December 3, 2025 • 73 mins
Stage 2 is over and the dust has settled, thankfully the quality of the games were better in this stage. Well, at least by a bit, since Astralis were there to stink it out this time. Speaking of Asstralis, this week Sam and Jack talk about if there's anyway around their roster blowing up, as well as how fix the format of the Major once and for all.
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Chapters
00:00 Intro - How to fix the Major
09:22 0-3 teams: FlyQuest, mibr
20:20 1-3 teams: fnatic, Aurora, TYLOO
31:00 2-3 teams: M80, Astralis, NiP
48:48 3-2 teams: Passion UA, Liquid, 3DMAX
56:20 3-1 teams: PARIVISION, Imperial, B8
59:50 3-0 teams: NAVI, FaZe
01:05:40 Stage 3 Simulator
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Jack. Samuel.
I've done it. I've fixed the major I have
made. It crazy to get.
One might now go fuck yourself, right?
So here's the thing. Get one in early.
Being. The major, and I feel like we've
said this at this point on the podcast, it's pretty bad.
(00:23):
Like it's full of best of ones, which is shit free back-to-back
Swiss stages is a bit heavy and like it's quite a lot of bad
teams isn't there really? It does seem to be a lesser
standard of counter strike up until stage 3.
(00:46):
Yeah. And you know, another thing I
don't like, I don't really like this whole like, Oh well, they
might be in for a tough opening game because this team's going
to, you know, they'll come into the stage warm because they've
already played a stage. I think that's kind of bollocks.
It makes it leads into the belief that teams aren't playing
when they're not at events should.
(01:06):
I mean, I know officials aren't the same as.
No, but it almost certainly is afactor though is the problem.
Someone should check the numbers, but yeah, it probably
is. It definitely contributes to the
BO1 issue or the BO1 issue contributes to the warmer.
But this correlation, there's correlation.
(01:28):
But anyway, anyway, I've fixed the major, we don't have to
worry about it anymore. Tell me.
Tell me, sensei. OK, I'm going to say senpai, but
sensei's better. Yeah, OK, anyway, right.
So because, you know, Valve likes money and stickers make
money. It doesn't.
(01:48):
We got to keep it as 32 teams. So how do we work around that?
Well, I think we make 814 GSL groups, which for people who
aren't like format nonces, that's like the IEM format.
You can't call them. That no, I can.
I've done it now. Format is fine.
(02:08):
Nonces is Bible US. Same difference.
Yeah. So it's where there's like the
winner of match and the losers match and the seeding match and
all that bollocks. Decider matches just with four
teams instead of 8. So your eight groups you you
(02:31):
select the teams in the groups by creating 4 pots of teams,
seeds one to 8916 so on so forth.
You then randomly draw from eachof those pots to get the four
teams. So there is a risk of a group of
deaf, which can be fun, and it'spretty fair and equal.
(02:52):
You're not just guaranteeing like 1 and 9 go through, or
inferior guaranteeing 1 and 9 gothrough because they play
whatever. The equivalent Worst team, Yeah.
Yeah. It's you doing vRS or is it like
team or how do you want to? Do it.
It would have to be vRS, but I think you keep in some form, you
(03:12):
keep the region split of the wayit is right now.
So it would just be like, you know, seeds 128 but of of how it
is now. So like pain which?
Is global ranking right? Yeah, like pain would probably
go in lower than they are at this major, for instance, but
(03:36):
there's guaranteed qualification.
Well, yeah, because I think that's fine.
I don't think you should do the stages based.
I mean, stages suck, but yeah, Ithink.
Yeah, yeah. Cool, cool.
Cool. Being the best North American
team doesn't mean yeah, sure. So you can turn the group stage
into four days, it's four days and then you're out with.
That broadcast? Well it's it's 4 beer freeze a
(03:59):
day across 2 streams so it's thesame as it is at the moment for
you know, the 1st 2 days of eachstage.
Opening matches one day, winnersmatches the next, losers matches
the next and then decider matches the next.
You then move into the playoffs,right where the winner of the
(04:20):
group would play second place inanother group etcetera,
etcetera. Playoff 16 teams double
elimination all the way through.So when you go through, so when
you go through and the arena days start with the upper
bracket final and the lower bracket semi final that would be
(04:41):
Friday. So you are losing an arena day,
but maybe for a better format. It's generally cheaper to have
the arena for last days. I don't think you make more
money by having it open on Thursday, honestly.
Well exactly. And attendance is often not as
great on a Thursday. Then the Saturday is the best of
(05:01):
five lower bracket final and theSunday best of five grand final,
where the advantage for the upper bracket team is they get
to ban both maps and pick the first map.
So currently the major somethinglike 21 days, I don't know how
many game days. If you make the round of 16 two
(05:23):
days instead of using AB stream then you get 14 game days.
If you remove B stream entirely you get 18 game days.
But thoughts? Is it better than the current
system? It seems like less of a slog
yeah and kind of the kind of bullshit Swiss BL1 nonsense.
(05:46):
The the removal of BL ones is isobviously good.
I think also third place games are kind of they're a necessity
now that vRS ranking matters. But obviously you you remove
that by having the third place team decided by the low bracket
final right. You don't actually need to have
that third game yeah more time for DJs and stuff on on the
grand final day, which is why everyone really wants and show
(06:09):
matches and and nonsense like that.
I don't hate it. I just think, are we getting
less counter strike? It feels like we're getting less
Counter strike, which might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Maybe because maybe in a better format?
I think like whatever we can do to get BA Threes is to play
right they they are. Like.
(06:32):
And I I don't like the the randomness crowd.
I think that's kind of cope. Like you should just be who you
have to play. I agree that low tier team, less
tape. Maybe they have a gimmick map
like like Aurora's Anubis for example.
Right. Para visions over the front.
(06:53):
Yeah, like it's probably too, too easy if you just can get a
good video that they don't expect, right.
And obviously going to be a one Like it's especially, you know,
is it is it 132? The band, the way the bands
work, I think. Maybe.
(07:14):
But you're banning, you'll ban your perma, they get to ban 3
maps. They could could put you in
quite a tricky spot. I do like the idea of the the
sort of veto advantage you get for winning the upper bracket
final. That's.
Interesting, I think that would be really good, right, because
like so I was I was I was thinking about it earlier.
I was thinking about an example for like a best case, right, So
(07:35):
spirit play ancient a lot vitality.
It's their perma ban. Now imagine spirit go through
the upper bracket, Vitality go through the lower bracket.
Spirit can ban 2 maps. I think their permanent might be
inferno. They can ban that.
They can ban a map they don't like playing.
They can pick ancient first map.In theory they go one O in the
(07:57):
final, so. You.
You. Yeah, You went by yourself.
A opening wouldn't pick. That's cool.
Yeah. So especially if Vitality have
also gone on a lower bracket run, so like from lower bracket
round one or lower bracket Round2, imagine how much better of a
narrative it is if they then winthat major like that.
That's sick. It's better than what we have.
Right now, it does make the factthat one team is going into the
(08:23):
playoffs, into the final wounded, should we say which it
kind of, it writes A narrative for you for a team to be the
underdog, right? Even if on paper that they're
matched or that maybe they're the better team on paper.
And I think like stories and, and and narratives are kind of
more important than the games interms of like the the view
(08:46):
experience. Well, they make the games
better, don't. They exactly right, so I like
it. I I was going to ask something
but I can't remember what it was.
Come back to it if it comes backto me, but I like it.
Right. OK, well on the basis that you
(09:07):
are an idiot, should roll the intro and talk about some
counter strike. Let's do that.
OK, so we've spoke about how majors are POO and how we can
make them good. So let's talk about POO teams at
(09:29):
the POO major. Do you want to start with MRPR
or Flyquest? Good coinage.
Flight quest going three O one O3.
That's funny. And what we have to remember is
stage one of the major is actually just the RMR.
(09:49):
So they might be all like it's. It's the.
Yeah mate, it's the pickup. Look lads, we've come from
Australia, we've fucked your pickups again and they've gone
O3 in this it where it actually matters so.
Yeah, now they've fucked like questions by being.
Like like your three over stage 1 does not count much like
(10:11):
numerous players time on liquid and or Nip.
Yeah, I don't know why you guys let us into thinking you were
good. People are like oh, as was
independently a good system. I see they did have hard games
if they're not good flash bangs.OK, they had an army.
This is. What they had, they had a shot
(10:32):
list. So they they lost teams they
should have lost too. But well, I can't say they
shouldn't have been. They shouldn't have gone 03
because they they probably should have actually.
So I think maybe maybe we were all just a bit excited from
Stage 1. Yeah.
OK. So, so this is what I wanted to
(10:55):
say, right. So fly quest went Freo in a very
fortuitous manner. They beat legacy that like.
Good, good age. We know Legacy were pretty
disappointing after that. They played what imperial and
fluxo in a 2O? Was it red canids?
I think it was imperial, right? Fluxo was the 2O game.
(11:18):
No, yeah, Fluxo was the 2O game.Sorry.
So they only beat Brazilian teams, are you?
Making an agenda here. No no, I'm just saying they only
beat Brazilian teams. Their reward though.
Their reward though for going Frio, and this is a stupid thing
about the seeding is to play thenumber one seed we like.
(11:43):
It's in the same way we'll talk about Navi more in detail later.
Navi's reward for going Frio is playing fucking Furia.
This is stupid. It is is the advantage of more
days, more days off and more practice days.
Is that better than getting maybe an easier opening game?
(12:09):
Well, it just in the next stage.It just adds to like the
randomness. It just adds to the randomness
of fucking best of ones like because then you get these like
like really, if you go free O, you should play the the 8th
seeded team, the 8:00 and 8:00 and 9:00 play each other and
(12:31):
seven and 10 play each other andand you go down that way because
of like, what's the point in? Going So what?
One play 16. Yeah, like what's what's the
point in going fucking Frio? Like do you want to go Frio and
place and play Furia or do you want to go free to and play
(12:52):
pain? I don't wish I'm fucking picking
but I might even throw a couple games.
I know I'll win the best 3 so I it's just it doesn't seem
beneficial at all. So kind of our.
I'd like to look back on on someof the previous majors and see
like, yeah, like maybe a team who won it, did they go 3 O in
(13:18):
the previous stages? Because I I don't that's how he
might have right, but not at Austin.
But is there constant correlation to to getting an
easier playoff run? Like Paris would probably come
to mind because of some of the teams that were in those
playoffs. Vitality Free owed in Paris, but
they start in the legend stage. Spot example isn't it?
(13:40):
But there's. Not enough data on it, but I
just think. Like to start in legend stages?
There's a pattern there, right? Like who did they?
So they they played G2 Ants and Monty.
But well, G2 kind of is a good example though.
(14:02):
G2 went out one free. And what did they do at the
prior stage? One free.
Well, presumably if it's the same season they went fucking
free out. Jenny, can we check?
Is it? Do we get to be allowed to see
that? Yeah, yeah, Frio, Frio,
(14:22):
congratulations lads. You play the best teams in the
world like this is. Why is this a thing?
Because that just adds to the random.
Like part of me wants to be put my Elliott hat on now and say
like, oh, well, you should if you if you're the best team, if
he's the best team, we should bein front of her, you know, beat
the best teams or whatever, whatever his silly point is.
(14:43):
But you shouldn't have a worse draw by.
Doing well. Going through and also
historically 3 O teams tend not to be the ones you would expect.
Well, exactly. Looking at stage 1 especially,
right like like generally, you know, pickams are an issue.
(15:07):
I'll get I'll talk about that later, but it's very hard to
call a three O team with the randomness of beer ones, right?
Yeah. Like you kind of have to be just
like using drugs to make your decisions, I think to actually
have a chance of. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think Diamond now is somethinglike nought .1%.
Like that's a problem in my opinion.
(15:29):
Well, this is if it becomes likeA to be a serious prize, yeah.
Like maybe it should be like 3% of people get diamond should be
nought .1. No, like, it should be.
It should be hard, but it also shouldn't be like, impossible.
Yeah, like, like people who get dumb and don't, it's not because
they know about the game. Do you know what I?
(15:50):
Mean in most cases, Well, in virtually every case.
Yeah, right. We, we, we should move on to
MIBR. But before we do, Charlie, just
pull that Maui snake tweet back up now.
This is ugly, isn't it? So for for people who aren't
actively watching, Vexlight was the highest rated player in
(16:12):
stage one with a 1.64 rating. In stage 2 he was the lowest
rated player with a naughty .55 rating.
But that is crazy. That's so.
Like that, that definitely sucks.
Like that's probably a one in a million start line as well to be
honest. But like he massively over
performed in stage 1. Like.
(16:33):
He he's not suddenly good because he had like, I don't
mean ourselves because he's better than me, but like he's
not very good suddenly because you had a good stage.
Like you played four maps that you did like you, you went to
played well for four maps and like role wise things.
And then you play against teams that are good and teams that can
(16:54):
counter you just running at themand then suddenly you're not
good. Going from the highest rate to
the lowest rate is is really awful.
That's devastating. Especially nought .55, that is
fucking brutal. Yeah, but I mean, it's like this
did just kind of get banned, didn't they?
Yeah, a little bit, Yeah. The Navi game especially.
Was like you're not really at least in the close game.
(17:14):
You could probably, you could probably even go positive or
like a .9 in the close game. You know what I mean?
If you're getting shit on, it's a it's a lot.
It's a bit harder to hold. You hold your hold, your hold,
your round is what I'm going to.Say well done, Jack.
You got there. You got there, buddy.
I've just been hit in the head for like 2 hours so I'm I'm not
(17:36):
feeling great. Excellent.
Excellent MIBR. Another team that got hit in the
head repeatedly. That was that was your segue.
You're welcome. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, this, this is the
definition of hey, man, can I copy your homework?
Yeah, Don't make it obvious, butthe guy just vomits all over the
paper instead. Yeah, I mean they are like team.
(17:57):
Free and sunny free climb. Yeah, climb like.
Something like he's not even that good, but he's better than
this team. Well, he shows like he shows
flashes, right? And this is the thing with Climb
where it's actually like. His name makes me laugh on it
just sounds like I know it's hissurname but it makes just it's
(18:18):
just a silly name. It might be harsh.
It's an interesting choice isn'tit really?
Because I know they've done pretty well domestically.
Fucking suck internationally though, and if you're looking to
get this Academy open seems really impressive because I know
for a fact, by the way, before some pirates G2 were considering
(18:38):
just promoting him that like you're looking for him to get
some experience outside of your Academy team And yeah like
granted he's played at a major now that is good.
You send him to Mr. Did he play it?
Did he play at the major? Did he play?
Well, I mean he was connected toa server.
(18:58):
He went to the old tower and yeah, plugged his keyboard in,
but. But like you send him to MRBR,
is he not generally going to be playing a lower standard of
matches than he would in EU? Like it was there, not like.
There's a team that, sorry, you'd need an offer.
(19:18):
Yeah, right. Like.
Like she from off to game a Legion, yeah.
Anyway, they seem to hate their oppas, but yeah, well.
Exactly. Like I've got a little more to
say about MRBR. To be honest, they're just not
very good. I'm just hoping Sani Insani ends
up on a real team one day. Like it seems that with your
flexors and your red canids and your legacies, like there are
(19:42):
reasonably good Brazilian teams.I know a lot of them have
performed at this event but like.
Performed by going out. Well, stage 1 I meant, but yeah.
Fluxo actually won a game. Congrats lads.
They won two games, they were going to they were, but he's
(20:03):
obviously way too good for MRBR.But obviously Furia aren't going
to be looking at him anytime soon though, so yeah, his
English is good. Get one game when he's done.
Get him up phase anyway. Honestly, with fucking help.
And yes, anyway. One three teams fanatic not
talking about yet. Fuck off Blame F was shit but no
(20:31):
we're not doing it and I just don't want to.
Maybe you should have kept you're really impactful,
aggressive rifle. Anyway, Aurora, we're going to
talk about Aurora. Fucking hell.
This makes me very happy. I don't know if it does make me
happy, actually. So, you know, you take the
(20:52):
floor. They they played horrible CS
they did, they played not like individuals shit in the bed
generally right? Like apart from bacterias, like
nonsense game against MA that you've got there.
They they're fundamentals, theirrotations, their their excuse.
(21:12):
They looked so distorted. It's like they were all speaking
a different language. It felt they were fucking
appalling. And the series against Power
Vision. If you can just hover on that
Mister Producer 2211 game. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, across, down. Yeah.
Bloody. Hell.
(21:34):
Yeah, not, not great across across the board.
Zantar has had an especially badTeesside in that as well.
Yes, maybe went O in 11. I think Majors, I let Corrigan
(21:54):
get away with being completely handless because he as much as I
think he needs to pack it in, hecould generally call teams to
play well. They're just like me doing that.
He's a fucking coach. He's he's he'd be better off
than the coach lot and you'd have fucking bot Kev.
I don't know why I brought you that into that.
(22:19):
Any thought? I just and you know, I don't
mean to disrespect the guy. I'm sure he's brilliant, but I
just, what the fuck are they doing?
I. Just this, this team just has no
identity anymore. There's there's nothing
interesting about them. Like at least when when Nubis is
in the pool, you're like, Oh well, they'll probably win an
Uber. So the series gets interesting.
Unless they play the modern goals, but I just like I don't.
(22:42):
I don't know what you do for a roar anymore.
Like, OK, well, this is the thing, this is the thing.
This is the thing, this is the thing.
There's a reason. No, here's the thing.
I'm there. Sorry, I'm doing something
different. Here's the shit.
Here's the shit. That's not what I'm going to
say. There's a there's a reason you
(23:02):
walk 6 and Santaras fucked off from Turkish national teams to
play in fucking big and mouse and hell raisers and shit other
teams because Turkish national teams are fucking shit.
There's not enough. Like you've finally found five
players who can actually all help the mice at the same time.
(23:27):
Space soldiers for fun. It did fucking nothing.
Engine and powers on the same team are fucking appalling.
Appalling. Not even counter track players.
I know how much you hate these lot because you're not even
being particularly emotive. You're just like this is this is
like. This is clinical precision hate.
(23:48):
Yeah, you're just being quite cold here.
I just, I just, and, and I mean this like with Major and
Wickedia, both players I've actually had really pleasant
interactions with. Oh, Majors, lovely.
Like he's actually nice. They're just so this isn't
personal, like if you're watching, you know, love you,
(24:08):
but please play the game becausethis is just, it's just sad.
And I just think like, no, no, no, no, I'm not done.
Oh my God, having one gimmick map that got you reasonably OK
and then got you in this insulated circuit where you get
every event and then you use that to like, fuck you.
I could do a trophy and then youwon that event and you were
(24:28):
like, do what we need to do, do what need to do, just not adapt
at all. Do nothing new, OK?
They've had the same playbook for two years.
All right, my turn. I'm going to I'm going to try
and dissect a little. OK, best of ones.
(24:49):
They beat M80 because Ricardi has popped the fuck off.
Fine. This is this is what you need
sometimes. It's not reliable though, is it?
They've then played Phase. Can't build a team around that.
Yeah, All right, shut up, Marta.They've then played Phase and
(25:09):
Jacob said he's one good game ever, which is really
unfortunate, actually. Like what?
What do you meant to do? Jacob's decided he's got hands,
and there's one round from Jacobin that game where he's, I can't
remember if he's Teeside or CT side, but he's on, he's on
short. He just fucking shits on three
of them. But Dunk would be impressed with
himself if he pulled off that round and fucking Jacob's done
(25:32):
it. Jacob's fucking useless, right?
So they lose that, They then play paravision and they play
fucking Jane in a best of one onoverpass.
Like Major was asking to lose that game.
Like Daddy's stupid from them. And Paravision also played like
(25:54):
kind of bad that game as well. Yeah, they aren't even good.
And I like I know Parliament area slow burn team and they'd like
to they they use tend to get allaround from them.
Yeah, sure, exactly. But like, bloody hell, man.
Yeah, but then when you lose to Australis and we're not going
(26:15):
through the game, we're not doing it.
Fucking hell, how would you loseinto Australia?
They are shit and device absolutely fucking dunk at this
major. Yabby's not good.
We're not. We'll get to them, right?
So my question is, and I'm goingto answer my own question a
little bit first, or I'm going to set the scene for my question
(26:38):
a little bit first. What the fuck do you do?
Because Zantara's past 3. Months thermonuclear device but.
But is that because he's a bad orphan now or are you suggesting
to Aurora? All of Aurora, just remember.
Like Zam Tara's pass Premium says like a 1.2 device.
(27:00):
He's been pretty yeah, thank you.
He's been pretty good but he hasa lot more quiet games now and
when he does they fucking. It's shades.
It's shades of Nico. It's a little bit Nico.
Yeah, but he's also getting on, right?
Like I think he's already might be 29.
I don't know right Jotter, he's not that great, is he?
(27:26):
He's not that great. Your only option to sign anyone
is X filed. You've got an IGL that is not
that great. So what do you do?
Do you try and make Centaurus Nigel?
Do you try and bank on X filed be an IGL because you can't do
what's it? We're not doing all the IGL.
It's fucking ridiculous. Like do you try and get?
(27:51):
I've got to say, all party, I was the former of the best team
in the world, but no, that all party I decided to stop hoping.
Like, what do you think? I've heard that X5 was probably
going at one point, obviously still in for them at Cologne I
think it was or an event. I don't know.
I don't know, it's kind of a shit team.
(28:14):
Again, they just shouldn't. This team should be doing CCT
and and fucking fragging out fears that it's that tier of CS.
Honestly, honestly like like they're just not playing.
They are. They're not play the game to the
level that is expected of teams at the fucking major.
If this was stage 1, I wouldn't care, but this is stage 2 now.
(28:35):
We're like we're meant to be. We're out of out of diapers.
We're in pull ups now. I mean, we're meant to not shit
ourselves all the time and that's all they did well.
I think so. I think if we go back to post
Austin shows, when Overpass cameback, I think we'd said then
like Aurora are going to struggle in the second-half of
the year and lo and behold, Aurora have struggled in the
(28:58):
second-half of. The year I just, I just never
put any stock in them actually being good looking at like as
we've said multiple times, they,they benefited from the scene
being poor. Yeah, from a lull in competition
and performance from everybody else.
And like, that's fine for a little bit.
Now it's boring and horrible. Producer Charlie has fucking.
(29:24):
He has produced now. I think producer Charlie might
have missed the fact that Tabsonis no longer an IGL because it
never really worked out. I'm big after the online era
stopped and Gobby wasn't actually doing all the calling.
But anyway, he said minus Major,minus Jotter, plus Tabson, plus
Crimbo, I'm fucking in. I'm down, fuck it, do it.
(29:50):
Moving on, right? Ty Lou.
We're not going to talk about them that much because it makes
me sad. I love Ty Lou.
Ty Lou is so much fun. Gee had his moments.
Jam Young had his moments. The problem is and Young.
High price. Other people have some moments.
The problem is attackers. Fucking rubbish and this team
(30:11):
makes so many mistakes like theycan be good but it's on two
points they actually Start learning from their fucking
mistakes and attacker like boy he just needs to get in the
fucking bin don't he? Again, it's just like he's not
even calling it's. Only last three months .67
(30:31):
right? Point one.
No, we're not. Wait.
Oh, you've put on the majors filter, right?
Can you remove the majors filter.82?
And he's not even calling. Man, that's still terrible.
That is so bad. Yeah, I just fuck it.
(30:54):
We're not talking about him anymore.
Get someone from Limb Vision. Fuck off.
OK, two free teams, Jack, because they're a thing.
Who's you want to talk about first?
Two of those two free teams troll.
My pick comes, so I want to talkabout.
I've got a lot to say about Nip,so we'll do them at the end.
(31:15):
Let's start with. Them with MAT, right?
OK. I want to ask you a question
about MAT then. Please ask me a question son,
I'll give you an answer. So we know for a few years, bar
one event right at the start of CS2, complexity now passion UA
pretty poor. They still have the same core,
(31:40):
but they were poor the entire time while being insulated.
One of the teams that was actually protected by the
partner system. They got to play a lot of Tier
1, and despite playing a lot of Tier 1, you always got the same
oh we're inexperienced bullshit out of them.
Just just a whiny team did they've just got like not the
players, but the energy of the team.
(32:01):
It's just, it's just bitch energy you.
Know what I mean? But anyway, if M80 we're in that
position for that length of time, how much better do you
think M80 would be now than likepassion UA core slash
complexity? Because I really think they
would have far surpassed them. I think they're probably they're
(32:30):
probably a better team than passion UA.
They're just like I just said, they just haven't had the
experience right. I still think there's hex has
been a good addition for sure. I can just.
I actually believe in him on this team.
I always thought he was fucking rubbish.
He's pretty solid on this. Team, I think he was just a
(32:52):
victim of of evil really wasn't he of evil supercomputer, but
pretty surely has pulled up StewDK.
I'm not sure a victim of Stewie.Is that the point we're making?
Let's go with that. What are?
(33:13):
You doing you're. So confused, but you better show
this on camera at this point because we are baffled by what
you're doing. Audio viewers, we're just
looking at his his he zoomed. He zoomed in on Stewie's fate.
I'm so confused. People less than they might see
in a while anyway. Yeah, they probably would.
(33:33):
I'll be honest, though, that stage 2 was just and expected
return to form after a reasonably impressive stage 1,
right? They did.
They did what Flyquest did. They sold.
They sold us a dream by playing well and they didn't regress to
(33:54):
complete dog shit. But they they also could have
made it through this stage as well.
So it's so it's a little bit disappointing using to Aurora,
who we've just started our pants.
It's it's a shame they'd be a strongest really convincingly to
be definitely. I think they shouldn't have lost
to Imperial though. I think the Imperial is really.
Good. Yeah, I don't know, like I'm
(34:19):
disappointed, but I still reallylike the core.
I still think there's a future for this team.
I mean, there's a future on FaceClan, yeah.
Well, yeah, I think like, you know, if you phase, you keep
twist, you fuck the rest of themoff, you fuck off, you just buy
the rest of them. No Keep Swisher.
(34:42):
Which ones you get rid of then you keep twist.
You got to keep twist and faze. You're not getting rid of like.
Get rid of the Germans. Let's go.
Let's go American. Which all be getting.
Junior. Move on.
(35:09):
No no no, it's Australis time. We're talking about Australis, a
team with absolutely 0 future. So Australis went two free.
They lost to some shit teams. OK.
(35:30):
No they lost to Nip which is fine.
They lost to who else did they lose to?
MAT? They lost.
To MAT and. They lost to Liquid, so maybe
they didn't lose to some shit. They lost to a shit team.
They. Played very, very badly against
Liquid, however. They did, yeah.
(35:50):
And. They got dismembered on Nuke,
which was their pick. And and and.
Sorry, I know you're trying to speak but.
But no, it's fine. Hoaxy again is one of those
players where it's like, oh, well, he's good, ideal.
So it's fine for him to be completely fucking useless in
the server. I'm tired of this.
I'm tired of it. I'm tired of us giving a free
(36:12):
pass to just not not that much. Ever not plug your mouse in and
just stink it up and be like, oh, I mean, he's fine.
A call. Good.
It's fine when you've got stars device put in what like a nought
point? Fucking skeletal and the shade
of shadow of device. Yeah, device put in like a
(36:32):
nought .9 free. Skeletal is yabby for those who
didn't didn't clock it but. Nought .9 free rate in I think
it was in the major fucking shitreally bad but so so this is.
You best players stay man. I'm just, I'm just like.
Actually the best player. I'm not even.
Stay, I'm just depressed by australis now.
I've hit the breaking point of australis where the entire time
(36:56):
I've been a part of TLDR I'm like ha ha making australis joke
anytime it's possible because haha they're fun now.
It's just fucking depressing man.
Like it's not even beaten at their horses.
It's like the horses decomposed and it's just filling the room
with stent. Yeah, it's just, it's a really
sad. Sad.
What do you do? Where'd you go from here?
You have to blow it up. But.
(37:18):
Well I think realistically they all got paying their salaries
this month so they probably all blow it up quite soon.
But but what do? You, Janice Gunderson, Master
class. What do you get out of blowing
it up? Genuinely, Because.
Because like, OK, the two best Danish teams of all time, Gleaf
was the IGL of one of them and also the star.
Cadium was the IGL of the other and also the star.
So who's the best IGL now? Hook See.
(37:43):
Like this available, sure, but prison's just gone to heroic, so
yeah. Well, this is the thing also
like as far as can never not be,as far as can't not be Danish.
You don't need an author becausedevice is fucking rubbish now.
Like he is just got the counter has left him.
It's sad but it's happened. So there's two roles you need to
(38:06):
fill. You need fucking shush because
shush is fucking money and you can't get in because Nip aren't
letting go of him. Blame F and stare.
They're probably about equal honestly.
Like stare house massively improved.
Credit to him. Yabby.
He's not that guy. Stan coming back makes the team
worse. Hooks.
(38:27):
He needs people who can frag. I'm not sure Tessa's improves
them. So like what do you do?
Like they're never going to be good.
No, they're just, they're just fought right.
And this is the issue when also like when you've signed
basically every Tier 1 player inyour region and like ruin the
(38:51):
careers of most of them, like your recruitment pool.
A lot of them went on to do nothing right, like a shot.
That's pretty balls to that peak.
But I've always said that that when they signed stabby, they
signed the wrong duo because Shushan test says elevate teams
flaws massively as a duo. They're they're players who who
(39:13):
make it even better. Starring in the Abbey get
highlights and now neither of them do that either.
Make Stan Menopa, that's your best bet without spending money.
But even then, he's his pants stare like I do have faith, but
I just I just don't think he's like he's not that guy,
unfortunately, like I think he'spretty good, but he.
(39:34):
Think he maybe has too many likejust OK games to be a star.
Yeah, to do is precisely YEAH, plays available to coach, get
glave, let him build a project. Maybe there's something fun
there, but yeah, I don't know. It's every time we see a glimmer
(39:57):
of like there's always a glimmerof hope this team like this on
matters here. It's like, oh, maybe they're
going to be all right for a bit and they show like have a few
good games. You're like oh, OK, great.
And then they're like, oh, and now we forgot how to become a
strike again. It's just like it's being the
same vicious abusive relationship for for for like
since the. The, you know, the dynasty team
(40:17):
dissolved. Really.
Yeah. I don't know if the device is
carrying a curse from from what happened to Nip.
Maybe, maybe it's that, but they're just fucking bans man.
Should we talk about Nip Seen and she brought them up?
I'd like to because. This is your depression moment
now. Yeah, I mean.
Trauma dump, Jack. Trauma dump.
(40:38):
I mean, we'll be here a while. That's the Patreon special again
like going 2O great your two O matches against phase.
You should have won the first map you should have won the
second map. You're like OK final fit
paravision. You have 4 match points on dust
(41:02):
2 that you that you choke, then you lose another time Second
map. I can't remember what it was,
but I'm I'm happy to see him back in the major and I think
stage 1 was showing that, OK, this team actually knows what
they're doing. They're like they're actually
good and they are playing like really sounds.
(41:23):
Yes, I said last last week, I think it was about about your
jokes. But again, this isn't an
individual player thing. I think they're just I spoke to
spray, who's their assistant coach about this.
And without going into too many details of what saw what he said
and stuff like he, the main thing was that they seem nervous
(41:44):
to choke so they sort of panic and trying to close the rounds
in the later rounds of the game,which you'll see like the Jane 1
V 2 was just an absolute misplay.
He kills the guy Gandalf and theshort guy.
Like he should never be able to get to the Gandalf guy because
the short guy is covering him. Do you know what I mean?
He should never be able to take that shot because of the short
player. I.
(42:04):
Mean wrinkle could have been, you know, actually shot him.
Well, there's that, there's there's that as well, right.
But like that, I think they're just whenever it's, it's the
chance to win, they're so scaredof making mistakes.
And I wonder if that's a snappy thing because maybe snappy puts
this pressure and I think you kind of have to respect his
pressure. I don't like, I'm not saying
this is a negative thing, but I think there's probably, he
(42:25):
probably has expectations to be like, OK, guys, let's fucking
close this out. Do you know what I mean?
And you're like, oh, I don't want to be the guy.
It's like if you're a ramp player on nuke, you can't, you
can't lose around that Russia. You've got to, you've got to get
one. Do you know what I?
Mean, which is crazy because I've never seen you get one of.
(42:46):
My favorite, yes, there we are, but it's it's it's this this the
pressure kind of thing. I think captain obviously didn't
have the greatest series as wellagainst power vision.
And then obviously, like I said,I was getting beaten up for a
couple hours during the free match game.
But it seems Nip, Oh, they sort of had it.
Worse. And Free match are a fine team
(43:09):
but I do think this Nip should should have beaten them like
generally. OK.
No, no, right. But also.
But no, the bigger point is Nip should never have been in the 2
two game. They should have been in space.
Fine, but I'm going to stop you now because you care about Nip a
bit too much. You ask me.
(43:30):
No, I know, but it makes you, itmakes you look at it wrong,
right? Nip are going to be seriously
kicking themselves for how they got knocked out of this major,
but a reminder at the start of the year and if we're like 175th
in the world, their goal for theyear was to make the.
(43:51):
Major, Major. They did that.
They got through a stage great. They were also just so
inexperienced outside. Yeah, I think I, I probably have
better higher expectations as a fan of whatever you want to say,
right? Like I feel that's fair, but.
Outside of snappy and shush the the team like they've got like
(44:16):
one decent room between them. You can't expect them to to just
be closing stuff out. And I know some dickhead now is
going to be like, oh, but what about paravision?
Paravision or they also play in a James system that prevents.
Them from prevents you from choking so.
Much like SO. And you've got dust on behind
(44:36):
you, like gun to your head if you fuck up so.
So I think like, I don't think it's a negative.
Like I, I can't look at it and be negative about it because I
think. No.
Yeah, there's there's so many positives from this run.
They were so close to winning these games and you need to make
(44:59):
mistakes in order to grow one ofthe most.
Important things. About.
Experience more though. Yeah, yeah.
But one of the most important things about experiencing
Counter Strike is getting knocked out.
Look how many times Australis their core at least choked
before they became the best teamin the world.
(45:19):
Look how close Liquid got beforethey won a Grand Slam.
Like all of these things, you need these things to happen.
Carrying and losing a major final.
All of these things need to happen in order for you to like
in most. Cases, yeah.
In order for you to like do great.
So if Nip change a player or not, if they genuinely, if they
(45:41):
went on a fucking playoff run atthe next major, it wouldn't
surprise me because. Like, yeah, I, I think.
These things are closing, games out will probably just be gone,
hopefully. And I think like.
Lesser complexity. I think you can agree as well
like they they played just like really good good CS like like
(46:03):
structurally and. And.
Individually, like like they just played kind of like in a
nice way, like it was fun to watch.
There's clearly a game plan and that's quite nice for a team of
unexperienced players generally to kind of play in a a well
structured way and not just be this, you know, the sort of Tier
(46:24):
2 fragging house kind of thing. So you put your points right.
I think it's just seeing the waythey lost their the 2O and two
one games and that they could I've gone 30, you know, these
made the second stage going 202.Three is just is just shit,
especially when the games are that close.
Do you know what I mean? And I think obviously there's a
(46:44):
snappy tweet here, tweet here snappy saying that pretty much
the best team in the major that they met at the major.
That's unfair. It's probably probably right if
you look at the score as well. But yeah, I mean, you wouldn't
have faced them if you'd won either of the two prize series,
right? So it is what it is.
But those, I think your point isright.
(47:05):
Like those rounds, they lost theclutches and the final rounds of
the games. Like those are mistakes that
hurt that much. You don't make them again, you'd
hope. Yeah.
All right. Well, we're going to run the ad
break now and then we'll come back.
We'll talk about the free two teams potentially in a little
bit of detail. So yeah, we'll see you in a SEC.
(47:26):
So Jack, do you find it hard to keep up with all the news and
Counter Strike? I do, I took a weekend off and I
came back to six new IGL's, 3 retirements and apparently
Malvi's water boy got picked up by a top 20 team.
Right, that's why I've been relying on the TLDR newsletter.
It's a biweekly e-mail that keeps you up to speed on
everything in the CSC without needing scroll Reddit for three
(47:49):
hours while questioning your life choices.
Yeah, it's like if HRTV for a baby with your funniest friend
who actually watches every game.Yeah, quick hits of news, spicy
officer moves, upcoming match schedules, and even some insider
gossip. Old killer, no filler.
And let's be honest, some of these tournament formats you
need a guy just to figure out who's playing who.
(48:09):
TLDR breaks it all down so you actually know what the Hell's
going on. Plus, it's funny.
Like actually funny. It's like reading a group chat
between smart CS fans who roast everything insight but still
care deeply about the game. So if your brain's full but your
heart still beats for Counter Strike, do yourself a favour,
sign up for the TLDR newsletter.It's free, fast, and guaranteed
(48:29):
to make you smarter, or at leastsound smarter in Twitch chat.
Check out the link down below and subscribe, because the only
thing more tragic than missing amajor upset is not even knowing
it happened. TLDR you don't have time to read
everything you still want to sound like you did.
OK so 3 two teams. We're going to start with the
(48:51):
ones that went through first. That's passion UA.
This is the best version of themwe've seen I think.
I know I saw Thorin tweet about how JT is being under
appreciated as caller. I think that's a very fair and
true point. Always has been.
He's just had to deal with a lotof shit players, particularly
players that just couldn't kill people that JT had flashed for
(49:15):
him. Fang, Yeah, Fang Grim, by the
way, Yeah, Fang's rubbish. Grim.
He's actually becoming a very, very good player now and like.
Yeah, I mean, this is this is this is Triumph Grim, right?
This is the Grim liquid thought they were getting. 1.18 rate in
(49:38):
is is really nice, but the player I actually wanted to
shout out that's not. Nick, surely?
Fucking believe I'm saying is Nick's.
Nick's doesn't look lost anymore, but he actually just
doesn't look lost anymore. He's just a, this is a little
guy and he, he's just like a yeah, he looks like just every
(50:00):
American teenager. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, he's just, he's just, he'snot, he's not that guy.
He's never going to be that guy.No, but he's he's probably were
of his of his face on the team now, so.
Considering him and she's at XI were brought in at the same time
(50:22):
and that guy's gone, probably probably is.
Yeah, she's XI was also really bad, but they both look shit at
that time. So, so yeah, I think yeah, it's.
Yeah, I mean. They deserve to go through like,
like, I don't, I don't really like this team.
I don't really think they're very exciting.
No, I. Don't care but they played good
(50:42):
CS they went through. I think Jade like you said JT is
under appreciated. The rest of the team I don't
forget Halzer get him on anotherteam but I just don't.
I don't really give a fuck on, sorry.
Just under Holzer, Do you remember when we used to say
that Holzer was like the budget brokey?
What the fuck is brokey to Holzer now?
Because he's nowhere fucking close anyway, Passion your way.
They're going to get banged out in stage 3.
(51:06):
Let's move on Liquid. What a fucking messy Team Liquid
are. They are so sloppy.
They're so horrible to watch. Play Counter Strike.
Their final round in the game against Tyloo yesterday, there's
there's only Finna. They're they're in banana,
there's 16 seconds 3B free and they just go, oh, we're going to
(51:30):
go away and there's two players.It might be the freebie 4
honestly, but there's two players on a they've run into
the site and ultimate just has been good.
This stage just gets to otherwise they fully fully from
the game. Outrageous.
No, he shouldn't have got one like like I tweeted about this
because I just said I think I said something like there's no
(51:53):
way that's like the run they would like how they win it or
whatever. And just it's just because it
works doesn't change the fact that it was an absolutely
fucking atrocious idea it. Was also only worked because
which Tyler player was it? I can't.
Probably a Tyler player. It was probably attacker.
No, it was even worse. They tried to throw a grenade
off the default box and it just got stuck in the box because
(52:16):
they threw it like on the run side if you bounce, if you
bounce back it fucks with their entire push and they never get
the. Bottle.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
That that is like equivalent to the history round against phase
when like, you know, if he just drops the smoke, he gets the you
know, the they they absolutely thrust A charless, which is
(52:37):
which is better and more what we're expecting to see from this
liquid probably. But there's a very real world
where they win in that charless game.
Yeah, so this is this is the last thing I want to say about
Liquid, right? I fucking hate them.
And I don't hate them because I hate them.
(52:59):
I hate them because they might just shoot their way to
playoffs. They will not do it through good
counter strike. They are not a good counter
strike team, but they might justshoot their way into playoffs
and that will really piss me off.
Yeah, I mean, Elise had some some games to be fair.
(53:21):
And I think he just, he's capable of doing that right.
He is bold though. An American, so I'm going to
stop saying nice things about him.
Yeah, two things I don't like. I do think Ultima has been very
good. There's a treat from treat.
There is a treat as well. Always a treat.
(53:42):
There's a tweet from Striker here.
So this is the ultimate that I keep hoping we see more of more
often because he clearly has it.Not just often, which is true.
There's that classic round, I think it was a cattle column
where he's out bent for Mirage and just just shits his pants
and just throws the round. The one with sponge screams.
(54:03):
So what are you doing? Just fair enough.
But also like he obviously just does have the source sometimes
to be pretty good. So bit of consistency from him,
liquid, probably a little bit more exciting, but just don't,
just don't care. No, really.
(54:26):
And finally three DMX. I'm honestly surprised it took
them so long to make it through.The upset fanatic was was poor.
Yeah, they're just not bad, are they?
They're not great, but they're just not all bad in any sense of
the word. They're no worse with gravity or
(54:49):
Jelly, and they could honestly make playoffs like I just.
The thing is with 3D Max is I don't even dislike the way they
play. I like watching Mac and play.
I think, I think Thorin made a really good tweet and he said
there was CS GO team playing CS2.
And I think that's such a perfect analogy because they
play in this very French, sort of like prime French CS days of
(55:13):
like pretty structured, a lot ofkind of spawn calls, a lot of
set pieces I'm going to make. I could make a football
comparison, but I don't know nothing about it.
But I'm sure you can, Sir. It's nice to have a a noticeable
style to to your team. I think that's always cool.
(55:37):
It's you know, like art art Furia had a style or or they had
a a look, should we say right, That's nice.
The issue is that styles in MMA,they say styles make fights and
also in NCS, right, styles can affect games, right?
If they might beat all the teamsin the playoffs bar one because
(55:59):
of a style match of if you get the team of the on, you make
less of a run right. So they're a fun team, they're a
good team. I'm upset that a bit Nip, but my
pick comes for fucked because MAT lost.
So I don't, you know, not reallycaring that much, do you know?
What the problem? Is and I think it's also
testament that Snappy says they're the best team they've
faced so far. I think that's valid.
(56:20):
Is the problem that they're French?
Is that we're? Going to say it is that they're
French. Yeah, All right.
Three one teams, three one teams.
We aren't going to talk about these that much because like.
It's the power mission, Jame major #2.
OK, look, they should have lost a nip held on despite a limited
experience. Honestly, like that's just a
(56:42):
testament to Jame. It is just a testament to Jame.
He held his nerve in a clutch and his system just he's good at
preventing fuck ups. He just is.
I don't like certain parts of it.
I don't like the hill by fuckingRd. armour 57 and say 3 and half
grand when the rest of his teamshave M fours and concede the
round just to buy an open the next round and die first like.
(57:04):
That did happen multiple times by the way, where he would just
go for an opening, pick the nextround and die.
Awesome. He wouldn't even, sometimes he
wouldn't even go for the openingpick.
You'd just get walked up, up up on him, fucking die.
Like, I'm not overly big on that.
I'm not too big on that. But I just, it's hard to
criticize Jame, isn't it? I don't like him.
Well, it's good. He's fucking.
(57:26):
Good. I don't dislike him again it's
like you can dislike the system,but it clearly works right.
That's different to doing what liquid did, which is the wrong
thing and it working James does James system eliminates doing
wrong things generally. Do you know what I?
(57:48):
Mean. And it's why like why they're
getting Roy so close because generally like the T sides are
they kind of let you do what youwant on Teeside because they
know the Teeside will just suffocate you and impose our
will. Should we say?
Do you know what I mean? That's kind of the premise.
It's another style of CS, which I think is interesting to have
(58:12):
Imperial. They like the reverse fly quest.
I just don't really understand how they went through it.
Well, they look absolutely Pooh in the Stage 1 and then they
look pretty good. I mean, OK, they actually didn't
really beat that many good teams, but they played pretty
(58:36):
well. I'm happy.
For them, I'm not going to criticize them.
I'm happy for them. I like, yeah, we were saying it
last week. I like Vinny.
I like Zach. Hello.
Yeah. I try great, I'm just I'm just a
little confused like. That's enough said about them,
honestly. Jim is just.
Actually, actually good though. Bait.
(58:59):
It's bait. Bait.
It's. Quite good, yeah.
They always look so sad and confused when they're playing.
They all look really upset at everything that happens.
They just have this horrible, all the players have this
horrible expression. It's just like like they're just
being hurt. But they're legit really good.
They're a really good team. Kansas always the truth that you
just need a haircut. Hat trick has been pretty decent
(59:24):
Nipple is is is fine. They're a fun team.
They're they're a fun team. Yeah, I've I've I've.
Can't really criticize them. Good players.
They they are, and they win games pretty suitably, I would
say. Yeah, but that's that's kind of
it. They're just good.
It's just, yeah, fair, fair Fox.They they do just improve at
(59:48):
these events every time they play at them.
The three O teams, then Navi. Everyone had that in the pickams
I think. Yeah, I just, there's not much
to say about Navi honestly, because it's just like, well
done, you did. What you were meant to do.
What you were meant to do, I mean.
Something the Casa said a few times.
(01:00:09):
Was there a Stage 3 team? They're in Stage 2 and I think
that's very accurate, to be fair.
Wonderful has played phenomenally, by the way.
Which is very reassuring. That is the one thing worth
saying. It's reassuring.
It's also. Oh well.
I'm going to say uncharacteristic because he's
kind of been an issue at times. He's played phenomenally.
(01:00:33):
He's looked untouchable. He's looks so confident in his
fights. He's hitting shots he shouldn't
hit and this and the shots he should hit, he always hits them.
So he's playing excellently. My cars.
He's also just just just good and they seem happier and
Smilier, which is a promising sign because this team has
looked miserable the last all ofthis season.
(01:00:57):
Honestly hope it continues. I can see the making playoffs.
Yeah, I think, I think the expectation should be playoffs
now, honestly. They've got a horrible opening
game, like we said, like they'vegot fuel Wish yeah, won't wish
Fury on my worst enemy, but like.
But I will say it was wonderful like this.
(01:01:19):
You've got you've got a big rockto sling at Goliath.
You can pitch, you've got you'vegot wonderful who's really good
at shutting down offers, going up against Molladoy who actively
looks to shut down offers. It's kind of a fun, fun fight,
right? It, yeah, it's something to keep
an eye on. But let's talk about phase,
though. Now, I've got another point
(01:01:43):
about the major format. The presence of best of ones as
long as the two team, as long asthe A-Team faces the right
teams, means that a team can go through those best of ones
playing just one map. And that's what phased it.
(01:02:03):
They played just two twice. And I don't, I don't really
think that's good, to be honest.Where are we challenging the
team's map pool to find the bestof the best here?
Like, I don't. I don't like that they got.
I don't. Know if did.
I'm not sure if you said this orsome of the cast has said it.
Honestly, it's all been a bit ofa blur, but Dust 2 is probably a
(01:02:25):
comfortable pick for both teams because it's generally a very
5050 map. Most protocol that said that.
Yeah, most tier one CS players. I've heard a lot of those too.
You know it's dog shit and congest in ABO one.
It's like the most neutral map where there's not a lot of
(01:02:47):
strategy really. It's pretty solved.
Everyone plays kind of the same way, so it's a pretty safe pick
for everyone. Like it's kind of like we're
playing AB1, Gentleman's agreement.
We'll play on the very fair map,you know what I mean?
Yeah. I mean, I disagree with your
point that there's not a lot of strategy.
(01:03:08):
I think there is. It's just maybe.
Nothing. No, but nothing new is what I
mean. Like no one's showing.
Everything kind of linear compared to.
Yeah, but but I mean, but I meanthere's there's a from long, A
from short, B from tunnels, B from mid.
It's cut there. That's kind of four finishes to
every round, should we say? Right.
It's like a let's say J OS so much, but that's one finish.
(01:03:31):
Yeah, I just. Rubbish.
Yeah, Will's worst spear, which is how most long, long executes
look actually just really floppyand limp.
But yeah, they also should have lost an IP.
They should have lost an IP. Yeah, yeah, which is I mean
(01:03:52):
phase are a loved one, right Like the same is true for Liquid
where they could just go to playoffs now and.
It I just think that would be bad for them.
And it and it wouldn't surprise me.
And yeah it would be bad for them because like they've made
it through the stage of Jacob having a pop off game, Jacob
(01:04:12):
having one decent map in the BO3, and Brokie having a good
game. These are not things you can
rely upon. So honestly they could go like
O33O32. Don't see them being a free one
team but I'd put money on them being one of those free records
(01:04:35):
if I was guaranteed to turn a profit.
That's like the most non committal thing ever.
But yeah, sure, they'll either win or they'll lose.
That's my. No, no.
But what I'm saying is, is they'll either blast through the
next stage, fucking crash out ofit, or they'll like scrape
themselves through. Yeah, yeah.
(01:04:56):
The issue the issue is. Is who's their Who's their
opening game? Charlie Faves will be going O
free in the next stage. Congratulations, Carrigan, on
your retirement. You've had a fantastic career
and that's all we're going to say about phase.
(01:05:22):
Yeah, should we? Do with the simulator now
should. We do some simulating.
Not the Pickles back anymore because no one checked that one
coin. Thank you Val for ruining
everything right anyway. So it begins with Fury versus
Navi. Let's not fuck about Jack.
(01:05:43):
No Fury, yeah. Fury vitality phase, let's not
fuck about vitality Falcons B8. Three months ago I would have
said B8, but Falcons should really just win that Mongols
(01:06:03):
imperial. I'm a bit scared to say the
Mongols. Yeah, me too.
I think this might be one of those funny games that's not
actually that all that good, so I'm going to say Imperial for
this one. Yeah, yeah, let's whack an
Imperial for that one. Mouse power efficient.
(01:06:30):
I would say mouse are a slow starting team sometimes.
Let's whack in paravision. Fuck it.
I like this honestly it's a matter if we're right anymore
because I can't get diamond so. Yeah, don't give up.
Let's. Just let's just lie.
You know, I could also see Navi beating Fury, but we're not
doing that. Fury are going to not drop a
(01:06:55):
map. At all?
Come on. Ever again.
Spirit of beating liquid not fucking about there don't.
Have faith on that one. G2 will beat Passion UA and 3D
Max will beat cane Gaming. The French guys are beating the
pan, the bread. Fury Are we going to beat 3D Max
Vitality Paravision Falcons? Will be here.
(01:07:21):
Spirit will beat you too becauseit means we get really fun games
in the two O. That's why I'm going for it.
OK, fine, fine. I kind of want to say G2 win it,
but fine if you say so. Do you haven't really been good
since London? Yeah.
(01:07:44):
All right. A.
Little bit. Mongols, passion your way.
I would be very upset if the Mongols didn't manage to win
that one. Yeah, I'm going to give that one
to the Mongols. Mouse versus liquid mouse.
Sorry mouse. Yeah, I don't think Liquid to
get started in that game. I think bait will be pain.
I think so also. Yeah, Navi phase Navi, Navi.
(01:08:11):
OK, furious. Your spirit, wonderful Bush
brokey, by the way, that that's coffee, baby.
Hydrogen bomb, you know exactly.Furious Spirit.
It's furious, furious, furious go for you.
Vitality Falcons. Falcons.
(01:08:36):
Yeah, yeah, I'm done with that. Yeah, I'm not confident on that,
but I'm down with that mouse beat Imperial Paravision, beat
the Mongols. Fire.
G23D Max data 5050G. 2. Yeah fine Navi bit Navi.
(01:09:02):
Yeah, Phase beat Passion UA in ain a BO3O2 game.
I thought you said they're goingO3 mate.
Yeah, but now I've seen they're playing fucking Passion UA and
Passion UA are going go free. Liquid pain.
My God. Yeah.
Liquid, liquid Yeah. Vitality BG2.
(01:09:26):
Correct Spirit, be much you don't believe, but I do.
I don't want to say Mouse beat Spirit, Charlie.
It's up to you. You decide.
Oh, he's sticking with Mouse. Rogue.
Navi versus Paravision. Yeah.
(01:09:48):
Yeah, I'm OK with Navi beating Paravision.
Yeah, yeah. Liquid beat imperial I think.
You'd fucking hope so. They beat the Mongols.
I'm going to say yeah, bait beatMongols.
Get baited. There's a world where with 3D
(01:10:09):
Max, get it done, you know. 3D Max beat face.
Oh yeah, I'm going, I'm going. 3D Max beat face.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shot that one over Charlie.
Just just on on the X beat Y Nipnearly beat face and 3D Max
trounced Nip so therefore bomb them bigger fish, yeah.
(01:10:34):
Spirit beat 3D Max. Yeah, sorry guys.
Oh my God, Jane might be going to the playoffs.
I. Think he is?
I don't think liquid, I think they're so sloppy they don't
have it in them to beat paravision.
No ultimate. It's going to just like go back
to caveman brain and Jane's going to like shine his holy
light on him and make his brain explode.
(01:10:56):
I think Bait might be going to playoffs as well.
And I'm happy with that, honestly.
Yeah. So our playoffs teams are
furious. Falcons photology, Navi Mouse.
Nothing crazy there. That's fine.
And then power, vision, spirit, bait.
(01:11:22):
I really don't dislike that. I mean I think we dislike the
last one we did and it turned out fucking shit, but I really
don't dislike that. This might be one of the majors
of all time. This might be one of the majors
of all time, and I think that's the perfect, perfect thing to
end it on, Jack. Yes, it is.
(01:11:43):
We'll be back next week. There might be a third person
here. There might not be.
Maybe no one will be here. You'll have a podcast by
yourself, dear viewer. I'm going to think about a rope
tied to the ceiling and me dangling from it.
Like a rope swing. Like a zip line?
(01:12:06):
Yes, like a rope swing or a zip line.
Fabulous. Yes, I've been Sam.
I have a Twitter. He's been Jack.
He also has a Twitter. Follow us.
Charlie has been here. He made a suggestion he will do
something. Good.
James will make a thumbnail. Do you have anything to plug
(01:12:27):
this week, Sam? No.
OK.
Jack. Samuel.
I've done it. I've fixed the major I have
made. It crazy to get.
One might now go fuck yourself, right?
So here's the thing. Get one in early.
Being. The major, and I feel like we've
said this at this point on the podcast, it's pretty bad.
(00:23):
Like it's full of best of ones, which is shit free back-to-back
Swiss stages is a bit heavy and like it's quite a lot of bad
teams isn't there really? It does seem to be a lesser
standard of counter strike up until stage 3.
(00:46):
Yeah. And you know, another thing I
don't like, I don't really like this whole like, Oh well, they
might be in for a tough opening game because this team's going
to, you know, they'll come into the stage warm because they've
already played a stage. I think that's kind of bollocks.
It makes it leads into the belief that teams aren't playing
when they're not at events should.
(01:06):
I mean, I know officials aren't the same as.
No, but it almost certainly is afactor though is the problem.
Someone should check the numbers, but yeah, it probably
is. It definitely contributes to the
BO1 issue or the BO1 issue contributes to the warmer.
But this correlation, there's correlation.
(01:28):
But anyway, anyway, I've fixed the major, we don't have to
worry about it anymore. Tell me.
Tell me, sensei. OK, I'm going to say senpai, but
sensei's better. Yeah, OK, anyway, right.
So because, you know, Valve likes money and stickers make
money. It doesn't.
(01:48):
We got to keep it as 32 teams. So how do we work around that?
Well, I think we make 814 GSL groups, which for people who
aren't like format nonces, that's like the IEM format.
You can't call them. That no, I can.
I've done it now. Format is fine.
(02:08):
Nonces is Bible US. Same difference.
Yeah. So it's where there's like the
winner of match and the losers match and the seeding match and
all that bollocks. Decider matches just with four
teams instead of 8. So your eight groups you you
(02:31):
select the teams in the groups by creating 4 pots of teams,
seeds one to 8916 so on so forth.
You then randomly draw from eachof those pots to get the four
teams. So there is a risk of a group of
deaf, which can be fun, and it'spretty fair and equal.
(02:52):
You're not just guaranteeing like 1 and 9 go through, or
inferior guaranteeing 1 and 9 gothrough because they play
whatever. The equivalent Worst team, Yeah.
Yeah. It's you doing vRS or is it like
team or how do you want to? Do it.
It would have to be vRS, but I think you keep in some form, you
(03:12):
keep the region split of the wayit is right now.
So it would just be like, you know, seeds 128 but of of how it
is now. So like pain which?
Is global ranking right? Yeah, like pain would probably
go in lower than they are at this major, for instance, but
(03:36):
there's guaranteed qualification.
Well, yeah, because I think that's fine.
I don't think you should do the stages based.
I mean, stages suck, but yeah, Ithink.
Yeah, yeah. Cool, cool.
Cool. Being the best North American
team doesn't mean yeah, sure. So you can turn the group stage
into four days, it's four days and then you're out with.
That broadcast? Well it's it's 4 beer freeze a
(03:59):
day across 2 streams so it's thesame as it is at the moment for
you know, the 1st 2 days of eachstage.
Opening matches one day, winnersmatches the next, losers matches
the next and then decider matches the next.
You then move into the playoffs,right where the winner of the
(04:20):
group would play second place inanother group etcetera,
etcetera. Playoff 16 teams double
elimination all the way through.So when you go through, so when
you go through and the arena days start with the upper
bracket final and the lower bracket semi final that would be
(04:41):
Friday. So you are losing an arena day,
but maybe for a better format. It's generally cheaper to have
the arena for last days. I don't think you make more
money by having it open on Thursday, honestly.
Well exactly. And attendance is often not as
great on a Thursday. Then the Saturday is the best of
(05:01):
five lower bracket final and theSunday best of five grand final,
where the advantage for the upper bracket team is they get
to ban both maps and pick the first map.
So currently the major somethinglike 21 days, I don't know how
many game days. If you make the round of 16 two
(05:23):
days instead of using AB stream then you get 14 game days.
If you remove B stream entirely you get 18 game days.
But thoughts? Is it better than the current
system? It seems like less of a slog
yeah and kind of the kind of bullshit Swiss BL1 nonsense.
(05:46):
The the removal of BL ones is isobviously good.
I think also third place games are kind of they're a necessity
now that vRS ranking matters. But obviously you you remove
that by having the third place team decided by the low bracket
final right. You don't actually need to have
that third game yeah more time for DJs and stuff on on the
grand final day, which is why everyone really wants and show
(06:09):
matches and and nonsense like that.
I don't hate it. I just think, are we getting
less counter strike? It feels like we're getting less
Counter strike, which might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Maybe because maybe in a better format?
I think like whatever we can do to get BA Threes is to play
right they they are. Like.
(06:32):
And I I don't like the the randomness crowd.
I think that's kind of cope. Like you should just be who you
have to play. I agree that low tier team, less
tape. Maybe they have a gimmick map
like like Aurora's Anubis for example.
Right. Para visions over the front.
(06:53):
Yeah, like it's probably too, too easy if you just can get a
good video that they don't expect, right.
And obviously going to be a one Like it's especially, you know,
is it is it 132? The band, the way the bands
work, I think. Maybe.
(07:14):
But you're banning, you'll ban your perma, they get to ban 3
maps. They could could put you in
quite a tricky spot. I do like the idea of the the
sort of veto advantage you get for winning the upper bracket
final. That's.
Interesting, I think that would be really good, right, because
like so I was I was I was thinking about it earlier.
I was thinking about an example for like a best case, right, So
(07:35):
spirit play ancient a lot vitality.
It's their perma ban. Now imagine spirit go through
the upper bracket, Vitality go through the lower bracket.
Spirit can ban 2 maps. I think their permanent might be
inferno. They can ban that.
They can ban a map they don't like playing.
They can pick ancient first map.In theory they go one O in the
(07:57):
final, so. You.
You. Yeah, You went by yourself.
A opening wouldn't pick. That's cool.
Yeah. So especially if Vitality have
also gone on a lower bracket run, so like from lower bracket
round one or lower bracket Round2, imagine how much better of a
narrative it is if they then winthat major like that.
That's sick. It's better than what we have.
Right now, it does make the factthat one team is going into the
(08:23):
playoffs, into the final wounded, should we say which it
kind of, it writes A narrative for you for a team to be the
underdog, right? Even if on paper that they're
matched or that maybe they're the better team on paper.
And I think like stories and, and and narratives are kind of
more important than the games interms of like the the view
(08:46):
experience. Well, they make the games
better, don't. They exactly right, so I like
it. I I was going to ask something
but I can't remember what it was.
Come back to it if it comes backto me, but I like it.
Right. OK, well on the basis that you
(09:07):
are an idiot, should roll the intro and talk about some
counter strike. Let's do that.
OK, so we've spoke about how majors are POO and how we can
make them good. So let's talk about POO teams at
(09:29):
the POO major. Do you want to start with MRPR
or Flyquest? Good coinage.
Flight quest going three O one O3.
That's funny. And what we have to remember is
stage one of the major is actually just the RMR.
(09:49):
So they might be all like it's. It's the.
Yeah mate, it's the pickup. Look lads, we've come from
Australia, we've fucked your pickups again and they've gone
O3 in this it where it actually matters so.
Yeah, now they've fucked like questions by being.
Like like your three over stage 1 does not count much like
(10:11):
numerous players time on liquid and or Nip.
Yeah, I don't know why you guys let us into thinking you were
good. People are like oh, as was
independently a good system. I see they did have hard games
if they're not good flash bangs.OK, they had an army.
This is. What they had, they had a shot
(10:32):
list. So they they lost teams they
should have lost too. But well, I can't say they
shouldn't have been. They shouldn't have gone 03
because they they probably should have actually.
So I think maybe maybe we were all just a bit excited from
Stage 1. Yeah.
OK. So, so this is what I wanted to
(10:55):
say, right. So fly quest went Freo in a very
fortuitous manner. They beat legacy that like.
Good, good age. We know Legacy were pretty
disappointing after that. They played what imperial and
fluxo in a 2O? Was it red canids?
I think it was imperial, right? Fluxo was the 2O game.
(11:18):
No, yeah, Fluxo was the 2O game.Sorry.
So they only beat Brazilian teams, are you?
Making an agenda here. No no, I'm just saying they only
beat Brazilian teams. Their reward though.
Their reward though for going Frio, and this is a stupid thing
about the seeding is to play thenumber one seed we like.
(11:43):
It's in the same way we'll talk about Navi more in detail later.
Navi's reward for going Frio is playing fucking Furia.
This is stupid. It is is the advantage of more
days, more days off and more practice days.
Is that better than getting maybe an easier opening game?
(12:09):
Well, it just in the next stage.It just adds to like the
randomness. It just adds to the randomness
of fucking best of ones like because then you get these like
like really, if you go free O, you should play the the 8th
seeded team, the 8:00 and 8:00 and 9:00 play each other and
(12:31):
seven and 10 play each other andand you go down that way because
of like, what's the point in? Going So what?
One play 16. Yeah, like what's what's the
point in going fucking Frio? Like do you want to go Frio and
place and play Furia or do you want to go free to and play
(12:52):
pain? I don't wish I'm fucking picking
but I might even throw a couple games.
I know I'll win the best 3 so I it's just it doesn't seem
beneficial at all. So kind of our.
I'd like to look back on on someof the previous majors and see
like, yeah, like maybe a team who won it, did they go 3 O in
(13:18):
the previous stages? Because I I don't that's how he
might have right, but not at Austin.
But is there constant correlation to to getting an
easier playoff run? Like Paris would probably come
to mind because of some of the teams that were in those
playoffs. Vitality Free owed in Paris, but
they start in the legend stage. Spot example isn't it?
(13:40):
But there's. Not enough data on it, but I
just think. Like to start in legend stages?
There's a pattern there, right? Like who did they?
So they they played G2 Ants and Monty.
But well, G2 kind of is a good example though.
(14:02):
G2 went out one free. And what did they do at the
prior stage? One free.
Well, presumably if it's the same season they went fucking
free out. Jenny, can we check?
Is it? Do we get to be allowed to see
that? Yeah, yeah, Frio, Frio,
(14:22):
congratulations lads. You play the best teams in the
world like this is. Why is this a thing?
Because that just adds to the random.
Like part of me wants to be put my Elliott hat on now and say
like, oh, well, you should if you if you're the best team, if
he's the best team, we should bein front of her, you know, beat
the best teams or whatever, whatever his silly point is.
(14:43):
But you shouldn't have a worse draw by.
Doing well. Going through and also
historically 3 O teams tend not to be the ones you would expect.
Well, exactly. Looking at stage 1 especially,
right like like generally, you know, pickams are an issue.
(15:07):
I'll get I'll talk about that later, but it's very hard to
call a three O team with the randomness of beer ones, right?
Yeah. Like you kind of have to be just
like using drugs to make your decisions, I think to actually
have a chance of. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think Diamond now is somethinglike nought .1%.
Like that's a problem in my opinion.
(15:29):
Well, this is if it becomes likeA to be a serious prize, yeah.
Like maybe it should be like 3% of people get diamond should be
nought .1. No, like, it should be.
It should be hard, but it also shouldn't be like, impossible.
Yeah, like, like people who get dumb and don't, it's not because
they know about the game. Do you know what I?
(15:50):
Mean in most cases, Well, in virtually every case.
Yeah, right. We, we, we should move on to
MIBR. But before we do, Charlie, just
pull that Maui snake tweet back up now.
This is ugly, isn't it? So for for people who aren't
actively watching, Vexlight was the highest rated player in
(16:12):
stage one with a 1.64 rating. In stage 2 he was the lowest
rated player with a naughty .55 rating.
But that is crazy. That's so.
Like that, that definitely sucks.
Like that's probably a one in a million start line as well to be
honest. But like he massively over
performed in stage 1. Like.
(16:33):
He he's not suddenly good because he had like, I don't
mean ourselves because he's better than me, but like he's
not very good suddenly because you had a good stage.
Like you played four maps that you did like you, you went to
played well for four maps and like role wise things.
And then you play against teams that are good and teams that can
(16:54):
counter you just running at themand then suddenly you're not
good. Going from the highest rate to
the lowest rate is is really awful.
That's devastating. Especially nought .55, that is
fucking brutal. Yeah, but I mean, it's like this
did just kind of get banned, didn't they?
Yeah, a little bit, Yeah. The Navi game especially.
Was like you're not really at least in the close game.
(17:14):
You could probably, you could probably even go positive or
like a .9 in the close game. You know what I mean?
If you're getting shit on, it's a it's a lot.
It's a bit harder to hold. You hold your hold, your hold,
your round is what I'm going to.Say well done, Jack.
You got there. You got there, buddy.
I've just been hit in the head for like 2 hours so I'm I'm not
(17:36):
feeling great. Excellent.
Excellent MIBR. Another team that got hit in the
head repeatedly. That was that was your segue.
You're welcome. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, this, this is the
definition of hey, man, can I copy your homework?
Yeah, Don't make it obvious, butthe guy just vomits all over the
paper instead. Yeah, I mean they are like team.
(17:57):
Free and sunny free climb. Yeah, climb like.
Something like he's not even that good, but he's better than
this team. Well, he shows like he shows
flashes, right? And this is the thing with Climb
where it's actually like. His name makes me laugh on it
just sounds like I know it's hissurname but it makes just it's
(18:18):
just a silly name. It might be harsh.
It's an interesting choice isn'tit really?
Because I know they've done pretty well domestically.
Fucking suck internationally though, and if you're looking to
get this Academy open seems really impressive because I know
for a fact, by the way, before some pirates G2 were considering
(18:38):
just promoting him that like you're looking for him to get
some experience outside of your Academy team And yeah like
granted he's played at a major now that is good.
You send him to Mr. Did he play it?
Did he play at the major? Did he play?
Well, I mean he was connected toa server.
(18:58):
He went to the old tower and yeah, plugged his keyboard in,
but. But like you send him to MRBR,
is he not generally going to be playing a lower standard of
matches than he would in EU? Like it was there, not like.
There's a team that, sorry, you'd need an offer.
(19:18):
Yeah, right. Like.
Like she from off to game a Legion, yeah.
Anyway, they seem to hate their oppas, but yeah, well.
Exactly. Like I've got a little more to
say about MRBR. To be honest, they're just not
very good. I'm just hoping Sani Insani ends
up on a real team one day. Like it seems that with your
flexors and your red canids and your legacies, like there are
(19:42):
reasonably good Brazilian teams.I know a lot of them have
performed at this event but like.
Performed by going out. Well, stage 1 I meant, but yeah.
Fluxo actually won a game. Congrats lads.
They won two games, they were going to they were, but he's
(20:03):
obviously way too good for MRBR.But obviously Furia aren't going
to be looking at him anytime soon though, so yeah, his
English is good. Get one game when he's done.
Get him up phase anyway. Honestly, with fucking help.
And yes, anyway. One three teams fanatic not
talking about yet. Fuck off Blame F was shit but no
(20:31):
we're not doing it and I just don't want to.
Maybe you should have kept you're really impactful,
aggressive rifle. Anyway, Aurora, we're going to
talk about Aurora. Fucking hell.
This makes me very happy. I don't know if it does make me
happy, actually. So, you know, you take the
(20:52):
floor. They they played horrible CS
they did, they played not like individuals shit in the bed
generally right? Like apart from bacterias, like
nonsense game against MA that you've got there.
They they're fundamentals, theirrotations, their their excuse.
(21:12):
They looked so distorted. It's like they were all speaking
a different language. It felt they were fucking
appalling. And the series against Power
Vision. If you can just hover on that
Mister Producer 2211 game. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, across, down. Yeah.
Bloody. Hell.
(21:34):
Yeah, not, not great across across the board.
Zantar has had an especially badTeesside in that as well.
Yes, maybe went O in 11. I think Majors, I let Corrigan
(21:54):
get away with being completely handless because he as much as I
think he needs to pack it in, hecould generally call teams to
play well. They're just like me doing that.
He's a fucking coach. He's he's he'd be better off
than the coach lot and you'd have fucking bot Kev.
I don't know why I brought you that into that.
(22:19):
Any thought? I just and you know, I don't
mean to disrespect the guy. I'm sure he's brilliant, but I
just, what the fuck are they doing?
I. Just this, this team just has no
identity anymore. There's there's nothing
interesting about them. Like at least when when Nubis is
in the pool, you're like, Oh well, they'll probably win an
Uber. So the series gets interesting.
Unless they play the modern goals, but I just like I don't.
(22:42):
I don't know what you do for a roar anymore.
Like, OK, well, this is the thing, this is the thing.
This is the thing, this is the thing.
There's a reason. No, here's the thing.
I'm there. Sorry, I'm doing something
different. Here's the shit.
Here's the shit. That's not what I'm going to
say. There's a there's a reason you
(23:02):
walk 6 and Santaras fucked off from Turkish national teams to
play in fucking big and mouse and hell raisers and shit other
teams because Turkish national teams are fucking shit.
There's not enough. Like you've finally found five
players who can actually all help the mice at the same time.
(23:27):
Space soldiers for fun. It did fucking nothing.
Engine and powers on the same team are fucking appalling.
Appalling. Not even counter track players.
I know how much you hate these lot because you're not even
being particularly emotive. You're just like this is this is
like. This is clinical precision hate.
(23:48):
Yeah, you're just being quite cold here.
I just, I just, and, and I mean this like with Major and
Wickedia, both players I've actually had really pleasant
interactions with. Oh, Majors, lovely.
Like he's actually nice. They're just so this isn't
personal, like if you're watching, you know, love you,
(24:08):
but please play the game becausethis is just, it's just sad.
And I just think like, no, no, no, no, I'm not done.
Oh my God, having one gimmick map that got you reasonably OK
and then got you in this insulated circuit where you get
every event and then you use that to like, fuck you.
I could do a trophy and then youwon that event and you were
(24:28):
like, do what we need to do, do what need to do, just not adapt
at all. Do nothing new, OK?
They've had the same playbook for two years.
All right, my turn. I'm going to I'm going to try
and dissect a little. OK, best of ones.
(24:49):
They beat M80 because Ricardi has popped the fuck off.
Fine. This is this is what you need
sometimes. It's not reliable though, is it?
They've then played Phase. Can't build a team around that.
Yeah, All right, shut up, Marta.They've then played Phase and
(25:09):
Jacob said he's one good game ever, which is really
unfortunate, actually. Like what?
What do you meant to do? Jacob's decided he's got hands,
and there's one round from Jacobin that game where he's, I can't
remember if he's Teeside or CT side, but he's on, he's on
short. He just fucking shits on three
of them. But Dunk would be impressed with
himself if he pulled off that round and fucking Jacob's done
(25:32):
it. Jacob's fucking useless, right?
So they lose that, They then play paravision and they play
fucking Jane in a best of one onoverpass.
Like Major was asking to lose that game.
Like Daddy's stupid from them. And Paravision also played like
(25:54):
kind of bad that game as well. Yeah, they aren't even good.
And I like I know Parliament area slow burn team and they'd like
to they they use tend to get allaround from them.
Yeah, sure, exactly. But like, bloody hell, man.
Yeah, but then when you lose to Australis and we're not going
(26:15):
through the game, we're not doing it.
Fucking hell, how would you loseinto Australia?
They are shit and device absolutely fucking dunk at this
major. Yabby's not good.
We're not. We'll get to them, right?
So my question is, and I'm goingto answer my own question a
little bit first, or I'm going to set the scene for my question
(26:38):
a little bit first. What the fuck do you do?
Because Zantara's past 3. Months thermonuclear device but.
But is that because he's a bad orphan now or are you suggesting
to Aurora? All of Aurora, just remember.
Like Zam Tara's pass Premium says like a 1.2 device.
(27:00):
He's been pretty yeah, thank you.
He's been pretty good but he hasa lot more quiet games now and
when he does they fucking. It's shades.
It's shades of Nico. It's a little bit Nico.
Yeah, but he's also getting on, right?
Like I think he's already might be 29.
I don't know right Jotter, he's not that great, is he?
(27:26):
He's not that great. Your only option to sign anyone
is X filed. You've got an IGL that is not
that great. So what do you do?
Do you try and make Centaurus Nigel?
Do you try and bank on X filed be an IGL because you can't do
what's it? We're not doing all the IGL.
It's fucking ridiculous. Like do you try and get?
(27:51):
I've got to say, all party, I was the former of the best team
in the world, but no, that all party I decided to stop hoping.
Like, what do you think? I've heard that X5 was probably
going at one point, obviously still in for them at Cologne I
think it was or an event. I don't know.
I don't know, it's kind of a shit team.
(28:14):
Again, they just shouldn't. This team should be doing CCT
and and fucking fragging out fears that it's that tier of CS.
Honestly, honestly like like they're just not playing.
They are. They're not play the game to the
level that is expected of teams at the fucking major.
If this was stage 1, I wouldn't care, but this is stage 2 now.
(28:35):
We're like we're meant to be. We're out of out of diapers.
We're in pull ups now. I mean, we're meant to not shit
ourselves all the time and that's all they did well.
I think so. I think if we go back to post
Austin shows, when Overpass cameback, I think we'd said then
like Aurora are going to struggle in the second-half of
the year and lo and behold, Aurora have struggled in the
(28:58):
second-half of. The year I just, I just never
put any stock in them actually being good looking at like as
we've said multiple times, they,they benefited from the scene
being poor. Yeah, from a lull in competition
and performance from everybody else.
And like, that's fine for a little bit.
Now it's boring and horrible. Producer Charlie has fucking.
(29:24):
He has produced now. I think producer Charlie might
have missed the fact that Tabsonis no longer an IGL because it
never really worked out. I'm big after the online era
stopped and Gobby wasn't actually doing all the calling.
But anyway, he said minus Major,minus Jotter, plus Tabson, plus
Crimbo, I'm fucking in. I'm down, fuck it, do it.
(29:50):
Moving on, right? Ty Lou.
We're not going to talk about them that much because it makes
me sad. I love Ty Lou.
Ty Lou is so much fun. Gee had his moments.
Jam Young had his moments. The problem is and Young.
High price. Other people have some moments.
The problem is attackers. Fucking rubbish and this team
(30:11):
makes so many mistakes like theycan be good but it's on two
points they actually Start learning from their fucking
mistakes and attacker like boy he just needs to get in the
fucking bin don't he? Again, it's just like he's not
even calling it's. Only last three months .67
(30:31):
right? Point one.
No, we're not. Wait.
Oh, you've put on the majors filter, right?
Can you remove the majors filter.82?
And he's not even calling. Man, that's still terrible.
That is so bad. Yeah, I just fuck it.
(30:54):
We're not talking about him anymore.
Get someone from Limb Vision. Fuck off.
OK, two free teams, Jack, because they're a thing.
Who's you want to talk about first?
Two of those two free teams troll.
My pick comes, so I want to talkabout.
I've got a lot to say about Nip,so we'll do them at the end.
(31:15):
Let's start with. Them with MAT, right?
OK. I want to ask you a question
about MAT then. Please ask me a question son,
I'll give you an answer. So we know for a few years, bar
one event right at the start of CS2, complexity now passion UA
pretty poor. They still have the same core,
(31:40):
but they were poor the entire time while being insulated.
One of the teams that was actually protected by the
partner system. They got to play a lot of Tier
1, and despite playing a lot of Tier 1, you always got the same
oh we're inexperienced bullshit out of them.
Just just a whiny team did they've just got like not the
players, but the energy of the team.
(32:01):
It's just, it's just bitch energy you.
Know what I mean? But anyway, if M80 we're in that
position for that length of time, how much better do you
think M80 would be now than likepassion UA core slash
complexity? Because I really think they
would have far surpassed them. I think they're probably they're
(32:30):
probably a better team than passion UA.
They're just like I just said, they just haven't had the
experience right. I still think there's hex has
been a good addition for sure. I can just.
I actually believe in him on this team.
I always thought he was fucking rubbish.
He's pretty solid on this. Team, I think he was just a
(32:52):
victim of of evil really wasn't he of evil supercomputer, but
pretty surely has pulled up StewDK.
I'm not sure a victim of Stewie.Is that the point we're making?
Let's go with that. What are?
(33:13):
You doing you're. So confused, but you better show
this on camera at this point because we are baffled by what
you're doing. Audio viewers, we're just
looking at his his he zoomed. He zoomed in on Stewie's fate.
I'm so confused. People less than they might see
in a while anyway. Yeah, they probably would.
(33:33):
I'll be honest, though, that stage 2 was just and expected
return to form after a reasonably impressive stage 1,
right? They did.
They did what Flyquest did. They sold.
They sold us a dream by playing well and they didn't regress to
(33:54):
complete dog shit. But they they also could have
made it through this stage as well.
So it's so it's a little bit disappointing using to Aurora,
who we've just started our pants.
It's it's a shame they'd be a strongest really convincingly to
be definitely. I think they shouldn't have lost
to Imperial though. I think the Imperial is really.
Good. Yeah, I don't know, like I'm
(34:19):
disappointed, but I still reallylike the core.
I still think there's a future for this team.
I mean, there's a future on FaceClan, yeah.
Well, yeah, I think like, you know, if you phase, you keep
twist, you fuck the rest of themoff, you fuck off, you just buy
the rest of them. No Keep Swisher.
(34:42):
Which ones you get rid of then you keep twist.
You got to keep twist and faze. You're not getting rid of like.
Get rid of the Germans. Let's go.
Let's go American. Which all be getting.
Junior. Move on.
(35:09):
No no no, it's Australis time. We're talking about Australis, a
team with absolutely 0 future. So Australis went two free.
They lost to some shit teams. OK.
(35:30):
No they lost to Nip which is fine.
They lost to who else did they lose to?
MAT? They lost.
To MAT and. They lost to Liquid, so maybe
they didn't lose to some shit. They lost to a shit team.
They. Played very, very badly against
Liquid, however. They did, yeah.
(35:50):
And. They got dismembered on Nuke,
which was their pick. And and and.
Sorry, I know you're trying to speak but.
But no, it's fine. Hoaxy again is one of those
players where it's like, oh, well, he's good, ideal.
So it's fine for him to be completely fucking useless in
the server. I'm tired of this.
I'm tired of it. I'm tired of us giving a free
(36:12):
pass to just not not that much. Ever not plug your mouse in and
just stink it up and be like, oh, I mean, he's fine.
A call. Good.
It's fine when you've got stars device put in what like a nought
point? Fucking skeletal and the shade
of shadow of device. Yeah, device put in like a
(36:32):
nought .9 free. Skeletal is yabby for those who
didn't didn't clock it but. Nought .9 free rate in I think
it was in the major fucking shitreally bad but so so this is.
You best players stay man. I'm just, I'm just like.
Actually the best player. I'm not even.
Stay, I'm just depressed by australis now.
I've hit the breaking point of australis where the entire time
(36:56):
I've been a part of TLDR I'm like ha ha making australis joke
anytime it's possible because haha they're fun now.
It's just fucking depressing man.
Like it's not even beaten at their horses.
It's like the horses decomposed and it's just filling the room
with stent. Yeah, it's just, it's a really
sad. Sad.
What do you do? Where'd you go from here?
You have to blow it up. But.
(37:18):
Well I think realistically they all got paying their salaries
this month so they probably all blow it up quite soon.
But but what do? You, Janice Gunderson, Master
class. What do you get out of blowing
it up? Genuinely, Because.
Because like, OK, the two best Danish teams of all time, Gleaf
was the IGL of one of them and also the star.
Cadium was the IGL of the other and also the star.
So who's the best IGL now? Hook See.
(37:43):
Like this available, sure, but prison's just gone to heroic, so
yeah. Well, this is the thing also
like as far as can never not be,as far as can't not be Danish.
You don't need an author becausedevice is fucking rubbish now.
Like he is just got the counter has left him.
It's sad but it's happened. So there's two roles you need to
(38:06):
fill. You need fucking shush because
shush is fucking money and you can't get in because Nip aren't
letting go of him. Blame F and stare.
They're probably about equal honestly.
Like stare house massively improved.
Credit to him. Yabby.
He's not that guy. Stan coming back makes the team
worse. Hooks.
(38:27):
He needs people who can frag. I'm not sure Tessa's improves
them. So like what do you do?
Like they're never going to be good.
No, they're just, they're just fought right.
And this is the issue when also like when you've signed
basically every Tier 1 player inyour region and like ruin the
(38:51):
careers of most of them, like your recruitment pool.
A lot of them went on to do nothing right, like a shot.
That's pretty balls to that peak.
But I've always said that that when they signed stabby, they
signed the wrong duo because Shushan test says elevate teams
flaws massively as a duo. They're they're players who who
(39:13):
make it even better. Starring in the Abbey get
highlights and now neither of them do that either.
Make Stan Menopa, that's your best bet without spending money.
But even then, he's his pants stare like I do have faith, but
I just I just don't think he's like he's not that guy,
unfortunately, like I think he'spretty good, but he.
(39:34):
Think he maybe has too many likejust OK games to be a star.
Yeah, to do is precisely YEAH, plays available to coach, get
glave, let him build a project. Maybe there's something fun
there, but yeah, I don't know. It's every time we see a glimmer
(39:57):
of like there's always a glimmerof hope this team like this on
matters here. It's like, oh, maybe they're
going to be all right for a bit and they show like have a few
good games. You're like oh, OK, great.
And then they're like, oh, and now we forgot how to become a
strike again. It's just like it's being the
same vicious abusive relationship for for for like
since the. The, you know, the dynasty team
(40:17):
dissolved. Really.
Yeah. I don't know if the device is
carrying a curse from from what happened to Nip.
Maybe, maybe it's that, but they're just fucking bans man.
Should we talk about Nip Seen and she brought them up?
I'd like to because. This is your depression moment
now. Yeah, I mean.
Trauma dump, Jack. Trauma dump.
(40:38):
I mean, we'll be here a while. That's the Patreon special again
like going 2O great your two O matches against phase.
You should have won the first map you should have won the
second map. You're like OK final fit
paravision. You have 4 match points on dust
(41:02):
2 that you that you choke, then you lose another time Second
map. I can't remember what it was,
but I'm I'm happy to see him back in the major and I think
stage 1 was showing that, OK, this team actually knows what
they're doing. They're like they're actually
good and they are playing like really sounds.
(41:23):
Yes, I said last last week, I think it was about about your
jokes. But again, this isn't an
individual player thing. I think they're just I spoke to
spray, who's their assistant coach about this.
And without going into too many details of what saw what he said
and stuff like he, the main thing was that they seem nervous
(41:44):
to choke so they sort of panic and trying to close the rounds
in the later rounds of the game,which you'll see like the Jane 1
V 2 was just an absolute misplay.
He kills the guy Gandalf and theshort guy.
Like he should never be able to get to the Gandalf guy because
the short guy is covering him. Do you know what I mean?
He should never be able to take that shot because of the short
player. I.
(42:04):
Mean wrinkle could have been, you know, actually shot him.
Well, there's that, there's there's that as well, right.
But like that, I think they're just whenever it's, it's the
chance to win, they're so scaredof making mistakes.
And I wonder if that's a snappy thing because maybe snappy puts
this pressure and I think you kind of have to respect his
pressure. I don't like, I'm not saying
this is a negative thing, but I think there's probably, he
(42:25):
probably has expectations to be like, OK, guys, let's fucking
close this out. Do you know what I mean?
And you're like, oh, I don't want to be the guy.
It's like if you're a ramp player on nuke, you can't, you
can't lose around that Russia. You've got to, you've got to get
one. Do you know what I?
Mean, which is crazy because I've never seen you get one of.
(42:46):
My favorite, yes, there we are, but it's it's it's this this the
pressure kind of thing. I think captain obviously didn't
have the greatest series as wellagainst power vision.
And then obviously, like I said,I was getting beaten up for a
couple hours during the free match game.
But it seems Nip, Oh, they sort of had it.
Worse. And Free match are a fine team
(43:09):
but I do think this Nip should should have beaten them like
generally. OK.
No, no, right. But also.
But no, the bigger point is Nip should never have been in the 2
two game. They should have been in space.
Fine, but I'm going to stop you now because you care about Nip a
bit too much. You ask me.
(43:30):
No, I know, but it makes you, itmakes you look at it wrong,
right? Nip are going to be seriously
kicking themselves for how they got knocked out of this major,
but a reminder at the start of the year and if we're like 175th
in the world, their goal for theyear was to make the.
(43:51):
Major, Major. They did that.
They got through a stage great. They were also just so
inexperienced outside. Yeah, I think I, I probably have
better higher expectations as a fan of whatever you want to say,
right? Like I feel that's fair, but.
Outside of snappy and shush the the team like they've got like
(44:16):
one decent room between them. You can't expect them to to just
be closing stuff out. And I know some dickhead now is
going to be like, oh, but what about paravision?
Paravision or they also play in a James system that prevents.
Them from prevents you from choking so.
Much like SO. And you've got dust on behind
(44:36):
you, like gun to your head if you fuck up so.
So I think like, I don't think it's a negative.
Like I, I can't look at it and be negative about it because I
think. No.
Yeah, there's there's so many positives from this run.
They were so close to winning these games and you need to make
(44:59):
mistakes in order to grow one ofthe most.
Important things. About.
Experience more though. Yeah, yeah.
But one of the most important things about experiencing
Counter Strike is getting knocked out.
Look how many times Australis their core at least choked
before they became the best teamin the world.
(45:19):
Look how close Liquid got beforethey won a Grand Slam.
Like all of these things, you need these things to happen.
Carrying and losing a major final.
All of these things need to happen in order for you to like
in most. Cases, yeah.
In order for you to like do great.
So if Nip change a player or not, if they genuinely, if they
(45:41):
went on a fucking playoff run atthe next major, it wouldn't
surprise me because. Like, yeah, I, I think.
These things are closing, games out will probably just be gone,
hopefully. And I think like.
Lesser complexity. I think you can agree as well
like they they played just like really good good CS like like
(46:03):
structurally and. And.
Individually, like like they just played kind of like in a
nice way, like it was fun to watch.
There's clearly a game plan and that's quite nice for a team of
unexperienced players generally to kind of play in a a well
structured way and not just be this, you know, the sort of Tier
(46:24):
2 fragging house kind of thing. So you put your points right.
I think it's just seeing the waythey lost their the 2O and two
one games and that they could I've gone 30, you know, these
made the second stage going 202.Three is just is just shit,
especially when the games are that close.
Do you know what I mean? And I think obviously there's a
(46:44):
snappy tweet here, tweet here snappy saying that pretty much
the best team in the major that they met at the major.
That's unfair. It's probably probably right if
you look at the score as well. But yeah, I mean, you wouldn't
have faced them if you'd won either of the two prize series,
right? So it is what it is.
But those, I think your point isright.
(47:05):
Like those rounds, they lost theclutches and the final rounds of
the games. Like those are mistakes that
hurt that much. You don't make them again, you'd
hope. Yeah.
All right. Well, we're going to run the ad
break now and then we'll come back.
We'll talk about the free two teams potentially in a little
bit of detail. So yeah, we'll see you in a SEC.
(47:26):
So Jack, do you find it hard to keep up with all the news and
Counter Strike? I do, I took a weekend off and I
came back to six new IGL's, 3 retirements and apparently
Malvi's water boy got picked up by a top 20 team.
Right, that's why I've been relying on the TLDR newsletter.
It's a biweekly e-mail that keeps you up to speed on
everything in the CSC without needing scroll Reddit for three
(47:49):
hours while questioning your life choices.
Yeah, it's like if HRTV for a baby with your funniest friend
who actually watches every game.Yeah, quick hits of news, spicy
officer moves, upcoming match schedules, and even some insider
gossip. Old killer, no filler.
And let's be honest, some of these tournament formats you
need a guy just to figure out who's playing who.
(48:09):
TLDR breaks it all down so you actually know what the Hell's
going on. Plus, it's funny.
Like actually funny. It's like reading a group chat
between smart CS fans who roast everything insight but still
care deeply about the game. So if your brain's full but your
heart still beats for Counter Strike, do yourself a favour,
sign up for the TLDR newsletter.It's free, fast, and guaranteed
(48:29):
to make you smarter, or at leastsound smarter in Twitch chat.
Check out the link down below and subscribe, because the only
thing more tragic than missing amajor upset is not even knowing
it happened. TLDR you don't have time to read
everything you still want to sound like you did.
OK so 3 two teams. We're going to start with the
(48:51):
ones that went through first. That's passion UA.
This is the best version of themwe've seen I think.
I know I saw Thorin tweet about how JT is being under
appreciated as caller. I think that's a very fair and
true point. Always has been.
He's just had to deal with a lotof shit players, particularly
players that just couldn't kill people that JT had flashed for
(49:15):
him. Fang, Yeah, Fang Grim, by the
way, Yeah, Fang's rubbish. Grim.
He's actually becoming a very, very good player now and like.
Yeah, I mean, this is this is this is Triumph Grim, right?
This is the Grim liquid thought they were getting. 1.18 rate in
(49:38):
is is really nice, but the player I actually wanted to
shout out that's not. Nick, surely?
Fucking believe I'm saying is Nick's.
Nick's doesn't look lost anymore, but he actually just
doesn't look lost anymore. He's just a, this is a little
guy and he, he's just like a yeah, he looks like just every
(50:00):
American teenager. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, he's just, he's just, he'snot, he's not that guy.
He's never going to be that guy.No, but he's he's probably were
of his of his face on the team now, so.
Considering him and she's at XI were brought in at the same time
(50:22):
and that guy's gone, probably probably is.
Yeah, she's XI was also really bad, but they both look shit at
that time. So, so yeah, I think yeah, it's.
Yeah, I mean. They deserve to go through like,
like, I don't, I don't really like this team.
I don't really think they're very exciting.
No, I. Don't care but they played good
(50:42):
CS they went through. I think Jade like you said JT is
under appreciated. The rest of the team I don't
forget Halzer get him on anotherteam but I just don't.
I don't really give a fuck on, sorry.
Just under Holzer, Do you remember when we used to say
that Holzer was like the budget brokey?
What the fuck is brokey to Holzer now?
Because he's nowhere fucking close anyway, Passion your way.
They're going to get banged out in stage 3.
(51:06):
Let's move on Liquid. What a fucking messy Team Liquid
are. They are so sloppy.
They're so horrible to watch. Play Counter Strike.
Their final round in the game against Tyloo yesterday, there's
there's only Finna. They're they're in banana,
there's 16 seconds 3B free and they just go, oh, we're going to
(51:30):
go away and there's two players.It might be the freebie 4
honestly, but there's two players on a they've run into
the site and ultimate just has been good.
This stage just gets to otherwise they fully fully from
the game. Outrageous.
No, he shouldn't have got one like like I tweeted about this
because I just said I think I said something like there's no
(51:53):
way that's like the run they would like how they win it or
whatever. And just it's just because it
works doesn't change the fact that it was an absolutely
fucking atrocious idea it. Was also only worked because
which Tyler player was it? I can't.
Probably a Tyler player. It was probably attacker.
No, it was even worse. They tried to throw a grenade
off the default box and it just got stuck in the box because
(52:16):
they threw it like on the run side if you bounce, if you
bounce back it fucks with their entire push and they never get
the. Bottle.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
That that is like equivalent to the history round against phase
when like, you know, if he just drops the smoke, he gets the you
know, the they they absolutely thrust A charless, which is
(52:37):
which is better and more what we're expecting to see from this
liquid probably. But there's a very real world
where they win in that charless game.
Yeah, so this is this is the last thing I want to say about
Liquid, right? I fucking hate them.
And I don't hate them because I hate them.
(52:59):
I hate them because they might just shoot their way to
playoffs. They will not do it through good
counter strike. They are not a good counter
strike team, but they might justshoot their way into playoffs
and that will really piss me off.
Yeah, I mean, Elise had some some games to be fair.
(53:21):
And I think he just, he's capable of doing that right.
He is bold though. An American, so I'm going to
stop saying nice things about him.
Yeah, two things I don't like. I do think Ultima has been very
good. There's a treat from treat.
There is a treat as well. Always a treat.
(53:42):
There's a tweet from Striker here.
So this is the ultimate that I keep hoping we see more of more
often because he clearly has it.Not just often, which is true.
There's that classic round, I think it was a cattle column
where he's out bent for Mirage and just just shits his pants
and just throws the round. The one with sponge screams.
(54:03):
So what are you doing? Just fair enough.
But also like he obviously just does have the source sometimes
to be pretty good. So bit of consistency from him,
liquid, probably a little bit more exciting, but just don't,
just don't care. No, really.
(54:26):
And finally three DMX. I'm honestly surprised it took
them so long to make it through.The upset fanatic was was poor.
Yeah, they're just not bad, are they?
They're not great, but they're just not all bad in any sense of
the word. They're no worse with gravity or
(54:49):
Jelly, and they could honestly make playoffs like I just.
The thing is with 3D Max is I don't even dislike the way they
play. I like watching Mac and play.
I think, I think Thorin made a really good tweet and he said
there was CS GO team playing CS2.
And I think that's such a perfect analogy because they
play in this very French, sort of like prime French CS days of
(55:13):
like pretty structured, a lot ofkind of spawn calls, a lot of
set pieces I'm going to make. I could make a football
comparison, but I don't know nothing about it.
But I'm sure you can, Sir. It's nice to have a a noticeable
style to to your team. I think that's always cool.
(55:37):
It's you know, like art art Furia had a style or or they had
a a look, should we say right, That's nice.
The issue is that styles in MMA,they say styles make fights and
also in NCS, right, styles can affect games, right?
If they might beat all the teamsin the playoffs bar one because
(55:59):
of a style match of if you get the team of the on, you make
less of a run right. So they're a fun team, they're a
good team. I'm upset that a bit Nip, but my
pick comes for fucked because MAT lost.
So I don't, you know, not reallycaring that much, do you know?
What the problem? Is and I think it's also
testament that Snappy says they're the best team they've
faced so far. I think that's valid.
(56:20):
Is the problem that they're French?
Is that we're? Going to say it is that they're
French. Yeah, All right.
Three one teams, three one teams.
We aren't going to talk about these that much because like.
It's the power mission, Jame major #2.
OK, look, they should have lost a nip held on despite a limited
experience. Honestly, like that's just a
(56:42):
testament to Jame. It is just a testament to Jame.
He held his nerve in a clutch and his system just he's good at
preventing fuck ups. He just is.
I don't like certain parts of it.
I don't like the hill by fuckingRd. armour 57 and say 3 and half
grand when the rest of his teamshave M fours and concede the
round just to buy an open the next round and die first like.
(57:04):
That did happen multiple times by the way, where he would just
go for an opening, pick the nextround and die.
Awesome. He wouldn't even, sometimes he
wouldn't even go for the openingpick.
You'd just get walked up, up up on him, fucking die.
Like, I'm not overly big on that.
I'm not too big on that. But I just, it's hard to
criticize Jame, isn't it? I don't like him.
Well, it's good. He's fucking.
(57:26):
Good. I don't dislike him again it's
like you can dislike the system,but it clearly works right.
That's different to doing what liquid did, which is the wrong
thing and it working James does James system eliminates doing
wrong things generally. Do you know what I?
(57:48):
Mean. And it's why like why they're
getting Roy so close because generally like the T sides are
they kind of let you do what youwant on Teeside because they
know the Teeside will just suffocate you and impose our
will. Should we say?
Do you know what I mean? That's kind of the premise.
It's another style of CS, which I think is interesting to have
(58:12):
Imperial. They like the reverse fly quest.
I just don't really understand how they went through it.
Well, they look absolutely Pooh in the Stage 1 and then they
look pretty good. I mean, OK, they actually didn't
really beat that many good teams, but they played pretty
(58:36):
well. I'm happy.
For them, I'm not going to criticize them.
I'm happy for them. I like, yeah, we were saying it
last week. I like Vinny.
I like Zach. Hello.
Yeah. I try great, I'm just I'm just a
little confused like. That's enough said about them,
honestly. Jim is just.
Actually, actually good though. Bait.
(58:59):
It's bait. Bait.
It's. Quite good, yeah.
They always look so sad and confused when they're playing.
They all look really upset at everything that happens.
They just have this horrible, all the players have this
horrible expression. It's just like like they're just
being hurt. But they're legit really good.
They're a really good team. Kansas always the truth that you
just need a haircut. Hat trick has been pretty decent
(59:24):
Nipple is is is fine. They're a fun team.
They're they're a fun team. Yeah, I've I've I've.
Can't really criticize them. Good players.
They they are, and they win games pretty suitably, I would
say. Yeah, but that's that's kind of
it. They're just good.
It's just, yeah, fair, fair Fox.They they do just improve at
(59:48):
these events every time they play at them.
The three O teams, then Navi. Everyone had that in the pickams
I think. Yeah, I just, there's not much
to say about Navi honestly, because it's just like, well
done, you did. What you were meant to do.
What you were meant to do, I mean.
Something the Casa said a few times.
(01:00:09):
Was there a Stage 3 team? They're in Stage 2 and I think
that's very accurate, to be fair.
Wonderful has played phenomenally, by the way.
Which is very reassuring. That is the one thing worth
saying. It's reassuring.
It's also. Oh well.
I'm going to say uncharacteristic because he's
kind of been an issue at times. He's played phenomenally.
(01:00:33):
He's looked untouchable. He's looks so confident in his
fights. He's hitting shots he shouldn't
hit and this and the shots he should hit, he always hits them.
So he's playing excellently. My cars.
He's also just just just good and they seem happier and
Smilier, which is a promising sign because this team has
looked miserable the last all ofthis season.
(01:00:57):
Honestly hope it continues. I can see the making playoffs.
Yeah, I think, I think the expectation should be playoffs
now, honestly. They've got a horrible opening
game, like we said, like they'vegot fuel Wish yeah, won't wish
Fury on my worst enemy, but like.
But I will say it was wonderful like this.
(01:01:19):
You've got you've got a big rockto sling at Goliath.
You can pitch, you've got you'vegot wonderful who's really good
at shutting down offers, going up against Molladoy who actively
looks to shut down offers. It's kind of a fun, fun fight,
right? It, yeah, it's something to keep
an eye on. But let's talk about phase,
though. Now, I've got another point
(01:01:43):
about the major format. The presence of best of ones as
long as the two team, as long asthe A-Team faces the right
teams, means that a team can go through those best of ones
playing just one map. And that's what phased it.
(01:02:03):
They played just two twice. And I don't, I don't really
think that's good, to be honest.Where are we challenging the
team's map pool to find the bestof the best here?
Like, I don't. I don't like that they got.
I don't. Know if did.
I'm not sure if you said this orsome of the cast has said it.
Honestly, it's all been a bit ofa blur, but Dust 2 is probably a
(01:02:25):
comfortable pick for both teams because it's generally a very
5050 map. Most protocol that said that.
Yeah, most tier one CS players. I've heard a lot of those too.
You know it's dog shit and congest in ABO one.
It's like the most neutral map where there's not a lot of
(01:02:47):
strategy really. It's pretty solved.
Everyone plays kind of the same way, so it's a pretty safe pick
for everyone. Like it's kind of like we're
playing AB1, Gentleman's agreement.
We'll play on the very fair map,you know what I mean?
Yeah. I mean, I disagree with your
point that there's not a lot of strategy.
(01:03:08):
I think there is. It's just maybe.
Nothing. No, but nothing new is what I
mean. Like no one's showing.
Everything kind of linear compared to.
Yeah, but but I mean, but I meanthere's there's a from long, A
from short, B from tunnels, B from mid.
It's cut there. That's kind of four finishes to
every round, should we say? Right.
It's like a let's say J OS so much, but that's one finish.
(01:03:31):
Yeah, I just. Rubbish.
Yeah, Will's worst spear, which is how most long, long executes
look actually just really floppyand limp.
But yeah, they also should have lost an IP.
They should have lost an IP. Yeah, yeah, which is I mean
(01:03:52):
phase are a loved one, right Like the same is true for Liquid
where they could just go to playoffs now and.
It I just think that would be bad for them.
And it and it wouldn't surprise me.
And yeah it would be bad for them because like they've made
it through the stage of Jacob having a pop off game, Jacob
(01:04:12):
having one decent map in the BO3, and Brokie having a good
game. These are not things you can
rely upon. So honestly they could go like
O33O32. Don't see them being a free one
team but I'd put money on them being one of those free records
(01:04:35):
if I was guaranteed to turn a profit.
That's like the most non committal thing ever.
But yeah, sure, they'll either win or they'll lose.
That's my. No, no.
But what I'm saying is, is they'll either blast through the
next stage, fucking crash out ofit, or they'll like scrape
themselves through. Yeah, yeah.
(01:04:56):
The issue the issue is. Is who's their Who's their
opening game? Charlie Faves will be going O
free in the next stage. Congratulations, Carrigan, on
your retirement. You've had a fantastic career
and that's all we're going to say about phase.
(01:05:22):
Yeah, should we? Do with the simulator now
should. We do some simulating.
Not the Pickles back anymore because no one checked that one
coin. Thank you Val for ruining
everything right anyway. So it begins with Fury versus
Navi. Let's not fuck about Jack.
(01:05:43):
No Fury, yeah. Fury vitality phase, let's not
fuck about vitality Falcons B8. Three months ago I would have
said B8, but Falcons should really just win that Mongols
(01:06:03):
imperial. I'm a bit scared to say the
Mongols. Yeah, me too.
I think this might be one of those funny games that's not
actually that all that good, so I'm going to say Imperial for
this one. Yeah, yeah, let's whack an
Imperial for that one. Mouse power efficient.
(01:06:30):
I would say mouse are a slow starting team sometimes.
Let's whack in paravision. Fuck it.
I like this honestly it's a matter if we're right anymore
because I can't get diamond so. Yeah, don't give up.
Let's. Just let's just lie.
You know, I could also see Navi beating Fury, but we're not
doing that. Fury are going to not drop a
(01:06:55):
map. At all?
Come on. Ever again.
Spirit of beating liquid not fucking about there don't.
Have faith on that one. G2 will beat Passion UA and 3D
Max will beat cane Gaming. The French guys are beating the
pan, the bread. Fury Are we going to beat 3D Max
Vitality Paravision Falcons? Will be here.
(01:07:21):
Spirit will beat you too becauseit means we get really fun games
in the two O. That's why I'm going for it.
OK, fine, fine. I kind of want to say G2 win it,
but fine if you say so. Do you haven't really been good
since London? Yeah.
(01:07:44):
All right. A.
Little bit. Mongols, passion your way.
I would be very upset if the Mongols didn't manage to win
that one. Yeah, I'm going to give that one
to the Mongols. Mouse versus liquid mouse.
Sorry mouse. Yeah, I don't think Liquid to
get started in that game. I think bait will be pain.
I think so also. Yeah, Navi phase Navi, Navi.
(01:08:11):
OK, furious. Your spirit, wonderful Bush
brokey, by the way, that that's coffee, baby.
Hydrogen bomb, you know exactly.Furious Spirit.
It's furious, furious, furious go for you.
Vitality Falcons. Falcons.
(01:08:36):
Yeah, yeah, I'm done with that. Yeah, I'm not confident on that,
but I'm down with that mouse beat Imperial Paravision, beat
the Mongols. Fire.
G23D Max data 5050G. 2. Yeah fine Navi bit Navi.
(01:09:02):
Yeah, Phase beat Passion UA in ain a BO3O2 game.
I thought you said they're goingO3 mate.
Yeah, but now I've seen they're playing fucking Passion UA and
Passion UA are going go free. Liquid pain.
My God. Yeah.
Liquid, liquid Yeah. Vitality BG2.
(01:09:26):
Correct Spirit, be much you don't believe, but I do.
I don't want to say Mouse beat Spirit, Charlie.
It's up to you. You decide.
Oh, he's sticking with Mouse. Rogue.
Navi versus Paravision. Yeah.
(01:09:48):
Yeah, I'm OK with Navi beating Paravision.
Yeah, yeah. Liquid beat imperial I think.
You'd fucking hope so. They beat the Mongols.
I'm going to say yeah, bait beatMongols.
Get baited. There's a world where with 3D
(01:10:09):
Max, get it done, you know. 3D Max beat face.
Oh yeah, I'm going, I'm going. 3D Max beat face.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shot that one over Charlie.
Just just on on the X beat Y Nipnearly beat face and 3D Max
trounced Nip so therefore bomb them bigger fish, yeah.
(01:10:34):
Spirit beat 3D Max. Yeah, sorry guys.
Oh my God, Jane might be going to the playoffs.
I. Think he is?
I don't think liquid, I think they're so sloppy they don't
have it in them to beat paravision.
No ultimate. It's going to just like go back
to caveman brain and Jane's going to like shine his holy
light on him and make his brain explode.
(01:10:56):
I think Bait might be going to playoffs as well.
And I'm happy with that, honestly.
Yeah. So our playoffs teams are
furious. Falcons photology, Navi Mouse.
Nothing crazy there. That's fine.
And then power, vision, spirit, bait.
(01:11:22):
I really don't dislike that. I mean I think we dislike the
last one we did and it turned out fucking shit, but I really
don't dislike that. This might be one of the majors
of all time. This might be one of the majors
of all time, and I think that's the perfect, perfect thing to
end it on, Jack. Yes, it is.
(01:11:43):
We'll be back next week. There might be a third person
here. There might not be.
Maybe no one will be here. You'll have a podcast by
yourself, dear viewer. I'm going to think about a rope
tied to the ceiling and me dangling from it.
Like a rope swing. Like a zip line?
(01:12:06):
Yes, like a rope swing or a zip line.
Fabulous. Yes, I've been Sam.
I have a Twitter. He's been Jack.
He also has a Twitter. Follow us.
Charlie has been here. He made a suggestion he will do
something. Good.
James will make a thumbnail. Do you have anything to plug
(01:12:27):
this week, Sam? No.
OK.
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