, it’ll be something like no other when he streams on December 9th and beyond. With various content creators actually in the game itself, perhaps there’s even a chance the two-time stumbles upon an in-game easter egg during his travels through Night City. December 9th, 3pm PT On a whole other level. pic.twitter.com/ZuhPDrCUw4 — Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) December 7, 2020 Shroud We already know how excited he is for the title, despite keeping his expectations in check. Recently linking the game to the widely acclaimed GTA 5, shroud explains that Cyberpunk might not come close to rivaling the giant. “GTA 6 is going to be equally as hype, you know? I don’t know if Cyberpunk can beat that, but there’s a chance. But I doubt it, man. GTA is like, known. My Grandma knows GTA, you know what I mean? That’s the best thing you can say when you’re talking about games. If your grandma knows it, then you’re good.” While it’s an RPG first and foremost, obviously Cyberpunk features incredibly robust FPS systems, too. If you’re not being stealthy through missions or running with a melee build, accuracy is the name of the game. There aren’t many players out there who will be able to show off the guns in Cyberpunk quite like shroud does. xQc One of the biggest names on Twitch, xQc is another one to keep an eye on for the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. He’s already eager to jump into the game as early as possible, so expect it to be a big time-sink for him over the coming weeks. As always, xQc will be one of the more entertaining personalities to watch in Night City. We’re sure things will be off the rails the moment he gets access to the full open world. CohhCarnage Cohh is probably one of the most hyped about Cyberpunk’s release. With a tie to GoG in the past and an incredibly huge fan of The Witcher 3, Carnage is sure to provide players with a unique experience compared to the others on the list. Cohh immerses himself in the worlds he explores, taking the time to pursue each and every outlet possible that works with the character he chooses. Watching this Twitch stream will showcase a slower, deeper experience against many of the top streamers. His community is full of mature, relaxed, and extremely friendly people, all about propagating good vibes. Cohh also has an NPC of himself in the game. This is something he has known about for a while, previously sharing with fans little snippets of what that’ll look like. As he progresses through the gameplay and gets closer to it, the hype will be building for the community. Yes, I’m in @CyberpunkGame 2077. 🤗 Huge thanks for the opportunity from @CDPROJEKTRED. It was an absolute blast bringing this character to life. I can’t wait for you guys to meet him! THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/WE5SFmrpYz — Cohh Carnage (@CohhCarnage) June 25, 2020 Twitter Gaming Last but not least, there’s also an official Cyberpunk launch party stream hosted by Twitter Gaming. Developers will be jumping in and out of the broadcast to play and chat with the community, with chances of popular celebrities stopping by and joining the fun, too. No matter who you decide to watch, expect to see vastly different experiences for the most popular streamers. Some will choose different Life-Paths, while others will veer off of the main story and focus on the nitty-gritty. Ultimately, Night City is finally here for the long haul. There’s a good chance many of these names will be streaming Cyberpunk 2077 for a good while.

Best streamer reactions to Cyberpunk 2077: Dr Disrespect, shroud, more shroud / Dr Disrespect / xQcAs expected, Cyberpunk 2077 has taken the gaming community by storm, and with a few play sessions under their belts, top content creators are sharing their first impressions of the highly-anticipated title. Eight years after its original announcement, CD Projekt Red’s new title Cyberpunk 2077 finally made its debut on December 10. The game demolished previous records for sales and viewership, breaking 1 million viewers on Twitch, 1 million concurrent players on Steam, and beat out World of Warcraft: Shadowlands as the fastest-selling PC game in history. Jumping on the game’s hype train, many content creators started sharing their playthroughs as soon as the game released. After a few days in the world of Night City, many top content creators have issued their verdicts on whether one of the most highly anticipated games ever has lived up to the hype. Dr Disrespect’s thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 Dr Disrespect was interested in Cyberpunk 2077 long before its release and shared several Cyberpunk 2077 mash-up tweets in the days before the game’s release. After getting his hands on the game, the Two-Time shared his thoughts via Twitter and YouTube. First impressions of Cyberpunk… wow wow wow wow wow. Just rom a spatial design standpoint, it’s …. WOW. — Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) December 10, 2020 At the end of his first play session, the Doc praised the title, displaying a thumbs-up while saying “We just went on a hell of a ride, man. Huh? What a ride!” Cohh Carnage’s thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 A long-time fan of RPGs – and of Cyberpunk 2077 – Cohh Carnage shared his initial thoughts on Twitter after getting hands-on with the game. With feedback like “SO. FREAKIN’. GOOD! Just LOVING it!” Cohh did not hold back from heaping his praises on CDPR’s new title. The first day of @CyberpunkGame was incredible. New channel high (98,000+ viewers), over 4,000 subs and an awesome community of good vibes the entire 13 hour streams. The game is SO. FREAKIN’. GOOD! Just LOVING it! More tomorrow whenever I get up (but main story at 8am ET)! 😍 — Cohh Carnage (@CohhCarnage) December 9, 2020 One of several content creators with an in-game character voiced and modeled after him, Cohh has been deeply-involved with Cyberpunk 2077 prior to its release. It appears the game is living up to his high expectations. shroud’s thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 Another superstar streamer looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077’s release, shroud shared his thoughts on the game after completing his first playthrough. “Like I wanna play again right now, you know?” he said as the credits began to roll. “I thought it was f**king incredible. It definitely had some immersion-breaking bugs, but, it’s f**king awesome. I thought it was really f**king good, honestly.” Despite the technical issues the game has faced after release, it looks like shroud had nothing but good things to say about his first time in Night City. xQc’s thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 xQc is another streamer who was very excited to get their hands on Cyberpunk 2077. However, after spending some time with the game his thoughts were a bit more reserved than some other content creators. “I would wait a little bit and test the waters with other people and see how the first patch is . . . and if it’s like, still really buggy and whatnot,” he remarked. Although he advised people to wait and see what technical improvements CDPR adds in upcoming patches, xQc did have good things to say about the game as well. “Other than that, the game has a lot of content, and it’s really good. People that like RPGs, the game has, like, unlimited content. This is a really hot take, but even for 60 bucks or 70 bucks, honestly, you kinda get what you pay for.” Alinity’s thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 After her first session with Cyberpunk 2077, Alinity shared plenty of praise in her initial impressions. “I’ll be playing this tomorrow again, and probably the day after, and the day after, and the day after, so there’s lots of Cyberpunk to come” she said. “This game is so fun, I’m loving it, so there will be a lot more Cyberpunk in the next few streams.” As had been very much expected, Cyberpunk 2077 has captivated the interest of many of the gaming world’s top content creators and streamers – and the general verdict does seem to be that CD Projekt Red’s highly anticipated title has lived up to its immense hype.

5 essential Cyberpunk 2077 mods for PC you need to install CD Projekt RedWith Cyberpunk 2077’s beautifully crafted, immersive city at players’ disposal with Night City, it’s only natural for PC players to want to mod it. Here are the 5 mods every PC player needs to be using right now. [jwplayer XpAZkP3Y] While Cyberpunk 2077’s storyline and artistry is undoubtedly beautiful, it’s safe to say that the meat of the game leaves a lot to be desired. With a world that places such an emphasis on body modification and customization, the stark reality is that what’s available to players is incredibly stifling. Fortunately for all of the PC gamers out there (sorry, console folks) modders are yet again saving the day with some fantastic Cyberpunk mods to improve your gaming experience. User-Friendly Hairstyle Changer Mod Created by UTF8X on Nexus mods, this Cyberpunk mod is absolutely essential for players to be able to take further control of their character’s appearance. Perhaps a hairstyle looks great in the creator but didn’t turn out to look quite right on V in-game. In an RPG where customization is paramount, it’s shocking that Cyberpunk doesn’t include a barber, tattooist, or plastic surgeon to visit to switch up your looks in exchange for a few eddies. Read More: How to get Cyberpunk 2077’s best katana – For now, this incredibly easy-to-use mod gives us back some of that freedom. For those of us who aren’t comfortable with coding and HxD, this simple EXE file modifies the hairstyle of a particular save file, allowing you to experiment with different looks. The executable needs to be launched when not in-game, though, and it’s also wise to back up your saves with a copy in case anything goes wrong. The creator also notes that they’re looking into working on adding beard compatibility, along with eye and hair color changes, so make sure to check back with the creator often. Better Vehicle Handling Mod Nexus mods user CalinZ2 has provided players with some great file tweaks that are incredibly easy to install. Aiming to take away some of the floaty driving, it attempts to take away some of the frustration of vehicles almost icy road-like handling. You’ll be able to turn your ride without fear of veering off into a wall of passing NPC, and handbrakes feel much more responsive when you’re blasting down a road and wanting to make a turn. Read More: How to duplicate items in Cyberpunk 2077 – To install this mod, all you need to do is drag and drop the contents of the zip file into the location of Cyberpunk 2077 folder. The author is constantly updating this mod, too, providing further tweaks and slightly different tunings to make the handling fit what feels most natural to you. E to Interact – V to walk and Drive Mod While PCs have great functionality for mapping actions and allowing smooth movement-world, sometimes the default options don’t feel quite right. This mod over on Nexus mods by Asunan1 adds fantastic functionality to keyboard users. This mod for Cyberpunk includes a slow drive and walk toggle that activates by holding down the V key, (apt for V themselves) meaning you’re able to explore the world more carefully, and it’ll aid in the initial driving experience outside of the above-mentioned mod. Read More: Cyberpunk 2077 player recreates game for PS1 – As well as this, you’re getting a dedicated dodge button by pressing Left Ctrl, taking away the need for a double-tap to move away from enemies. With more fantastic options for tuning to cater to your needs, including further button remaps and an option to use scrolling to move through dialogue options, this mod will make your experience much easier to navigate through. Better Field of View Slider Mod This handy dandy Cyberpunk mod makes it much easier to further control your visual experience in Cyberpunk. The default FOV options can be slightly too stifling for some players, and so this mod provides tweaks to each current setting by reducing how much the FOV is affected by what setting you choose. Read More: How to duplicate items in Cyberpunk 2077 – It gives players a minimum FOV of 30 for an incredibly narrow field of view, with a contrasting maximum of 150 for a wider perspective. This is great for people that want to see more of a scene, or perhaps want to take cool photos through the first-person perspective in photo mode. Third-Person Mod Originally posted on YouTube by Cineagle, this mod showcase was blowing up with fans, and rightly so. Now, a third person mod by sarunama is available for use. The decision for CD Projekt to keep the game a solely first-person experience was a valid artistic decision (as we’ve seen with games like Mirror’s Edge), but many similar RPGs like Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls series ultimately leaves the choice in the hands of the player. Choice, resulting in player agency is always a fantastic thing, and a third-person mod allows players to explore the world through a new lens. Still a work in progress, featuring the original first-person animations and body stretching that’s the thing of nightmares, this modder’s work is a fantastic starting point that is sure to only improve over time. So, there you have it – five fantastic Cyberpunk mods that will totally change up your trip through Night City. Be sure to be check back often, we’ll update as we find more!

Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for Update 2.1 CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077’s latest update pushed the game’s combat further with refined mechanics that offer players a more immersive and comfortable experience. Here are the best builds you can try out in the game’s 2.1 update. The introduction of the 2.1 update alongside the Phantom Liberty expansion added new dimensions to Cyberpunk 2077, drawing players to explore Night City’s streets with newly available skills. Whether you are a Cyberpunk veteran or a newcomer to the dystopian world, you have more options to experiment with attributes, skills, and perks to find your best character build. So, to give you a head start, here are some of the finest builds in Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.1. Best Solo build The Solo build is one of the most powerful builds in Cyberpunk 2077, allowing you to destroy enemies with heavy melee weapons and firearms that make you a formidable opponent. With the upgraded skills and attributes introduced in 2.0, you can now utilize new cyberware mods and gain access to new perks. You can absorb massive amounts of damage as a Solo and charge into combat. Additionally, you can utilize explosives to eliminate enemies and take advantage of your high health bar. And, what’s more, the 2.1 update has added a ton of quality-of-life changes to the movement that has buffed melee builds substantially. Here is how you must distribute your points and equip weapons and cyberware in order to construct a Solo build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 20 Body, 20 Reflexes, 20 Technical Ability, 9 Intelligence and 12 Cool. – Perks Required: Rip and Tear, Onslaught, Pain to Gain, Quake, Wrecking Ball, Adrenaline Rush, Painkiller, Die-Die-Die! and Spontaneous Obliteration. – Finishers Required: Savage Sling. – Cyberware Mods Required: Gorilla Arms, BioDyne Berserk, and Titanium Bones. – Weapons Recommended: Sasquatch’s Hammer, Gold Plated Baseball Bat, and Budget Arms Carnage Shotgun. – You can head over to the Solo Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Best Ninja build The Ninja build is one of the fastest builds in Cyberpunk 2077, enabling you to slash your way through enemies when speed is of the essence. With the newly added stealth skills and reflex attributes introduced in update 2.0, you can unleash V’s inner samurai in Night City to dodge and quickly slay enemies in style. With the Ninja build active, you can use your hacking skills in conjunction with stealthy melee combat for a lethal and evasive approach. Here is how you must distribute your points and equip weapons and cyberware in order to construct a Ninja build for Cyberpunk 2077 2.1: Attribute Points: 9 Body, 20 Reflexes, 9 Technical Ability, 14 Intelligence and 20 Cool. – Perks Required: Dash, Slaughterhouse, Lead and Steel, Opportunist, Tailwind, Sharpshooter, Killer Instinct, Ninjutsu, Vanishing Act, and Style over Substance. – Finishers Required: Bladerunner. – Cyberware Mods Required: Kerenzikov, Microrotors, and Arasaka Mk. 4 (in case you want to use quickhacks) or QianT “Warp Dancer” Sandevistan Mk.5 (for slowing time). – Weapons Recommended: Errata Thermal Katana, Seraph Pistol with Suppressor, and Psalm 11:6 Assault Rifle with Suppressor. – You can head over to the Ninja Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Best Netrunner build Being a Netrunner in Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is among the game’s best builds. It enables you to incapacitate enemies from a greater distance while hiding in the shadows. Simply use your hacking skills to employ malicious quickhacks against foes and flaunt your netrunning abilities in the game. Being a Netrunner can grant you up to 30 additional Cyberdeck RAM slots and the ability to deploy multiple quickhacks against a single enemy. Additionally, you can now control vehicles and use them to crush your foes. What’s more, the new Feen-X Cyberware is essential for players who burn through their RAM in fights. It’s a new addition in the 2.1 update, and the fact that it grants players 250% increased RAM regen will let you spam much more often. Once your enemies are weakened, use your cyberware implants to close in for a lethal strike. Here is how you must distribute your points and equip weapons and cyberware in order to construct a Netrunner build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 17 Body, 20 Reflexes, 20 Technical Ability, 20 Intelligence and 4 Cool. – Perks Required: Edgerunner, License to Chrome, All Things Cyber, Hack Queue, Queue Mastery, Embedded Exploit, Overclock, Carhacker and Dash. – Finishers Required: Livewire. – Cyberware Mods Required: Ex-Disk, RAM Upgrade, NetWatch Netdriver Mk.5, Smart Link, and Monowire. Feen-X is also worth considering. – Weapons Recommended: Errata Thermal Katana, Divided We Stand Assault Rifle, Nekomata Sniper Rifle, Kongou Pistol, and Prototype: Shingen Mark V SMG. – You can head over to the Netrunner Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. David Martinez’s Edgerunner build Are you looking to unleash your inner Edgerunner and amp up the chrome? This build, inspired by David Martinez from the Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime, will allow you to become the most chromed mercenary in Night City, giving Adam Smasher the jitters. With the upgraded perks and attributes introduced in Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.0, you can now unleash the full power of Sandevistan and become a Night City legend in a blaze of glory. However, with tremendous power comes even greater dangers. Update 2.1 also restricts the number of cyberware implants you can install to prevent you from becoming a cyberpsycho like David and maintains V’s physical fitness to fight for their survival. Here is how you must distribute your points and equip weapons and cyberware in order to construct a David Martinez build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 20 Body, 19 Reflexes, 19 Technical Ability, 3 Intelligence and 20 Cool. – Perks Required: Edgerunner, License to Chrome, Pain to Gain, Rip, and Tear, Air Dash, Nerves of Tungsten Steel, Run N Gun, and All Things Cyber. – Finishers Required: Savage Sling. – Cyberware Mods Required: Zetatech Sandevistan, Gorilla Arms, Newton Module, Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics, Microrotors, Blood Pump, Dense Marrow and Reinforced Tendons. – Weapons Recommended: M-10AF Lexington Pistol, DB-2 Satara Shotgun, O’Five Sniper Rifle and Guts Shotgun. – You can head over to the David Martinez Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Lucy’s Netrunner build In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Lucy’s netrunning abilities are more than just a tool – they’re evidence of her ingenuity, resourcefulness, and willpower. She is a digital maverick who deftly moves through cyberspace, exposing secrets, fighting corpos, and forming relationships that prove pivotal to the plot. With the update 2.0 upgraded perks and abilities, you can be a ruthless netrunner and create your own build to hack your way through the game and be a legend like Alt Cunningham once was. Here is how you must distribute your points and equip weapons and cyberware in order to construct a Lucy’s Netrunner build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 15 Body, 20 Reflexes, 15 Technical Ability, 15 Intelligence and 16 Cool. – Perks Required: Eye in the Sky, Hack Queue, Queue Acceleration, Overclock, Embedded Exploit, Optimization, Stuntjock, Dash, All Things Cyber, License to Chrome, Health Freak, Focus, Deadeye, Ninjutsu and Killer Instinct. – Finishers Required: Livewire. – Cyberware Mods Required: NetWatch Netdriver Mk.5, Smart Link, Monowire, Lynx Paws, Microrotors, Synaptic Accelerator, Self ICE and RAM Upgrade. – Weapons Recommended: Unity Pistol, Black Unicorn Katana and Guillotine SMG – You can head over to the Lucy Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Jackie Welles mercenary build Jackie is a mercenary from the neighborhood of Heywood in Night City. He is honorable, faithful, and charming. His charisma, street smarts, and fighting abilities all come together to form his character. Jackie is there to offer encouragement and companionship as V’s trusted companion and colleague on numerous quests. A sad turn of events occurs, and V’s adventure reaches a turning point as Jackie meets his tragic end, impacting the storyline and the emotions of Cyberpunk 2077 players. However, with the update 2.1, you can tailor your attributes and perks to become your Choomba in no time. Jackie Welles’ mercenary build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 20 Body, 20 Reflexes, 20 Technical Ability, 3 Intelligence and 18 Cool. – Perks Required: Painkiller, Die! Die! Die!, Wrecking Ball, Spontaneous Obliteration, Adrenaline Rush, Quake, Bloodlust, Ripple Effect, Glutton for War, Health Freak, All Things Cyber, Pyromania, License to Chrome, Slippery, Dash and Air Dash – Finishers Required: Savage Sling – Cyberware Mods Required: Militech Berserk, Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics, Adrenaline Booster, Blood Pump, Microrotors, Reinforced Tendons, Mechatronic Core, Newton Module, Thermal Gorilla Arms, Bionic Joints, Dense Marrow, Epimorphic Skeleton and Nano Plating. – Weapons Recommended: Guts Shotgun, Bloody Maria Shotgun, and Alabai firearm. – You can head over to Jackie’s Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Johnny Silverhand’s gunslinger build Johnny, a legendary rocker and rebel from yesteryear, inhabits V’s mind via digital consciousness, resulting in a dynamic and intricate interaction. The Cyberpunk universe’s anti-establishment ideal is personified by Johnny who is also the ex-lead singer of the legendary band Samurai and an outspoken critic of the vast corporations that control Night City. As V navigates the dystopian Night City, his digital presence provides commentary, criticism, and insights and is sometimes at odds with the player. A multi-layered figure with a history of rebellion against the repressive system, Johnny’s tale is unveiled through encounters and flashbacks, illuminating his character traits and the influence he had on Cyberpunk 2077 canon. If you’d also like Chippin’ In like Johnny once did, we’ve got the perfect build for you with update 2.1. Johnny Silverhand’s gunslinger build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 20 Body, 18 Reflexes, 20 Technical Ability, 3 Intelligence and 20 Cool. – Perks Required: Focus, Deadeye, Nerves of Tungsten Steel, Glutton for War, All Things Cyber, Health Freak, License to Chrome, Painkiller, Die! Die! Die!, Adrenaline Rush, Quickdraw, Comeback Kid, Spontaneous Obliteration, Don’t Stop Me Now, Pain to Gain, Parkour!, Can’t Touch This and Steady Grip. – Finishers Required: None – Cyberware Mods Required: Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan, Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics, Ballistic Coprocessor, Shock Absorber, Blood Pump, Clutch Padding, Reinforced Tendons, Kerenzikov Boost System, Toxic Gorilla Arms, Kinetic Frame, Reflex Tuner, Kerenzikov, Defenzikov and Subdermal Armor. – Weapons Recommended: Guts Shotgun, Malorian Arms pistol, Ol’ Reliable revolver, and Rosco revolver. – You can head over to Johnny’s Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Adam Smasher build Cyberpunk 2077’s Adam Smasher personifies the corporate-driven savagery and cruelty of Night City as an ominous and frightening enemy. Smasher, an intimidating and substantially enhanced individual, is an obedient enforcer for the Arasaka Corporation. His cybernetic abilities and fighting skills make him a dangerous enemy, and his loyalty to Arasaka complicates the game’s main conflict even further. However, if you’d like a taste of ultimate chrome in Night City like Smasher, here’s a build for you to use in update 2.1. Adam Smasher’s build for the Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 update: Attribute Points: 20 Body, 20 Reflexes, 20 Technical Ability, 3 Intelligence, and 18 Cool. – Perks Required: Painkiller, Die! Die! Die!, Wrecking Ball, Quake, Adrenaline Rush, Onslaught, Pain to Gain, Bloodlust, Juggernaut, Glutton for War, All Things Cyber, License to Chrome, Pyromania, License to Chrome, Edgerunner, Doomlauncher, Slippery, Dash, Air Dash and Multitasker. – Finishers Required: None – Cyberware Mods Required: Zetatech Sandevistan, Kiroshi “Doomsayer” Optics, Ballistic Coprocessor, Shock Absorber, Blood Pump, Heal on Kill, Fortified Ankles, Mechatronic Core, Self ICE, Projectile Launch System, Epimorphic Skeleton, Scar Coalescer, Universal Booster, Carapace and Adrenaline Converter. – Weapons Recommended: Defender, Wild Dog and MA70 HB LMGs. – You can head over to Smasher’s Build Planner to learn more about this build and how you can distribute your Perk and Attribute points in the game. Now you’re up to date with the best builds you can use in Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.1. You can also check out the best Phantom Liberty builds or all the skills in Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.1 and how you can level them up.

Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for Phantom Liberty CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty introduces several new build options. We’ve compiled some of the best builds for you to choose from. In the neon-lit world of Cyberpunk 2077, players can become cybernetically enhanced legends if they so choose. Character builds, which enable players to customize their protagonist, V, to their preferred playstyle, are central to this experience. The expansion features three unique character builds that redefine how players approach challenges, offering a variety of gameplay experiences, whether it’s about your survival or slashing enemies on the go. Best builds in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty The expanded Build Planner in Cyberpunk 2077 features the skill tree from the base game as well as the Relic tree introduced in Phantom Liberty, which enables lethal finishers and maximizes the power of V’s cybernetic implants making them a force to be reckoned with. Here’s what each of these builds offers. Bullet Time Ninja Bullet-Time Ninja is one of the quickest builds in Cyberpunk 2077, making optimum use of the reflexes attributes in your skill tree and unleashing the full power of your Katana and melee weapons. Using the relic tree in Phantom Liberty, you can activate lethal finishing moves for weapons such as the Mantis Blades, which allow you to charge them and leap to hard-to-reach foes to slash them. The build also enables you to block and deflect gunfire with your katana and swiftly dash toward the enemy to execute a lethal slash. You can activate the Bullet-Time Ninja build in the game by assigning your perks and attribute points by referencing the Build Planner preset on the official site. Hack & Slash Netrunner In Cyberpunk 2077, you can select Hack & Slash Netrunner if you like to use fast hacks and then easily decapitate your opponents. With the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty expansion, you can use multiple quickhacks on the same enemies consecutively to annihilate them and all nearby threats. The DLC increases your RAM memory and recovery rate, allowing you to unleash your inner ultimate Netrunner and effortlessly hack a large number of enemy groups and mechs during intense combat. You can also hack and detonate vehicles to utilize environmental objects to your advantage. However, if you choose, you can also close in and use your now-more-powerful monowire to slit your enemies to bits. You can activate the Hack & Slash Netrunner build in the game by assigning your perks and attribute points by referencing the Build Planner preset on the official site. Savage Slugger Solo Savage Slugger Solo enables you to unleash your inner ruthless brawler and close in on your opponents with heavy melee weapons, such as the Hammer. You can rush in to push back your enemies, use the Quake perk to stomp on them like Thor, or even lift them up and toss them at other players to eliminate them. Using your Gorilla Arms implant, you are now able to crush enemies with a single blow, thanks to the relic tree finisher. Additionally, you can use lethal shotguns to eliminate multiple enemies in one shot. You can activate the Savage Slugger Solo build in the game by assigning your perks and attribute points by referencing the Build Planner preset on the official site. Choosing the best build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty On one of the episodes of Night City Wire, CD Projekt RED developers announced three of their favorite new character builds that players can choose from, with the Phantom Liberty expansion and update 2.0. They are – Bullet Time Ninja, Hack & Slash Netrunner, and Savage Slugger Solo. These builds offer different perks, skills and finishers for players to use during combat. Using the Build Planner on the official Cyberpunk website, players can construct their own builds and make informed decisions about how to spend their Attribute and Perk points in the game. That’s everything you need to know about the best Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty builds. If you’re starting Phantom Liberty fresh, take a look at whether or not you should finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty, You can also check out how to get the sleek Thermal Katana to help in melee combat.

Asmongold says Cyberpunk 2077 is dominating Starfield after 2.0 update Asmongold/CD Projekt RedTwitch star Asmongold says Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty update has taken the wind out of Starfield’s sails, but he isn’t predicting the end for Bethesda’s RPG. Following the releases of Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and now Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty update, fans of RPG titles have been eating pretty well over the last few weeks. Naturally, though, the three games have been fiercely pitted against each other – even if the themes and story directions are vastly different. The main way of doing this has been through comparing their player counts. However, those figures can be pretty skewed given that Starfield has been offered on Microsoft’s Game Pass and the other two aren’t. Still, on Steam, Baldur’s Gate and Cyberpunk have pulled away from Starfield, but it’s the CD Projekt Red title that Asmongold is tipping his cap to, saying it has “taken the wind out of Starfield’s sails” right now. Asmongold says Cyberpunk 2077 has taken “the wind out of Starfield’s sails” It came up during his September 26 stream when some fans pointed out the massive difference between the player counts and quizzed the OTK founder as to whether or not he’d be getting into the Phantom Liberty and 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077. “So, yeah, that’s a lot of people playing the game on Steam,” Asmongold said, referring to the fact Cyberpunk had treble the players that Starfield did on Steam during his stream. “Now, obviously Cyberpunk is beating the s*it out of it and, let’s be real, Cyberpunk definitely took the wind out of Starfield’s sails. It’s just way more in-depth and that’s why I want to play it and see what it is about. But also, I think people will play Starfield for many years, the same as people played Skyrim.” As noted, it is difficult to get a full reading on things given that Starfield has the benefit of Game Pass and that, therefore, doesn’t register players to the Steam count. All three games are clearly thriving in their own ways and, as Asmon points out, Starfield could very likely fall into that classic Bethesda model of lasting for a decade anyway.

Asmongold impressed by Cyberpunk 2077 after playing Starfield’s “s**tty” story CD Projekt RED/Twitch: zackrawrrAsmongold finally tried Cyberpunk 2077 after its recent glow up and the streamer couldn’t resist a Starfield comparison. He made it pretty clear which he preferred. Cyberpunk 2077 looks to have finally completed its redemption arc with the launch of the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty DLC. While its disaster of a launch turned many off the game, the recent changes had players returning in droves. Asmongold’s own coverage of the game’s initial controversies had him swear off it before a single playthrough. He recently caused a stir discussing Cyberpunk 2077’s “domination” of Starfield and it looks like he convinced himself to give it a shot. Asmongold hasn’t made a big secret of his distaste for Starfield and his first hours in Cyberpunk 2077 seem to have cemented it further. In a recent stream of Cyberpunk 2077, he gave his initial thoughts on the game and how it compared to Bethesda’s RPG. Asmongold gives his take on Cyberpunk 2077 After prying himself away from a 10-hour Cyberpunk 2077 session, Asmongold’s first impression was a succinct “straight-up motherf**king wow.” He elaborated further on just what had gripped him about the dystopian world. “Starfield convinced me that I didn’t like stories in games and maybe I do,” Asmongold began. “I just don’t like s**tty ones.” The way Cyberpunk 2077 delivered its narrative was a big plus for the streamer. “This game has a certain amount of edge and grit to it that makes it really compelling and I like that a lot,” he explained. Asmongold went on to praise how CD Projekt RED was able to turn Cyberpunk 2077 around. “You can’t polish a turd but if you’ve got some scuffed a** game and there’s underneath it, a level of quality, then it’s fine,” He said before qualifying. “There are some games that just fundamentally suck d**k, and you’re not gonna unsuck that d**k. It’s gonna be like that forever.” While he hasn’t completed a playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077, Asmongold did say he thinks that the game’s intro is “on the same level as Final Fantasy 16.” High praise for a man who had Square Enix’s latest addition to the franchise on his GOTY list. If you’ve recently decided to give Cyberpunk 2077 a shot now that the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty have smoothed out its edges, we’ve got you covered. Our guides will help you become a Night City legend that Morgan Blackhand would be jealous of. How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Apex Legends fan brings Crypto to Cyberpunk 2077 with in-game cosplay CD Projekt Red / Respawn EntertainmentA creative Apex Legends fan has brought Crypto’s outfit to Cyberpunk 2077, after recreating the Surveillance Expert with the new title’s character customization tools. The release of Cyberpunk 2077 has been highly anticipated for many years, and despite some early troubles on last-gen consoles, CD Projekt has still delivered some impressive new features to their open-world game. One of the most notable features is the unique character customization options that can be selected throughout the game, with plenty of different outfits and pieces that players can pick up around Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 allows players to customize their characters however they please, but one creative Apex Legends fan u/Lootmaster06 decided to merge the two games together by bringing one of their favorite Legends to the futuristic title. Lootmaster06 recreated Crypto in Cyberpunk 2077, and shared an image of their “V” with a near-identical outfit to the Surveillance Expert in Apex Legends, donning a similar jacket and boots to Crypto’s default skin. Out of all the fan-favorite characters in Apex Legends, Crypto is well known for his tech abilities and would also be a natural fit as a character in the Cyberpunk universe. This unique in-game cosplay, along with other creative fans in Cyberpunk 2077, has highlighted the potential for CD Projekt Red to collaborate with different game studios in the future, to allow players to recreate even more of their favorite heroes from other titles. CD Projekt RED has already included nods to some other games in their new release, with eagle-eyed fans finding easter eggs from games like Overwatch and more in Cyberpunk 2077. Not to mention there are a handful of familiar voices from Apex too – Loba’s voice actor plays Carol in Cyberpunk for example. While it is unclear if they will choose to collaborate with other games going forwards, this Cyberpunk Crypto outfit is still quite impressive, considering that the Legend’s exact look can be difficult to replicate in-game.

All new weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty introduced a plethora of new weapons into the game that expand the gunplay. Here are all the new weapons that will help V command the streets of Night City. Cyberpunk 2077‘s Phantom Liberty DLC has expanded the base game with an array of new content for players to tackle across Night City, including a brand new story, abilities, skills, improved AI, and of course, a whole host of fresh weapons to use. One of the most enjoyable aspects of any RPG is equipping your character with different weapons and experimenting with new loadouts and builds so these new weapons should greatly enhance players’ experiences in the game. If you’re wondering exactly what weapons you’ll be able to use in the DLC, we’ve got a full rundown of all the new additions below. All Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty weapons Order Order is a double-barreled shotgun that appears to have been modified with some rather bulky attachments. The chunky gun certainly looks rather menacing, with barbed wire and red spray paint coating the gun, while a skull and spider have been emblazoned upon the stock. While no gameplay has been featured of the Order, we do know that it has been labeled as “Illegal” by local law enforcement, further suggesting that this shotgun will really pack a punch. Grit Grit is a pint-sized pistol that is equipped with an extended mag, enabling V to quickly finish off low enemies. While we don’t know how much damage this new handgun will do, the added ammunition will come in handy during firefights with multiple opponents. Just like with the Order shotgun, the Grit has also been labeled as “Illegal” so we imagine this compact weapon will be able to do some heavy lifting. Warden SMGs have always been a staple in Cyberpunk 2077 and the Warden certainly aims to wow players with its firepower. This machine gun features a black and yellow design and appears to have been modified with a battery pack. Because of this, we think it’s safe to assume that the Warden will be a Tech weapon that will enable players to charge their shots for higher penetration power – similar to that of the Arasaka Senkoh LX. Osprey The Osprey is one of Phantom Liberty’s Sniper Rifles. This heavy-duty weapon certainly looks like it will pack a punch. Featuring a long barrel, beefy magazine, and a sleek scope, the Osprey could be the perfect companion for those who enjoy the more methodical approach of long-range combat. Hercules Not much is known about Hercules. This so-called “Special” weapon has burn marks over its barrel, while a protective orange material seems to feed ammo or fuel into the magazine. There are even a number of hazard symbols that appear on the gun, suggesting that the Hercules is incredibly dangerous and somewhat volatile. If we had to guess, it’s likely this Special weapon will likely douse V’s enemies in scorching hot flames or produce a toxic agent that can melt through even the tankiest of foes. Rasetsu Rasetsu is Phantom Liberty’s second Sniper Rifle. However, unlike the Osprey, the Rasetsu is much longer and chunkier, which suggests that this gun will be able to penetrate through heavily armored foes. There’s also the fact that it’s produced by Tsunami Defense Systems, one of the three top-tier weapons manufacturers in Cyberpunk 2077. Tsunami Defense Systems are known to produce weapons that utilize the very best technology. Judging from the previous Tsunami Nekomata and Tsunami Ashura Sniper Rifles, we expect the Rasetsu will offer charged shots or some form of targeting assistance. It’s also interesting to note, that the Rasetsu scope states “Neural Link Stable,” so it could even provide V with some form of Neuralware enhancements. Thermal Katana Katanas are a go-to for many Cyberpunk players who enjoy melee combat. The Thermal Katana features a glowing red blade, that looks like it will be able to melt through enemies’ armor, enabling V to slice and dice their foes no matter how tanky they are. So, there you have it, that’s every weapon in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. For more content on the game, check out our guides below: How to defeat Chimera | All Phantom Liberty trophies | Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for 2.0 update | How to respec | How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards

All new characters & voice actors in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077‘s first expansion introduces a bunch of new and even more complicated NPCs for V to interact with. Here’s a list of all the characters in Phantom Liberty you might come across and the actors that play them. The new expansion is engrossing Cyberpunk’s narrative with the introduction of the Dogtown district and big mystery-like missions with a spy-thriller theme. Thanks to that and plenty of gameplay tweaks, Phantom Liberty is finally giving players the experience that was promised a long time ago. Along with these crucial changes, the DLC comes with a big group of new mysterious characters. While Solomon and Songbird are the ones we interact with the most, there are a bunch of colorful NPCs in Night City that you don’t wanna miss. Without further ado, here’s every new character available in Phantom Liberty and the voice actors that play them. Alena Xenakis (Alex) Alex is an undercover agent who works for the Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) and was first recruited by Solomon Reed. This undercover agent is a key part of many covert operations in the Dogtown district, thanks to her shapeshifting abilities. She also works with V on an important mission. The character is voiced by actress Yvonne Senat Jones. She’s known for the Immortals of Aveum game and also the movie The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez. Ash Ash is a DJ who hosts a radio show on Growl FM, one of the three new radio stations added to the game with the 2.0 update. The radio station has 14 tracks of music available and all of them were submitted by Cyberpunk 2077’s online community. Ash is voiced by Sasha Grey, a known streamer, model, actress, writer, and former adult actress. Kurt Hansen Phantom Liberty introduced a new gang called the Barghest with Kurt Hansen as their leader. He’s a former Militech soldier who was a NUSA Colonel during the war. Back then, he refused to follow orders and took control of the Pacifica section, and created Dogtown. Obviously, Hansen ends up using the Barghest as his personal army and also runs the district’s Black Market. This iron fist ruler is voiced by Eliah Mountjoy. He’s been a part of Fallout 76, Devil May Cry 5, Days Gone, Demon’s Souls and recently, Atlas Fallen. Rosalind Myers She’s the President of the New United States of America and as well as a former marine. Myers becomes part of a major plot point of the game when she crashes into Dogtown while aboard Space Force One alongside Songbird. Rosalind Myers is voiced by Kay Bess, known for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Rise of the Tomb Raider. She recently played La Sirena’s computer in Star Trek: Picard. Stella Ramos Stella is Sasha’s (Cyberpunk Edgerunners) older sister. She’s part of a large side quest in Phantom Liberty, but her storyline – though interesting – does not affect any part of the main campaign. Even so, her story does add some depth and emotional weight to the DLC content. Stella is played by Suzi Hunter, who was part of games like Stay Out of the House and Alisa. Songbird (Song So Mi) She was Solomon Reed’s trainee and protégé as well as Rosalind Myers’ right hand. Songbird is a netrunner and intelligence analyst for the NUSA and was alongside President Myers when Space Force One was struck by a missile. Even though she managed to keep the President safe, they got separated before the crash. She’s the one to kick off the main Phantom Liberty quest by asking V to help her rescue President Myers. The character is voiced by Minji Chang, who also starred in Three Dates to Forever and Lisa Mania. Solomon Reed Solomon Reed is an FIA sleeper agent in Dogtown and the main companion for V during Phantom Liberty’s adventures. Reed was a key agent during the Unification War until he was betrayed by Songbird and left to die during his escape from Night City many years ago. Solomon Reed is played by the famously known Idris Elba, who’s been part of Thor: Ragnarok, Luther, The Wire, and Beasts of No Nation. That’s the complete list of all the new characters in Phantom Liberty and their voice actors. For more useful information on Cyberpunk 2077, check the guides below. How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

All main story missions in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty CD PROJEKT REDCyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is officially available and players are having a blast diving into it. The expansion features a pretty big story surrounding the area named Dogtown. Here are all the main story missions you need to undertake in this brand-new expansion. Cyberpunk 2077 is finally back and this time it is at the top of the world. The release of Phantom Liberty and update 2.0 saw the title shoot back up to the very top of player and sales charts and rightfully so. Phantom Liberty is an impressive addition to the game and it adds even more depth to an already brilliant storyline. Therefore, if you are about to start the expansion, you might be wondering the names of all the main story quests. As it happens, there are quite a few that you will have to go through to finally reach the conclusion. Here is all you need to know surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty main story missions. Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty: List of all main story missions Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty just like the base game has a pretty deep story. Your decisions matter a lot here and what dialogue you choose to go with will determine how things progress. Regardless, a list of all the main story missions that you can undertake (depending on your choices) in the expansion has been given below: Dog Eat Dog – Hole in the Sky – Spider and the Fly – Lucretia My Reflection – The Damned – Get It Together – You Know My Name – Birds With Broken Wings – I’ve Seen That Face Before – Firestarter – The Killing Moon – Run This Town – Through Pain to Heaven – Who Wants to Live Forever – Things Done Changed – Blacksteel in the Hour of Chaos – Somewhat Damaged – Leave in Silence – Four Score and Seven – Now, it is important to mention here, that Firestarter is a vital mission in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. This is because the choices you make in that mission define how much more you get to play the game. Therefore, it is recommended that you replay that particular mission multiple times in order to achieve all the endings possible via Phantom Liberty. However, it is recommended you do not rush through the main story as there is so much more to do in Dogtown in terms of exploration. This concludes all you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty’s main story missions. If you found it informative, do not forget to check some of our other guides at Dexerto. How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

All hidden Easter Eggs in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty features an amazing story as well as some funny Easter Eggs scattered around Night City. With references to Edgerunners, the Witcher, and even James Bond, here are all the hidden Easter Eggs in Phantom Liberty that you don’t want to miss. Cyberpunk 2077‘s Update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty DLC are finally here and players are loving all the new content. The expansion features a new perk system, an improved AI, more weapons, cars, and some very entertaining storylines, giving an immense turnaround for the futuristic RPG. But that’s not all. It also includes a long list of funny winks to other iconic games, movies, characters, and more, and players are going to have a blast discovering each one of them while venturing into Night City’s streets once again. Here’s the list of all the Easter Eggs and references you can find in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The Witcher 3 CD Projekt RED’s previous game is referenced constantly during Cyberpunk 2077. These include posters, items, themed rewards, as well as an arcade game called Roach Race. In Phantom Liberty, if you dial 9077555202 in the phone booth, the Witcher’s theme song will start to play. Additionally, there is a faction of baddies called the Barghest, the same name as the Witcher’s vicious green dog monster. CD Projekt RED founders The studio’s founders Marcin Iwinski and Michal Kicinski appear in the vendors in Dogtown. They sell braindances and each one of them references a CD Projekt milestone, while the price corresponds to a significant date. The Snitcher alludes to The Witcher’s release back in 2007. – Farmer’s Mate refers to the Polish localization of Baldur’s Gate released by the studio in 1999. – Retrotrunk is for Cyberpunk’s base game release in 2020. – Dance of Brain of Lech Kielbasiewicz is a reference for Iwinski’s time selling imported games in Poland in 1989, way before the studio was founded. – Rent alludes to Gwent (2017) – Bonetweaker is for Thronebreaker (2018) – John Wick One of the coolest Easter Eggs can be found inside EBM Petrochem Stadium in Dogtown. Visit the Weapon shop near the fast travel point and you’ll find a gun case at the back of the shop with an inscription that says “For Mr. Wick”. This is obviously a reference to the other iconic character played by Keanu Reeves, the one and only John Wick. Star Wars During the third mission of Phantom Liberty called “The Spider and the Fly”, you’ll find an email exchange on the Expo computer between Biggs and Wedge. These references two characters from Star Wars: Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles. The Wire There’s an email between the fixer El Capitan and someone named Mike Sobotka, a nod to Frank Sobotka from season 2 of the TV show The Wire. In case that wasn’t clear enough, he mentions the stevedores in the email, which is the name of the union that Frank is treasurer of. A tribute to a fan A well-known Cyberpunk 2077 fan named Renfei passed away due to a genetic disorder back in 2022. Now, players believe the new Phantom Liberty’s character, Qian Si Hu, is a tribute to him. Renfei ran his own online shop selling 3D prints of Cyberpunk 2077 items and Gundam models, while the game’s character models and sells cybernetic prosthetics. A tribute to Ken Block The 2.0 update added a free weaponized car to Night City’s repertoire. This new vehicle pays tribute to rally driver, Ken Block. The legend passed away in January 2023, but his car can be located in the Watson Northside district. Edgerunners Following the 2.0 update, five new memorials were added to the Columbarium for some Edgerunners beloved characters. They can be found in North Oak, Westbrook. Kiwi: You taught me to never trust anyone in NC. – David Martinez: You didn’t take me to the moon, but you were there with me. – Gloria Martinez: You were right. David reached the top Arasaka Tower. – Rebecca: I regret not finishing our conversation. – Pilar, Dorio, and Maine: You were the only family I ever had. – That’s all the hidden Cyberpunk 2077 Easter Eggs added with the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion. For more useful guides, check the list below. How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty all Relic Skills explained CD Projekt REDThere’s plenty of new content in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and one such thing is the Relic Skills. This new skill tree introduced in Phantom Liberty allows players to upgrade their Cyberware in the game. Here’s a rundown of every Relic Skill, and what each one does. A new big addition in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion is the Relic Skill Tree and players can utilize this to enhance their Cyberware in the RPG which results in a lot of added survivability and more powerful builds. When you coordinate your Relic Skills with the brand-new Perks in Phantom Liberty they become even more powerful so it’s important to know what each one does so you can add the most effective skills to your preferred build. Here’s every Relic Skill in the DLC, and a rundown of what they all do in the game. All Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Relic Skills There are a total of nine Relic Skills in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, all of which serve to enhance V’s Cyberware abilities. All the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Relic Skills available with the expansion can be seen below: Jailbreak This skill is perfect for players who love melee attacks because it unlocks abilities related to the cyberware in V’s arms like the Mantis Blades, Monowire, Projectile Launch System and Gorilla Arms. Dismembering an enemy or performing a Finisher with Mantis Blades will charge the next Leap Attack. The charged leap attack has a +30m reach and deals huge amounts of damage to all nearby foes, making it extremely useful when you want to slice your way through grouped targets. Emergency Cloaking Emergency Cloaking improves the Optical Camo Cyberware, which enables V to lose enemies during combat. Activating this during combat causes enemies to lose track of you, granting players the perfect chance to escape. If you’re looking for a more stealthy game style, this is the skill for you. Limiter Removal The shockwave from charged Gorilla Arms sends enemies flying and now knocks down all enemies within range. It’s also a good AoE and crowd control ability that you might need to use when cornered by a horde of enemies or if you need a minute to cooldown. Sensory Protocol When V is crouched and detected by an enemy, time will temporarily slow down. This enables you to quickly dash out of their line of sight to avoid being spotted. Sensory Protocol will be invaluable for those who enjoy a more stealthy approach to combat. Even though it has a 120 second cooldown, it can save you a lot of time during your missions. Plus, this is the only complimentary ability of Emergency Cloaking. Vulnerability Analytics During combat, V can now detect vulnerabilities in enemy armor and Cyberware. Hitting these vulnerable areas provides 100% Crit Chance, +25% Armor Penetration, and Weakspot damage bonuses. If that wasn’t exciting enough, dealing enough damage to an enemy’s vulnerability will cause it to explode, generating an EMP blast that damages foes within a 3m radius, and it has no cooldown. Launch Capacity Override Launch Capacity Override sees V unleash some powerful wrist rockets, obliterating enemies in an instant. The improved skill gives a +1 additional charge for the Projectile Launch System, giving players even more explosive mayhem. If you spec into Pyromania, you’ll definitely want to max out your Launcher. Machine Learning Destroying an enemy’s vulnerability grants +10% frequency of new vulnerabilities from appearing on an enemy, and provides +5% Crit Damage against vulnerabilities. The skill lasts for 25 seconds and can stack up to five times. Reaching max stacks doubles these effects. This is a complementary perk for Vulnerability Analytics. Data Tunneling If you have a Netrunner build, this might be the most useful ability you can choose. When an enemy is affected by a Monowire-uploaded quickhack, normal Monowire attacks which hit that enemy and other enemies simultaneously will spread the quickhack to them. This can make fights a lot easier, though you’ll need to get close to the enemies for it to work as expected. Spatial Mapping Spatial Mapping enables V to leap toward their target with the Mantis Blades, crippling enemies and increasing dismemberment chance for 10 seconds. This attack is great for covering great distances and gives melee players the chance to unleash a flurry of attacks. So, there you have it, that’s every Relic Skill in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty so far. Make sure you check out our Cyberpunk page for all the latest news and guides. How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

All Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty New Perks CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has revamped the game’s skill tree, adding a lot of new Perks for V to customize their build with. So here are all the new Perks that you can find in CD Projekt RED’s expansion. The Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty skill tree has undergone a drastic change, with new skills now being available for players to unlock. Not only do they put an emphasis on switching up individual playstyles, but they also look flashier and deadlier than ever before. Understanding how Phantom Liberty’s Perks work and what they do will enable you to effortlessly make a powerful build to cut through the game’s enemies. This is especially true when you utilize the new Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty weapons. So, without further ado, here are all the new Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Perks. All Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Skill Tree Perks There are a total of seven perks in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty that have been revealed so far, all of which serve to enhance V’s cybernetic abilities. From deadly melee finishing moves to increased aerial mobility, Phantom Liberty will enable players to take control of the battlefield like never before. All the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Perks that have been revealed so far can be seen below: Finisher: Bladerunner Bladerunner is a finisher that enables V to kill enemies, with a fancy new finishing move. During the Phantom Liberty gameplay trailer, we see V using her Katana to down an enemy, forcing them to their knees before lopping off their head with one clean swing. Bullet Deflect As the name suggests, Bullet Deflect enables V to deflect bullets with her Katana, sending projectiles back to their sender. This will prove invaluable to players who enjoy melee combat, but want to add something with an offensive twist. Opportunist Opportunist sees V unleash her inner Texas Chainsaw Massacre, unleashing a deadly chainsaw strike to an unsuspecting enemy’s kneck. This skill will likely enable melee players to quickly take down enemies with some gory instakills. Air Dash Air Dash sees V dash while midair, giving them increased aerial mobility. The skill also appears to slow down time, allowing players to quickly line up some juicy headshots. This skill will likely come in handy as a traversal mechanic as well. Finisher: Savage Sling Savage Sling is another finisher that enables players to kill enemies with melee weapons, with the added benefit of being able to pick up and launch them at other opponents. Pull! Pull sees V throw out a grenade that distracts enemies, allowing players to follow up with other deadly skills like Deadeye. This will likely be incredibly useful when your foes are grouped together or when you need to keep the heat off you during prolonged firefights. Deadeye Deadeye sees V dash forward before methodically head-shotting nearby enemies with increased precision. Relic Tree The Relic Tree is a new addition to Cyberpunk 2077 that taps into the chip inside V’s head. It carries a total of nine new perks that override and enhance the player’s cybernetic abilities. Jailbreak – Spatial Mapping – Limiter Removal – Launch Capacity Override – Data Tunneling – Emergency Cloaking – Sensory Protocol – Vulnerability Analytics – Machine Learning – So, there you have it, that’s every Perk in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty revealed so far. Make sure you check out our Cyberpunk 2077 page for all the latest news and guides. Phantom Liberty file size for PC, Xbox & PS5 | Cyberpunk 2077 Romance guide | Cyberpunk 2077 build classes explained | How to get Gorilla Arms | How to get the fastest car free: Rayfield Caliburn | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Is Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty the game’s only DLC? | How much does Phantom Liberty DLC cost? | Is Keanu Reeves returning as Johnny Silverhand?

Cyberpunk 2077: Every achievement & trophy in Phantom Liberty CD Projekt RedCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty adds an enormous amount of new content to Night City which adds even more more achievements to the game, so if you’re wondering what achievements and trophies you can get after completing all the new quests, then we’ve got everything you need to know right here. Phantom Liberty is filled with achievements for players to earn and unlock, some of which can be rather tricky to obtain. After all, the expansion includes new quests, tons of gigs, side jobs, and new endings. This naturally means it comes with many unlockables for you to obtain. Whether you wish to Platinum Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty or just want to know how to get a specific achievement in the game, our rundown of all the achievements and trophies in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will enable you to do just that. Contents How many Phantom Liberty achievements and trophies are there? – All visible achievements and trophies – Hidden achievements and trophies – How many Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty achievements and trophies are there? There are a total of 13 achievements in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. While some of them are visible, others are hidden. Meaning you’ll need to perform specific tasks to achieve them. We’ve listed down all the achievements in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty below. All visible Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty achievements & trophies These are all the achievements and trophies that are visible in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty: Hidden Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty achievements & trophies The achievements and trophies that we have listed below are all the hidden ones for the expansion: These achievements earn you Bronze trophies only. You won’t need to complete the DLC to earn Never Fade Away, aka the Platinum trophy, as it can be earned by completing the main game. Best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for 2.0 update | How to get Thermal Katana | How to play Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC | Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character? | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

All Cyberpunk 2077 endings and how to unlock them CD Projekt RedYour journey in Cyberpunk 2077 can end in multiple ways depending on your in-game actions and choices. There are four primary endings with variations within them and one secret ending we’ll help you unlock. To see how V’s life pans out, here are all five endings in the game. After almost three years since its official release, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally emerging as a stellar game, as it is finally in playable condition. Various updates and patches have fixed many of the game’s issues, meaning more players are returning to Night City. But every player’s path in Cyberpunk 2077 is different, and the game has five possible endings to unlock. Four are relatively standard, and the one you get depends on what you do during the main campaign, but there’s also a secret ending that is a little trickier to see. While we’ll do our best to avoid too many spoilers, this is a guide about the endings of Cyberpunk 2077, so some spoilers are going to be inevitable. Cyberpunk 2077 endings explained – Key choices that influence your Cyberpunk 2077 ending – Ending 1: Choose Hanako – Ending 2: Choose Rogue – Ending 3: Choose Panam – Ending 4: The Suicide Ending – Ending 5: Secret Ending – Ending rewards – Cyberpunk 2077 endings explained The ending you unlock at the end of Cyberpunk 2077 all depends on your Life Path. Essentially, how you played through the game and the choices you made. Each one has certain requirements and by not meeting some, you’re likely to have met the requirements of another ending instead. So, one way or another, you’re going to end up with one of the four primary endings, but which one all depends on how you acted at certain key points of the game. Your ending is locked in during the aptly named ‘Point of No Return’ mission. The good news is the game will autosave before this point and update that save with your ending bonuses. This allows players who’ve beaten the game to continue to explore Night City with their rewards before the point of no return. Key choices that influence your Cyberpunk 2077 ending The following is a guide to the important choices you’ll face in Cyberpunk 2077 and how they influence the game’s ending. Minor choice: Call your romantic partner or don’t. Whether you call your romantic partner or not when Johnny suggests you should, has a minor impact on your ending. It’s worth doing if you have invested time in a relationship, as that will form part of whichever ending you get in a neat way. But the choice is yours. Major choice: Who do you choose to Raid Arasaka with you? This is the culmination of your Life Journey in Cyberpunk 2077 and sets you on the path of a particular ending. When you arrive at the roof of Misty’s Esoterica, you’ll be given a choice of five possible routes. However, this all depends on the side quests you’ve completed during your Life Journey. Ending 1: Choose Hanako This is the default ending in many ways as it’s achievable without doing any side quests at all. To unlock it simply trust Arasaka when you’re given the option and choose Hanako’s path during the point of no return. This will unlock the epilogue ‘Where Is My Mind’. Ending 2: Choose Rogue To take this route you’ll need to choose Rogue’s path when given the option. Although to do so you’ll have to have completed all side jobs given by Jonny Silverhand before meeting with Hanako. These are: Tapeworm – Chippin’ In – Blistering Love – Once you reach the rooftop, you’ll have an option to let Johnny take care of Arasaka with Rogue’s help. Later you’ll need to ask Johnny and Rogue to go and take the pseudoendotrizine when prompted after this. You’ll have one final choice to make though. Getting Johnny to return to V’s body will unlock the ‘Path of Glory’ epilogue. Although if Johnny enters cyberspace with Alt, you’ll unlock the ‘New Dawn Fades’ epilogues instead. Ending 3: Choose Panam To unlock Panam’s path you’ll need to have completed Aldecaldo’s side missions before your final meeting with Hanako. These are: Life During Wartime – Riders on the Storm – With a Little Help From My Friends – Queen of the Highway – When you reach the rooftop, you can choose to handle things yourself or call Panam for support when prompted. If you call Panam, you’ll start down the road to two endings. You can still unlock ‘New Dawn Fades’, but if V returns to their body, you’ll unlock the ‘All Along the Watchtower’ epilogue. Ending 4: The Suicide Ending Like ending one, this ending doesn’t require any side quests to have been completed to unlock. Although this is a bit of a bleak and dull ending, so we don’t recommend it for your first playthrough. Unless you’re feeling especially nihilistic. To unlock this ending all you need to do is select: “Could also put this all to rest.” – “[Toss pills] I know. Exactly what we’re gonna do. – When promoted. This will unlock that ending, which is just one final cut-scene. Ending 5: Secret Ending Cyberpunk 2077’s fifth ending is a secret one and takes a little more work to unlock. To do so you’ll need to have completed all Johnny Silverhand’s side quests and make sure your relationship with him is over 70%. But on top of this, on the side mission Chippin’ In, you’ll need to select very specific dialogue options when prompted. These are: “Let’s do something about that.” Be sure to inscribe Johnny’s initials when prompted. – “The Guy who Saved My Life” – “Nah, f***ed the up too.” – “What do you want from me?” – “OK. But as second chances go, this is your last.” – “You were a real dick in the beginning.” – “When you said you let down your friends…” – “Yeah, I’ll call Rogue.” – Later you’ll need to select these dialogue options when prompted: “Think you and Rogue should go.” – Then wait 5 minutes on this menu until Johnny offers you another solution. Then say: “Let’s hear this plan.” – Doing so will direct you towards the fifth epilogue ‘Path of Glory’. Learn more about Cyberpunk 2077’s secret ending here. All Ending Rewards You can earn the following rewards by unlocking the following epilogues. Where Is My Mind Rewards Johnny’s Tank Top – Johnny’s Aviators – All Along The Watchtower Rewards Aldecaldos Rally Bolero Jacket – New Dawn Fades Rewards Aldecaldos Rally Bolero Jacket – Liberty Pride – And that’s all you need to know about the five main endings available in Cyberpunk 2077. The Phantom Liberty expansion added more endings, so keep an eye on your decision-making. Can you play Phantom Liberty without owning base game? | Should you finish Cyberpunk 2077 before Phantom Liberty? | Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty PC requirements | Best builds | All Perks | All Relic Skills | Which parts of Phantom Liberty DLC are free? | All new weapons | Can you romance Idris Elba’s character | How to claim Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Witcher rewards | Who is Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty?

All Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 skills and how to level them up CD Projekt REDCyberpunk 2077‘s 2.0 update brought about a major overhaul of skill progression allowing players to gain up to five skills while doing gigs in Night City. So, here’s a list of all the skills and the easiest way to level them up in the game. The 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077 marked a significant turning point for the game since it addressed many of the faults and concerns that players had voiced since the game’s buggy release in 2020. The RPG’s visuals, stability, and overall performance all received major upgrades, making them seamlessly playable across several devices. In addition, the 2.0 update introduced a plethora of new features to the system for increasing one’s skills, which can be used to obtain a variety of advantages. In addition, the Skill Progression system has undergone a significant overhaul. While some of the previous skills remain in the game, a few new ones have been added. Here is a list of all the skills in the game and how to easily level them up. All skills in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 In update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077, Skills are essentially passive enhancements divided into five main categories: Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, and Engineer. Other than attributes and perks, these provide passive benefits to V in-game. Essentially, the newly added Skill Progression system replaces the previous Perks system, which also underwent an overhaul in the 2.0 update. For example, the Headhunter skill increases headshot damage, whereas the Netrunner skill improves your quickhacking capabilities in and out of combat. Your skill level determines how powerful your character is in these five categories and how well-rounded your build is. Consequently, the new Skill Progression system enables you to acquire certain stat boosts without spending points on perks. You can instead choose your character’s build independently and enhance your stats through Skills. Each skill in Cyberpunk 2077 is now capped at Rank 60 until you acquire them while going around Night City. Each rank achievement grants your character an additional bonus. Here are all of the skills and their respective Rank bonuses in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0. Headhunter Rank 5: Decreases Visibility to Enemies by 10%. – Rank 10: 10% Headshot Damage and 10% Damage Against Vulnerabilities – Rank 15: +1 Perk Point – Rank 20: No Weapon Sway When Crouched – Rank 25: Decreases Visibility to Enemies by 10% – Rank 30: 15% Headshot Damage and 15% Damage Against Vulnerabilities – Rank 35: Gain a perk point – Rank 40: Optical Camo Is Active While Grappling Enemies – Rank 45: Decreases Recovery Time After a Throw by 30% – Rank 50: 30% Faster When Crouch Walking and Crouch Sprinting – Rank 55: Damage Bonus From Being Undetected Outside of Combat Persist for 3 Seconds After Entering Combat. – Rank 60: 15% Optical Camo Charge when Neutralizing an Enemy in One of the Following Ways: During Focus Mode, During Deadeye Mode, With a Thrown Weapon. – Netrunner Rank 5: Increases RAM Recovery Rate by 5% – Rank 10: Increases RAM by 1 – Rank 15: +1 Perk Point – Rank 20: +20% Lock-On Range With Smart Weapons – Rank 25: Increases RAM Recovery Rate by 5% – Rank 30: Increases RAM by 1 – Rank 35: +1 Perk Point – Rank 40: -20% RAM Cost For Quickhacks Used on Devices and Vehicles – Rank 45: +15% Duration For Control and Convert Quickhacks. +5% Damage With Combat Quickhacks. – Rank 50: +40% Duration For Overclock – Rank 55: -10% Health Loss From Using Quickhacks During Overclock. – Rank 60: When Active, Overlock Now Reveals Enemies Within 10 meters and Allows You To Quickhack Non-Netrunner Enemies Through Cover – Shinobi Rank 5: Increases Movement Speed by 5% – Rank 10: -5% Stamina Cost From Dodging and Dashing – Rank 15: +1 Perk Point – Rank 20: Better accuracy after dodging or dashing – Rank 25: Increased Accuracy For a Short Time After Dodging and Dashing – Rank 30: Decreased stamina cost for dodging and dashing – Rank 35: +1 Perk Point – Rank 40: Increased Mitigation Chance The Faster You Move – Rank 45: +25 Damage With Fast Attacks – Rank 50: Air Dashing and Sliding Automatically Reload 20% of Your Equipped Weapon – Rank 55: When Attacking From Midair or While Time Is Slowed, Low Stamina Does Not Affect Ranged Accuracy or Melee Attack Speed – Rank 60: When Sandevistan is Active: +40 Crit Chance and No Stamina Cost For Any Type of Movement – Solo Rank 5: Increases Carrying Capacity by 50 – Rank 10: Increases Health by 10 – Rank 15: +1 Perk Point – Rank 20: Fists and Gorilla Arms Have: +20% Damage and +20% Attack Speed. Fists also have a Chance to Apply Bleeding. – Rank 25: Increases Carrying Capacity by 100 – Rank 30: Increases Health by 15 – Rank 35: +1 Perk Point – Rank 40: +10% Crit Chance Against Enemies Within 5 meters – Rank 45: +25% Damage With Strong Attacks and Quick Melee Attacks – Rank 50: +25 Health After Performing a Finisher – Rank 55: When Adrenaline Rush is Active, Adrenaline Decays 50% Slower and Cannot Decay Below 10% – Rank 60: When Berserk Is Active: +30% Enemy Health Threshold to Perform Finishers, +50% Health From Performing Finishers, and +30% Berserker Duration – Engineer Rank 5: Increases Armor by 15 – Rank 10: Increases Cyberware Capacity by 5 – Rank 15: +1 Perk Point – Rank 20: +10 Grenade Damage and Explosion Radius – Rank 25: Increases Armor by 25 – Rank 30: Increases Cyberware Capacity by 10 – Rank 35: +1 Perk Point – Rank 40: Increased Shock Chance From Charging a Tech Weapon or Electric Baton – Rank 45: +15% Item Health Effectiveness – Rank 50: +30% To All Cyberware Stat Modifiers – Rank 55: 10% Damage With Bolt Shots and +40% Burn Chance With Bolt Shots. Chain Lightning Now Sets Enemies on Fire. – Rank 60: When Fury is Active, You Occasionally Release an EMP Blast – How to level up Skill Progressions in Cyberpunk 2077? Leveling up each skill category under the Skill Progression menu is quite simple early on. However, as is common in role-playing games, it will get harder and harder to level up a Skill Progression path. In other words, you can get a lot of early Progression points in each major Skill category by accident, but if you want to go to the highest levels, you’ll need to focus on leveling up certain Skill Progression paths by doing specified acts during your gameplay. Here’s each skill and how to level them up in the game. Headhunter Gaining experience in the Headhunter skill requires accomplishing specific goals while in combat. Getting headshots on enemies with any weapon is the best and the easiest way to level up the Headhunter Skill. Netrunner To level up Netrunner skills easily, hack everything you can along the way. Hacking terminals and other things around Night City can help you level up, but using quickhacks is the most reliable way to advance along this progression path. Shinobi Taking the Shinobi progression path requires you to adopt a ninja-like playstyle and make use of exotic weapons like Katanas, Machetes, Chainswords, and Mantis Blades. Shinobi points can also be earned through the use of assault rifles and SMGs, as well as using acrobatic moves such as running, dashing, sliding, and climbing. Solo The only way to advance in Solo is with close-range weaponry, such as Shotguns, LMGs, Clubs, Fists, Gorilla Arms, and other blunt melee objects. Since it’s a heavy-based skill, your progression and build in a melee-based approach will help you level up faster. Engineer Progression along the Engineer path includes adapting a unique combat style that is not limited to using guns, but also numerous types of thrown explosives and damage-over-time effects activated by elemental powers, as well as Smart Weapons, Projectiles, Cyberware, Bolts, and Crafting. However, another quick way of leveling up skills is by acquiring Skill and Progression Shards around Night City or in Dogtown (Phantom Liberty) What are Progression Shards and how to get them In the Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update, Progression Shards allow players to level up their abilities and perk quicker. You can also acquire Skill Shards from defeated foes, which increase your skill ranks. However, if you own the Phantom Liberty DLC, you can purchase Progression Shards from a Junk Dealer in Dogtown to instantaneously raise your skill level. The dealer can be found in the Black Market inside EBM Petrochem Stadium, close to the fast travel point of the same name. Approach the merchant and interact with him to access the inventory menu. There, you can purchase multiple progression shards for a certain quantity of Eurodollars each. As soon as you purchase one, you will be granted skill category points or bonus perk points that can be spent on attributes. This is one of the quickest ways to level up your skills, but it comes at a price. Now you know how skill progression works in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. You can also check out the best Phantom Liberty builds or the best Cyberpunk 2077 builds for Update 2.1.

All 4 fashion styles coming to Cyberpunk 2077 CD Projekt REDFashion plays a big part in everyday life in Cyberpunk 2077. It defines who you are and where you’re from, so you’ll want to kit your character out with the styles that suit you. Cyberpunk 2077 offers all kinds of customization options that help you create the perfect character. There are certain lifepaths that dictate your world views, classes that impact your playstyle, and cyberware that give you unique abilities and combat options. CD Projekt Red has certainly poured a lot of time and effort into its character creation, so it’s only right that you look the part. After all, Night City is a big place that is filled with even bigger personalities. The four Cyberpunk styles are deeply rooted in Night City’s history and culture. These stylistic design choices can be found in everything from cars, guns, implants, and clothes. Fashion plays a massive part in your journey through the neon-soaked streets. In order to help you unleash your inner fashionista, we’ve outlined Cyberpunk 2077 four fashion styles in our guide below. Kitsch With their bright neon hair, fluorescent jackets, and illuminated tattoos, those who adorn the Kitsch style care not for functionality. Anarchy and rebellion are this group’s motto. Unlike the grey imposing buildings that make up Night City’s Corporate sectors, Kitsch prefers to brighten up the mood. Unlike the other Cyberpunk 2077 styles, Kitsch rebels against the dark, dystopian world around them. Every piece of clothing is a middle finger to the “necessity over style” that was popularized by Entropism. Instead, Kitsch is all about drawing as much attention to oneself as possible. These guys like to party and they love to show off their style. If you wish to do the same, then the Kitsch style is the way to go. Entropism Entropism was born out of the stock market crash when the Fourth Corporate War broke out. Widespread poverty hit Neon City and many of its inhabitants struggled to make a living. As a result, many of the city’s residents turned to practical apparel that was more functional in their design. There are no bright colors, crazy hairdos, and unwieldy cybernetics to be found here. This kind of style is usually found in areas in and around Night that can’t afford to modernize. Entropism dictates that everything from cars, clothes, cybernetics, and buildings are kept incredibly basic. This helps to keep costs low and functionality high. After all, getting the job done, no matter how, is all that matters. Neo-Militarism Deadly elegance without ostentation. This is what makes up Cyberpunk’s Neo-Militarism style. Neo-Militarism is usually found in wealthier parts of Night City and its bold, dark colours are designed to intimidate those beneath them. Power is everything and you must show this status at all times. From the sleek no-nonsense outfits to the high-tech, minimalist buildings – Neo-Militarism is all about flexing your authority and wealth. Those that choose the Corporate Lifepath will know all too well how truly terrifying Cyberpunk’s most powerful people can be. Just because you dress the part, doesn’t mean you’ll be safe from Night City’s most notorious inhabitants. Substance over style is the Neo-Militarism way. Neo-Kitsch A subcategory of Cyberpunk’s ever-popular Kitsch style, Neo-Kitsch is for Night City’s ultra-rich figures. Celebrities, braindance stars, business magnates, heirs to corporate fortunes and corporate executives all use Neo-Kitsch to display their wealth. While the style shares the same color palette of its predecessor, Neo-Kitsch provides a much higher quality to its clothing. Certain models and celebrities are even known to incorporate chrome that gives their body a metallic appearance. Unlike the other Cyberpunk styles, Neo-Kitch’s cars and buildings incorporate wood and marble into their architecture. Style and substance is the motto here. Make sure you stay updated with all the latest Cyberpunk 2077 news and guides right here, at Dexerto.

8 vehicles we can’t wait to drive in Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter: CyberpunkGameWith the lead up to Cyberpunk 2077’s highly-anticipated release, more news is being released about Night City, its inhabitants, and their vehicles. Having showcased a number of the vehicles players will experience in Night City during a ‘Night City Wire’ broadcast, CD Projekt Red have now revealed more vehicles on their Twitter page. We’ve already seen a number of different vehicle classes that will feature in Cyberpunk 2077, but this is the first time we’ve seen a number of individual vehicles. From bikes to hypercars, here are 8 vehicles we can’t wait to get our hands on in Cyberpunk 2077. 8. Quadra Type-66 Avenger While we’ve seen the Quadra Type-66 before during a Night City Wire broadcast, this is the first time we’ve seen the ‘Avenger’ variant. Beefed-up suspension, bolt-on wheel arches, and a more aggressive appearance make the Type-66 Avenger a vehicle that looks fit for any purpose. 7. Makigai MaiMai P126 Part of the ‘Economy’ class of cars, the MaiMai P126 looks like the perfect 4-wheel transportation for getting around the tight alleyways of Night City. Expect no-frills, low-cost motoring with the Makigai MaiMai P126. 6. Thorton Colby Butte “Shooting Brake” The Thorton Colby Butte appears to be a ute-style car similar to the Chevrolet El Camino. Likely blending a mix of performance and practicality, the term “Shooting Brake” may be used more literally in Night City than in the real world. 5. Yaiba Kusanagi Tyger Claw Custom This is a vehicle preview with a twist – this is far from a ‘standard’ bike, as evidenced by the “custom” name. Evoking emotions of a Yakuza-esque motorbike, the Yaiba Kusanagi is ideal for evading capture thanks to its maneuverability and small profile. 4. Thorton Galena Nomad “Gecko” Another custom car, possibly designed by one of many gang leaders found throughout Night City and beyond. Given that the other Thorton’s we’ve seen are in the ‘economy’ or ‘executive’ classes, the Gecko looks set to be part of the economy class judging by its appearance. 3. Villefort Alvarado 570 De Luxe First seen during the Night City Wire Episode 4 broadcast, the Villefort Alvarado 570 De Luxe forms part of the ‘executive’ class of cars. Perfect for the style-conscious gangster or assassin, the Alvarado is sure to make an impact wherever you go. 2. Rayfield Caliburn Another car that we’ve previously seen in Night City Wire, the Rayfield Caliburn belongs to the ‘hypercar’ class of vehicles. Expect insane power, high levels of protection, and plenty of style points with the Caliburn. 1. Johnny Silverhand’s Porsche 911 The only real-world car to feature in Cyberpunk 2077 (that we know of) Johnny Silverhand’s Porsche 911 is based on the 930 Turbo from the 1970s. This one-off car is the ‘hero’ vehicle in Cyberpunk, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it. Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on December 10 after suffering yet another pushback. Even so, we don’t have all that long to wait until we’re joyriding around the streets of Night City in these vehicles and more.

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ZywOo’s wasted prime: Vitality are making wrong roster moves | Richard Lewis reacts at ESL Pro League ESL Pro League S13’s Group B was stacked with talent, but one team with high expectations underperformed. Richard Lewis discusses Team Vitality placing 4th in Group B, expressing his concerns with the team’s setup. Also suggesting that dropping Nabil ‘Nivera’ Benrlitom for Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier was a poor decision, he brings into question what French phenom Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut must be thinking on this struggling roster. As other top teams falter around Vitality, this time is crucial to up their game and secure some tournament wins. Group B was stacked with incredible teams in the Pro League. In Lewis’ words, “there were four teams that could win it, and there were also four teams that could finish bottom.” Realistically, though, he states that those four teams were “completely interchangeable” because of how equally stacked they all were. Read More: Top 10 wasted talents in CSGO history – “In the end, I do think we do need to have a talk about Vitality, because I think if you watch the performances and the results here at the ESL Pro League, you’re going to be concerned if you’re a Vitality fan.” Richard states that 2021 hasn’t been kind to the team, compared to the potential they had to be the best team in the world at the end of 2020. As Nivera was swapped for misutaaa, Lewis states that “I think he was a better player… I think he was more impactful… he seemed to frag out.” Referring to ZywOo as “the big elephant in the room” he states that he’s unsure of how long he will tolerate poor performances from his squadmates. “ZywOo is like a once-in-a-generation talent at this game, and you should lean into that.” To listen to all Richard’s takes on ESL Pro League, check out the full video above. For all CSGO news and events, stay tuned to our dedicated main page.

ZywOo reveals his “biggest opponent” in CSGO – and it’s not s1mple CSGO star Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut revealed his biggest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive opponent and, much to the surprise of many, it isn’t Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev. ZywOo is considered to be one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world. He has dominated the best throughout 2019 and even took home the best CSGO player of the year award in the Dexerto Awards. Many fans consider s1mple to be his biggest rival. The Ukrainian was ranked as the best in 2018 and continued to dominate in 2019, however, ZywOo thinks someone else has been even more impressive. The Frenchman discussed his year in an interview with HLTV and surprisingly stated that Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz is his “biggest opponent for the number 1 spot” over s1mple. “Despite s1mple’s impressive stats, dev1ce had another very impressive year with Astralis, and I think he deserves to be number 1. He is the most complete player I have ever seen and faced” said Mathieu. Dev1ce may not have been on the minds of many when it comes to being the best player in the world, but he definitely stands a chance. The Dane has managed to keep up with the two superstars in terms of stats, while also overcoming both on his way to two Major victories. It’s certainly a tough contest between all three players and regardless of who is decided as the number one player, there will always be talk of why someone else deserved it more. Although with so many players performing so well, one thing is certain. It was an amazing year of Counter-Strike, and 2020 is looking to be extremely competitive.

ZywOo explains why he “doesn’t care” about s1mple comparisons CSGO superstar Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut explained why he isn’t interested in the comparisons between him and fellow best player in the world contender Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev. Like any competitive game, Counter-Strike has its superstars – those players who can seemingly make miracles happen and are far and beyond the rest in terms of skill. S1mple was perhaps considered the only player of that caliber throughout recent years, however, in 2019 ZywOo showed that he too was above the rest. Fans and players alike have been comparing the two and trying to figure out who is the best, but somewhat surprisingly, the Frenchman doesn’t care. ZywOo was interviewed by 1ceN1ce during Epicenter 2019, where, among other things, he spoke about fans comparing him with s1mple. “I don’t really like to compare myself with s1mple. I am just playing with my team and my friends” said Mathieu. When he was pressed about who he thinks is better he chose to give a rather respectful answer, citing that: “If we could compare I would say we are on the same level, but it depends on form. Sometimes we play well, sometimes poorly. We will have to see how my career goes.” The Frenchman was then asked if he likes being compared to the Ukrainian and quickly shut it down. “I don’t really care…. I don’t really care because he’s s1mple and I’m me, I do play with my team and that’s it.” His statement may come as a surprise for many fans who are invested in the two players fight for the top spot. However, the attitude seems to be working for Vitality’s star as many argue him to be better than s1mple. In fact, the two were frontrunners in the best CSGO player of 2019 category in the Dexerto awards, with ZywOo taking home the prize with just 3% more votes. Although, with such a tight result, some fans may not be convinced, and will undoubtedly keep comparing the two for years to come.

Astralis CS:GO coach zonic defends skipping events after losing #1 ranking L: DreamHack, R: BLASTAstralis CS:GO coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen has released a statement regarding the recent controversy surrounding the team’s prioritization of events. The Danish team have come under criticism lately for their prioritization of BLAST Pro Series events while opting to skip more prestigious tournaments like IEM Sydney, StarSeries Season 7, and DreamHack Masters Dallas. BLAST, who are also owned by Astralis parent company RFRSH Entertainment, have themselves come under criticism for a weak format and what are seen as attempts to push for soft exclusivity as well as devaluing other premier tournaments by organizing their own events such that all of the top teams rarely compete simultaneously outside of BLAST Pro Series. In a lengthy statement, zonic highlighted that Astralis’ selection of events in recent months came as a result of a number of considerations, such as the “standard of the tournament, possibilities to prepare, prestige, how the geography fits into our general travel plans, our previous results in the tournament, seeing the fans and our experience with relevant [tournament organizers].” With regards to particular events they’ve skipped, zonic highlighted that the reason they were absent from DreamHack Masters Dallas was its proximity to the upcoming ECS Season 7 and ESL Pro League Season 9 finals, stating “we are back to back champions of both ECS and EPL and would love to give ourselves the best option of trying to defend those titles.” Astralis’ absence from prestigious events in recent months recently resulted in their being knocked off of the number one spot on the HLTV rankings, with Team Liquid’s victory at DreamHack Masters Dallas carrying them over the Danes. The change marks the end of Astralis’ record-breaking streak at number one, having held the position since April 2018, becoming the first team ever to maintain the spot for over a year. According to zonic, however, the ranking is not a primary motivator for Astralis, as “our mission is not the world rankings, but to do all we can to win the biggest and the right tournaments.” For many, the loss of their top ranking also marks the end of the Astralis era, for now at least, with fans frustrated that a team many consider the greatest in CS:GO history relinquished their era through inactivity, simply failing to defend their title rather than actually being defeated. Fortunately for fans of Astralis, the team are now heading into a series of premier events, kicking off with the ECS Season 7 finals on June 6-9. They’ll then be attempting to defend their title at the ESL Pro League Season 9 finals on June 18-23, before competing at ESL One Cologne on July 2-7.

Zonic explains why he chose Vitality over bigger money offers: “It was the most competitive team” Viola Schuldner/ESLVeteran CS:GO head coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen sat down with Dexerto to explain his decision to join Vitality and the thought process behind this international team. As Vitality confirmed their CS:GO plans for 2022, zonic could finally turn the page. For two long months, he had been waiting for this day. It might not sound like much, but for someone as obsessed with competition as him — as evidenced by his admission that he almost felt “depressed” during his three years away from the game after retiring as a player —, it seemed like an eternity. Now the real work could begin. Zonic has sky-high standards to meet as the new head coach of Vitality. He is expected to make the team a regular title contender again after it had begun fading into the background in the last two years. The challenge comes after six success-filled years with Astralis, during which he compiled an unrivaled résumé that includes four Major crowns and an Intel Grand Slam title. Those times were incredibly taxing, both physically and mentally, so one could think that zonic, after winning all there is to win, would take the opportunity to dial it down a notch and enjoy himself a bit more. But that’s not him. “I had many offers, some with a bigger salary than what Vitality offered me,” he told Dexerto. “But my decision to join Vitality was because I believe this to be the team that I can win another big title with. “I have a huge belief in this team. For me, it was never about getting the biggest paycheck or securing the best conditions for my family. I chose the team that I believe the most in. “If it was about my family, it would have been a Danish team. If it was about money, it would have been a different team. I chose the team that I felt was the most competitive.” The French connection According to zonic, talks with Vitality began in the summer, after it was reported that he was considering his options as he was about to enter the final months of his contract with Astralis. By then, Vitality’s team had stagnated. After going back to a five-man setup when Valve introduced penalties for teams using substitutes in the Major qualifying cycle, the French team struggled for months on end, barely holding on to a top-10 place in the world rankings. And so Vitality delivered zonic carte blanche to oversee the team’s rebuilding. The Dane, who had carved out a reputation as a trailblazer and a winning coach with Astralis, was widely regarded in the scene as the only person who could be an improvement on Rémy ‘XTQZZZ’ Quoniam. Zonic has brought in two of his protégées from Astralis, Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif and Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen, forming an interesting balance between French and Danish talent in what is a new chapter for Vitality in CS:GO. Read more: Who is m0NESY, G2 CSGO’s new AWP prodigy? – But as much as the roster is his brainchild, zonic made it clear that he had the full backing of the organization. “It was my decision, but it was made together with Vitality,” he explained. “I looked at some of Vitality’s players and at the players that I knew were going to leave Astralis. I asked dupreeh and Magisk if they wanted to continue to work with me. “ZywOo doesn’t need any introductions, and I think apEX has been doing extremely well as an IGL, based on what I saw from the outside and from what I experienced first-hand by playing against his team a lot lately. “Misutaaa has surprised me a lot lately, he has been playing really well. He has a lot of potential and has grown a lot lately.” The move to Vitality poses big challenges for zonic, who for the first time will have to communicate with his troops in English. Zonic will lean on a familiar face in sports psychologist Lars Robl, who was a vital piece of Astralis’ setup for four-and-a-half years. They are part of a four-man backroom staff that also includes assistant coach Mathieu ‘MaT’ Leber, one of the best French Counter-Strike players in CS 1.6, and team manager Matthieu Péché, a former Olympic medalist. We wanted to provide the best possible support for the troops. We’re glad to add @zonic & @LarsRobl to our CSGO Staff @MatthieuPECHE & @MaT_CSGO 🐝 #WatchUsFollowUs🇬🇧 https://t.co/7X9yxYrFvx 🇫🇷 https://t.co/CRcxSRY3To pic.twitter.com/YBpebTENjd— Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) January 5, 2022 Vitality are pulling out all the stops to dominate the biggest esports games, having raised $56 million over the next three years in an effort to create European super teams. Given the scarcity of world-class players coming through in the CS:GO scene, even XTQZZZ had said that it was only a matter of time before Vitality were bit by the internationalization bug. “I feel excited,” zonic said about being part of an international project. “A lot of teams have been going down this road, but I think I will have a different approach to it. “It’s also a lot about the little things. For example, I don’t want us to meet on January 1 and start working on our playbook. I want us to feel like a team first, to go out and get to know each other. “There are going to be some rules about the language we’re speaking. So if two of the French guys are sitting with dupreeh, for example, English will be the official language. There will be no speaking French or Danish. “We’re not going to have dupreeh and Magisk stay together in a hotel room when we have tournaments. We’re going to rotate so that you are forced to speak English. “I think I’m going to do a lot of things differently. I can’t go into details about most things, that’s between me and the team. I’m looking forward to working with these guys.” Team setup and goals Despite the influx of new talent, Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire will continue to call the shots, with Magisk serving as his right-hand man and secondary caller as he did for Astralis under Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander. Another aspect that will not change is that Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut will continue to serve as the focal point of the team. After helping Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz to elevate his game and credence during their years together on Astralis, zonic is relishing the chance to work with the French sniper, the best player in the world in 2019 and 2020. “His game sense is really impressive,” zonic said. “Becoming the best player two years in a row, including in your rookie year… He has impressed me quite a lot. “He is one of the best players in the world, but I also think I can help develop him into the best player in the world. “But the focus will always be on the team. I’m hired to win trophies and that will be my priority, but in order to win trophies, I also think that you need to push the players individually.” Now that the announcement has been made, zonic and the rest of the team can focus on the task at hand — getting Vitality back to the top. Not only do I believe we can create the best team in the World on the server but also off the server. Thank you for coming with me on this adventure @LarsRobl @MaT_CSGO @MatthieuPECHE — Danny Sørensen (@zonic) January 5, 2022 It’s a tall order, but rising to the occasion is nothing new for zonic. After making history with Astralis and helping to make coaches a vital part of the esports ecosystem, the Dane has his eyes on a new feat: achieving sustained success with an international roster. “I have 100 percent belief in this team,” he said. “I think we have all the qualities and the right roles. I also think that this team can function really well outside of the server. “I have known Dan [apEX] for some time, and his work ethic is extremely good. “Dupreeh and Magisk are really eager. When we were at Astralis and we were winning a lot of matches, I always told them that they had to keep pushing because one day it was going to be over. They are eager to show the world that they are still here. “Magisk, despite his experience, is still a very young player. You have young players and then dupreeh and apEX with a lot of experience. So I think it’s a good mixture. “The lineup was thoroughly thought out.”

Zonic determined to dominate again after Astralis exit: “I’m not satisfied” PGLVeteran CS:GO coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen spoke to Dexerto about his time with Astralis and his future goals as he looks to kickstart a new legacy after almost six years with the same team. Zonic begins the conversation by revealing that he is feeling “a bit stressed.” That might sound strange, coming from the most decorated coach in Counter-Strike history. One might be inclined to think that the off-season rostermania is a rather mundane affair for someone who revels in high-pressure situations. But these are unfamiliar times for zonic. After almost six eventful years with Astralis, it is time for the Danish coach to move on. He will be leaving the organization at the end of 2021, closing a successful chapter in his career while opening up a new one. As we sit down to discuss his past and future, reports are already circulating that zonic will join Vitality on January 1 and will bring with him two of his Astralis players, Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen and Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif. Zonic does not wish to comment on those stories, only saying that he has received “a lot of offers” since it came to light in the summer that he was considering his options. After helping to set a new standard for esports head coaches with Astralis, the veteran Dane is targeting more success with his next team, insisting that he is “not satisfied” with what he has accomplished. Astralis’ rise and fall Zonic joined Astralis in January 2016 as one of the founding members of the organization. It was only his second coaching stint after previously guiding another Danish team, Dignitas, in late 2015. He boasted a wealth of experience from his playing days, having been a part of the iconic SK.dk, NoA and mTw squads that competed at the highest level in CS 1.6 between 2005 and 2011. After being around players for so many years, he knew that the way in which teams operated was less than ideal. And so he set about changing things. “We had sky-high ambitions when I joined,” he told Dexerto. “We were not afraid to try and seek new solutions in order to win. “I think we were one of the first teams to give a coach the power to actually bench players. Back then, it was usually the players gathering around in a hotel room talking about the fifth guy who wasn’t good enough. “We wanted to get rid of that situation and have the coach call the shots, like you see in traditional sports, with the team around him. “We really wanted to find new ways to reach excellence. We made some mistakes, but I think the results speak for themselves.” During zonic’s reign, Astralis became the most successful team in the history of the Counter-Strike franchise. They have the most CS:GO Major titles, four, and are the only team to have won three consecutive Majors. Their grip on the game began to loosen in 2020, when Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander and Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth both took time off after experiencing symptoms of stress and burnout, but it was only in 2021 that Astralis went into crisis mode, especially after Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz left for NIP. As he watched the team that he had helped to build slowly fall apart, zonic began to evaluate his options. “For me, one of my dreams was to be Counter-Strike’s answer to Sir Alex Ferguson, being in the same team for 25 years and trying to create new eras with different teams within the organization,” he said. “It obviously feels sad to leave Astralis. It’s always sad to leave a team. I created long relationships with some of the players and the colleagues at Astralis. “It was a difficult decision, but I am also very much looking forward to testing myself in a different environment and on a different team.” Major issues and devastating news It has been days since Astralis bowed out of PGL Major Stockholm on a disappointing note, and emotions are still raw. After winning three Majors in a row, they now placed 12th-14th, exiting the tournament in the Legends Stage with a 1-3 record following losses to dev1ce’s NIP, Heroic and Vitality. Heading into the event, Astralis knew they had an outside chance of reaching the playoffs, let alone of retaining their Major crown. The team still showed great fighting spirit as they overcame a 0-2 start to the Challengers Stage, but as the intensity went up a notch in the last-16 stage, they were simply found lacking. “We tried to keep our spirits as high as we could,” zonic said. “We knew it would be very difficult to win the Major, and we were very humble about it. “But there was also something that felt a bit off, I would say. I think we fought as well as we could. It’s very difficult when you’re part of a team and you know that this is not going to continue. “We tried to find solutions, but we didn’t have that much time. Gla1ve had just had a son. And when we arrived at the Major, there was not much that we could fix because we didn’t catch a break. I would have loved a day or two off to fix some of the mistakes and analyze what had gone wrong, but when you barely get over the finish line after going down 0-2 and you have to play the next day, it’s really difficult for me as a coach to try and figure out how to fix things. “I think we fought bravely but, to my standards and Astralis’, it wasn’t good enough. But I think that knowing in the back of your mind that the team is not going to stay together also played a role.” The 2-1 defeat to Vitality marked zonic’s final appearance for Astralis. It was a small stage game played behind closed doors – quite the departure from the packed arenas where Astralis used to thrive and strike fear into opponents. He will not be with the new team, now featuring Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke and Benjamin ‘blameF’ Bremer, at the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, which will be held at the Royal Arena in Astralis’ hometown of Copenhagen. After an excruciating wait for the return of in-person events with a crowd, to be deprived of the opportunity to bid farewell to Astralis’ fans has only added to zonic’s sense of frustration, even though he understands the organization’s reasoning for wanting to turn a page. “I was devastated when I was told but tried not to show it to the team,” he admitted. “Not being able to say goodbye to the fans after six years and in front of a home crowd. We would have loved it and I think the fans would too. “But there’s also a part of me that looks at things in a pragmatic way. Astralis have every right to make that decision. It’s their team, and we didn’t perform well at the Major. So if they wanted to start working on what they know is going to be the team for next year, I can understand that. “But I would have loved to have had the opportunity to properly say goodbye to the fans in Denmark.” Future goals Zonic joined Astralis as a rookie coach, someone still trying to translate his playing experience into a coaching philosophy. Six years on, he is one of the most accomplished names in the business, with more titles than he can remember and back-to-back esports coach of the year honors (from different award-giving bodies). Still, he maintains that he is as hungry as ever. “Even though it sounds crazy, I’m not satisfied,” he said when asked about his achievements. “For me, the feeling that you get from winning a big event, like a Major, is the best in the world. “But it doesn’t last long. The following day, I’m already thinking about how many break days we need and what we need to work on to be ready for the next tournament. I have a huge desire to try and accomplish some of the same success that I had with Astralis with a different team. “There have been a lot of rumors about me wanting to retire to focus on my family. Yes, it’s tough having two kids and traveling 200 days a year, but it’s my passion. “When I was playing 1.6, the conditions were not good, it was very unprofessional. When I started thinking about having a kid, I focused on my education and got a Master’s degree in Business and IT. “But when I saw that Counter-Strike was going towards the direction that I had always dreamed about, I decided to convince my wife that this was where I was going, despite already having a full-time job. “That was when Astralis came and gave me something big to believe in. My passion has always been there. Those three years when I was away from Counter-Strike kind of made me depressed. “This is what makes me happy and I have full support at home. So hopefully I will continue being a coach for quite some time.” Message to the fans Time will tell if zonic will be able to achieve something similar, wherever his journey takes him next. But given his impressive record with Astralis, one shouldn’t bet against him continuing to embellish an already glittering CV. Before we wrap up the interview, zonic says he has one request. Unable to attend the BLAST Premier Fall Finals to have what he described as his “last dance” – a reference to the Chicago Bulls’ iconic final championship season in 1997-98 -, he would like to take this opportunity to deliver a message to Astralis’ loyal supporters. “The fans have always been extremely important to me,” he said. “I think I’m one of the few members of the team in Astralis who is also part of the Danishcorner group on Facebook. Over the years, I’ve written a couple of messages in there. “I don’t think they understand how much I, all of the players, and Astralis, in general, appreciate them. They were one of the reasons why we wouldn’t be in a bad mood after losing a tournament. “We can go on Astralis’ Facebook page and see the praises and the encouraging messages that we get. Also on Instagram, we don’t always answer all the messages but they really help a lot. Astralis’ fans have always had our back. We have won a lot of things together and there have been ups and downs, but mostly ups. “I will miss them dearly and hopefully I can meet them one day and have a proper goodbye.”

zews wants to seize “second chance” at life after heart attack FluxoIn an exclusive interview with Dexerto, Wilton ‘zews’ Prado talks about his return to full-time CS:GO coaching with Fluxo after his recent health scare. Eight months after nearly dying, zews is in a good place. In late April, he was rushed to the hospital after complaining of strong pain in his chest and left arm. Exams showed that he had suffered a heart attack caused by a 90 percent obstruction in a coronary artery. Doctors told him there was a 90 percent chance of dying and a 95-plus percent chance of sustaining permanent damage, but he miraculously beat the odds and made a full recovery. Now, he is ready to get back to business. On January 13, he was formally unveiled as the new head coach of Fluxo, one of Brazil’s strongest CS:GO teams. The announcement marks his official return to full-time coaching after a long period away from the game. (In September, he briefly helped with O PLANO’s preparations for the IEM Road to Rio Americas RMR but he could not coach the team at the event after being registered past the deadline.) In July 2022, he had ruled out a return to activity because of the stressful and hectic lifestyle that esports players and coaches have to endure. But he changed his mind after attending the IEM Rio Major, a landmark moment for Brazilian Counter-Strike, with thousands of screaming fans filling out the stands throughout the entire event. “It’s safe to say that attending the Rio Major as a spectator was definitely a turning point for me,” he tells Dexerto. “At the RMR and the Rio Major, I got to see so many of my friends and teammates from over the years and was able to just hang out and chat, which was amazing. “I also had some long-overdue conversations and put things to rest that I had been carrying around with me. Lastly, I experienced an emotional rollercoaster in seeing my old teammates fight for their lives to participate in our home Major, and the realization that my retirement meant I wouldn’t be there hit hard. “I was insanely happy for them. It hurt at the same time, feeling left out, because this event was so special for all of us and I was the one that wouldn’t be there. It was honestly one of the hardest moments of my life, but also the moment that made me want to be a part of it again.” zews is all too familiar with the demanding task of leading a Brazilian team to the top. In 2016, he oversaw two Major titles as part of the Luminosity and SK Gaming teams, which inspired a new generation of Brazilian talent across multiple esports titles. But isn’t he worried that a return to elite-level esports, with all the traveling and stress that it entails, could put his health at risk? “Not really,” he says. “The balance between days on the road and at home improved significantly during my time away, and ever since the heart attack, I’ve been trying to take better care of myself. “I mean, it’s not every day you get a second chance, so you better not waste it.” zews joins Fluxo CSGO team Founded only in 2021 by Free Fire icon Bruno ‘Nobru’ Goes and Lucio ‘Cerol’ dos Santos, Fluxo have quickly established themselves as one of the biggest and most influential esports organizations in South America, boasting over 6 million followers across their social media platforms. Fluxo’s level of ambition is shown by the significant investments they have made to enter some of the biggest esports titles in the world. In August, Fluxo splashed out nearly $500,000 to buy three CS:GO players out of their contracts as they were assembling their lineup. Earlier this month, that team made its first roster change, bringing in Allan ‘history’ Lawrenz after missing out on Lucas ‘nqz’ Soares, who went to 00 Nation instead. For zews, who reunites with his former SK player João ‘felps’ Vasconcellos in this new challenge, Fluxo have “the most stacked firepower” in the recent history of Brazilian CS. “I don’t say this lightly,” he notes. “The roster is young and still has a lot to learn, but the future is bright if we do our jobs right. I have been pleasantly surprised by the talents we have. “It’s crazy to think that Fluxo have only been around CS for four months. They have already made waves and still spare no efforts to reach their goals. I think that says a lot about where this organization and team have their sights on. “As for history, I will let time be the judge. I have a feeling he’s going to be around for a while.” zews has spent the majority of his career abroad with Brazilian teams and international sides, developing a reputation as one of the best coaches the game has seen. As he returns to CS:GO after cheating death, he’s simply enjoying the moment, without setting any major targets or wondering where his career might take him. There is one thing, however, that he wants to cross off his bucket list. “I still dream of winning an S-tier event in Brazil,” he says. “It’s one of the few things that have eluded us. I would trade a Major for it in a heartbeat. I think that will always be my personal dream, considering the home crowd, family, etc. “Right now, I just want to enjoy being a part of the community and the competitive scene again while helping my guys achieve their full potential. Once that happens, I don’t think I’ll be too worried about trophies.”

Zeus Hits Out at Thorin Following Natus Vincere’s ESL One: Cologne Win Thorin Image: StarLadderDanylo ‘Zeus’ Teslenko has responded to criticism from Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields with some heated words after Na’Vi took the ESL One: Cologne 2018 title. The 30 year old Ukrainian is often the subject of criticism when Natus Vincere’s CS:GO team struggles to perform as he tends to be one of the weakest players in terms of statistics. However, as an in-game leader he is one of the most successful in the history of any iteration of Counter-Strike, winning major international titles in both 1.6 and Global Offensive. Zeus returned to his position in Na’Vi in August of 2017 but the team struggled to find the form that was expected of them, even with Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev performing like the best player in the history of the game. Read More: Cloud9’s RUSH Weighs in on the Home Crowd Advantage Debate Following BIG’s Impressive ESL One: Cologne Run – Circumstances have changed now, though, and Zeus has led the team to three tournament wins in a row, including an impressive victory at the $300,000 ESL One: Cologne tournament on July 8th. After taking the win, Zeus took to Twitter to respond to some criticism from Thorin’s comments about him being a “great leader but what a bot”, and he didn’t hold back: Good thing I’m a bot winning my 3rd event in a row, while you watch our games and pretend like you know what’s going on. Since you never achieved anything signficant in CS, I don’t find your statements competent, neither do I think you’re worthy of being an analyst. No respect. https://t.co/GlwGo7bLcn — Daniil Teslenko (@ZeusCS_GO) July 8, 2018 The storied player clearly doesn’t rate Thorin’s opinions, saying that he doesn’t believe he is competent or “worthy of being an analyst”. While the two clearly won’t be the best of friends at the moment, it seems likely that they will be able to squash the beef when emotions aren’t running so high. Read More: BIG Fans Make Plenty of Noise Outside of ESL One Cologne Arena After Semi-Final Celebration – Natus Vincere’s ESL One: Cologne win was the biggest that they have picked up since forming the current roster and was yet more evidence of Denis ‘electronic’ Sharipov coming into his own and sharing the heavy lifting with s1mple. While it is unlikely that Zeus will ever be the team’s top performer on the scoreboard, his vision for roster finally seems to be materialising as he leads them to ever more impressive results.

Yuurih: Furia ‘deserves’ title of Brazil’s premier CSGO team over MiBR e-SporTV / BLAST / FuriaFURIA Esports has been in the shadow of CSGO’s iconic Brazilian org MiBR for years, but Yuri ‘yuurih’ Gomes believes his club “deserves” to be the country’s premier name in the esport heading into the future. For years, CSGO had recurring Brazilian faces that would basically serve as national reps of South America. So when more homegrown projects start to scratch the surface of international appeal, they’re instantly compared to the teams led by Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo, namely MiBR. But the biggest stars from Brazil aren’t competing for the nation anymore, and that’s opened the door for new countrymen to take the spotlight. And now, it’s FURIA’s time to shine. “We work a lot,” Yuurih said to Dexerto as to why they deserve to be the premier Brazilian org. There was a time where FURIA was never mentioned without MiBR being brought up, but that time may finally be at an end, Yuurih suggested. “We have been working on this,” he said of FURIA’s success. “I’m proud of my team.” The team is facing Made in Brazil on April 13 in the BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2021. In the new era of CSGO, South America is showing up with reps in four different teams (9z Team, Team Liquid) at the Showdown. Of those remaining, FURIA have proven themselves to be favored competition among the elite. In the Fall Showdown, FURIA took down Team Liquid, 2-1. They would later bow out at 5-6th in the Fall Premier. But that would be at the tail end of an amazing 2020 that saw them lift trophies at three events: ESL Pro League Season 12, DreamHack Summer Open, and IEM New York. “Yeah, that’s for sure,” Yuurih, 21, said in response to FURIA replacing MiBR as the iconic Brazilian brand. “There’s a time we beat MiBR. Of course we are the [top] Brazilian team today.. We deserve this.” When the MiBR brand was revived in 2018. The Immortals Group brought the Brazillian name to the modern era with none other than SK Gaming’s lineup which ,at the time, consisted of FalleN, Marcelo ‘coldzera’ David, Ricardo ‘boltz’ Prass, Fernando ‘fer’ Alvarenga, and American Jacky ‘Stewie2K’ Yip. While the branding and starpower let MiBR explode to the point of donning Brazil’s famous yellow-and-green jerseys, times have changed. The names of Yuurih, Andrei ‘arT ’ Piovezan, Kaike ‘KSCERATO’ Cerato, and Vinicius ‘VINI’ Figueiredo have been talked about more on broadcasts than any of the rising Brazillian orgs, including today’s MiBR. Yuurih doesn’t deny their predecessors’ place in Brazil’s CSGO history. Instead, he’s looking to the next chapter of all-time greats by leading the pack in 2021. But this time the team will be doing so with American Paytyn ‘Junior’ Johnson, and Yuurih’s looking forward to where the team can go with the new addition. “It’s good for us, it’s the first tournament we play with Junior,” Yuurih said. “We’re going to learn a lot of things with him in this tournament… I think this tournament will be good for us to improve.” FURIA will look to add to their ever-growing story on Tuesday, April 13, when they go up against MiBR in the Round of 16 at the Spring Showdown 2021. Only two teams will move onto the $425,000 Spring Finals in June. Dexerto’s Matt Porter contributed to this report.

YouTuber Sparkles spends $15k on CSGO in pursuit of ultra rare skin CS.MONEY / Valve Popular Counter-Strike YouTuber, Sparkles, embarked on one of his most daring ventures yet in a bid to snag a StatTrak AK47 Fire Serpent in Factory New, but was it worth it? Trading up weapon skins in CS:GO is one of the less popular ways of acquiring your desired cosmetic. By acquiring 10 weapon skins from a specific collection, players can choose to exchange these for better graded weapon skin from the same collection with a Trade-Up Contract. While this has been a long-established method in CS:GO, it is seldom used, given the relative expense and risk involved — especially since your desired skin is not always guaranteed. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Sparkles set himself a near impossible (and expensive) challenge… To acquire the StatTrak Fire Serpent, in Factory New, no less. StatTrak Fire Serpent trade-up What’s so unique about acquiring a Factory New Fire Serpent, is that the lowest possible float value is 0.06. Considering that the Minimal Wear wear range starts at 0.07, that only gives players a 1% chance of landing a Factory New Fire Serpent in a trade-up… Unless of course, all of the skins are ultra low in their Factory New float value. With that in mind, Sparkles obtained all of the required skins with a super low float value. To make matters worse, the YouTuber was gunning for a StatTrak variant, meaning that the value of each skin was magnified considerably. After trading some lower-tier skins to gather the necessary Classified items, Sparkles was ready to make the plunge. The trade included: one Desert Eagle Hypnotic, three P2000 Ocean Foams and six AWP Graphites. And after some initial hesitation, Sparkles acquired his “dream” weapon skin. Was Sparkles’ trade-up worth it? There was a 50/50 chance that Sparkles walked away with a Desert Eagle Golden Koi for his troubles, which would have proved disastrous. But the question is, was it worth it? Based on CS.MONEY’s average sale value for a StatTrak variant of the Fire Serpent, the answer is no. According to the price chart, the weapon would (on average) sell for just north of $7,400… And considering the Fire Serpent in question is in the upper bracket of floats, with a value of 0.067, this would likely sell below the average price point. Sparkles estimated to have spent up to $15k on the skins required, which would leave himself in a deficit of $7.6k — but at least he got his dream weapon skin, right?

YouTuber Sparkles spends $14k on CSGO Katowice 2014 sticker capsules CS.MONEY / Valve / Dexerto Popular Counter-Strike YouTuber, Sparkles, made the plunge and snagged seven EMS Katowice 2014 sticker capsules – setting him back a mouth-watering $14,000! Together with CS.MONEY, we look at whether his virtual shopping spree was worthwhile. EMS Katowice 2014 sticker capsules are the most expensive in Counter-Strike by some way. Introduced as part of the ‘Arms Deal’ update, the sticker capsule represents the eight Challengers and Legends from ESL Major Series (EMS) One Major that took place in Katowice (2014). The stickers (Holos specifically) have soared in price in recent years, predominantly due to former top North American outfit, iBUYPOWER’s infamous match-fixing scandal against NetCodeGuides — where all members bar Tyler ‘Skadoodle’ Latham were convicted (and subsequently banned) for betting against themselves in the match for skins. With all of the lore surrounding the sticker capsules, they are undoubtedly the most sought after in the game — with one Challenger capsule setting you back just north of $2,100 (USD), while a Legend capsule will cost $1,400 (USD), per CS.MONEY. Read more: The 5 Youngest CSGO Major Winners in History – So in a bid to earn himself one of the coveted iBUYPOWER Holos, Sparkles bought seven sticker capsules (setting him back a hefty chunk of change). And while the Counter-Strike creator pleaded with the CS:God (Gaben pls) to bag the elusive Holo, it wasn’t to be — as he found himself immersed in nothing but regular Team Stickers. So after spending a staggering $14,000 on seven sticker capsules, Sparkles only landed $3,200 worth of stickers, according to CS.MONEY analytics for both Challenger and Legend capsules. Despite being setback almost $11,000, the YouTuber did manage to snag a Reason Gaming Sticker, which is the most expensive non-Holo sticker from any of the capsules. Related: Youngest CSGO Major winners ever: The High Grade Sticker has surged in price since the backend of 2019, seeing its value settle at around $1,300. So while Sparkles didn’t get his mitts on a Holo, the Reason Gaming Sticker will definitely be one to add to the collection!

YouTuber behind “Door Stuck” might delete iconic CSGO video due to dispute YouTube: KinetiK001“Door Stuck” is one of the most iconic memes in all of gaming — not just CS:GO. However, the original uploader, KinetiK001, might soon delete the iconic YouTube video after a “troll” copyright claimed it and is now earning the monetization revenue from it. “Ah I tried to sneak through the door, man. Can’t make it. This sh*t’s stuck. Out of my way son. Door’s stuck! Door’s stuck! Please, I beg you!” Those are the iconic screams from an ESEA match heard around the world more than 23 million times from “Door Stuck”. A then 16-year-old KinetiK001, who was trolling his teammate in gaming for rapping loudly, recorded the clip, uploaded it to YouTube in 2007. From then, it slowly gained notoriety. However, the 14-year-old internet meme might soon be deleted due to a copyright dispute. In an upload on July 27, almost 15 years on from its release, KinetiK described a “big confusion labyrinth of YouTube regulations I’m going through right now” in trying to regain monetization for the video. His channel was originally demonetized a few years ago after using it to upload music for higher sound quality than he could get on Spotify. YouTube demonetized his channel so he then took down the music to try and get that Door Stuck income back. The video made KinetiK approximately 80 cents a day — at least that’s what he said eight years ago during a Reddit AMA. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but across 14 years that’s about $4,000 if it stayed at that rate. After appealing the demonetization though, he was knocked back: “I got the response back ‘my channel reuses someone else’s content without providing anything of significant value’. That’s true when I was uploading albums and not monetizing them, but I think that was an automated decision because I only left Door Stuck and got the same reply.” His video appeal was unsuccessful after YouTube said he “didn’t show enough of my creative process that it was my video” — bearing in mind it was uploaded in 2007 and all he did “was start up Fraps and record myself on de_cpl_mill.” There’s a new problem though. Someone else has claimed the copyright for Door Stuck and is now monetizing it even though they didn’t create the video. “I’ve got some copyright troll claimed Door Stuck as their own and monetized it while I’m in this appeals process,” he explained. “It’s extremely scummy. They reuploaded it and they’re the ones making money off of it — or were until I paused it until I appealed it.” KinetiK has called on YouTube to give him back the rights to Door Stuck and monetize the original clip. Of not, he will take the drastic step to delete a bit of internet history with the original video. “If YouTube doesn’t do the right thing and continues to allow this troll to make money, I’m going to delete Door Stuck. There’s no way I’m going to let this asshole steal money — granted I didn’t do a lot of effort but I did upload the video. “I know it’s bad timing with the Friday Night Funkin’ mod, but I might have to delete the video. If I get rejected for my monetization and that person is monetizing, I’m going to delete Door Stuck. I’m sorry it’s come to this, but blame YouTube’s policies.” KinetiK can appeal YouTube’s monetization decision once again on August 23, but if he gets declined, that’ll be the end of the original Door Stuck. It won’t be gone from the internet forever as there’s hundreds of copycats on YouTube, but that first clip will vanish.

CS:GO Reporter Pala With the Most Awkward Handshake Moment in Interview History @PALAPala ‘Pala’ Gilroy Sen took awkward handshake fails to a whole new level during the StarLadder i-League Season 5 finals while interviewing a professional CS:GO player. Pala, formerly known as Mantrousse, is a gaming YouTuber with a heavy focus on comedy and is well known for his various skits, let’s plays, and vlogs. He also does a variety of work in the esports scene as a presenter, host, and interviewer, predominantly for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive events. He has worked at CS:GO Majors, like DreamHack Cluj-Napoca and PGL Kraków, as well as a number of other premier tournaments like the ECS finals, DreamHack Masters competitions, and StarLadder events. Read More: Former OpTic Star Mixwell’s Time With G2 Esports Comes To An End as French CS:GO Roster Shuffle Looks Imminent – The Brit is currently working at the StarLadder i-League Season 5 Finals in Kiev as an interviewer but on May 28th he met his match when attempting to get a handshake from Mateusz ‘TOAO’ Zawistowski. Pala spoke to the AGO Esports player prior to their match against their Polish rivals Virtus.Pro. Unfortunately the handshake at the beginning, or lack of it, was enough to distract anyone that tuned in to listen to it. The history of esports is littered with hilarious handshake fails and there is something oddly satisfying about watching it happen to someone and imagining how you would deal with it yourself. Perhaps TOAO was just too focused on the match ahead of him as AGO toppled Virtus.Pro 2-0 and proved that they deserve to be thought of as the current number one team in Poland (or perhaps he was stunned by the horrific heads, shoulders, knees and TOAO joke). Luckily for Pala, the handshake did finally happen at the conclusion of the interview. However, something tells us that he won’t be living this one down any time soon if the rest of the broadcast team has anything to say about it.

Young CS:GO star ZywOo gives hilarious interview as he is too shy to speak at FACEIT London Major A young CS:GO player, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbot, tipped by many to be one of the next great players, was invited to play in the showmatch at the FACEIT London Major – but was almost too nervous to speak. Before and after the match, the stage host Freya Spiers was speaking to the lineups of each roster for the showmatch, which took place before the grand final. However, when she got to asking ZywOo a question about what it was like being on stage in front of all the fans, the only answer he could think of was “I don’t know”. But Spiers didn’t give up, going back to ZywOo to give him another chance and asking him what he thought about teammate ShahZam’s game plan of “trolling” with Zeus x27’s. ZywOo gave his answer a little more thought on this occasion, but ultimately, stuck to his tried and tested “I don’t know” – a true wordsmith. In fairness to the 17 year old Frenchman, english isn’t his first language, and that coupled with the stage fright probably threw him off. However, he quickly started to play along with his own joke, as the crowd were loving his short answers. When asked “ZywOo, have you got anything to add”, he kept it short and sweet – “no.” And finally, after the match was all said and done (and ZywOo’s team had won 19-15), Spiers gave the future star another opportunity to speak to fans and surely this time he would have something to say. But, he remained stoic as ever, simply replying “no” once again, to the amusement of the packed crowd at the Wembley SSE Arena. ZywOo has been linked with moves to many top organizations, but turned them down to focus on his schoolwork. He is currently signed to Against All Authority, but many predict big things in his future. With the showmatch out of the way, attention quickly turned to the main event, the grand final between Na’Vi and Astralis. You can watch all the action from the FACEIT London Major here.

You can now see how much money you’ve spent on CSGO skins Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players around the world have revealed how much they’ve spent on skins and here’s how you can check your spending. CS:GO skins are incredibly popular in the game, with the majority of players having earned or bought a skin at some point during their play time. They can drop from playing matches, be opened through the game’s loot box system, or bought on the market or through a third-party website. Most of the time if a player wants a skin their best bet is to simply buy it and some players have revealed just how much they’ve spent. This screen shows just how much users have spent on CSGO skins.500 A Reddit thread encouraging fans to show off how much they’ve spent quickly gained popularity, with the original poster dubbing the posts as “sad stories only”, starting off by posting his own spending’s, which add up to over $3000. Other players quickly joined in, posting their screenshots, some players barely spent anything, while others may have spent a small fortune. A user named Her-Cat managed to dominate the competition, showing that they’ve spent an enormous $137,452 on the game. However, one user pointed out that this may not be entirely accurate, as it includes trading, where you could in theory keep spending the same $20 over and over to inflate the sum. Regardless, it’s easy to see how players are able to spend large sums of cash on the game as some of the best skins sell for well over $1000, so who knows, Her-Cat’s record may even be somewhat realistic and the one to beat. How to see how much you’ve spent on CSGO skins Seeing how much you’ve spent on Counter-Strike is easy, although, if you’re an avid player, you may not want to see the results. If you are up for it, however, all you need to do is open Steam or the Steam website, hover over your name and click badges, then find CSGO and click “How do I earn card drops?” There you will be able to find how much you’ve spent. Hopefully, you won’t be too shocked by the number that comes up.

You can now play Counter-Strike on the Nintendo DS and it’s incredible Valve, NintendoCounter-Strike has provided PC players with incredible FPS action for decades but, thanks to a brilliant new Nintendo DS port, it is now playable on the fan-favorite handheld console. Valve’s Counter-Strike franchise is one of the most influential additions to the FPS genre in history, forging unforgettable competitive gameplay. Despite attempts to bring Counter-Strike to consoles, the transition never really stuck the landing and remains a PC game first and foremost. However, a dedicated fan refused to be dissuaded by the issues and is bringing the experience to handheld players…on the Nintendo DS. Counter-Strike DS port is amazing If you’ve ever wanted to experience Counter-Strike on the go, you don’t have to wait for Steam Deck to arrive. Dig out your old Nintendo DS, because game programmer Fewnity has managed to bring Counter-Strike to Nintendo’s beloved handheld. Read More: The story behind CSGO’s greatest clutch ever – Dubbed as a “work in progress” by Fewnity, the clever fan-made version of Valve’s classic utilizes the DS’s touch screen surprisingly well. Allowing players to buy their weapons on the bottom touchscreen, the explosive action takes place above. Fewnity has been working on this project for quite some time, with initial previews appearing as far back as February 2021. Over the course of the year, the aspiring game developer has implemented multiple features such as rumble, improved weapon handling, and even cross-play on the same server, with the PlayStation Vita. Counter Strike PS Vita and Nintendo DS cross-platform 😱😱😱 Yes, these two consoles are on the same server 😜 #gamedev #homebrew #remake pic.twitter.com/4O1hoU7m0C— Fewnity (@Fewnity) June 30, 2021 Currently, the alpha version of the game includes a rough look at the Single Player mode. Multiplayer is due to be included in the future, which will surely be an awesome sight to behold. Players can jump in straight away and download Fewnity’s alpha of the Nintendo DS creation now.

YNk steps down as FaZe Clan CSGO coach following NiKo’s exit ELEAGUEJanko ‘YNk’ Paunović has stepped down as the head coach of FaZe Clan’s CSGO team following the transfer of Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač to G2 Esports. [jwplayer w8HMOeqc] YNk cited issues within the team and wanted to step aside as FaZe will be looking to build up their lineup again, which still features highly-talented players even with the exit of their Bosnian star. “For a while now the team has been struggling with some recurring issues in and out of the game which I’ve done my best to try and amend but unfortunately without much success,” YNk said. “I feel that the best way to move forward is for the team and myself to part ways and, with NiKo going to G2, give the players and the organization the opportunity to get a new coach and IGL who can work on taking the team forward.” The former MiBR and FaZe coach also indicated that he’s going to break from coaching CSGO for the rest of 2020, and left the next year open-ended. A player and broadcaster before his coaching career, YNk leaves the org in the same month his team beat OG Esports 3-0 in the EU Intel Extreme Masters New York Online grand finals. Last week, they placed 9th at the DreamHack Open Fall 2020. YNk has been with the team since the beginning of 2019. While they managed to put good results together at various BLAST events and some online tourneys in 2020, FaZe struggled to put up consistent performances against top teams. YNk is stepping aside in a pivotal moment for FaZe Clan’s roster. Longtime face of the org’s CSGO team, Niko, has moved on from FaZe, and the coach will stand down to let them make something out of the stars still on roster like Marcelo ‘coldzera’ David, Håvard ‘rain’ Nygaard, Markus ‘Kjaerbye’ Kjærbye, and rising talent Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants. As more CSGO events and competitors continue to either migrate or revolve around EU, YNk could still have prospects in the competitive or broadcasting sides of the scene. Once a team with superstar players in every role, FaZe is now on the market to fill up their roster to standard capacity, as the latest shakeups leave them without a fifth member and a head coach to take the reigns.

YNk roasts tarik as FaZe Clan CSGO destroy Evil Geniuses at IEM Beijing FaZe Clan coach Janko ‘YNk’ Paunović roasted Evil Geniuses’ Tarik ‘tarik’ Celik as the Europeans dominated at IEM Beijing. The first day of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive‘s IEM Beijing has come to an end with Group A going rather expectedly as Astralis advanced in first place, while ViCi Gaming were the first team to be eliminated. Group B, on the other hand, saw an upset from the get-go, as FaZe destroyed Evil Geniuses 2-0 while showing a bit of smack talk. YNk instigated the trash talk in his team’s match against EG. FaZe were dismantling the Americans in a best of three series, with the second map, Dust2, not going much better than the first, which Faze managed to win 16:7. After a particularly tense round, Janko was heard shouting “it’s not the table’s fault, Tarik”, no doubt in response to hearing the Turk slam his table after a round loss. .@YNk has a message for @tarik :fire:#IEM pic.twitter.com/FFv4oRSLHs — ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) November 7, 2019 This silly type of smack talk is fairly rare in Counter-Strike, but always makes matches a touch more exciting as it feels like it raises the stakes of the match – no one wants to be the one talking smack and losing afterward. Fans also enjoyed YNk’s comments, with Redditors replying to a thread with positive comments such as “I do like the new approach to smack talk during matches” commenting on players simply shouting across the room at their opponents. There hasn’t been any more trash talk from other players during the tournament, but FaZe return to the stage tomorrow with a game against Vitality, where we might see some more interesting comments. You can follow the action of IEM Beijing in our coverage hub, with FaZe vs Vitality kicking things off at 8:00 PM PST on November 7 (4:00 AM GMT Nov 8).

YNk Quits CS:GO Analyst Desk for New Coaching Role with MiBR ELEAGUEMade in Brazil (MiBR) have unveiled former professional player and analyst Janko “YNk” Paunovic as head coach of their CS:GO team, following a sticky patch in performances. The MiBR roster has had a turbulent start since its transfer from SK Gaming, recruiting former Cloud9 player Tarik “tarik” Celic in place of Ricardo “boltz” Prass after only one event. YNk, best known for his stellar analysis work at various major tournaments, will take over head coach duties on August 13, when the team will begin bootcamping in Madrid. YNk will be stepping away from the analyst desk for the foreseeable future, and his move comes after he recently voiced frustration with the lack of ‘analysis tools’ and production value at major events. Uma das mudanças mais esperadas chegou, hoje damos as boas vindas ao nosso novo coach, @YNk ! One of the most anticipated additions is finally here, please welcome our new Head Coach, @YNk !#SomosMIBR https://t.co/6xIDo8i52R pic.twitter.com/eR67kNjhvH — MIBR (@mibr) August 1, 2018 MIBR announced today the hiring of Janko “YNk” Paunovic as Head Coach of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. Janko “YNk” Paunovic has worn many hats across his career, starting as a Counter-Strike player in 1.6 and Global Offensive. He transitioned to an observer role with ESL in 2015, and later became one of the most popular analysts on the current tournament circuit. Janko joins MIBR effective today and will be with the team starting on August 13, when they begin bootcamping in Madrid for the upcoming tournament season. I’m incredibly excited to be a part of MIBR as their new coach! I have a lot of respect for the organisation and the way they do things. The opportunity to work with some of the best players this game has ever seen is something I couldn’t pass on. I’m looking forward to this new challenge and to getting this team back to where it belongs, the #1 spot in the world! #SomosMIBR Estou super feliz em fazer parte do MIBR. Respeito muito a organização e a maneira como trabalham. A oportunidade de trabalhar com alguns dos melhores jogadores que o jogo já viu, era um oportunidade que não poderia perder. Espero superar mais esse desafio e proporcionar ao time o que eles precisam e voltarmos ao lugar que pertencem o #1 do mundo! #SomosMIBR It is a busy period coming up for MiBR, with the ZOTAC Cup Masters, a $300,000 tournament in Hong Kong on August 24-26, before heading straight to Sweden for DreamHack Masters Stockholm on August 29. And of course, the FACEIT London Major in September is on the horizon, and with MiBR’s recent form, YNk has his work cut out if he is to turn this undeniably talented roster in to a squad capable of taking home the biggest prizes. MiBR CS:GO Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo – Fernando “fer” Alvarenga – Marcelo “coldzera” David – Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip – Tarik “tarik” Celik – Janko “YNk” Paunovic (Coach) –

YNk Airs His Frustrations With the Lack of Analysis Tools and Slow Progression in Production Value at CS:GO Events DreamHack / Adela SznajderCounter-Strike: Global Offensive analyst Janko ‘YNk’ Paunović has aired his frustrations with the lack of tools available for him and his colleagues at tournaments. The Serbian is widely regarded as one of the best and must thorough analysts in the business and is often remembered for his “weatherman” segments at DreamHack Masters Malmö 2016. That event took place in April of 2016 and YNk took advantage of the ability to use a map and various replays to emphasize his points about the matches during the desk segments. However, that was two years ago and there has been little to no advancement in the tools and visual aids that CS:GO analysts and pundits can use while covering matches at events. In fact, most events don’t even provide anything close to what Malmö had and some premiere tournaments still don’t even show replays of the key moments that the analysts are discussing. This lack of progression seems to have left YNk, who is currently working at the $300,000 StarSeries i-League Finals, frustrated. Taking to Twitter on May 31st, he lamented the fact that he and Chad ‘SPUNJ’ Burchill only had highlights and stats to help them break down the intense SK Gaming vs. Team Liquid match. We try our best, but the difference between just talking about some of the rounds and actually having the ability to show some of that stuff on an example is night and day. This is not a jab at Starladder, they’ve added some other things (AR), more about the scene in general — Janko Paunovic (@YNk) May 31, 2018 The retired player went on to make it clear that he was not taking a shot at the event organizers, as they have added some other interesting features, and that his statement was about the CS:GO scene in general. YNk believes that the DreamHack Masters Malmö 2016 weatherman segment is still the best tool that CS:GO analysts have had and is concerned about the lack of innovation. So much more can be done to make things more appealing to the viewers, add value to some of those pre/post game segments and draw more people to this beautiful game but the focus right now seems to be elsewhere (predominantly on players, then HUDs, arena experience, etc.) — Janko Paunovic (@YNk) May 31, 2018 The passionate analyst concluded by saying that “so much more can be done” to appeal to viewers and add value to the desk segments between maps and in pre and post-match analysis. He believes that Counter-Strike is the easiest esport to understand and get into for casual fans and that better production value can improve this even more and help viewers to understand the beauty and nuance of high level CS:GO. CS is by FAR the easiest esport for people to get into, you may argue about the whole gun/terrorist theme and it keeping some sponsors away but in reality if the viewership is there sponsors will inevitably come. Higher production value can act as a multiplier in that sense imo — Janko Paunovic (@YNk) May 31, 2018 I just want more ways to show people how awesome CounterStrike is, can I have that? Pretty please? 🙁 — Janko Paunovic (@YNk) May 31, 2018

YEKINDAR claims NAVI’s “stars are aligning” in time for PGL Stockholm Major success João Ferreira / DexertoHeroic was one comeback too far for Virtus.pro at the PGL Stockholm CS:GO Major, falling to the Danes 2-1 in the quarter-finals. It’s not the result Mareks ‘YEKINDAR’ Gaļinskis wanted, but he says it was never quite ‘theirs’ — the “stars are aligning” for CIS rivals Natus Vincere instead. Virtus.pro could not mount a Major miracle akin to their 2019 successes as Avangar in Berlin. The CIS roster have officially bowed out of the PGL Stockholm CS:GO Major in the quarter-finals, losing to Denmark’s last hope Heroic 2-1. It was a tight series between the two squads. While Virtus.pro started out slow on their map pick of Heroic, with almost every play being answered with a resounding swarm, they managed to pick up the pace on Ancient with star AWper and IGL Dzhami ‘Jame’ Ali stepping up big. However, on the deciding map of Inferno, the pressure got to Virtus.pro. Big plays from YEKINDAR kept the CIS squad in it — and the faithful had hopes of a comeback like they put on in earlier matches in the Major. Virtus.pro were never really on a level playing field with the Danes, who ran away with the series 16-10, 13-16, 12-16 after the slight resistance. “Overall our mood was great, our mental stability was also really great. We believed in the comeback until the very end but we lost some crucial rounds on both Mirage and Inferno,” YEKINDAR told Dexerto. “On Mirage we couldn’t hang onto the CT rounds. We were winning one, then losing again. We didn’t have the economy and we couldn’t get our stacks right. “For Heroic, we always [pushed] into their stacks and we were losing rounds because of it. Overall it was bad macro by us in the game.” Virtus.pro starts building for the future with FL1T A quarter-finals exit isn’t the glamorous result to hope for, but for a Virtus.pro who was integrating Evgeny ‘FL1T’ Lebedev at the last minute, they couldn’t ask for much more. The Russian, formerly with forZe, jumped into the squad as a “temporary change” for the benched Sanjar ‘SANJI’ Kuliev. The future of the roster remains somewhat uncertain — the team wanted to leave big decisions until after the Major. FL1T’s 0.99 rating at his Major debut isn’t the biggest breakout performance, but according to YEKINDAR, he did his job well. “You couldn’t call him a stand-in, but I think he did great,” he said. “This experience — first tournament for a team is really important with a new player, and I wish I had the same opportunity when I joined VP to play at a Major. I believed he gained a lot of knowledge about us and our playstyle and mentality and I believe we have a great future ahead of us.” YEKINDAR — who topped the ratings across the event for Virtus.pro with 1.09 — called his form “quite normal”, neither satisfied nor annoyed. There were some concerns about Jame though, who was off his usually sharp shot at the Major. YEKINDAR brushed off though, claiming the late roster change forced the AWPer to focus more on calling rounds than hitting the insane shots we’ve grown accustomed too. “Jame was fully focusing on calling throughout this best of three. On these types of games when you have a new player that maybe doesn’t fully know what is the plan, Jame — the in-game leader — needs to focus more on the calling and helping his teammates to be on the same page,” he said. “It’s just for this tournament, I believe in the future it’ll be a lot better.” Can anyone stop NAVI? With Virtus.pro out, YEKINDAR’s eyes have now drifted towards who’s primed to win it all at the PGL Stockholm CS:GO Major — and it’s hard to look past Natus Vincere. NAVI has won almost everything there is to win in the last two years. Since their disappointing quarter-finals exit in Berlin in 2019, they’ve taken home IEM Katowice 2020, the BLAST Premier Global Final 2020, IEM Cologne 2021, and ESL Pro League Season 14. They have only finished outside the top 10 of an event once in two years, and more often than not found themselves nearing the podium. Everything is going to plan for the kings of CIS — just in time to get, what many believe, to be a well-deserved Major title for Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev. YEKINDAR believes NAVI are the favorites for a reason, but there’s one force that can stop them, and it’s the young guns at Gambit who have contested their CIS dynasty across the online era. “I believe in NAVI, the stars are aligning for them at this Major, but I would say that Gambit has a chance. If they go through [the quarter-finals], the only team that can beat NAVI is Gambit,” he said. “It’s good that they’re [meeting] in the semi-finals. I believe in finals it’ll be harder for them, but in semi-finals, Gambit could have a lot of chances.”

Xyp9x to feature for Astralis in BLAST Premier Fall Groups ESLAndreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth is once again practicing with the team and will feature in their next tournament, BLAST Premier Fall Groups, Dexerto has confirmed. The ‘Clutch Minister’ will return to action after sitting out ESL Pro League Season 14 – in which he was replaced by the team’s newest recruit, 18-year-old AWPer Philip ‘Lucky’ Ewald. Multiple sources have confirmed to Dexerto that Xyp9x has been practicing with the team instead of Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander. The Danish in-game leader has still been on the server during practice but from a coaching slot alongside head coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen. gla1ve will be taking a short break from activity in anticipation of the birth of his first child. In March, he broke the news on Twitter that he would become a father “in about six months.” WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS ❤️. In about 6 months, 2 will turn into 3 😍. We dont know if its going to be a boy or girl yet, but we cant wait to find out 😊. Exciting times ahead. pic.twitter.com/nCQppEMRTS — Łukasz Rossander (@gla1ve_csgo) March 20, 2021 Paternity leave Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports at the Astralis Group, told Dexerto that, “even though it is not a tradition in esports”, gla1ve has been granted paternity leave “to focus on his upcoming role as a father.” “Everybody contributes to the team every single day and, as mentioned when we added a sixth player for the Fall, everybody will have an active role,” Mr. Hvidt added. Read more: Sources: coldzera poised to join Complexity – “We strongly believe that players and everybody else working in an elite environment will perform better if there is a balance in their life and room to focus on what’s important. “At the same time, Andreas performs extremely well and contributes with a lot of positive energy, so it was an obvious choice for all.” Future in doubt Xyp9x’s long-term future has been a fervent source of conjecture in recent months, especially since he revealed in an exclusive interview with Dexerto in August that “everything is up in the air.” The 25-year-old is one of three Astralis players with contracts running out at the end of the year. Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen and Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif have not yet made any comment about their future plans. Zonic’s deal is also up at the end of 2021. HLTV.org reported in July that the 35-year-old was considering leaving Astralis and that Nicolai ‘HUNDEN’ Petersen had been earmarked as the man to lead the squad from 2022. But with the former Heroic coach having been banned for two years by ESIC, the future structure of Astralis’ coaching staff looks more uncertain than ever. Astralis crashed out of ESL Pro League Season 14 in the group stage with a 2-3 record. They beat Bad News Bears and Spirit and lost to ENCE, Vitality, and Heroic, failing to take a single map off any of these three teams. The Danish team will face Evil Geniuses on September 16 in their first match in the BLAST Premier Fall Group A, which also includes Vitality and Liquid. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Fall Final, while the bottom two will go to the Showdown tournament alongside two invitees and eight sides coming from regional and national qualifiers.

Xyp9x signs new Astralis contract until 2025: “I feel at home” AstralisAstralis player Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth has committed his future to the organization for the next four years ahead of the PGL Major in Stockholm. The news puts an end to speculation about Xyp9x’s future as he was about to enter the final two months of his contract with Astralis. In an exclusive interview with Dexerto in August, the ‘Clutch Minister’ had revealed that he was weighing up his options and that everything was “up in the air”. The announcement of the extension comes just days after Astralis confirmed that Xyp9x will be part of the team’s starting lineup for PGL Major Stockholm. This means that he will remain a part of the select group of players who have attended all CS:GO Majors, a list that also includes his teammate Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen. Re-election for the Clutch Minister. Read: https://t.co/tXzle7gGJW pic.twitter.com/TPNDr0rlei — Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) October 18, 2021 ‘At home’ Xyp9x spoke of his excitement at renewing his contract with Astralis, his organization since 2016. He has won almost all there is to win with the team, including four Major titles and an Intel Grand Slam. “It is no secret that I had other options, but I am truly excited that we have come to an agreement that means I can stay right here, where I feel at home,” he said in a statement. “With my future settled, I can now use all my energy and focus to get the team back where we belong, starting with the coming tournament in Stockholm. “I have had a lot of honest talks with the organization about ambitions and expectations, where Astralis is today, and the direction we’re moving in. “I have a really good feeling about the development of the team and organization, and I have no doubt Astralis will have an exceptionally strong position in the coming years. I am equally happy and proud to be a big part of that development.” Xyp9x follows in the footsteps of in-game leader Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander, who recently signed a new contract until the summer of 2024. The Danish tactician has returned from paternity leave after sitting out two events and will be part of the starting lineup for the Major. Astralis now have only two players with contracts expiring at the end of the year: dupreeh and Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif. Lucas ‘Bubzkji’ Andersen is tied to the organization until the summer of 2022, while Philip ‘Lucky’ Ewald signed in July 2021 a contract of undisclosed length. The Danish organization have been credited with an interest in Danish star Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke, who recently parted ways with Complexity. In announcing his departure, the North American organization explained that the player had “chosen a different direction for 2022.” Discover more: CSGO Pros Answer: Is dev1ce Counter-Strike’s AWP god? – Astralis are one of the 16 teams that will start PGL Major Stockholm from the Challengers Stage, which will kick off on October 26. The top eight sides will move on to the Legends Stage, where they will join eight other teams.

Xyp9x offers solution to crowd noise issues after ESL Pro League drama The crowd noise brewed up some controversy at the CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 10 finals and Astralis star Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth has now spoken out about the issue. During their semi-final matchup against mousesports, it appeared that the Odense crowd were offering the hometown stars of Astralis a little more support than is acceptable, cheering as Xyp9x peeked a corner and hinting that the enemy could be there. Naturally, many took to social media to complain at this potential unfair advantage Astralis could have, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether they were actually benefitting from the crowd’s cheers. Whether they did or didn’t, mousesports powered through and went on to win the match (as well as the tournament) anyway. While Dupreeh made a statement shortly after the fact, explaining how this is common on LAN and that “when the crowd goes excited every player in the server looks for flanks or uncleared positions,” Xyp9x has come out to explain his position, too. In a Twitlonger, posted on December 8, he said that “there is a clear difference between (i) the crowd actually giving away a position or other sensitive information (e.g. shouting “A”) and (ii) the crowd getting loud and excited about a play that is about to happen, as was the case with this play.” He then offers what he believes to be the one available solution.”Make soundproof booths. I’m talking about a properly soundproofed booth which eliminates undue outside sound interference.” Competitive integrity and stage games Read: https://t.co/o2mnemMdup — Andreas Højsleth (@Xyp9x) December 9, 2019 The Dane went on to explain that he knows why this isn’t always possible – be it operating costs to get soundproof booths built on stage at the arenas, or the fire and safety hazard it could potentially pose. He also explained how speakers and sound systems in the arenas can often give away plays too, saying that the audio cues provided help LAN players know if someone has been hit by a grenade, for example. Xyp9x goes on to confirm that discussions around this will be had. He said: “On the player side of things, we will be discussing this within the players association and afterward reach out to tournament organizers with a view to finding solutions.” While soundproof booths aren’t a new idea, they haven’t been utilized very often in esports for exactly the reasons explained above. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes from this development, and whether the player’s association and tournament organizers will be able to come to some form of agreement.

Xyp9x hopeful of continuing Major appearance streak: “It would mean a lot to me” Simon Howar/ESLThe ‘Clutch Minister’ has not yet missed a single Counter-Strike Major, but as PGL Stockholm nears, there are doubts as to whether he will be part of Astralis’ plans for the event. Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth has been confirmed in the starting lineup for Astralis’ next two events, the BLAST Premier Fall Groups and IEM Fall. In the first tournament, he will fill the void left by in-game leader Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander, who is on paternity leave. Xyp9x watched from the sidelines as Astralis were eliminated from ESL Pro League Season 14 in the group stage with a 2-3 record. It was Philip ‘Lucky’ Ewald’s first tournament with the team following his transfer from Tricked, which increased their roster to six players. Now back on the team, Xyp9x is eager to contribute again, hoping to prove that he deserves a shot to play at PGL Major Stockholm if the team qualify for the prestigious event. Extending the streak Xyp9x is part of a select group of players who have not yet missed a Counter-Strike Major. Besides him, only Olof ‘olofmeister’ Kajbjer, Nicolai ‘device’ Reedtz, Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen, Danylo ‘Zeus’ Teslenko (who retired from the game in 2020), and Richard ‘shox’ Papillon have attended all 15 Majors. And the 26-year-old is eager to keep that streak alive. “It would mean a lot to me,” Xyp9x told Dexerto. “Majors are what we play for. They are the most important tournaments. “Sometimes, things are out of control and I cannot really dictate what Astralis can or should do. But I can do my best inside and outside the server. “Let’s see if I’ll be playing the Major.” LAN return With gla1ve taking some time off for the birth of his first child, it will be Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif calling the shots on Astralis in the near future. He is no stranger to the role, having led the team for a few months in 2020, mostly during gla1ve’s medical leave of absence. “He has done it before, with okay success, and it was a no-brainer to put him in the role again,” Xyp9x said. Astralis have been paired alongside Evil Geniuses, Vitality, and Liquid in BLAST Premier Fall’s Group A, which will kick off on September 16. Despite the team’s recent struggles, Xyp9x is optimistic of their chances of finishing top two in the group and qualifying for the Fall Finals, which will be held on their home turf: Copenhagen’s Royal Arena. “We love to play in Denmark and we love to please the fans in Denmark,” he said. “We aim to go on from the group stage, we believe that our chances are fairly good. “It would be amazing to play at the Royal Arena again after all the restrictions. Filling that arena would be amazing.” The new AWPer As Astralis take to the server in the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, many eyes will be on Lucky. The 18-year-old has a lot of pressure on his shoulders in replacing dev1ce as the team’s primary AWPer after a brief period in which dupreeh took on sniping duties. Lucky had a modest outing in his debut tournament, averaging a 1.00 HLTV rating, and Xyp9x offered his support to the newcomer, saying that it will take some time for the former Tricked player to get acclimated to his new surroundings. “Lucky is a really young guy, and once you get into a team that has a lot of experienced players and has a certain way to play the game, it’s very tough for a young guy to be vocal and take initiative,” Xyp9x explained. “I think he has the potential but he needs time against many tier-one teams. There’s a big difference between playing in tier-three or tier-four on Tricked and getting into Astralis, where you’re facing tier-one teams all the time. You just don’t get the easy picks and the easy kills. .@gla1ve_csgo was star-struck running into this legend so he just had to get a selfie with him. 🤩 Seriously though, if you’re still not sure who @Luckyv1CSGO is get to know him in this video: ▶ https://t.co/4UIXgoXZb9 pic.twitter.com/fHVoHNfgtY — Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) August 25, 2021 “Playing more practice games against the sort of opponents we play against will make him more comfortable in what he can and cannot do. It’s very tough coming from a lower tier and getting into that tier one. “Once you get punished for something you’re used to doing, you’re thinking, ‘I can’t do anything’. That’s also a mindset thing, and he has been working on that. All of that is being worked on, and I think he has shown progress.”

Xyp9x exploring options as Astralis contract nears end: “Everything is up in the air” ESLIn an exclusive interview with Dexerto, Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth says that he is currently weighing up his options. The ‘Clutch Minister’ has only a few months left on his contract with Astralis, his home since 2016. Xyp9x is one of three players on Astralis with contracts running out at the end of the year, alongside Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen and Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif. The Danish organization has yet to give any public indication as to whether it is planning to offer new deals to these three players, having so far only agreed to an extension with in-game leader Lukas ’gla1ve’ Rossander, who in July penned a three-year contract until the summer of 2024. Rather than waiting to see where Astralis is sitting by the time his contract expires, Xyp9x decided to be proactive. He wants to see what the market bears before deciding on his future. “I love Astralis, but I think now is a great opportunity to look around, see my options, and see what the future brings,” he told Dexerto. “There have been some talks with Astralis but nothing is set in stone. Everything is up in the air. “I just know that I want to continue playing at the highest level. I can easily see myself using my skills and experience to build up a new successful unit or maybe help an established team take the next steps to the top.” Xyp9x has been on Astralis’ books since the organization was created, in January 2016, playing a key role in the team’s journey to becoming the most successful side in the history of competitive Counter-Strike. They hold the record for the most Major titles, four, and are also the first team to have won three Majors back to back. After two years of aggressive dominance of the Counter-Strike scene, Astralis hit a stumbling block in 2020. The team lost some of their luster and aura in the online era caused by the global health crisis, especially when Xyp9x and gla1ve both had to take medical leaves due to burnout. That summer, a report from Dexerto’s Richard Lewis shed light on the extent of the Danish organization’s problems. Astralis brought back the Major-winning lineup for the final stretch of the season and finished the year on a high note, but the problems didn’t end there: In April, after a disappointing start to the season, Astralis sold star player Nicolai ‘device’ Reedtz to Ninjas in Pyjamas in a shock transfer deal. Last month, HLTV.org reported that head coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen is weighing up his options as he enters the final months of his contract. Xyp9x admits that things have never quite been the same since device left the team. “I thought we still could manage to win tournaments,” he says. “After that, as things progressed, I just didn’t see the same era [happening] again. “I’m not saying that we can’t win tournaments with this lineup, but it’s certainly tougher and contracts are running out, so we have a short window to get everything fixed. “Given the dynasty that we had for three years, almost winning everything, managing to win four Majors… There is a really long road. “I think that when device left, that was when the era died, so to speak.” Despite rumors suggesting that tension between the Astralis management and the teams continues to build as zonic and some of the players approach the end of their contracts, Xyp9x maintains that he has no underlying grievances with the organization. “There is nothing about the organization that has led to this,” he says. “I’m only thinking about myself and where to win tournaments. That’s mainly where I put my focus. Any player would weigh up his options when his contract is about to end. “We as a team created an era and I don’t have any bad feelings towards Astralis. They helped us get here with performance optimization, elevating us. “But now it’s a different team and a different era. I think we can conclude that the first Astralis that I was part of is over.” Still hungry Some might be inclined to question Xyp9x’s motivation and hunger to succeed, given that he has won almost all there is to win in the Counter-Strike scene and that he has been competing at the top for almost a decade. But the Danish player points to his performances at IEM Cologne – where he was Astralis’ best player with a 1.07 HLTV rating – as an indicator that he still has a lot to offer, especially as esports are sliding towards a return to normalcy and LAN events are becoming more frequent. “I think I did a good job in Cologne,” he says. “When it comes to LAN, that’s where people get nervous but I become calm. It’s my home turf. “I just don’t get nervous, like less experienced players tend to do. Hopefully, this COVID situation will soon be resolved or at least controlled so we can go out and play on LAN again because that’s where I feel my biggest strengths are. “Organizations will also look at how people perform on LAN when we are to go back to that. In that sense, I have pretty good chances [of finding a new team]. “I want to prove myself that I’ve still got it, and I think I showed it in Cologne. It would be amazing to find those other four players, the coach and the organization, to win another Major with. “I’m not done, I want to win more trophies.” While talking to Xyp9x, one gets the sense of inevitability that he is about to close the book on this incredible chapter of his career. He goes through “a lot of emotions” when asked to reflect on the years he has spent competing under Astralis, a team that has defied all expectations and etched its name into the esports history books. “Astralis have existed for six years now, and I’ve been there since the start,” he says. “We’ve always been a top team, but at least three or four years in the absolute top. “We, the players, have become each other’s best friends and won everything we could dream of. And that’s just amazing to think back on, getting all the experience from winning and also developing as a person. It’s not just in the game but also on a personal level, you become more complete as a person. “There are so many memories, and winning four Majors, which no one else has done, is quite outstanding.” The future Xyp9x says that he is open to a change of scenery after years of playing for Danish teams. FaZe have been rumored as a potential suitor in recent weeks, but their interest may have cooled after a semi-final run at IEM Cologne. “FaZe? There are lots of rumors,” he says. “There have been some talks with some teams, but I can’t go into detail about it. “I’m looking for a team that is professional and has the experience to take the last steps to be among the best. “Most North American teams are bootcamping a lot in Europe or are even staying here. It’s not something that I won’t consider.” Whatever Xyp9x decides to do next, he still has a few months to run on his Astralis contract. He is one of only five still-active players who have attended all 15 CS:GO Majors, and he will be looking to add to that record later this year, at PGL Stockholm. But questions remain about what Astralis are planning to do after recently signing Philip ‘Lucky’ Ewald, a promising Danish AWPer. Will the team juggle players in and out of the lineup or will the 18-year-old have to wait to get a shot? Xyp9x is surprisingly cryptic when quizzed on the team’s plans. “We haven’t finalized that,” he says. “That’s what I can say. But I think there is a surprise coming, which I can’t go further into. I’ll leave it at that.”

Exclusive: XSET signs worlds-best female CSGO squad Originem for 2021 XSETAmerican esports organization XSET has signed the worlds best all-female CSGO squad, Europe’s Team Originem, as they look to become one of the best CSGO teams in the world, period. XSET is continuing their global expansion. It started with Valorant and Fortnite, and now they’re taking the reigns in CS:GO, picking up the worlds-best female roster in Team Originem. The roster is made up of veteran talent across CS:GO. The five members — Zainab ‘zAAz’ Turkie, Michaela ‘mimi’ Lintrup, Petra ‘Petra’ Stoker, Julia ‘juliano’ Kiran, and Anastasia ‘kr4sy’ Khlobystina — have been together since the start of 2020, and are looking to break barriers come 2021. Bridging the gap between male and female players Team Originem are one of the most decorated female CS:GO rosters of all time. In 2020, they have managed to take out pretty much every major all-female event, including the Ambush Invitational, the Galaxy Racer Invitational, and DreamHack Showdown Summer. However, the team still hasn’t reached their ambitions and goals of competing right at the very top of Counter-Strike against the worlds best. “I’m not really satisfied yet because we have so much more to prove, and I feel like we will be able to do that together with XSET. We’re really looking forward to starting the journey,” zAAz told Dexerto. “Us as female gamers, we have to prove a lot more. It’s even small things like practice games — decent teams don’t want to play against us because we’re females. We have to prove a lot more to get the respect from the other teams,” mimi added. The support is coming through in the scene though. With more tournament organizers and teams jumping on board, the future is bright for the female esports scene, not just CS:GO. “Compared to back in the day there is more support. DreamHack is coming in to support us with more tournaments. We also have ESL Katowice, so it’s growing,” zAAz said. From best female squad, to one of the world’s best However, that’s not the ultimate goal of this squad. They don’t want to be defined as the best all-female CS:GO team. They want their name in the hat alongside the world’s best. Full stop. “One of the biggest steps everyone is dreaming of is competing against males in tournaments. We have to work really hard to get there though,” Petra said. “[At DreamHack Rotterdam], we went to compete against the male squads. We had some good games, but we didn’t win anything. If you play against the best, you’ll get better.” “We were pretty excited with this lineup when Mimi came, so we have a lot more to prove. We are way stronger as a team now than we were. We hope to get more results in the male tournaments and to prove that we are a better team and that we can compete with the male teams — maybe not like Tier 1, but Tier 2 and 3,” kr4sy said. The team is moving to North America to take advantage of more opportunities cropping up in the space. As to who they’ll want to topple down the line? There’s one name on their lips. “Liquid,” zAAz said. “I want to beat Stewie. That would be amazing. Imagine,” mimi added. Becoming role models in the esports scene XSET’s journey to the top isn’t just a huge move for the five players. With their names being pushed further into the spotlight, they have the opportunity to become role models for the next generation of girls looking to step into the esports space. “Zainab, Michaela, and Julia have been in the scene for so long. Sometimes we get some messages from girls who look up to us and want to be in our shoes and become a pro. It’s pretty great that we can have an influence on them,” Petra said. XSET are looking to build that brand for their players as well. “We’ve been working on this for a long time behind the scenes. CS:GO is obviously still a Tier 1 esport and we were looking at getting into the space. We had a look at the team and realized these were very talented players that had been playing together for a long time. It was an opportunity to work with a top team that was all-female, and that really fit into what we’re all about,” XSET co-founder Marco Mereu said. “The team is pretty well known in Europe, but in North America it’s not as widely known and understood, and there’s going to be some real opportunities to introduce the squad to North America.” The XSET CS:GO roster is as follows. Zainab ‘zAAz’ Turkie – Michaela ‘mimi’ Lintrup – Petra ‘Petra’ Stoker – Julia ‘juliano’ Kiran – Anastasia ‘kr4sy’ Khlobystina –

xQc loses thousands on huge risky CSGO skin tradeup: “That’s just my luck” Twitch: xQcxQc is no stranger to gambling on Twitch, and so making risky bets on CS:GO skins is just another day at the office for him – but even he couldn’t help but grimace at a devastating loss with a risky trade-up, worth around $6,000. There are few ways to lose money quickly in gaming than to try to get lucky with CSGO skins. Of course, you can sit and open cases, which is usually a losing endeavor, or, if you’re a bit more advanced, you can try trade-ups. Trade-up contracts in CS:GO allow you to swap 10 skins for one skin of a higher rarity. If you get lucky, the skin you receive could be worth more than the value of the ten you sacrificed. xQc didn’t try just any trade-up though – he went big, hoping to land an AWP Dragon Lore, one of the most expensive skins in CS:GO. xQc’s risky CS:GO trade-up goes wrong In order to have a 10% chance of landing the Dragon Lore, Lengyel had to spend over $6,000 on the ten skins for the trade-up. These included an M4-A1s ‘Knight’ worth over $2,000, and an M4A4 Poseidon, worth around $1,400. Only two outcomes of a possible six would be profit for xQc, while there was a 30% chance of getting a skin worth only $50. Undeterred, xQc pressed on on his June 27 stream, keen to land the Dragon Lore, with an estimated value of around $14,000. Unfortunately, he landed the $50 skin instead. Of all the skins he could have been dropped, this was the 2nd worst, with another worth only $7. But, other options included AK and M4 skins worth over $2,500 – which would have softened the blow a bit. Read More: All Dust 2 map callouts in CSGO – As with xQc’s other CS:GO skins exploits, the lesson here is that you’re very likely to lose money, and unless you’re earning top-level streamer money, the entertainment value probably isn’t worth it. That’s not to say he hasn’t been lucky too though, in fact, despite the amount of money he’s spent, he’s probably had more than his fair share of luck with cases.

xQc keeps getting insanely lucky with CSGO cases and doesn’t even realize it Twitch: xQcWealthy Twitch streamers dropping way too much money on CS:GO cases is nothing new, but perhaps none have been as lucky as Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel on his recent case-opening spree – bagging over $10,000 worth of skins and knives, often without realizing how lucky he’s getting. Each case in CS:GO has a very small chance of dropping an item worth significant real-life money, and so are almost never profitable, after the cost of buying the case and the key is taken off. Despite xQc‘s luck, it’s still unlikely he’s in profit due to the number of cases he’s bought, but regardless, his luck has still been remarkable. Since getting back into CS:GO in May, his case-opening fortune has been astronomical. xQc’s Weapon Case luck It starts with the former Overwatch pro opening the CS:GO Weapon Case – the oldest and now most expensive case in the game, at over $50 each. There are two skins you want from this case: the AWP Lightning Strike and the AK-47 Case Hardened. Despite the odds of getting either of these skins from a case being less than 1%, xQc managed to get three – after opening only 11 cases. Two AWP skins and one AK-47 skin – netting him over $1,000. But, as you can tell from his reaction, xQc wasn’t actually aware of the value of what he’d got at first. xQc unboxes two unbelievable knives Although almost any knife in CS:GO is worth at least $100, there are some that will fetch $1,000s, especially if they have a particular skin and pattern on them. Given how many cases he has opened, he was almost guaranteed to get a few knives, at odds of around 400/1 – but xQc got lucky enough to unbox some very special knives. First up was a Karambit Marble Fade, with a very particular pattern known as ‘Fire and Ice’. Not only was it in Factory New condition, but it was also Stat Trak – making the odds of getting such a rare knife simply outrageous. This time, xQc realized he had something special – although maybe not quite how special. It’s difficult to value the knife exactly due to the pattern, but it could reach over $2,000. Not content with just getting one incredibly rare knife though, xQc went on to get another. And again it was another Karambit. A Crimson Web skin this time, xQc was initially disappointed, calling it “garbage” and saying it was “worth nothing.” But, he couldn’t have been more wrong. Again, due to the particular pattern on the knife, pattern 30, the ‘web’ was well-placed in the center of the blade. Desirable patterns like this can add as much as 50% to the value. This knife could be worth between $1,200 and $1,700. In addition to all this, xQc also managed to unbox a Stat Trak AK-47 Fire Serpent, worth around $2,000, with odds of around 7680/1. He knew this one was worth big as soon as he got it though. It’s worth noting again that despite this luck, xQc is likely still in the red overall on his CS:GO case openings. The cost of buying so many cases – especially some of the very expensive ones he is opening – often balances out any big wins, and you’re unlikely to get as lucky as him anyway. Some CS:GO skin lovers might be feeling a bit jealous though, that someone who doesn’t often realize the value of these skins is getting so lucky.

Xizt explains why Dignitas picking up GuardiaN “set them back” StarLadder / DreamHack / DignitasDignitas has had a tumultuous re-entry back into CS:GO. Their roster full of veteran talent has floundered. It wasn’t made easier by Ladislav ‘GuardiaN’ Kovacs joining on for Håkon ‘hallzerk’ Fjærli briefly, according to Richard ‘Xizt’ Landstrom, saying it set the team back. Dignitas’ latest CS:GO line-up hasn’t lived up to its lofty expectations. After all, a veteran superstar squad, of which most were still playing at the top level, should be able to at least compete with some other A-listers. That hasn’t proven to be the case with Dignitas. They finished in 10th in Flashpoint in their first big outing, losing to teams like Orgless and Gen.G. Things haven’t really gone up since then. They’ve always fallen short in Open Qualifiers, and have struggled against Tier 2 teams. This has culminated in a devastating last-place exit in FunSpark ULTI, losing in straight sets to Giants and Team Secret. Dignitas aren’t living up to the glory their players are known for, despite some glimpses of brilliance. One big reason is roster instability. At the start of the year, hallzerk wasn’t able to get a visa to North America to play Flashpoint. This forced Dignitas to pick up GuardiaN as a stand-in. However, playing with the Slovak AWPer for a couple of months really put them on the back foot. In an interview with Dignitas, captain Xizt outlined just how much this setback cost them. While they were building some momentum as a roster leading into Flashpoint, having the stand-in — even from someone like GuardiaN — derailed everything. “I think we started really well. We won important games and had close games against top teams like Fnatic. We had a strong start with the bootcamp, and then we had to go to Flashpoint in USA, we couldn’t use hallzerk,” Xizt said. “Fortunately, we got GuardiaN, who is a top AWPer, but we couldn’t make it work as a team there and it kind of set us back.” Lost first game today against Giants, sloppy start from us cost us the game but they played a solid game overall. We signed up for all these tourneys so we can play more officials and to grow as a team! Next game is bo3 vs Syman at ~19 CET in Malta Vibes lets get it! #DIGDEEP — Richard Landström (@Xizt) August 8, 2020 Things weren’t easy when they got back to Europe, either. The shift to online events was tough, especially when you are trying to gel together a new roster. “When we got back from USA and back to playing with hallzerk, it was still a tough situation [with] everything being played online.” However, now with a few months of play under their belt, and the player break in the rear view mirror, Dignitas are revitalized to try and break into the top echelons of CS:GO once again. They’ve been there before as individuals — and even as the NiP core. Now they just need to find that spark. “I think the break was good for us, now we just need to reset and pick off all the good things we had before. I want to play more officials and get more experience. We’re working really hard right now.”

xQc meets the most obvious CS:GO cheater in history It seems as though any Félix ‘xQc’ Lengyel stream includes some sort of random event that leaves the Canadian in hysterics or smashing his desk and peripherals! It doesn’t even seem to matter what game he plays, something still crops up on just about every single occasion. This was highlighted during a recent stream when the 22-year-old decided to stray away from his usual choice of Overwatch and play a game of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The opposing team spent the entire first half typing racist language in the chat, stream sniping xQc and making some very questionable plays until one of the players on the Canadian’s team decided that he’d had enough. Moments later, xQc was thrown into hysterics as he watched the player spinning around, looking at the ground and proceeding to kill three opponents with three quick shots: Clearly the player on xQc’s team is using some form of spinbot that includes aim and trigger hacks, so there’s a strong chance that they will receive a ban in the near future. “Dude, he just has good aim dude,” xQc exclaimed between bursts of laughter as the hacker continued to glitch, spin and kill everyone on the opposing team throughout the next round. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of the top PC shooters, hacking in CS:GO is not unheard of, and anyone that has put any significant time into the game will have run into more than one cheater. The scenario of one player assuming that their opponents are cheating and turning on their own hack to counter them, as xQc witnessed in this situation, is also a fairly common one – particularly in the lower ranks of matchmaking.

xQc explains why Overwatch is inaccessible compared to games like CS:GO Popular streamer and former professional Overwatch player Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel says the game is extremely inaccessible compared to other esports titles. xQc, who was recently banned from the game and claimed he was ‘done’ playing, compared Blizzard’s title to Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which is a much simpler concept to grasp as a new player or viewer. Overwatch has been criticised in recent weeks for being difficult to get to grips with as a new player with plenty of veteran players quitting the game and looking elsewhere due to burnout. xQc, has moved into variety streaming following his recent ban from Overwacth, added to that conversation on a recent stream by comparing Overwatch to CS:GO. The former Pro stated that if you asked a parent to watch both games, it’s easier to see which one they would be able to follow. “If you said to your dad, let’s watch a CS:GO game together and he knows nothing about the game, what does he see? He sees a motherfucker shooting an AK, trying to plant a bomb, it’s that easy,” the streamer stated. “I have a gun, I shoot at you and you can see the enemies. It’s that easy.” “Put your dad in front of a game of Overwatch and tell him to watch that. A flying monkey with a bubble is shooting across some witch that shoots little air, a purple beam of colours and a bunch of explosions on a moving spaceship. “For players that play the game, they’ll watch it and like it but it’s extremely inaccessible. And even for the ones who are casual, they don’t want to watch it, they don’t understand it.” Overwatch is still a popular game as both a casual player and as an esport title but it’s clear to see that frustrations from players is building. The second season of the Overwatch league begins in February and it’ll be interesting to see if the viewership numbers change – positive or negatively – following all the recent negativity from players.

Woro2k delivers on promise to “destroy” s1mple as Monte trounce NAVI at BLAST Paris Major VakarmWoro2k got his revenge against s1mple after Monte stunned NAVI at the BLAST Paris Major, putting the Ukrainian giants on the brink of elimination. The last time Volodymyr ‘Woro2k’ Veletniuk and Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev shared the server in an official CS:GO match, he promised that, one day, he would “destroy” his idol. The pair had just played together in the grand final of Kinguin Legends 2022, a showmatch tournament with over $50,000 on the line. After a 2-1 loss, they exchanged a few heated words on Twitter, with s1mple calling Woro2k “stupid” and urging him to “start making progress”. Almost a year later, their paths crossed again, and Woro2k made good on his promise as Monte breezed past NAVI in the Legends Stage of the BLAST Paris Major. The result puts NAVI on the brink of elimination at the Major and with a potential match against FaZe or G2 Esports on the horizon. At the same time, it confirms Monte’s status as one of the feel-good stories of the Major. The young team had no prior tier-one LAN events and was perceived as having only an outside chance of getting out of the Challengers Stage. All of a sudden, they have secured a top-eight finish at the Major, even without the guidance of their coach, Sergey ‘lmbt’ Bezhanov, who could not leave Ukraine due to the country’s restrictions amid the war against Russia. But it wasn’t just Woro2k who had a bone to pick with NAVI. Kicked by the team at the end of last year, Viktor ‘sdy’ Orudzhev put in a series-high 1.47 HLTV rating against his former teammates, all while leading Monte in the server. Monte are the third team through to the Champions Stage, joining Heroic and Vitality in the single-elimination bracket. The team has made huge strides since picking up sdy in January and is currently ranked 22nd in the world.

Windows 10 abruptly crashes during Team Liquid vs MiBR CS:GO match ESL / FACEIT TV TwitchTwitch audiences were met with one of the most unexpected blue screen errors during FACEIT TV’s May 16 broadcast for one of the day’s more hyped Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro matches. ECS Season 7 has kicked off with thousands of viewers tuning in to watch some of the best names in CS:GO like Team Liquid and MiBR but that’s only if the production’s equipment is working well. At the close of a pivotal round in the early stages between the two CS:GO giants, the stream suddenly went buzzing before a STOP error flashed across FACEIT’s streams. Team Liquid’s Jake ‘stewie2k’ Yip had just landed a clean AWP shot on João ‘felps’ Vasconcellos to end the round which got his team close to MiBR with a scoreline of three rounds to seven. The next round was about to load up when the stream’s video immediately froze while blaring an alarming sound that gave way to a sad blue faced screen. The cause of the issue is unknown, but that didn’t stop Twitch audiences from giving their respectful “F”’s in chat while FACEIT worked to resolve the issues. Even as the stream lost around four minutes of screen time, Twitch audiences only lost a couple of round of Counter-Strike. Before going offline, Liquid had just made it 3-7, but upon return the game was at 4-8. (Sound warning for the clip below) How did the the series between MiBR and Team Liquid end? Team Liquid and MiBR faced off in a best of three to cap off the competitions for the fourth day of the fourth week in the NA ECS. The game that was interrupted by the blue screen was only the first map in the series, which the Brazilian powerhouse took in a convincing 16-6 fashion on Mirage. While the North American organization were able to put up a better fight on Vertigo, MiBR outplayed them on crucial rounds ending in a scoreline of 16-11. Team Liquid are going to look to put on a stronger performance next week to qualify for the ECS Finals, while the production team might keep a closer eye on their stream to keep it healthy throughout the games.

Windigo CEO suspended on Twitter after sending death threat “meme” to former player The CEO of Ukranian esports organization Windigo, best known for their CS:GO team, has had his Twitter account suspended, after he replied to a player’s claims of unpaid salary with a death threat “meme”. Professional CS:GO player Teodor ‘SPELLAN’ Nikolov, who currently plays for Epsilon, posted a TwitLonger on February 12, claiming that he had not been paid up to 10 months worth of salary from Windigo, nor had he received his share of prize money which he helped win. SPELLAN also accused the CEO of demanding an exorbitant buyout fee for him “so I [couldn’t play elsewhere] while I was in my best [in-game form] ever.” He closed by admitting “I know it’s my fault for signing the contract, I just wanted to share with you!” In response to SPELLAN’s claims, Windigo CEO Maksym ‘GuunaR’ Bednarskyi posted a death threat “meme”, which originated from INTZ Esports player Vito ‘kNgV-‘ Giuseppe. In September 2017, kNg told fellow pro Pujan ‘FNS’ Mehta “you’ll prove it or I’ll kill you”, after FNS accused kNg and his Immortal’s teammates of being hungover during the DreamHack Montreal grand final, where they forfeited the first map. The phrase “you’ll prove it or I’ll kill you” has since become a commonly used phrase in the CS:GO community, referencing the kNg outburst, and Bednarskyi posted the phrase in response to SPELLAN. Despite replying to another user to confirm it was just a “meme”, Twitter doesn’t appear to have taken the post lightly, as Bednarskyi’s account has been subsequently suspended. SPELLAN himself also took the reply seriously, or at least the “prove it” part. He said he could provide bank statements which would corroborate his claims of unpaid salary and prize money. Yes , i can also provide bank statement of transactions from salaries to my bank account from the Company (Windigo) from the last year or from the prizepools which u have to send 100% of my part every time.Oh wait you didn’t use that point on contract sorry. Good night! — SPELLAN (@SPELLANCSGO) February 12, 2019 2018’s number one rated player, Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, replied to SPELLAN’s post, calling Windigo a “joke”. SPELLAN agreed, mentioning Bednarskyi specifically and calling the organization the “biggest joke.” @s1mpleO im pretty sure you know the guy Maksym “”Guunar”” Bednarsky :joyful::joyful: I know its the biggest joke — SPELLAN (@SPELLANCSGO) February 13, 2019 It’s unknown why SPELLAN chose to make these accusations public at this time specifically. He left Windigo to join Epsilon on January 31, after having spent much of 2018 inactive on the Windigo bench. In his TwitLonger, it appears SPELLAN does not expect to receive the money he believes he is owed, due to the contract he held with Windigo.

Will there be a new CSGO operation as part of the Cache re-release? Valve / FMPONEOn the eve of the re-release of the community-inspired Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map Cache, many CS:GO fans are already psyching themselves up for some additional new content to come with it, including perhaps a new Operation. Is there any merit to this idea? Or are fans just running through smoke into the crosshair of disappointment? Prior to the grand finals of the ESL One New York tournament at the end of September, spectators in the Barclays Center and at home were treated to a first viewing of the re-worked Cache map. CS veterans and map creators Sal ‘Volcano’ Garozzo and Shawn ‘FMPONE’ Snelling joined the analyst desk to show off the leafy overgrowth aesthetics of the re-worked map, as well as demonstrate some of the changes that will affect actual play. A collection of CSGO pros then filled a server on the newly remodeled map for the first time, and after their showmatch, the map creators said that they would be collecting feedback before the initial release. A little after that, they announced that new Cache would hit the Workshop on October 10. New Cache will come with the s1mple graffiti returned to its rightful spot. While of course many CSGO players are excited to test out the new map, several are holding onto the idea that the return of Cache won’t be the only change made to the game. A number of players on the Global Offensive subreddit are itching for a new operation that coincides with the release of new Cache, or one that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Counter-Strike franchise. The first Counter-Strike was released in November of 1999. However, most fans are expecting to only be disappointed, and have advised others to not get their hopes up. Their lack of faith in any additional content is evidenced by the fact that new Cache is being released onto the Workshop, instead of being dropped back into active duty. In addition, there’s been no mention of a new operation by any workshoppers, who would have had the opportunity to contribute skins and sprays to the new operation were it in development. But not all fans are convinced, and many are still insistent that something is in the works behind the scenes. One reddit user referenced videos by Valve News Network, and last month Tyler McVicker, who runs that channel, uploaded a video where he showcased some coding in-game that revealed some major updates to the game that would occur in the next operation. In a reddit thread he references from around the time he released that video, user JakeBoycometh comments “I’m guessing it will come around when Cache makes a return & will be a part of the operation, just like Nuke was in Wildfire.” The VNN video discusses several potential new pieces of content, including numerous new co-op missions and a couple of new maps, and hints that all of these could be part of the new operation. So, will there be a new operation? It’s hard to say, as there’s evidence in place arguing for and against a new operation being released. Workshop content creators have provided very little indication that one is happening, but Valve could be keeping them in the dark. The coding discovered by redditors and VNN indicates a lot of potential content in the works, but it might just be test files left in by the developers. Some fans have their fingers crossed for a new operation to come out tomorrow, but even if it doesn’t come with Cache, it may still be released next month if Valve is planning some sort of Counter-Strike 20th anniversary celebration.

Will Cloud9 lose their CS:GO Major spot? Valve respond ESLCounter-Strike: Global Offensive fans have been questioning whether or not Cloud9 will retain their Major spot for the upcoming StarLadder Major in Berlin following a number of confirmed and proposed roster changes. Cloud9’s CS:GO roster has gone through some serious line-up issues since their success at the ELEAGUE Boston Major, changing from an iconic all-American line-up to a majority European squad led by former Fnatic in-game leader Maikil ‘Golden’ Selim. However, since switching to a European flavor, Golden has suffered a number of medical problems that has seen him ruled out of events. The Swede even missed the recent IEM Katowice Major – with Jordan ‘Zellsis’ Montemurro standing in. Since the end of the major, Zellsis and Robin ‘flusha’ Rönnquist have both left the team. With Fabien ‘kioShiMa’ Fiey‘s future with Cloud9 also up in the air, the team could be left with only two players from the previous major – possibly voiding their currently held invite spot. If kioShiMa departs the team, C9 would fall foul of the rule that states teams must keep the majority of their line-up – three of the five players – from the previous major to retain their spot for the following major. Dexerto’s own Jarek ‘DeKay’ Lewis contacted Valve for a ruling, who confirmed that the invitation spot remains with the five players who played the event. That means that Zellsis, not Golden, plays a role in retaining the spot – even though Zellsis was listed as a ‘coach’ for the Major. Got a response from Valve. Zellsis has the slot and Golden doesn’t, as many people had assumed. People I spoke to behind the scenes were VERY confident Golden was eligible. My intent was to relay that sentiment. I should not have said “”clarified”” in the original tweet. pic.twitter.com/k1sJ4Weulx — DeKay (@dekay) March 18, 2019 Only having two active players from the previous Major, Timothy ‘autimatic’ Ta and Will ‘RUSH’ Wierzba on the roster, could plunge the proposed transfer move of adding OpTic Gaming’s Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke and Jakob ‘Jugi’ Hansen into trouble. As Valve has been clear in their response, it remains to be seen if the North American organization continues with their reported roster changes due to this – or if they figure out a way around the potential problem. If the move concludes and Cloud9 forfeits their Major invite spot, they would have to battle their way through an increasingly stacked European Minor event that should feature powerhouses like Fnatic, Mousesports, North and OpTic Gaming – just to name a few.

Will 100 Thieves Ever Return to CS:GO? Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag appears to have let slip a hint about 100 Thieves being on the lookout, or at least open to suggestions, for a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster. But is too early to start hoping? UMG’s Call of Duty commentator and analyst Landon Sanders Tweeted the 100T owner saying “I’ve got the dream lineup, Nadeshot. We should talk” and got a response from Haag that simply said “bang my line”. However, it appears that Nadeshot mistook Landon for someone else, responding again moments later with “Not gonna lie, thought you were a CSGO analyst”! announced the acquisition of former Team Kaliber stars Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams and Maurice ‘Fero’ Henriquez on August 28, and Nadeshot made it clear in his response to Landon that they have “already got lineup in mind” when it comes to completing the CoD roster. But what of Nadeshot’s response when he believed that Landon was a CS:GO analyst? The Tweet quickly made it to the front page of the /r/GlobalOffensive subreddit as fans speculated over whether this was a throwaway comment or a hint at more serious intentions. Read More: OpTic Gaming’s Hitch Speculates on Potential Roster Moves for OpTic, 100 Thieves and More – 100 Thieves has owned a CS:GO roster in the past but the Brazilian team never played an official match and was released in its entirety after a series of unfortunate events that ranged from visa issues to community backlash over comments made by Vito ‘kNgV-’ Giuseppe on Twitter. While Nadeshot’s recent CS:GO comments are far from the statements of certainty that he used when discussing a potential CoD roster, they certainly seem to suggest that 100 Thieves are open to the possibility of attempting another Counter-Strike venture. When that might be, though, is anybody’s guess.

Inside the world of CSGO match fixing and why it’s impossible to stop ValveIt’s a day ending in a “y” so of course there’s some CS:GO match-fixing going on. There are few esports as riddled with it as Counter-Strike and there is no community that seemingly cares less about it. Even as someone who has written about it for years I really never thought it would reach the stage it has, where not only most secondary tier tournaments regularly raise flags for irregular betting patterns with gambling sites and have matches canceled, but now we even have competitions seemingly for the sole purpose of providing match-fixers with an arena in which to ply their trade. Something like that was a pipedream in 2015 but now is a frequent reality. A report published in March by betting integrity body Sportradar had esports second only to soccer for the number of suspicious matches with a laughably low rate of 1 in 384. CS:GO contributed the largest number to the annual total, which again was laughably low for anyone who has studied it for as long as I have. Regardless of the specifics CS:GO has a real problem and it’s one that’s been in the making for a while. The amateur circuit is not only filled with aspiring players but also degenerate gamblers, individuals who got hooked on betting back in the days when unregulated skins gambling was considered not only normal but an essential part of the CS:GO ecosystem. Its proximity to pro players and esports influencers gave it a green light and it didn’t take long for a huge section of the esports pyramid to realize there were more riches in fixing matches than in winning them. Suddenly every heavy bettor with a player on Steam Friends were fixers and agents, acting as middlemen and trading in information across multiple timezones to ensure maximum profits. Someone’s inventory started to serve as a calling card for their connections and in the absence of any consequences coming from the websites or Valve itself this went on unchecked. By the time pushback came in the form of largely performative bans and cease and desist letters the cash and crypto sites had arrived. With that, some winners did cash out but most slinked off the shadows to continue what they had started and now we find ourselves here, at a point where it is almost certain that every tier 2 and below CS:GO tournament is compromised on some level for the purposes of fixing outcomes. Because of this getting into a lower league match-fixing circle is hardly difficult. They’re everywhere and to demonstrate that let me tell you about the most recent one I came across. I try and stay as connected to the grassroots of CS:GO as possible and on an almost weekly basis I will be contacted about the possibility of “throws” or strange betting patterns. As I had been working on a series of articles relating to ESEA, quite possibly the most prestigious brand to be irredeemably compromised, this latest contact was of interest. A player messaged me out of the blue to say that they had been contacted out of the blue to be included in a match-fixing circle for the upcoming 42nd season of ESEA Advanced in Europe. He was offered the opportunity to place bets on a team that would fix two-thirds of their matches. For the information on which matches would be compromised members of a limited group would pay approximately $400 per match to the ringleader. They would then place bets at multiple sites using accounts with a degree of separation from the parties involved and share the profits between themselves and the group members. This type of scheme is an increasingly typical one as it guarantees a return for the risk taken by the team and also encourages people in the circle to not share the secrets as that would contribute to tanking the odds they need to maximize or maybe even lead to matches being canceled. The Set-Up Naturally, I told him to jump into the group and document everything he could before he got out. This isn’t because I thought we were engaging in some high-level sting. This type of activity is so prevalent I could literally do this every day and nothing about the scene would materially change. Rather, for the uninitiated, I thought this would serve as a good breakdown of what modern CS:GO match-fixing looks like. After being messaged by his initial contact, he was then passed on to the person with direct connections to the organisation itself. They laid out the plan for the season. “The team name is FlashP0int and they will play 15 matches in the next 40 days. We will fix over 10” they said. “We will share 50% of the profit for both sending money after win in crypto. Also the limits will be not so strong so per book I think you can do 500.” FlashP0int isn’t a brand you will have heard of, in fact their name has significant overlap with multiple other esports ventures, which is most likely the point. It has no website and barely any online presence beyond its ESEA page and links to match pages on betting websites. Its roster includes a string of journeymen players, mostly from Russia. The founder admitted to having two previous organisations blacklisted by gambling sites prior to this one. It is not a long-term project but it doesn’t have to be. One season will do it as long as they play their cards right. And by “right” I mean they have to walk the CS:GO match-fixing tightrope that is losing but not losing too obviously, ensuring the bets get placed in such a fashion as not to arouse suspicion and then get out with their reputations intact so they can insert themselves into another bogus team next season. This is the dance that hundreds of teams are engaged in at any given moment in CS:GO. Also of note is that a number of the players involved had come close to having significant opportunities at various points in their career. Roman “rommi” Golubev had been part of ESPADA, essentially the Team Spirit academy squad, in 2018 and Quantum Bellator Fire very briefly in 2020. Aleksey “1uke” Zimin and Ilya “tr3vl” Globa, known as “rhythm” in this season, were also with Golubev on the same ESPADA line-up. Anyway, shortly after agreeing to the terms, my contact was added to a Discord group with eight other members. There the alleged owner and founder of FlashP0int reiterated the terms of the agreement for the people participating. “Hello to everyone, my name is Excaliber and I’m the owner of the FlashP0int organization. We have two matches tomorrow and will most likely be fixing both of them. We will have to see tomorrow depending how many sites add them and on the limits, the price would be $890 for both matches, if only one it would be $400. As Depa said you [all] are trustworthy the payment will be done after the matches are finished. “You are not allowed to share this information with anyone or you will be kicked from the group when we find out. The primary reason is not only the safety of the players but also know that if many people know sites will start removing the matches because of high bets on opposite teams against them, lower limits, odds, it will turn terrible and they might be removed from bookies forever (It has already happened to 2 of my other teams where I have done this. “It is very important to keep this yourself [sic] and not be greedy so we can all be winners longterm.” Initially, you can see the first problem with trying to get a handle on a story like this. Who is this Excaliber guy? Outside of a Discord account good luck finding anything else about him. I was informed that he had told the other people in the group he was an “investor” in the team. Well, in lower-tier esports an investor can mean anything from bankrolling a team to throwing a few mousepads someone’s way. They are certainly never on paper but neither are the majority of teams anyway. Despite his particular version of spelling King Arthur’s legendary sword, you won’t find anything about him online in any capacity that relates to esports. It’s impossible to tell if he is even associated directly with the players and that is either because he isn’t or because there’s a deliberate degree of separation between the parties. All we can say for certain is that he claims to be and that they were able to call results accurately (except the wins) for the period the group was active. As I’m sure everyone would say if you were to ask them, it’s just one big coincidence, and good luck trying to prove otherwise. The assembled members he was addressing are a typical mafia of the mediocre, made up of tipsters, owners of bedroom organisations, and amateur players who love to gamble. Very few of these types of Discord groups ever feature anyone of serious importance. Discord is not the place for private conversations. That is now mostly the preserve of Telegram due to their founder’s commitment to privacy. The Discord groups are for the chumps and the posers and only a handful will ever get into a conversation with a member of a crime syndicate or a millionaire bankroll. However, what it does reveal is a very common symbiotic relationship between two entities that exist in the lower echelons of CS:GO. Tipsters like to have incredible records of accuracy as it encourages more people to sign up to their group, sing their praises publicly and potentially subscribe for future information. Match fixers can fix matches and then pass this information on to the tipsters. One of the more common avenues for leads on potentially fixed games comes from people who run or are in these tipster communities. Many people don’t mind beating a bookie with inside information but get squeamish if they think they are betting on rigged games. Ahead of each game someone who goes by the Discord username Depa (more on him later), would post about FlashP0int’s upcoming matches, the team’s intentions, and the current odds. These would be made to the wider group and occasionally directly. An example of one direct message from the start of the season read: “Hey man! Today we have match against 00prospects (Academy of 00nation). Odd on us is not the best to do on the first match + not many bookies listed cause 00prospects clearly fixed their 1st match when they were most likely to win (they lost 16-3). So we cheer for them in a match today and next game is on the 19th August which is in 2 days. Just patience! Have a god [sic] day!” That match would finish with FlashP0int losing 16-13. Another example of a group message read: “Hey guys, Today we have match at 6pm CET (50 mins) and 8pm. Odd on us in the first match is not the best (2.25) and we will try and win today. However there are 14 matches in this tournament and we are about to play the 2nd so there is no need for rush. WE WILL SKIP IT. Matches are posted on gamdom and 22bet if anyone is willing to test his luck and bet on us. Good luck!” That match would finish with FlashP0int losing to MayBe– 16-7. The same day, for their second game, they signaled their intentions to lose. “1.7 odd on Monad Esport. FlashP0int vs Monad Esport – Monad ML 1.7. This is only start odds will be better no worries.” That match would finish with them losing to Monad Esport 16-6. With a record now of 3 wins and 7 losses there are now just two matches left of the regular season, both of which they would need to lose to come close to the promised ten fixed matches for those in the group. The best part? On August 27th, people started to leave the group, including the two members that claimed to represent the FlashP0int organisation. As I would find out the venture hadn’t proved to be as profitable as first hoped, if indeed it was at all and there were allegations of scam attempts between the two parties. This is another vitally important thing to remember when you are confronted with esports matchfixing. You are rarely dealing with criminal masterminds and often with people who don’t know what they are doing at all. Someone always fucks it up either through incompetence or getting greedy and certainly when it comes to keeping secrets, well, as you can see that doesn’t happen either. Interview With A Grifter After confirming the messages and involved accounts on Discord, the name of the person that invited my contact and handled the dissemination of information to the group was a Croatian named Roko “Depa” Depolo, someone whose Steam page advertises a small and now defunct esports organisation named Doc Esport. They were briefly active in CS:GO and Rocket League earlier in the year. They competed in a number of ESEA cups between April and May, mostly losing their matches. Their CS:GO team has now rebranded somewhat appropriately as “NOPAYNOPLAY” and features one player on the roster from the Doc Esport Steam Group. In addition to that, there are a number of players at the amateur to semi-pro level on his Steam Friends, which raises questions but obviously isn’t incriminating in and of itself. The principle way that he makes his reputation now is via his betting tipster service “AlphaBet 2.0” My contact told me that “Depa” communicated across a number of Discord accounts depending on who he was talking to. After that fixing group seemed to dissipate he had created another Discord account so he could continue providing his tipster service without having to log into the account he had used to communicate with the Russians. I took the new account he had created to ask for comment. Out of the people I attempted to contact he was the only one to reply. I told him who I was and what I was writing about. There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation in his replies. “I know some stuff. I can get you every single detail” he said in response to me asking about FlashP0int fixing matches. “If you want to post I can tell you every single payment if it’s paid.” And then he said it again. “I can tell you everything if you wanna pay.” I explained I couldn’t pay him for information as that would be unethical. He waited before replying. “Will they get banned if I tell you stuff? If they will I can tell you more.” I explained I’d pass everything on for further investigation and that there’s a chance they might get banned but that would depend on people other than me. It seemed, in the absence of him getting paid, that he didn’t want to be as open as he had initially suggested. “I coordinated the team in terms of CS. I never placed a bet on them. I told my guys (meaning his friends that he brought into the circle) that matches were fixed and we splitted [sic] up. I am into betting a lot. With ESEA Advanced you can’t profit much unless you have access to private sites. No bookie is going to offer good limits to some Russian fuckers.” I asked about people paying money up front ahead of losing the games and he said that people stopped doing it. “Those 2 guys are scammers” he said, referring to the Russians that represented the FlashP0int team. “I don’t know who they are I just know they exist… I know they are not a team, like an org, they are just undercover fixers. I wanted them in my org but things happened when I saw what’s happening… I can confirm they are matchfixers.” It’s about this point the interview went a bit weird but not in an unsurprising way. He had decided now to deny that the Depa account in the group was actually him, despite all of his intimate knowledge of the FlashP0int team, the proposed matches being fixed, and his admission that he had indeed been in a group with the alleged representatives from that team. “I was in a Discord group but I didn’t post any stuff there related to match fixing. I had some teams in the past. I had opportunities to fix but not into it. Big risk, small money… We [him and the investors] had some calls I guess that’s the group… But no I didn’t post match fixing stuff.” I posted him the messages around odds and intentions he had sent to people and waited for his response. “I don’t see that anywhere” he said. “I have lots of connections in CS. I had better opportunities than this.” I asked again about that being his account in the chat. “It’s basically not true…This account posted it? That’s basically not true. That’s not my account, check again.” Of course, it was a different account. Apparently, his account had got banned from that group after an argument relating the aforementioned scams that supposedly took place between the two parties. To deny the account was his though was incredible. Not only did it link directly to his Steam account, the other members in the match-fixing group included admins from his Alphabet 2.0 tipster Discord, which would presume they knew two Depas. Crucially, and what he didn’t know, was that I had a conversation of him talking to my contact explicitly saying the account in the match-fixing group was his and that he had to create a new one, a detail he himself confirmed to me apropos of nothing as soon as I added him. Despite all this and the fact he immediately knew exactly what I was talking about our conversation would end with him still steadfastly denying any involvement. “I can help you getting them banned but I am really mad cause I am telling you I have nothing to do with matchfixing. Cause I know a lot, I had many opportunities. They should get banned but they are small fish my guy. Check Elisa and stuff like that with people making 100k. I don’t want to talk to you anymore and destroy my reputation… Why would I risk my reputation for 300 bucks. If you want to beat match fixing I can tell you where to start even if I can fuck up for this. [sic]” I again reiterated that denying the account in the match-fixing group was silly and that I’d be happy to listen to any stories he wanted to share. He told me he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. Fair enough. Then he added that it “wouldn’t be smart” if I mentioned him publicly. After some brief pleasantries, he went offline. Here’s another part of chasing all this shit down. I could have spent all day pandering to this guy, listening to his bullshit, feigning interest at his anecdotes and conspiracies, then asked for evidence of his claims that would, by definition, be coming from an unreliable narrator. I would then have to crosscheck and confirm every detail of that and you know what you get at the end? Absolutely nothing. The same denials, the same days spent chasing ghosts on the internet, the same indifferent community and even if punishment is handed down to the first-rung-of-the-ladder esports hustlers, two take their place the very next day. In the end, I was happy to let this guy embarrass himself for a while. He seems to be out of his depth, incompetent, and may actually incapable of turning a profit for himself, however enthusiastic he might seem about the prospect of being involved in a match-fixing enterprise. A Waste Of Time So, if you’re feeling disappointed and like reading this was a complete waste of time then I have done my job. This story, containing virtually anonymous people barely connected in a digital landscape, all lying to each other to move moneylines a fraction for their secret side bets and misrepresenting themselves as tenured criminals, this is what esports match-fixing looks like. And it’s this that journalists would have to wade through to just get enough information to then have to pass it on to an investigative body that doesn’t care. So let me tell you what happens next. It’s mostly nothing. The wider CSGO community will just shrug their shoulders. The players aren’t high profile enough for them to care about and if for some reason they are invested in the careers of any of the named players they’ll simply maintain that this is all fake, something for me to do on a wet weekend before the pubs open. Others will immediately enter into the mode of saying none of this constitutes real evidence. It’s hilarious to think that in the eyes of the average esports fan the standard for journalism goes beyond any other type and that when it comes to match-fixing to convict someone in the court of public esports opinion you need a higher evidentiary standard than most courts of law. This is a large part of why it never stops. The fans really don’t want it to, no matter what they say. But what about punishments? You must be joking. Even if ESEA decided to investigate this (spoiler: they won’t and will instead point out as an ESIC partner it MUST be done by ESIC) and find corroborating evidence, it’s a matter of time before those involved simply come back with different names, different accounts, and a fresh start. They’ll remain free to play in non-ESEA leagues, ladders, and cups and ply their trade there. So ESIC will get them, right? Well, let’s assume they will… The waiting time will be so staggeringly long that it will almost be meaningless when it arrives. Not to mention public support for ESIC evaporated long ago and almost certainly any attempt to punish anyone, no matter how brazen or obvious those individuals are, will inflame the people who have lost their patience with ESIC. And honestly, what does any of this prove? Did they try to fix some matches? Maybe, sure. Can we prove any bets were placed? Not without bookies’ cooperation and for the legitimate ones they can’t confirm anything publicly due to data protection laws. In honesty, there’s not even a 100% clear chain of connection to the players. Results can certainly be coincidental. Someone would have to take this off my hands and use tools a journalist could never have access to but there is no appetite to do that, just like there wasn’t all the way back in the days of skins betting. People will make the effort to take down a few big-time fixers, especially if they have ties to organized crime. The rank and file plebs outlined in this pathetic and all too common enterprise just get to erode the integrity of leagues that are designed to develop talent with impunity. There is a way to stop it immediately and that is simply for bookmakers to stop offering action on these bush league matches but they won’t and we all know why they won’t, so this is what we live with. The cost of doing business in an esports ecosystem, with parasites and bottomfeeders all looking to skim something off the top for themselves and meaningless games that can’t be trusted playing out solely for the purposes of greedy teenagers, gambling addicts, and cyber criminals. It’s a broken system and yet the only thing anyone wants to fix are the matches.

Why no team will dominate CSGO in 2021 | Richard Lewis reacts at BLAST Global Finals Even after NAVI’s dominant BLAST Premier Global Finals display against Astralis with a 2-0 victory, Richard Lewis explains why it’s likely that there won’t be an all-powerful side in 2021 due to the ongoing online era. NAVI won the event in style, yes, but online play is here to stay in 2021, and Richard believes that could throw up some truly fascinating results. With plenty of different teams adding tournament victories to their resumes, who will come out of 2021 with the crowning glory is anyone’s guess. The NAVI win, for many, could prove surprising, especially considering the fact that the team has had to battle their way back through a Lower Bracket ranking. It was a great result for the team, with Lewis even going so far as to say that they could potentially become number one in the world if 2021 works out just as 2020 should have. With a whole host of changes redefining the landscape of the Counter-Strike professional experience such as regional locks and stats that aren’t reliable, 2021 could shape up to be what competitive CS should be, especially with a Major having been announced. However, with FaZe Clan touting the arrival of Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen and Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken, the potential for them dominating the landscape is looming over the opposition’s backs. To be further updated on all Counter-Strike news and events, head over to our dedicated hub.

Why Karrigan is FaZe Clan’s last hope [jwplayer p3R25Lha] After a two-year spell on mousesports, FaZe has reeled Danish veteran Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen back in, and while the roster is pretty different compared to his first stint, the aim is still the same – bring home trophies. Having taking FaZe Clan to the top of Counter-Strike, there’s no doubt the sharp-minded Karrigan has the ability to take CSGO rosters above and beyond anyone’s expectations. Even during his early career, it was clear that the Dane had leadership skills. A mechanical prodigy, Mousesports first signed him as a star AWPer, with his time there earning the moniker of ‘CARRYgan’ – lifting team and trophy at six separate events. Bouncing between rosters from Mousesports, Fnatic, N Faculty, Recent Gaming, and Copenhagen Wolves, he didn’t have a stable home for a long time. At MLG Aspen, however, Karrigan kicked his journey to the top into top gear. Joining Team Dignitas’ roster as an IGL alongside Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz and Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen, he took down Fnatic in a showing for the ages. When the roster moved over to TSM, however, things really took off. Flexing his muscles as a powerhouse IGL, Karrigan bulldozed his prior orgs with talent and finesse. He eventually joined FaZe with the goal of winning a Major with an all-star international roster. That failed and karrigan landed back on Mousesports. With some of the best talents around, his role as IGL continued to flourish. In 2020’s online era, though, the roster floundered with no top-tier tournament wins. Now, in 2021, he’s back, once again, with FaZe. But can karrigan raise the team to be winners once more? Only time will tell. For all CSGO news and events, keep it locked at Dexerto’s dedicated main page.

Why is the Astralis vs Team Liquid Rivalry so one sided? DexertoThe CS:GO rivalry between Team Liquid and Astralis is stacked against the NA team, and looking at the various strengths from the Danes paints a much clearer picture as to why. In 2018, Astralis established their hold on the competitive CSGO scene with a historic run of tournament wins. They looked flat-out unbeatable for much of their streak, and it wasn’t even close with other orgs in the Top 10. Team Liquid’s 2018 campaign, on the other hand, was promising but never resulted in anything but good placements without noteworthy hardware. That was until they added Jake ‘Stewie2k’ Yip to their lineup. Almost overnight, TL took their rightful spot near the top, and outright claimed the World Number 1 rank shortly after. But something, or rather someone, was missing from a lot of the top tier events in the first half of 2019. At the time, Astralis had been taking a selective approach when deciding where and when to compete, leaving their throne largely up for grabs. Surprising still was that when they would enter an event, they wouldn’t make it to the final – something that was standard for many events the year before. The StarLadder 2019 Berlin Major would be the first time both teams would go up against each other with significant implications on the line. Astralis were looking to prove doubters they were still top dog among the elite, and Team Liquid wanted to cement their spot as the most dominant team with their first Major title. In the group stage, TL looked lackluster and Astralis looked dominant. TL had to fight for their spot in the playoffs, and Astralis stumbled along the way but ultimately breezed into the New Champions Stage. The results worked out in a way where the CSGO kings of 2018 and the kings of 2019 (up to that point) were going head-to-head early; a matchup with the hype of a Grand Final was going to be played out in the first round of playoffs. Astralis eliminated Team Liquid, 2-0. This is the story of why a rivalry between two of the most dominant forces in modern Counter-Strike has been heavily one-sided, and what’s been separating Astralis from Team Liquid on the big stage since.

Why has CSGO surpassed Dota 2’s active playerbase on Steam? ValveSteam has a new king – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which has surpassed Dota 2 for the past four months on the Steam Charts. But why is it that Dota 2’s numbers have begun to decline? Despite have arguably a less supported esports system, CSGO has finally done what was once unthinkable: consistently beating its MOBA cousin, Dota 2, in active player count. While there are many reasons for this, these are chief among them. Counter-Strike finally released an operation Operation Shattered Web’s release onto the CS:GO servers has been a welcome reprieve to a game that’s been without a major content update for some time. While Danger Zone did interrupt the drought, Shattered Web’s release of skin cases, maps, and challenges came after a dark period from Valve lasting over two years. With the return of a new operation came the return of the game’s more casual playerbase to supplement the faithful who stayed true to the game. Read more: Why Astralis had a better 2019 than Liquid – CS:GO hit a new peak concurrent player record of over 777,000 players, the highest the FPS title has ever maintained, and among the highest concurrent records for a game on Steam. Dota’s most recent patch was not well received The most recent Dota 2 patch was perhaps its most controversial. Adding two new heroes, in-game item drops, and one of the most significant balance changes the game has ever seen seems to have driven away some of its player base. One look at Dota 2’s recent reviews should tell the story. After the release of the patch, the game saw a spike in negative reviews: 11923 negative reviews in a single month. This is the most negative reviews in a month Dota has ever gotten by far. However, it was still outpaced by 27,043 positive reviews that same month. Even with the negative reviews, overall, Dota still consistently has 80% or more positive reviews from its playing community. FPS Titles are just more popular now Of the top 10 Steam titles, five could be considered shooters, with four in the FPS category, being CSGO, PUBG, Rainbow Six Siege, Destiny 2, and (loosely) Grand Theft Auto V. This is a far cry from days gone by where Steam’s top 10 could be dominated by other strategy and free to play titles. With CS:GO surpassing Dota 2, perhaps it’s only a matter of time until Valve revises their esports strategy to give Counter-Strike an International of their own.

Why CadiaN could be the next Gla1ve | Richard Lewis reacts at ESL Pro League Heroic have been in fine form in ESL Pro League Group A, beating the likes of BiG & FPX thanks to the work of in-game leader cadiaN, which is earning high praise from Richard Lewis. Casper ‘cadiaN’ Møller has had a career filled with undoubted highs and lows, but after the maturity that he’s shown in recent months, Richard has likened his journey to Astralis leader Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander’s. Adding that Casper has done some unbelievable work with Heroic, that, mixed with their roster additions of Rasmus ‘sjuush’ Beck & Ismail ‘refrezh’ Ali, could see them back in the big leagues soon. While the team previously performed relatively well, Lewis felt like nobody was “truly sold” on them being a top team, capable of dominating every tournament they enter. However, the roster change has bagged the team a win at every series they’ve entered since, even beating Cloud9 without dropping a single map in the DreamHack Masters Spring 2021 Closed Qualifiers. While CadiaN, as Richard states is arguably “a bit of a meme”, it can be tough to pit him against fellow Danes such as gla1ve, Mathias ‘MSL’ Lauridsen, and potentially, Benjamin ‘blamef’ Bremer, with people not “taking him seriously. As Richard says: “He’s done unbelievable work with this Heroic roster since he came in as the IGL.” For Lewis, the Dane is reinventing his playstyle, and getting back on form to this previous career-high, only going into the negative a couple of times. In comparison, gla1ve went through a similar career path before ending up at the point fans everywhere known and respect today. CadiaN “knows what he’s doing” and is on a similar route. For all ESL Pro League news, stay tuned over at our dedicated hub.

Why Astralis’ Mr Consistent is CSGO’s Most Underrated Superstar DexertoWhen it comes to changing game, Astralis’ CS:GO superstar Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz truly is redefining how the esport is played. Always considered among the best players, Astralis’ resident AWPer dev1ce has truly etched his name into CS:GO history. Going from strength to strength since his time on the Copenhagen Wolves and Dignitas in 2014, the Dane struggled to truly dominate against the might of teams such as Fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas. In response, a change of attitude was required. Despite being a team-centric player, dev1ce realized that he had to take on a leadership role. With the help of Astralis’ resident sports psychologist, the Dane came to understand what being the IGL meant. It was about “finding solutions, not problems.” By 2016 dev1ce was picking off the best players one by one, but a new challenger loomed on the horizon: NaVi’s AWPer extraordinaire Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev. Taking on the Ukrainian was made even more complex due to a hiatus hernia in his throat. Astralis worked with him to combat the illness, and he’s snatched the third spot on the CS:GO elite leaderboard behind s1mple and French powerhouse Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut. There’s a few things dev1ce has that they don’t, though. He’s been to every Major event, and has racked up four wins and two MVP awards in the process. Plus, he’s been in the top five since 2015. Trust us when we say, he’s here to stay. For all the latest CS:GO news, keep up with our main page here.

Why Astralis desperately need a Zonic boom at IEM Katowice IEM Katowice is well underway, and is proving a sweat-inducing event for many of the top teams in play. In an event dominated by Eastern-European talent, can Astralis fight back? Astralis’ mastermind coach has more than played his part in spearheading the Danes’ path to the top. But, the task-at-hand in IEM Katowice’s Main Stage will test Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen & Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander’s strategic prowess to its absolute limits. With teams like Vitality, FaZe, BIG, and G2 already out, Astralis face a playoff bracket brimming with Eastern European talent. Can the Danish titans solve the CIS puzzle to reclaim some IEM Katowice silverware? To do so, they’ll have to anti-strat an entire region and will need to deliver one heck of a ‘zonic’ boom. Astralis undoubtedly have their backs against the wall when it comes to their current competition – playing without any concrete playstyle, they aim to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to play seamlessly what will hit their opponents the hardest. However, playing against newer and younger teams with fresh takes on strategies that aim to take down these behemoth teams. Struggling against those that do the unexpected, as indicated with their disastrous best-of-three against Spirit, they’re primed to face a well-informed Virtus.pro against Russian sniper Dzhami ‘Jame’ Ali. Whatever happens – if Astralis pulls through, it’ll likely be at the hands of zonic, gla1ve and co. fending off the young blood. For all IEM Katowice news, make sure to stay tuned over at our dedicated event hub.

Why Astralis are S1mple & ZywOo’s kryptonite | CSGO IEM Global Challenge Review Show Richard Lewis and James ‘BanKs’ Banks break down all the action from the IEM Global Challenge, the final CSGO event of 2020. Team Liquid was destroyed by champions Astralis, before team member Twistzz announced in the following interview that he had played his last game. Astralis also managed to take down another superstar in Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut – is 2021 another Astralis year? With Na’Vi falling short, where is it going wrong for Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev’s team of fraggers? With an extremely hopeful, supportive fanbase supporting the esports team, many are crossing their fingers that they can find it in themselves to get back to their A-game. Both s1mple and Denis ‘electronic’ Sharipov are such fantastic pieces that work like clockwork together in Na’Vi, but some of the other team’s pieces can leave something to be desired. When it comes down to the wire, though, the team just isn’t able to hit their stride when it’s absolutely crucial that they’re doing so. With time going on, s1mple’s esports days are numbered – he won’t be able to stay at the top of his game forever. This gives opposing teams the chance to take him out, something that’s evidently doable with Astralis’ win. The game ultimately lives and dies with his ability to pull his teammates through a match, and this is why teams like Astralis can sweep through. In comparison, though, we always see Astralis being overlooked by their opponents – players often expect an easy, breezy win. Perhaps now, though, with the win at the IEM Global Challenge and the lion’s share secured under their belt, people will finally stop and take stock.

Who should replace Karrigan on the FaZe CS:GO roster? FaZe Clan are searching for a fifth member to join their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster after benching long-time in-game leader Finn ‘Karrigan’ Andersen. Now two of the scenes most vocal names have made their feelings known about the situation. The team will need to make a change before the January 1 roster lock for the upcoming IEM Katowice Major. However, there has been no inclination on which player they will pick up to replace Karrigan. Natus Vincere star Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev was the first name to be linked to join the all-star roster. S1mple added bait to those rumors when he tweeted FazeUp? on December 18. However, he rubbished the rumors during his December 20 stream when he stated: “Man, I’m not joining FaZe Clan, so there is no need to wish me good luck. Good luck in 2019, that’s what you need to wish.” The debate will rage on until the team finds a suitable replacement for their long-time in-game leader. However, two of Counter-Strike’s biggest name have weighed in on the situation and given their opinion on the situation. During episode 59 of the Return Of By The Numbers podcast, hosts Richard Lewis and Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields discussed the prospect of who may be picked up by FaZe Clan. “I have a real hard time trying to figure out someone that this team would simultaneously respect but is even vaguely available. Like, that’s a real tough call to narrow that down right there,” said Thorin. “If anything, if they don’t respect someone like Karrigan, who’s left at that point?” “I literally cannot think of an in-game leader of the caliber you would think,” added Lewis. (Timestamp of 4:00 for below video) The pair did discuss one notable name who could join the roster – Chris ‘ChrisJ’ de Jong of Mousesports. “ChrisJ has done a really good job with Mous, which is kind of a FaZe-like team but would they really recruit him to this team?” said Thorin. However, after his history with FaZe’s star player, Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač, they aren’t sure that could ever happen. “I don’t even think ChrisJ and NiKo could. I don’t know if that’s a marriage that wants to get fucking renewed, you know,” added Lewis. Whoever FaZe decide to replace Karrigan with, they will have to make a move before the New Year’s day roster lock. With a small pool of talent available as free agents, they have to dig deep into their pockets to find a replacement.

Who is the CS:GOAT? CSGO community debates the greatest player ever After Olof ‘olofmeister’ Kajbjer Gustafsson claimed his 25th championship with CS:GO teams in the world at IEM Beijing: who’s the GOAT? Following olof’s latest addition to his trophy case, CSGO caster Jason ‘moses’ O’Toole made his declaration short and simple. Olofmeister is the “CS:GOAT. But like in any sport when a GOAT is declared, especially by a well known personality, there is sure to be a debate. Olof ‘olofmeister’ Kajbjer The quickest way to the top of GOAT contention is to win an precedented number of championships, and no one has stacked hardware like the meister. Since joining Fnatic in 2014, and then joining FaZe Clan in 2017, olofmeister has claimed 25 championship trophies. The majority of those came with his tenure with Fnatic, which included two major championships. While moses clearly pointed out a difference between the greatest CSGO player and the current best CSGO player, back in 2015, olofmeister was unquestionably the best, as he was the driving force for a Fnatic team that dominated the entire calendar year. Even Jesper ‘JW’ Wecksell had to give the nod to his former teammate. Great point, agree on that one! As for your goat, i can buckle up behind both options but I would still probably go for Olof, he have been competitive and winning titles for every year of CSGO almost it feels like. — Jesper Wecksell (@JW1) November 3, 2019 Success on two teams. Titles every year. An incredible comeback from injury. Untouchable at times. The case for olofmeister is strong, but he does not lack competition… Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz The star amongst the stars, Dev1ce has played at the highest level for a number of years, and has never fallen off the pedestal of players considered the best, even if the trophies themselves fall apart. Dev1ce’s resume has only gotten more impressive over time, from Copenhagen Wolves to Dignitas to TSM to Astralis. While some may consider dev1ce’s accomplishment a byproduct of being on a superior team, and Astralis is indeed a superior team, there’s been no question that he’s the star. Across the last four years, he’s been a top five player on HLTV’s best player lists, set the record with his Astralis teammates for most major victories, and his picked up a plethora of hardware on the way. Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo While FalleN and MIBR’s recent track record hasn’t been ideal, the Brazilian captain deserves a nod for his past periods of dominance, and his overall impact on the scene. For two years, Luminosity/SK Gaming was untouchable under FalleN’s leadership. He was also one of, if not the best AWPer in the entire scene across 2016 and 2017. Back-to-back majors in 2016, and in the second half of 2017, SK Gaming won six titles from June onwards. Yes, Marcelo ‘coldzera’ David was the star, but everyone knows that a star without leadership doesn’t shine the brightest, and FalleN was why those teams signed. FalleN has been instrumental in inspiring and cultivating young Brazilian talent, resulting in an entire region that could compete with the world. Even if his GOAT status isn’t certain, he’s the GOAT of Brazilian CS:GO without question. Other candidates Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev’s name has emerged a couple times, but there’s a catch. When it comes to ability and playmaking there’s no questioning how great he is. But s1mple’s trophycase isn’t as impressive as some other names, and his struggles at majors have been glaring. At only 22, he’s the most likely to improve his resume, so perhaps one day he will be the definitive GOAT. Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg gets a nod for the sake of longevity, and how great he’s been across multiple titles. Not only has he succeeded in CSGO with Ninjas in Pyjamas, but is perhaps the greatest 1.6 player ever. While his status as the CS:GOAT might be questionable, he’s got a great case for the greatest Counter-Strike player ever. So who’s the CS:GOAT? Hopefully, we haven’t even met them yet, because CSGO should never die.

Who is m0NESY, G2 CSGO’s new AWP prodigy? G2We looked at the remarkable rise of CS:GO phenomenon Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov, G2 Esports’ new signing, with the help of his former coach and mentor Amiran ‘aMi’ Rehviashvili. “When I’m 16, I plan to be part of a good team.” M0NESY has had it all planned out from an early age. In February 2020, he appeared, brazen and uber-confident, in front of a camera, and mapped out his future in his first interview with NAVI. He was only 14 years old at the time and had barely got his feet wet at a semi-pro level, yet he was talking up his potential and spelling out his thoughts on some of the game’s most decorated players and storied teams with such remarkable self-assurance that you’d think he’d seen and done it all. Almost two years later, a 16-year-old m0NESY finds himself in the highest echelons of the Counter-Strike scene, his prediction proving uncannily accurate. He is taking his first steps away from his roots, hoping to launch a successful career with G2 Esports, who agreed to pay a reported $600,000 fee for the player. It is a hefty sum for any player, let alone a teenager still finding his way in the world. But G2 did not want to repeat the mistakes of the past and did not hesitate to open their checkbook to land a player they hope will propel them to the next level. Becoming a teenage phenom M0NESY’s meteoric rise has been a surprise to no one who has been around the teenager, especially Amiran ‘aMi’ Rehviashvili, the man responsible for bringing the Russian wonderkid to NAVI. After hearing a lot of buzz about this “little kid who was insane”, aMi, the head coach of NAVI Junior, set about finding out all he could about the player. By that time, m0NESY had an impressive 3800 FACEIT elo – a number that represents a player’s perceived skill level – and had already been competing at a reasonably high level in the CIS region, but he was still green and lacked fundamentals in many areas. “Mechanically, he was good at his level, but he didn’t know how to play proper CS,” aMi told Dexerto. “But I saw great potential in him, the same as with b1t. He was shooting great but didn’t know what to do properly. “We decided to sign him, and I knew that if he did everything right and if he listened, he would become a great player.” M0NESY joined NAVI Junior in January 2020, initially on trial. To land the player, NAVI had to beat off competition from another CIS-based organization, Hard Legion, who were close to signing him as a streamer. We got a new addition to our #navijunior unit! 😏 📰: https://t.co/MnzU8uBoBW#navination #csgo pic.twitter.com/sviwaYHQkH — NAVI (@natusvincere) January 7, 2020 In his first year with NAVI, m0NESY didn’t see much action. Because of his age, he wasn’t allowed to play in most tournaments for NAVI Junior. Consigned to a backup role, he still featured for NAVI Youth, the organization’s third lineup. With opportunities limited, m0NESY buckled down and continued to develop his craft. “We were working all the time, watching demos and talking about how to play properly,” aMi said, adding that he saw in the player traits that are common in special talents. “I couldn’t forbid him from doing some things. Some players, great players, can do what they are feeling in the moment. He was this kind of player. I had to change my plan on how to work with him.” In March 2020, just two months after joining NAVI, m0NESY was invited to play in the FACEIT Pro League (FPL), the most prestigious matchmaking league for pros and streamers in the game. https://twitter.com/m0NESY13/status/1239243131817725952 At the time, Denis ’electronic’ Sharipov expressed fears that the toxicity in FPL could break m0NESY, but the teenager has handled himself very well. “I wasn’t afraid of toxicity because I knew his potential,” aMi said. “And many good players helped him in the beginning, like Loba [Lobanjica] and sometimes s1mple. “I was happy that he was invited there because of the experience. You’re playing with better players, getting more experience. He was dominating FPL-C but couldn’t qualify for FPL because of the structure of the qualifiers. He’s doing well there, so it wasn’t a mistake.” At the same time, m0NESY also had to learn how to deal with abuse from some people in the CIS community, who were unhappy that had joined Navi Junior despite not having attended NAVI’s Esports Camp, a project that marked the launch of the academy program. Emerging onto the global stage Promoted to NAVI Junior’s starting lineup in March 2021, m0NESY quickly began tearing up the tier-two scene in Europe, but the team’s lack of experience prevented them from making deep runs in international tournaments. Enter the WePlay Academy League. Created in July 2021 in partnership with some of the biggest esports organizations in the world, the project has proved a springboard for young, talented players looking to make it to the biggest level. With LAN Finals and a production quality that puts most established tournament organizers to shame, the academy league has become an important element of present-day Counter-Strike as big-money player transfers have become a rare sight and a number of organizations have moved on from the game. M0NESY set the academy league alight in Season 1, averaging a season-high 1.64 HLTV rating despite NAVI Junior finishing in fifth place and failing to make it to the LAN portion of the tournament. Read more: Best CSGO players of 2021 – After bringing in veteran Egor ‘flamie’ Vasilyev, the team made big improvements and reached the final in Season 2, with m0NESY once again very high on the charts (1.37 HLTV rating in the regular season and 1.30 in the LAN finals). “I thought he might be a bit afraid at first, but he was dominating the academy league from the start and I understand he was going to be a great player,” aMi said. “In the second season, we f**ed up the two matches against MOUZ NXT, but he played the other games super well. He was one of the reasons we finished second.” But with the path to NAVI’s main team blocked for him, m0NESY found himself looking for opportunities elsewhere – a move even suggested by Aleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev himself. Because of their role, m0NESY has often been compared to s1mple, but aMi believes that the teenager still has a long way to go to be on the same pedestal as the Ukrainian legend. “We can’t really compare the two players,” he said. “Sasha is the best player in the world, and I think he will continue to be so for a few more years, while m0nesy still needs to grow. “The road to becoming the best player is long, and he needs to work, work and work. I hope that in two or three years he’s going to be close to s1mple’s level.” Reaching new heights Expectations for the new-look G2 will be through the roof with m0NESY’s arrival as it allows them to fix one of their biggest problems. Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač himself has said that he expects the team to get to the next level with a main AWPer, admitting that they struggled “a little bit” when playing against quality snipers. But there’s a valid concern about whether m0NESY, a player still in the early stages of development, is already tier-one ready. Moreover, how will he cope with the pressure of playing for a team shooting for the stars and that will see anything other than winning a Major and dethroning NAVI as a failure? According to NAVI head coach Andrii ‘B1ad3’ Horodenskyi, m0NESY still gets “really nervous” in important matches and doesn’t perform at his best level. G2’s biggest task as an organization will be to make m0NESY feel that he doesn’t have the weight of the world on his still fragile shoulders. They will need to insulate him from the criticism if the team doesn’t come out of the gate swinging in 2022. “I think I’ve said this before, he needs time,” aMi said of m0NESY. “I’m not sure he’s ready [yet to play at the highest level], but he has great potential. “Maybe I’m wrong and he’s going to play really well, but I think he still has a lot to discover and learn. “He needs to gain experience from better players because there are some things that I cannot teach him, like the experience that you get by yourself from playing in the tier-one scene.” Success stories M0NESY’s emergence as a world-class talent and subsequent big-money transfer without playing a single game for NAVI’s main team is testimony to the good work being done by the Ukrainian organization’s academy project. But he is not even the biggest success story out of NAVI Junior. Groomed to play for the main squad for over a year, Valerii ‘b1t’ Vakhovskyi has elevated NAVI to new levels since nailing down a permanent spot in the starting lineup, winning the PC Rookie of the Year award at the 2021 Esports Awards for his influential role in the team’s historic 2021. “All of our young players are inspired by b1t,” aMi said. “This was a great year for him, he won everything. IEM Cologne, the Intel Grand Slam, the Major… “It’s the goal for every kid. We have the goal to create super players, not just average players, because NAVI isn’t an average organization. We need to have stars.” When aMi sat down for this interview, m0NESY’s transfer to G2 was still more than a month away, though it was already clear that NAVI were listening to offers for the player. For aMi, there is a mixed bag of feelings on how to process waving goodbye to a player like m0NESY. “I would be happy if he gets to play for a tier-one team, achieve good results and win tournaments, but at the same time I’d be sad because we worked together for two years,” he said. “He was a super little kid and he grew with us, with the Junior team, with me, and I’m going to be sad. But our goal is to help players learn everything. “In the end, it’s good that our academy is bringing these players up. B1t is with NAVI, m0NESY can play for NAVI or any other tier-one team. “My dream would be to see b1t and m0NESY together. I think they would make a great pair and show great things together. I know they want to play with each other. I hope one day that can happen.” But there’s no time to dwell or get teary-eyed. A new season is starting, and aMi has a fresh crop of players to work with, new talent to shape and mold. In the NAVI camp, the work never stops. “I’m sure that in the near future we’ll have new talented kids,” aMi said. “We announced our new NAVI Youth lineup a month or two ago, and they’re already practicing. “Sometimes, I watch what they’re doing, and they have great potential. “I’m sure that in 12 or 18 months we’re going to have new, maybe even better players.”

Who is broky? Rumored FaZe CSGO pickup becomes free agent Epsilon EsportsMany Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans may have heard the latest FaZe Clan transfer rumors, which hint at a rather unknown player potentially joining the squad, but who exactly is Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants? On September 5, fans noted that FaZe were practicing without Ladislav ‘GuardiaN’ Kovács and Filip ‘NEO’ Kubski, with broky and an unknown player going by the name of ‘dickb0mb’ taking their place. The identity of dickb0mb is still unknown, however, fans speculate that it could be Marcelo ‘Coldzera’ David, who was previously linked with the organization. Meanwhile, it is confirmed broky was playing with FaZe, but the player remains relatively unknown. Who is Broky? Broky is new to the competitive CS:GO scene, and it is likely many people haven’t heard of him. He is an 18-year-old who first appeared in the competitive scene in mid-2018, largely playing in regional events and the Faceit Pro League. The young Latvian quickly outgrew the Baltic scene and was signed by Epsilon Esports in February 2019 and continued to impress from there. Only two months after joining he helped his team to win the ESEA Season 30 Premier Division, and just two weeks later played a key role in their fourth-place finish at Charleroi Esports 2019, which included an impressive victory over G2. Our CSGO team earned itself a spot in the semi finals Sunday after a brilliant run in the group stages taking out G2 and gamerlegion @CharleroiEsport — Epsilon Esports (@Epsilon_eSports) April 13, 2019 In July the team parted ways with Epsilon and have been looking for an organization to represent ever since. Broky’s free agency was announced just days after his practice with FaZe, leading fans to believe the player is likely to join the international squad. Helvijs is lauded as one of the brightest young stars in Counter-Strike and is living up to the hype with increasingly impressive performances against strong opponents. However, he has yet to be truly tested by the best of Counter-Strike, so if he does join FaZe, it will be interesting to see how well he can compete.

Which do Counter-Strike pros think is harder: Valorant or CS:GO? DreamHackPlayers between both the Valorant and Counter-Strike communities often debate about the differences between the two games and which one is harder. Valorant and Counter-Strike are two of the biggest tactical shooters played in 2023. Though similar, the fan bases are usually loyal to one game or the other and frequently debate why the game they play is better. While casual players debate the subject all the time, fans rarely get to hear the opinions of the people who play the game professionally at the highest level. But CS pro players have weighed in on which game, Valorant or Counter-Strike, they think is harder. CS:GO pros join the debate on how hard Valorant is In the video reposted on Twitter by HowToNoodle, an interviewer posed a question to the professional players “Which one is harder to play, CS:GO or Valorant?” The majority of the pro responses indicated that Valorant was the harder game in terms of shooting. The main source of grief for the pro Counter-Strike players was the abilities you can use in the game. ” I would say Valorant, even if it is an easy game you have to shoot at the f**king bird, the f**king dog, eyes everywhere.” Though, not all of the players agreed with the sentiment that Valorant was harder. Fan reactions to the video Casual players were still keen to give their opinions on which game is harder in the comments section of the tweet. For one fan, “Valorant is harder because there is no set spray patterns.” But, like the pro Counter-Strike players, the opinions were divided. For some, this wasn’t true, and instead, “it’s Csgo, not cause the gunplay that sh*t is easy, but coming from point and click flashes and smokes VS lineups.” The full release of Counter-strike 2 may change players’ minds, with the full release expected to be on or before September, 23 2023. Dexerto has complete guides on the best CS2 settings for the game and all the rarest skins.

When will new skins and cases be added to CSGO? CSGO/Valve/DexertoWith Operation Shattered Web firmly in the rearview mirror, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans have been trying to find clues about the next big content update that will bless them with an all-new case. Here’s everything we know so far. Even though CS:GO isn’t exactly a brand-new title, fans still flock to the iconic first-person shooter in order to pit their skills against some of the very best players around. Over the years, Valve has introduced a number of ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd – be it stickers and badges, or the brand-new operator skins from Operation Shattered Web. Yet, the most sought after cosmetics come in the form of weapon skins – with some of them fetching eye-watering sums of money. However, fans are always wanting more. When will the next CSGO case be released? The last case release came when the Prisma 2 set dropped as a part of the March 31 update. The new cases followed on from the original Prisma cases and contained 17 brand new weapon skins as well as six new knives. Read More: Top 20 most expensive CSGO skins in history – Prior to the release of the Prisma 2 cases, the Operation Shattered Web cases were released on November 18 and, before them, came the CS20 Weapon Cases on October 18. Considering that Valve doesn’t really overload CS:GO with skins, and these updates could be seen as pretty regular by the developer’s standards, the wait for the next release date is set to go on for a little while longer. Will CS:GO release a new case for the Source 2 engine? Of course this is Valve and they could very well decide to do their own thing by dropping another case out of the blue, but they might have the next release point lined up. There has been speculation about CS:GO receiving a facelift and moving to the Source 2 engine – with some insiders claims suggesting it could drop at any point in the next two months. That switch would be cause for celebration and, more than likely, a reason for a new case. However, though Valve might have dropped hints that it is coming sooner than expected with a few map tweaks, there is still no official word from the developers. So, along with the wait for the new engine, players will just have to wait and see as to when they’ll be able to fill up their Steam wallets in order to be ready to buy any new cases.

When is the next CSGO Major? Rio 2020 canceled, RMR events, more ESLValve has canceled the ESL One: Rio 2020 CS:GO Major due to the ongoing global health situation, as the company now concentrates its efforts in reassessing how to safely put on the event at a later date. As more qualifiers, events, and cash prize tournaments are moving to an online landscape, there was still hope that the Rio Major could somehow go along as scheduled. With the growing pandemic still challenging countries around the globe, Valve is going to put a hold on the Brazilian Major that was previously scheduled for November 9, 2020. “When we announced the Rio Major, we were excited to bring a CS:GO Major to one of Counter-Strike’s most passionate fan bases,” the Valve devs wrote. “At the time, we couldn’t have imagined the global challenges that have limited live events throughout 2020.” The company said it wasn’t “going to ask players and fans to risk their health in order to attend,” and that it would cancel the only tournament with a ‘Major’ label in the year. Along with the news, Valve said they wouldn’t be scheduling any other Majors until they could at least hold Regional Major Ranking (RMR) events on LAN (local access network) to start a safe process toward a big event. Back in December 2019, the company was excited to announce the first Major for the region that was supposed to be hosted at Rio de Janeiro’s Jeunesse Arena. Though the May event was later rescheduled because of initial concerns to public safety, ESL and Valve had to eventually shut down production on the event. “Together with Valve we had to make the tough but safe decision to cancel the ESL One Rio Major 2020 due to the ongoing disruption (of the pandemic),” ESL wrote in an update. “We worked through several alternative options down to the last hour to make the Major a reality, but ultimately have to face the fact that the global situation currently does not allow for a Major to take place.” When is the next CS:GO Major? ESL has said that Valve can’t “say when and how Majors will return,” but when it does, the goal will still be to create a premier event in Rio de Janeiro. “While Valve is currently not able to say when and how Majors will return, as soon as they do we’ll work to bring the Major to Rio. New dates will be announced once a return for an in-arena Major is safe for everyone involved,” ESL said. The company’s IEM New York 2020 and IEM Beijing-Haidian 2020 are still expected to continue in their online format for October and November, respectively. Brasil, we promise to bring a CS:GO Major to your country as soon as a return for an in-arena Major is safe for everyone involved! 💚💛All purchased tickets remain fully valid until then or can be refunded upon request. Find out more here: https://t.co/aVpxS6UAsi — ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 9, 2020 It sounds like the priority will be to get RMRs back up and running in a safe manner – especially since there will be changes to the leaderboards after CSGO teams were found exploiting a coaching bug. Teams whose coaches were involved in the spectator-bug situation had their RMR points reset; with more ‘limitations’ from Valve to the coaching position possibly coming soon. As Valve continues to find solutions for putting on live events, the CSGO competitive community and its fans will look to when the next Major event for the esport will take place.

When will s1mple be unbanned on Twitch? Countdown to CS:GO pro’s stream return DreamhackCounter-Strike: Global Offensive superstar Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev was banned from Twitch on August 13, but when will he back streaming again? Here’s what we know. The CS:GO community was left scratching its collective head on August 13 after members of the fans noticed that s1mple’s Twitch channel had mysteriously disappeared. Some suggested that the Natus Vincere AWPer had temporarily taken down his channel ahead of the StarLadder Berlin Major, while others believed he could have been mistakenly suspended. It didn’t take long for the real reason to come to light, and for fans to discover how long they will be without s1mple’s content. Why was s1mple banned by Twitch? The explanation for s1mple’s suspension was quickly dug up by esports journalist and consultant Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau. Slasher reported that he had been banned for using a homophobic slur on-stream towards Na’Vi teammate Kirill ‘Boombl4’ Mikhailov back on July 29. s1mple has been suspended from Twitch for one week source with knowledge confirms this is indeed because s1mple used a homophobic slur (pidor) jokingly during a July 29th FPL game to his NaVi teammate Boombl4 here’s the clip, a CIS editor even made a meme video two weeks ago pic.twitter.com/pQmx9kk7iR — Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 13, 2019 How long will s1mple be banned? According to Slasher, the Na’Vi superstar received a one-week ban after the fact and that length could be considered lucky, as other CIS players have been slapped down with a month-long ban for similar infractions. If true, S1mple’s channel would return to twitch on August 20. Despite Slasher’s information, the length of the ban is unknown as Twitch generally do not comment on specific bans for individuals. Even if it is true, with the StarLadder Berlin Major right around the corner, fans might be waiting a little longer to see him broadcasting FPL games again as practice will ramp up. from what I understand, Twitch has suspended/banned several big name Russian and CIS streamers this year for similar comments, especially homophobic slurs, some of which were for 30 days https://t.co/TYqOfqjR6O — Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 13, 2019 He could very well stream during the Major, though. During his free time at the ESL Katowice Major in January of 2019, s1mple hopped right into online matches against fellow pros and rising stars in a bid to hone his skills. Regardless of when he returns to Twitch, and if he streams anytime soon, his Na’Vi teammates will be hoping to perform better than they did at Katowice, where they were defeated by ENCE in the semi-finals.

When is IEM Katowice CSGO? Groups, schedule, format ESLOne of the biggest events in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive calendar, IEM Katowice, is just around the corner and some key details have already been revealed. When it comes to CSGO events, few are as popular as the annual tournament in Katowice, where the best in the world battle it out for some of the biggest prize pools. This year, the event hosts the first-ever ESL Pro Tour Masters Championship LAN event, which is a part of ESL’s new competitive circuit. Teams will not only secure a cash prize, but also vital points to ensure qualification to ESL One Cologne – another Masters Championship. When is IEM Katowice CSGO? IEM Katowice kicks off on February 24 and will bring almost a whole week of exciting CSGO action as it culminates in a grand final at the Spodek Arena on March 1. The first four days of the event will be dedicated to the group stage, while the playoffs will be played in the remaining three, giving both fans and players enough time to rest between matches. IEM Katowice schedule and format IEM Katowice will be played in a standard format for Counter-Strike events, with double elimination groups leading into a single-elimination playoff bracket. There will be two groups of eight teams that are seeded using the all-new ESL CS:GO World Ranking with all matches being played in a best-of-three format. The winners of each group will advance straight to the semi-finals, while second and third will advance to the quarter-finals. The playoffs will also consist of best-of-three matches up until the grand final, which will be a lengthy best of five. Monday Feb 24 Tuesday Feb 25 Wednesday Feb 26 Thursday Feb 27 Friday Feb 28 Saturday Feb 29 Sunday March 1 IEM Katowice groups IEM Katowice sees two extremely competitive groups that are almost impossible to predict. Group A sees top teams like Astralis, Team Vitality, and an in-form FaZe Clan. Meanwhile, group B consists of North American stars Team Liquid and Evil Geniuses, as well as the impressive Mousesports squad. Now that you know which teams are competing and when to watch, all you need to do is wait for what is undoubtedly set to be one of the best CSGO events of 2020 so far. Before you know it, the action will kick off at the Spodek!

What’s next for OpTic Gaming after disappointing performance at the IEM Katowice CS:GO EU Minor? The IEM Katowice Major might still be a few weeks away, but the Minor has begun for the EU region and already some big names have been eliminated from the CS:GO tournament. With plenty of talent present at the Minor, there was sure to plenty of close matches and surprising results from start to finish. With that being said, however, OpTic Gaming came into the Minor with a ton of high expectations after adding Ismail ‘refrezh’ Ali to their ranks just a couple of weeks ago. Despite this new addition, they couldn’t manage to get much done during the group stage, suffering two fairly lopsided losses. They opened up with a match against Team Vitality, but only managed eight rounds in the 16-8 loss that sent them directly to the Elimination Match of Group A. Up against mousesports in that match, things didn’t improve much at all. Playing on Train and Nuke, OpTic lost 16-14 and 16-11, respectively, to end their hopes at making it to the Major. Now that their time in Katowice is over so soon, it’s quite likely that they will start looking towards the future to figure out what’s next. While certainly nothing is confirmed just yet, all eyes will certainly be on the former in-game leader of FaZe Clan, Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen. He’s currently playing with Team Envy for the Americas Minor on loan, but it was made very clear that his time with them would be temporary. This, along with the fact that he’d already been benched by FaZe Clan, certainly gives credence to the possibility that he could be on his way to the Green Wall before long. The entire CS:GO world will no doubt be on the lookout for any news on this front once the dust has settled after the Major.

What opponents saw when playing against OpTic forsaken’s CSGO hacks OpTic GamingOpTic India player Nikhil ‘forsaken’ Kumawat was exposed for cheating during a tournament and later banned from competitive CSGO in one of the biggest scandals of 2018 — and a new video has emerged showing exactly what his opponents saw when competing against the hacks. OpTic India was formed in the summer of 2018 and started off strong with an impressive series of performances at various C-Tier and qualifier CSGO tournaments. Just 4 months after the team was signed though, its entire roster was released in October 2018 after their star player was exposed for using hacks while competing in the eXTREMESLAND 2018 Asia Finals. While forsaken is still serving his 5-year ESIC ban, new footage of his cheating continues to emerge. YouTuber Avi Thour shared a video showing the perspective of opponents playing against the hacks during the infamous “word.exe” scandal, called that because the cheating program was literally named “word.exe” on the Indian player’s PC. The footage on display in the video makes it extremely clear that something is not quite right with forsaken’s behavior in-game, as almost every possible hacking situation can be seen in the 2-minute long montage. Opponents are hit without even seeing forsaken on their screen, headshot immediately after coming around corners, and many other instances of possible foul play. Lucky plays and strategies like head-glitching are not an issue on their own. However, the video evidence combined with the the fact we now know forsaken was cheating is just more evidence these plays were more than just skill. The video provides even more evidence that forsaken was abusing hacks while competing for OpTic India. Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez – the owner of OpTic Gaming – spoke about the scandal in an episode of his ‘Eavesdrop’ podcast that aired on September 13. Read More: CSGO December 17 patch notes – H3CZ shared some strong criticism of forsaken, calling him a “f**king loser.” He went on to describe how forsaken’s actions negatively affected the OpTic organization, saying “To put on that brand, and to f**king do that, he is lucky that I wasn’t f**king there.” While forsaken has apologized for the cheating scandal, the events have clearly stuck with H3CZ and many others in the CSGO and OpTic community. This video is just another reminder of how much a single player can damage the reputation of an esports organization and the integrity of a game’s competitive scene.

What if CSGO had Fallout’s VATS system? Paddymazz / Bethesda SoftworksCounter-Strike: Global Offensive has always demanded raw skill and tactics to come out on top, but infusing Fallout’s V.A.T.S. design could add an interesting dynamic to the game. The legendary Valve shooter has left its 5v5 formula largely untouched since premiering at the turn of the century, requiring top-tier players to find creativity in other aspects of the game like economy management, map knowledge, and the like. A community creation has given players a peek into what the game could look like if it integrated the iconic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS), which would give CSGO players an interesting way of finishing off their opponents. In a Reddit post, user ‘dwhite-’ showed their progress on an edit which shows a T AWPer on Cache looking up Highway toward the A site. The game’s UI already looks completely different from what CS players are used to, as it leans more to the legendary RPG rather than Valve’s creation. Once they catch a glimpse of a CT player peeking from Catwalk the AWPer aims down the sniper’s sights – but instead of the normal scope, the game transitions to a more Fallout appropriate style. In dwhite’s edit, it shows that the Counter-Terrorist is level 27 before the user evidently chose to aim for the head. Moments later, the CT tries to retreat back behind the wall they peeked from, but is instead blasted through the wall. The edit wraps up with an authentic appearance of Vault Boy obliterating another Vault Boy in the upper left part of the screen with a notification that the player landed a “Critical Strike on Counter-Terrorist.” While the edit is brief in its presentation, CSGO fans were loving what dwhite’s been cooking up. The labor of love has taken the creative “about a week” for a full minute of content, and they surmise it will be done with another week’s time. Though many were reminiscing about 2016’s ‘Nuclear Strike’ by YouTuber ‘westracer’ which follows a similar concept of the Fallout world and CS:GO. Needless to say, there’s a lot of hype for dwhite’s full project reveal since it looks like it’ll be another entry in the popular CSGO and Fallout dream mashup.

What CSGO players are still available as free agents or transfers? ESL / DreamHackOver a month removed from the StarLadder Berlin major, and a plethora of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive talent is still available as free agents and on the benches of other pro teams. What was expected to be a wild post-major roster shuffle has been relatively quiet. The biggest transfer to occur was one that was widely rumored and reported multiple times before it was officially announced, that being the transfer of coldzera to FaZe Clan. There are still a huge number of available Counter-Strike players right this moment, as pointed out by French CS:GO reporter neLendirekt. oskar, HS, ScreaM, GeT_RiGhT, friberg, Xizt, freddieb, MSL, k0nfig, niko, NaToSaphiX, mertz, NEO, Pasha, byali, sick, wardell, boltz, steel, calyx, hadji, spellan, thomas, mirbit, devoduvek and more. You can do a couple of good international teams with all that. DO IT. pic.twitter.com/E1eXckzwZ2 — neL (@neLendirekt) October 16, 2019 NeL delivers a long list of CS:GO veterans and up-and-comers, following up with the idea that just from that pool alone you could create “a couple of good international teams.” Left off of this list are two of the biggest “available” names in Counter-Strike in aleksib and NBK. NeL is the reporter who broke the initial story that Dota 2 organizationOG was looking to bring in both players to be the centerpieces of their CS:GO roster. In a later report submitted to Dexerto, CS:GO insider Jared “DeKay” Lewis reported that OG were “at odds” with ENCE and Vitality over transfer sums for the players. But even if those two names aren’t included, the list of available players is still incredibly impressive. The recently departed OpTic Gaming roster is on there, which includes a terrific in-game leader in MSL, a potentially reformed star in k0nfig, and a blossoming talent in niko. The ex-Luminosity players (steel, boltz, and NEKIZ) are on there as well. Steel and boltz are both former major grand finalists, reaching the PGL Krakow finals in 2017, and boltz had an impressive campaign with MiBR before he was replaced with tarik. The list of available players is also loaded with veterans from formerly legendary teams. Three members of the legendary Ninjas in Pyjamas are all available, in Xizt, friberg, and GeT_RiGhT, as are members of the Virtus.Pro legendary team: pashabiceps, NEO, and byali. Some of these players may not stay on this list for very long, however. DeKay reports, according to multiple sources, that Swedish players freddieb and Draken will be heading to GODSENT soon. GODSENT recently made their return to CSGO with legendary player pronax leading the division. GODSENT isn’t the only organization that promised to make a big move into Counter-Strike, and like GODSENT, the other organizations haven’t officially made the moves yet, for the most part. Organizations such as 100 Thieves, Dignitas, and Misfits all indicated that they wanted to make their way into CS:GO, and have all remained quiet since then. If any of those organizations do decide to make moves, or if other big moves do end up happening, you know to check in here to Dexerto to get all the info.

WePlay suspend CSGO academy league as Kyiv is hit by missiles WePlayWePlay has announced that it has postponed the start of its CS:GO academy league following Russia’s recent wave of attacks on Kyiv. The tournament was due to start on October 10 with the first group stage matches, but WePlay has announced that the league has been suspended following the recent wave of attacks, which has killed at least eight people and injured 24, BBC reports. Eighty-three missiles have been launched by Russia on October 10, Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat has revealed. The deadly strikes on a number of cities across Ukraine come just days after the only bridge linking Russia with occupied Crimea was severely damaged in an explosion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of being responsible for the explosion, which he called an “act of terrorism”. Most of WePlay’s operations team is based in Kyiv, where residents have been forced to seek shelter from the air raids. Across the country, power outages have been reported after a number of key infrastructure facilities were hit by missiles. “We are forced to postpone the start of WAL Season 6,” WePlay said in a statement. “Our main value is our employees’ safety, and we cannot expose them to additional risk. Further updates on the tournament start will be announced later.” Currently in its sixth season, the WePlay Academy League features teams like NAVI Junior, MOUZ NXT, Young Ninjas and Fnatic Rising, with $100,000 on the line. The first two seasons culminated in LAN Finals in WePlay’s studios in Kyiv, but in January it was announced that the tournament would pivot to an online-only format because of concerns over the “geopolitical situation in Ukraine” and the global health crisis.

Weird CSGO bug makes defusing bombs on Mirage a total nightmare ValveA visual bug in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive makes bomb defuses on B-site Mirage a nightmare for the CTs. Multiple players are reporting a bug that occurs when a Counter-Terrorist gets on the bomb to defuse. The wires of the bomb defuser glitch out to extend far beyond their intended radius, giving T’s a huge advantage in tense situations. Forms of this bug have appeared since Valve gave the diffuser an animation for wires back in a controversial update in 2015. Since then, there’s been discussion if the change helps or hurts the state of the game. The bug can have direct implications to a match like it did in Reddit user ‘Kylows’s game where they were playing as the T-side trying to defend their bomb plant. With the round down to a 2v2, the T’s managed to plant the bomb with two seconds remaining. Immediately after, a trade brought down the game to a 1v1. At this point, the T-side should be the ones with a disadvantage since the remaining CT knows exactly where the last person is playing from. Even though the bomb is planted for Cat, where the surviving T is, the CT should be able to maneuver around that information to get the highest chance of winning. But the mind games that started to ensue were quickly ended when the bug made the defuser wires stretch across the T’s screen. After that, it was a simple matter of following the line to place a headshot on the defusing CT player. Without the bug, these 1v1’s test the decision-making and clutch potential of both players. A popular strategy for CTs is to simply tap the bomb to activate the sound cue for a defuse. This starts a back-and-forth where a CT braves the 5 or 10-second defuse to win or taps it just to get off in order to bait the last player to peek into their sights. Conversely, the T side needs to either peek and stop the defuse or call the bluff and stay hidden in case they merely tapped the bomb. With this bug, that stalemate is broken in the T’s advantage and gives the CTs almost no chance of winning. It’ll be interesting to see how Valve decide to fix this, since the problem has been a nuisance for a long time.

Watch s1mple’s POV as he fills in for semi-pro CS:GO team and destroys opponents Starladder / ValveProfessional CS:GO player Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev put on an incredible performance while filling in for a semi-pro team in an Online Cup, streaming his gameplay on Twitch. S1mple is known for being one of the best CS:GO players in the world in recent years, so his competitors in the LOOT.BET Cup, “forZe”, were likely to be shocked when seeing him filling in for one of the players on the opposing team, “cats.” The Ukrainian currently competes for Natus Vincere professionally, where he plays against the best teams in the world, so this step down in competition was no problem at all for him as he put on a show, streaming the whole match from his point of view for his Twitch viewers. During the first map of the series, s1mple began to perform at his expected high standards almost instantly, making CS:GO look easy by starting the first half of the game with twenty kills. Read More: CS:GO update finally nerfs AUG, adds bizarre sticker kit for Counter-Strike’s 20th birthday – Despite s1mple’s best efforts to rack up as many kills as he could, the first map managed to go all the way to double overtime. He displayed his skill with four incredible AWP kills in the deciding round to put them up in the series, shortly after exclaiming that there will be no more overtime played: “There’s no other OT, There’s no other overtime!” The CS:GO pro was forced to pull out all the stops during the online cup series to get the win for his squad, which saw him finishing with a combined 77 kills to 33 deaths record after the two maps had been played. Read More: DeKay’s Sources: Ninjas in Pyjamas heavily considering roster change prior to CS:GO Major roster lock – The full gameplay of s1mple’s dominance while subbing in for the semi-pro team during the LOOT.BET Cup is still available for viewers to enjoy. First map of the series starts at 16:00 Watch @s1mpleO play EU FPL from s1mple on www.twitch.tvMany fans enjoyed the fact that they could view s1mple’s reactions and communication in a more competitive environment in the online cup compared to his usual FPL CS:GO pick up game streams on Twitch. Although s1mple had to put in some effort to carry the semi-pro players to victory, he admitted shortly after the game had ended that he wouldn’t mind doing it again if the opportunity presented itself, which could be good news for fans of his competitive streams. How s1mple ended up on the semi-pro team is currently unknown, but we’re sure after this performance, their rivals will hope it was a one-time thing.

Team Vitality wins BLAST Premier Fall Final: Final placements & results BLAST PremierThe BLAST Premier Fall Final 2020 CSGO tournament has come to a close with Team Vitality taking down Astralis in the Grand Final to become champions. Vitality took the lead in the tournament’s final series with a commanding 16-4 win on Vertigo but Astralis, being the juggernaut that they are, wouldn’t go down without a fight, tying things up with a tight 16-14 victory on Dust2. The Grand Final, itself alone worth $140,000, went down to a winner-take-all third game on Inferno, which the French side dominated 16-5 to clinch the championship. Vitality finished the tournament with $225,000 in their back pockets and a guaranteed spot in the upcoming BLAST Global Finals. Astralis earned $85,000 for their second-place effort while BIG took home $40,000 after finishing in third place. https://twitter.com/BLASTPremier/status/1338253864705921025 BLAST Premier Fall Finals: Placements $425,000 was up for grabs at this year’s BLAST Premier Fall Finals; here’s how the prize pool was distributed: BLAST Premier Fall Final: Results Tuesday, December 8 4.30pm: Vitality 2-0 Mousesports – 8.30pm: Astralis 1-2 Natus Vincere – Wednesday, December 9 1.30pm: G2 Esports 2-1 Furia – 4.30pm: OG Esports 2-0 BIG – 8.30pm: Mousesports 0-2 Astralis – Thursday, December 10 1.30pm: Furia 2-1 OG Esports – 4.30pm: Vitality 2-0 Natus Vincere – 8.30pm: G2 1-2 BIG – Friday, December 11 4.30pm: Astralis 2-0 G2 – 8.30pm: Furia 0-2 Natus Vincere – Saturday, December 12 4.30pm: Vitality 2-1 BIG – 8.30pm: Astralis 2-0 Natus Vincere – Sunday, December 13 4.30pm: BIG 0-2 Astralis – 8.30pm: Vitality 2-1 Astralis – When is the BLAST Premier Global Finals 2020? The BLAST Premier Global Finals will be taking place January 18 – 24, 2021 with a prize pool of $1,000,000. Six of the eight participating teams have already been confirmed: Vitality, Astralis, Na’Vi, G2, Complexity, and Evil Geniuses.

WarOwl tests how many reported CS:GO players are actually hacking TheWarowl Youtube / ValvePopular CS:GO YouTuber, TheWarOwl, reveals how likely a reported player is to be cheating after running an extensive test using CS:GO’s “Overwatch” anti-cheat system. WarOwl is one of the most popular CS:GO YouTubers and is often known for his highly informative videos on different aspects of the game. In his most recent video, the YouTuber decided to test out how likely it was for a player to actually be hacking when they get reported in-game by taking data from CS:GO’s community regulated “Overwatch” system. The Overwatch system encourages experienced CS:GO players to make verdicts on whether or not a player is hacking after watching a short snippet of their gameplay from when they got reported. WarOwl set out to tackle fifty of these cases by himself and seemed to find quite a lot of cheaters with quite a lot of them playing in the 2v2 Wingman mode in many cases even noticing more than one cheater per game, “Two times as many Wingman games were hack vs hack than the 5v5 games.” Despite not encountering many cheaters during his own game time, WarOwl listed the recent Free-to-play model as a possible reason for cheaters explaining that there is less consequences now that players don’t have to re-buy the game when banned, “There’s no consequences, you just make a new account.” After completing all of the cases, WarOwl revealed that a staggering 45 of the 50 reported CS:GO players tested were hacking in some way such as wall hacks, aimbot or other types of external cheats. He then revealed other data he had gathered from the overwatch cases such as the cheaters’ favorite CS:GO map, Dust 2, which should come as no shock to fans of the game and their weapon of choice, the Scout, which offers the most mobility of CS:GO’s high damage guns. Despite CS:GO having a known cheating problem, it does not seem to affect the game’s popularity, as they still maintain a massive player base with over 16 Million unique players in the month of June 2019 alone. Due to the large number and variety of cheaters in CS:GO it can often take time to identify every kind of cheat, however, Valve have been known for actively banning cheaters in waves every so often to keep it under control.

WarOwl showcases how “stupid” CSGO would look if players had 1000 health YouTube: TheWarOwl / ValveEver wanted to see a game of competitive CS:GO where players had near infinite health? Fan-favorite YouTuber ‘WarOwl’ played the “stupid” mode for you so you probably don’t have to — unless Negev rushing sounds appealing to you. One shot kills with the AWP. One shot headshot with the AK-47. These are the basic rules of CS:GO weaponry. However, what if that wasn’t the case? What if you needed nine AK headshots to take down a target, or a full AWP clip? WarOwl has answered the question that, frankly, no one wanted answered, or even asked. He made a custom game where every player had 1,000 health — and told players to probably not follow in his footsteps. In a June 8 video, WarOwl assembled nine friends to play a full competitive game of CS:GO where every player had 10 times the health they normally had. They didn’t change how the economy worked or anything — everyone was just a bullet sponge. This made for some interesting gameplay on certain rounds, including pistol rounds. Using the USP-S didn’t give you enough damage to kill someone in a clip, so WarOwl had to adapt on the fly. “Pistols don’t do a lot of damage,” he said. “We decided to do a double raid boss. Two players would buy two pairs of duallies, and two others would buy armor. I bought a P250 without realizing it didn’t have enough ammo to kill a single player.” The meta evolved from rifles and AWPs to Negevs, auto-snipers, and auto-shotguns. With the time-to-kill at “World of Warcraft levels”, it wasn’t viable to just control your M4 or AK spray better — you needed the 150 bullets the Negev gives you. “I thought the meta would be to buy an AK-47 or an M4 and meticulously control the recoil so only the most trained experts at the game would succeed,” he said. “Nope. Our meta is now auto-snipers, auto-shotguns, and Negevs. “All of the nuance, all of the skill and tactics that Counter-Strike is known for was gone. It was now like PvP in Destiny 2.” Ninja defuses were also prevalent. After all, “it takes five seconds to defuse the bomb, and much longer to kill a player.” It was a wildly different CS:GO experience compared to how the game was meant to be played. The game got stale after a while, WarOwl admitted, adding that “we only played one game of this because of how painful it was.” However, if you want to try this out for yourself, you only need two commands, and nine friends. You have to enable “sv_cheats 1” to change player health using the command “ent_fire !self addoutput “health 1000”. From there, the world is your oyster. Good luck.

WarOwl says using a drawing tablet for CS:GO is the next best thing XP-Pen/ValveThe CS:GO guru himself, WarOwl, has just claimed that using a drawing tablet instead of a mouse might be the next best thing, and he makes some very convincing arguments for it. The WarOwl has just released a new Unboxafragathon video, where he opens a case and has to get frags with whatever skin he gets in a CS:GO deathmatch. And he completed it with a very interesting peripheral. Putting away his mouse from the video, he instead decided to use a drawing tablet as a mouse. And not only does it work, but it seems to have many advantages over a traditional mouse. What makes the drawing tablet so good in CS:GO? A big advantage of the tablet is the ease of being able to control the spray of a gun. In CS:GO, a spray pattern is the trajectory of where the weapon’s bullet will go when the gun is being sprayed. And to counter it, players will do what is called, recoil compensation. Where they would drag their crosshair down in a pattern to compensate for the pattern as to make the gun accurate. And the tablet seems to be superior to the mouse when it comes to compensating. In the video, WarOwl can be seen easily spraying enemies down in a deathmatch lobby with relative ease. He had no problems flicking onto enemies nor moving around with his camera. Albeit his camera movements were quite slow, but that’s because he didn’t have much practice with it beforehand. Overall, he was able to comfortably frag out and complete the challenge. The craziest part was he was using the tablet with his right hand, when in reality he is left handed. He questions if a tablet would be allowed in CS:GO tournaments. Currently, there are no rules stipulating the mandatory use of a mouse. Saying in his video, “What if another peripheral was better than a mouse, if you took the time to learn it. Would pro players adopt it, and would they have to make rules about which peripherals you’re allowed to use.” Surprisingly, this isn’t the first instance of another player doing amazing in a FPS with a drawing tablet. Osu player Kariyu lit up the Valorant community when he showed that he got to one of the game’s higher ranks, Diamond, by just playing with a drawing tablet. In the video, he shows that it is completely viable to use a drawing tablet as a mouse alternative. Showcasing great aim, tracking and crosshair placement along the way. You never know, we may be seeing pros use a drawing tablet instead of a mouse in the near future.

WarOwl reveals all the ways Riot’s Project A is targeting CSGO players Riot GamesCounter-Strike YouTuber WarOwl reveals how the new tactical shooter in development at Riot Games, Project A, can challenge CS:GO and potentially spur improvement from the classic Valve shooter. WarOwl has been making popular Counter-Strike videos on YouTube for years. He’s dived deep into the game’s future and past analyzed some of the biggest changes and even reviewed 50 Overwatch cases in a row to discover a massive amount of cheaters in play. In his newest video, he entertains the idea of a new challenger coming to take players away from CS:GO, in Riot Games’ Project A that was announced during their 10th-anniversary stream. This game joined a bevy of other announcements from the Tencent owned company, including a fighting game project, a card game, and more. When the game was first revealed, fans were split on whether Project A was more of a direct competitor to Overwatch or Counter-Strike. According to WarOwl, Project A is certainly more of a competitor to Counter-Strike, and their marketing reflects that. The first gameplay and behind-the-scenes footage feature lots of appearance by Sal ‘Volcano’ Garozzo, a veteran map developer well known in CS:GO, who most recently completed the re-work of Cache alongside Shawn ‘FMPONE’ Snelling. WarOwl contends that the frequent usage of Volcano, along with the wordage used by the project’s executive producer Anna ‘Supercakes’ Donlon, is purposely done to draw comparisons to Counter-Strike. In the video, Donlon says of Project A: “It’s competitive. It has precise gunplay. With Project A, we’re staying true to the high consequence gameplay of tap shooters.” Even the abilities, which many compared to Overwatch, are more comparable to utility grenades and mechanics from Counter-Strike, says WarOwl. The abilities shown in the preview can create walls to help players peak and cut off angles, and create a vortex that imitates the cover that a smoke grenade would make. WarOwl cites a tweet from Riot’s VP of IP/Entertainment Greg ‘Ghostcrawler’ Street, that says gunplay and map control are key to Project A, and that the abilities are more about utility. While we are honored by comparisons between Riot’s Project A and Overwatch, the two aren’t really in the same genre. Project A is a tactical shooter. Lethality is high and you don’t respawn. Map control and gunplay are key. The abilities are more about utility. — Greg Street (@Ghostcrawler) October 17, 2019 WarOwl closed by saying he wants Project A to be a success, and while he doesn’t believe it will be a Counter-Strike killer, he does believe it will be a Counter-Strike contender. The next bit of new information regarding Project A won’t be available until 2020.

w0xic Unable to Secure Visa Ahead of Dreamhack Masters W0xic – HLTV, Dreamhack Masters – DreamhackTurkish CS:GO Pro Özgür “w0xic” Eker is unable to secure his Visa in time for Stockholm’s Dreamhack Masters. Dreamhack Masters is quickly approaching on August 29th, and w0xic is unable to attend – due to circumstances completely out of his control. W0xic posted a Twitlonger post on August 27th that revealed a sticky situation in regards to his passport and Visa. Hailing from Turkey, w0xic needed to procure a passport in order to travel to Stockholm, Sweden, home to 2018’s Dreamhack Masters event and CS:GO’s Major CORSAIR tournament. However, it didn’t seem that competing in CORSAIR would be a reality for w0xic. He stated that he had permission from the Ukraine embassy to apply for Ukrainian Visas to all countries. Having already procured a Hungarian Visa without much trouble before, he figured there wouldn’t be much ado in this instance. While the embassy told him he’d be able to pick up his Visa on August 22nd, it wasn’t ready by this time – and staff was more than a little pushy about his request. “One guy was sitting behind the window and my manager tried to explain him how important it is and that it is an emergency etc. He just told me and my manager after that, we’re not working right now. And we asked to him can we come tomorrow early and can we take the passport? They just said ‘WE’RE NOT WORKING’ again.” W0xic posted another Tweet early on August 28th, revealing that the embassy gave him a last-minute passport – but no Visa. “1 hours before i got message from Embassy;Your processed passport has been delivered to Application Center and ready for collection.I was too happy and i went there,they gave my passport back without visa.1 year 5 tournaments and 2 Sept.also my birthday😶 i lost my hope about cs” 600https://twitter.com/w0xic/status/1034345292810870784 With a passport but no Visa, it looks as though w0xic won’t be competing in Dreamhack Masters’ CORSAIR tournament.

Vitality’s CSGO team makes the Antwerp Major, but barely João Ferreira for PGLFor a team built with championship expectations, Vitality came surprisingly close to missing the first CS:GO Major of 2022. What is going on with the French/Danish team? With their backs against the wall and their qualification hopes hanging by a thread, Vitality once again turned to Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut to get out of the hole they were in. Called to action, he pulled another rabbit out of the hat and kept his team in it with an imperious display. It was a sight that Vitality fans had witnessed at PGL Major Stockholm, where ZywOo single-handedly kept the team in the tournament after they had gone 0-2 in the New Legends Stage. Staring elimination in the face following defeats to Virtus.pro and Heroic, Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire urged his star player to step up. “I told him, I was completely honest, if he’s not there we’re not going to qualify,” he later told HLTV.org. In a way, the stakes were much higher now. As Vitality trailed MOUZ in the series after losing Nuke, they were one map away from elimination. That would have seen Vitality miss their first Major since entering CS:GO in 2018. It would have also ended Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen’s perfect streak of 16 Major appearances. But ZywOo had different plans. The French prodigy, who is as much praised for the player he is as he is criticised for not being the player he is most often compared to, turned in a 1.89 rating – his highest on LAN since the start of the year – on Dust2 to help Vitality tie the series at 1-1. It was the catalyst for the team’s comeback as they would go on to secure the decider map, Mirage, dupreeh calmly putting the game beyond MOUZ with a 1v2 clutch in a round Vitality had no business winning. As the players got up from their seats and embraced dupreeh, relief was visible on everyone, from youngster Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier to veteran head coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen. It was a much-needed victory for the team, who had come under intense pressure heading into this Major qualifying event after a series of mixed results. In Vitality’s defence, they had the toughest route to the Major of all teams in their RMR tournament, having had to face the current No.1 and No.2 sides in the world, FaZe and NAVI, in addition to No.15-ranked MOUZ. But when the roster was announced, almost no one envisaged such difficulties from a team with Major-winning talent and ZywOo. Facing roadblocks Vitality announced their 2022 CS:GO roster amid much fanfare, with a high-production video that epitomized the French organization’s lofty esports goals. Vitality were here to win the biggest trophies, and they would stop at nothing in their pursuit of success, as evidenced by their lavish spending in both League of Legends and CS:GO. Dupreeh, Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif and zonic may not have as much swagger as Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković, but they have the sort of winning pedigree that is hard to come by in the CS:GO scene. “We have the best player in the world in CS, so it’s common sense to be super aggressive and ambitious,” Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, Vitality’s Co-founder and Executive President, told Dexerto in January. A group stage exit at IEM Katowice, the first LAN of 2022, following close series against Heroic and Gambit, laid bare the size of the challenge facing Vitality’s new team. But they fared even worse in their next outing, crashing out of ESL Pro League also in the group stage with a 2-3 record – the 0-2 thrashing against FaZe particularly painful as it showed just how wide the chasm between them and the elite was. Communication remains one of the team’s biggest problems as the players are still coming to grips with the fact that they can no longer rely on their native language in high-pressure in-game situations. This often leads to messy rounds where players try to pull in different directions based on the type of Counter-Strike they are accustomed to. apEX has said that he is still trying to find his groove as an in-game leader, which requires him to find the right balance between his methodical, hands-on approach, and the Danish contingent’s loose style. “Of course you do, of course,” he said, laughing, when asked if analysts underestimate how hard it is to integrate new players and a new coach into a system. This helps explain why it has been so difficult for apEX to get the best out of his players, especially ZywOo, whose general performance level remains far below that of the post-Major period, in which he made a case for the title of best player in the world. But not all is gloomy: dupreeh has rediscovered his old Astralis form, emerging as a true second star for the team. Even though Vitality barely made it out of the RMR, there’s enough to suggest that the team is making strides in the right direction. The two matches that they lost were closely contested and could have gone their way had they not struggled in the closing stages. And they showed great resilience and character to complete the reverse sweep against MOUZ on Mirage, snapping a seven-game losing streak on this map. But with little over two weeks left before the start of the Major, there are too many things that they need to work on before they can be called genuine title contenders. And there are still questions about whether they have enough firepower to get past the top teams, with Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier averaging a worrying 0.88 HLTV rating on LAN in 2022. For Vitality’s fans, ZywOo’s clutch performance on Dust2 provided a surprising measure of comfort. In Stockholm, the dire situation Vitality were in was the jolt he needed to go on a blistering run of form that led to one LAN title and another final appearance before the end of the year. As they watched ZywOo pull Vitality out of trouble against MOUZ, their hope was that they were witnessing the start of something similar.

Vitality’s coach explains why this is their last French CSGO roster Team VitalityTeam Vitality’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coach Rémy ‘XTQZZZ’ Quoniam spoke about the team in an interview, revealing the reasons behind their recent change and giving insight into the current dynamic of the squad. The French team recently went through a somewhat unexpected change, removing one of their longest-serving players, Nathan ‘NBK’ Schmitt, shortly after their disappointing run at the StarLadder Berlin Major. They announced a replacement, Richard ‘shox’ Papillon, on September 28 and have revealed some juicy details in regards to the roster change and other aspects of the team. XTQZZZ was interviewed by 1PV.fr shortly after the announcement, where he went into detail about what led to NBK’s removal and why it had to happen, why other players weren’t replaced, shox’s role in the team, as well as why he is the perfect fit. The interview was done in French, however, CSGO insider @neLendirekt provided translations of the most important points. Vitality’s coach said that things started well, but over time the players began to disagree and argue until finally “something happened at the Major and ALL of the players didn’t want to play with NBK anymore.” “”Things happened at the major, even if we had won, we needed to change, it was decided. About Nathan, it’s my decision. Something happened at the Major and ALL the players didn’t want to play with nathan anymore, not 1 or 2, all of them.”” — neL (@neLendirekt) September 29, 2019 However, he went on to add that it wasn’t only Nathan’s fault and that everyone had problems with each other, it could have easily gone the other way with Alex ‘ALEX’ McMeekin being removed. The topic then moved onto fan comments, with Rémy defending the decision to keep Cédric ‘RpK’ Guipouy as many fans have called for him to be removed. “He’s a soldier. He’s a crucial member of the team because he’s a great guy and player, he takes all the s**t, he thinks and he works” said the coach, confirming that every team needs a team player who doesn’t shine, and RpK does the job well for the team. “”And it’s like that in everyteam, a scapegoat. And people don’t understand, sayin that he’s underperforming and all. But Cédric also sacrifice himself a lot for the team. He doesn’t frag in anti-eco, he’s not in the best positions, etc. And he’s ok with that.”” — neL (@neLendirekt) September 29, 2019 “”It’s only about stats, people only see that. People don’t see the importance of the humans and what they bring to the team. It’s sad that people mostly see that of him.”” — neL (@neLendirekt) September 29, 2019 XTQZZZ later spoke about potential replacements. The team wanted someone with experience, the ability to lurk effectively and be able to make mid-round calls. He suggested that shox was “perfect” for the job. The Frenchman also eased many concerns that fans may have about the signing – it’s common for shox to try to take the reins if things aren’t going well. This time, however, he has agreed that he will “never be the leader or the captain” and he actually wants to step back and let others lead. About the critics on picking shox: “”shox will never be leader, he will never be captain. That’s what I told him. And it’s now 2 years that he doesn’t want to lead anymore. He didn’t impose anything. “” — neL (@neLendirekt) September 29, 2019 Finally, he revealed the future of the team, saying that “this is the last French-speaking team at Vitality” as the French scene is getting older and there are not many great upcoming players. He believes it’s time for teams to go international as they are in most other games. The team will debut at DreamHack Masters Malmo on October 1, taking on an unpredictable Tyloo side in what could be the beginning of a revitalized Vitality squad.

Vitality’s apEX takes break from competing in CSGO due to personal reasons EPICENTERProfessional CS:GO player Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire has announced a hiatus from competing for Team Vitality, at least for the duration of BLAST Premier Spring Groups, and possibly longer. apEX will be out due to personal reasons – Team Vitality hope to have him back “as soon as possible” – Vitality face Evil Geniuses next in BLAST Premier Spring Groups – apEX takes break from CSGO apEX will remain out for the entire duration of BLAST Premier Spring Groups, where Vitality are currently in the lower bracket following a loss to CompLexity. Vitality cited the “everyday struggle” of competing at the highest level as the cause for apEX’s break. Although he will be out for at least the entirety of BLAST Premier Spring groups, his hiatus does not have a definitive end date. Official statement from our CS:GO coach @XTQZZZ. TL;DR: our captain @Vitality_apEX takes a break due to personal reasons. We hope to have him back in the team as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/UxSTDrzC0N — Team Vitality 🐝 (@TeamVitality) February 9, 2021 What’s next for Vitality? Coach XTQZZZ said that apEX’s “role within the team is essential and we hope to see him back with us at his best as soon as possible.” Read More: NiP better off without twist – Richard Lewis – The team acknowledged that the announcement would come as a surprise as the new season has only just begun, but cited the ongoing health crisis around the world as potential factor, as well as “the hazards of personal life.” Vitality will now be without their captain for their next match against Evil Geniuses, on February 9. Team Vitality CS:GO roster Cédric ‘RpK’ Guipouy – Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut – Richard ‘shox’ Papillon – Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier – Nabil ‘Nivera’ Benrlitom – Rémy ‘XTQZZZ’ Quoniam (Coach) – Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire (inactive) –

Vitality veteran makes CSGO history with BLAST Paris Major qualification Stephanie Lindgren/ESL Gaming via ESPATDanish veteran Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen has etched his name into CS:GO’s history books after Vitality booked a spot at the BLAST Paris Major. As Vitality beat BIG 2-1 in the European RMR B tournament to qualify for the Paris event, dupreeh kept his perfect record of Major appearances intact and became the only player to qualify for all 19 CS:GO Majors. The BLAST.tv Paris Major will be the final Valve-sponsored tournament to be played in CS:GO. The ensuing Majors will be played in Counter-Strike 2 (which will be released sometime in the summer), starting with PGL Major Copenhagen in 2024. “It feels special, I’m not going to deny it,” he said after the match. “Making it to all 19 is pretty unique and something no one can ever recreate. The game is complete, now I can uninstall [laughs].” In addition to being the player with the most CS:GO Major appearances, dupreeh is also part of the exclusive club of players who have won four Major crowns, alongside his former Astralis teammates Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz, Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth and Lukas ‘gla1ve’ Rossander. In October 2022, dupreeh became the first player to exceed $2 million in tournament winnings. According to the most recent estimate, he has won $2,044,164.40 in prize money since he began his CS:GO career, in 2012. CS:GO players with most Major appearances: Check out the top 30 highest-earning CS:GO players by prize money here.

Vitality star shox wants to “break” CS:GO’s age limit João Ferreira/DexertoFrench star Richard ‘shox’ Papillon, who is playing his 16th CS:GO Major, told Dexerto that there is no retirement in sight for him and that he still feels young on the server. Shox is the definition of Counter-Strike veteran, with a career that began in the mid-2000s and that has spanned three iterations of the franchise: CS:Source, CS 1.6, and CS:GO. The 29-year-old is also part of a select club of just five players who have attended all 16 CS:GO Majors. His sole title at an event of this stature came in 2014, when his LDLC team beat NIP in the grand final of DreamHack Winter 2014. Most Counter-Strike players begin to show signs of decline when they are about to enter their 30s, but age has not yet wearied shox. He has averaged a respectable 1.02 HLTV rating in 2021 – the third-highest in Vitality – with his experience and wisdom playing a crucial role in a team that features two newcomers in Jayson ‘Kyojin’ Nguyen Van and Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier. Still passionate about the game Earlier in 2021, shox witnessed the departure of 32-year-old teammate Cédric ‘RpK’ Guipouy, who retired from competing. Questioned about his future and what he still hopes to accomplish in his career, shox stressed that he has no plans to retire and that he wants to continue playing beyond esports’ unwritten age barrier. “I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done in my career, but I prefer to look at the future rather than the past,” he told Dexerto ahead of the Major. “When I enter the server I feel like I’m 20. I don’t really care about my age. I definitely feel that I have all the abilities to still perform at the highest level, which is the most important thing. “My personal goal is to break the age limit because we’re living in a world where people think that when you’re 30 the end will soon come.” Shox added that he will hang up his mouse and keyboard when he thinks he doesn’t have the level to compete anymore, but he insisted “that is not what I’m feeling right now”. “I’m still passionate about CS, I still want to compete. I want to break the age limit and prove to the world that you can be 30, 33 or 35 and still compete on a tier-one level.” Shox, who is now the oldest player left at PGL Major, will take to the server on November 5 as Vitality will face the red-hot NAVI for a spot in the PGL Major Stockholm semi-finals. DJ Esports odds: Vitality are priced at 4.053 to beat NAVI Odds correct at the time of writing.

Vitality set to recruit young CSGO talent to replace ALEX DreamHackTeam Vitality are reportedly set to sign French rising star Kévin ‘Misutaaa’ Rabier as a replacement for Alex ‘ALEX’ McMeekin, who announced his departure from the team on March 4. 2020 seems to be off to a shaky start for Team Vitality as In-Game leader ALEX announced a shock departure from the team. The move was first reported by neLendirekt and later confirmed by both the team and player, who cited issues with a packed travel schedule as the core reason behind his departure and likely a step back from Counter-Strike overall. At first, French star player Ali ‘hAdji’ Haïnouss was favorite to replace the Englishman, however, neL has returned with another report, claiming that 17-year-old Mistuaaa will be joining the French squad. Update, March 5, 1:45PM EST: Vitality has now confirmed the signing of Misutaaa. I’m excited to announce that I’m joining @TeamVitality CSGO roster alongside @shoxCSGO @Vitality_apEX @zywoo & @RpKTANKK ! Can’t wait to start playing with the guys ! 🐝 Count on me to put my heart into every single moment to try to be up to your expectations. #VforVictory pic.twitter.com/WitpJkrgdV — misutaaa (@misutaaaCSGO) March 5, 2020 The player may be somewhat unknown to many, but he is considered a hot prospect in the French scene and has already shown off impressive skills, both in the ESL French Championship and in FaceIT Pro League matches. Although, being a young talent, he isn’t likely to take on a leadership role, meaning that it will fall on another member of the team. Many fans place Richard ‘shox’ Papillon as the favorite for that position as he has previously lead teams like G2 and Team Envyus.