“is EliGE good enough to be a d*ckhead”, FaZe bench rain after 10 years, and nocries to Liquid?

Jack, Elliott, and Sam are back with another episode of Overtime on Inferno! This week, the boys kick things off with the (surprisingly serious) Counter-Strike guessing game, “Who Am I?” — but it’s not all fun and games. Things heat up when a certain French journalist shares a spicy take on rain’s benching at FaZe.

🎙️ Plus, we cover:

• EliGE’s move to Liquid

• The FaZe and rain drama

• Our takes of the week

• ESL Pro League Stage 1 recap

💬 Join the discussion: Discord
📨 Get Logan’s CS newsletter: The Strat Book
🧠 Become a CS demon: learncs.gg
🔗 Subscribe & more: readtldr.gg/podcast

📌 Follow the crew:
🐦 Jack (AN1MO)
🐦 Elliott (novaH)
🎨 Thumbnail by James Serpa

Interested in advertising? Reach out: crew[at]readtldr.com

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:58 – Liquid sign EliGE
21:00 – FaZe bench rain?
27:50 – rain to Bc.game
31:36 – Take of the Week
38:08 – Who Am I?
50:29 – Taken of the Week
59:50 – ESL Pro League Stage 1 Review
01:15:45 – Outro

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Guys, guys, guys, guys, imagine,right?
The TLDR newsletter, except it'sshit and boring.
Well, you don't need to imagine anymore because HIT newsletter
is here and I, I, I think it is to the TLDR newsletter what vRS
is to the RMRS. Thoughts.

(00:23):
I say it's it's, it's vegan bacon to real bacon.
Yeah, faken to bacon. Yeah.
Did you sign up I. Couldn't agree.
I was so. Ready.
Out of interest, did you sign upfor it?
No, I didn't have emails. So I I kind of just want to see
how shit it will be. I obviously won't.

(00:44):
It won't be that bad. It's just, you know.
It won't be fun and nice. Well, no, yeah, that's the thing
it. Won't be fun and cool and sexy.
It's not going to be shit, but like I do wonder if they are
actually going to, you know, change their tone for it
slightly. You would.
Yeah, I I feel like Hotv, this shouldn't change their tone.

(01:08):
It's like when it's like when Sky Sports have KSI on, it's
like, yeah, this is just. Well, they let you fucking write
for them. That's what I say.
Sky Sports didn't. No, you're.
Wasting KSI for sure. I'm leaving you're.
The host this is, I don't know, side men Tinder anyway.

(01:30):
You do, you do the show. All right, well.
My headline's bad, but it's not KSI bad.
Back to my old job then. Yeah.
What? What did I put in the outline?
What's happened? Tell.
Us shit, Ellie, you've thrown meoff me, right?
All right, fine. Intro Charlie.

(01:58):
The year is something like 2015 probably.
Are you with me? Liquid of signed a Liege.
This guy's going to be any good?I've never heard of him.
Lovely, had to hear that. Aren't you I?
Wouldn't. Call.
It lovely, but I was also going to highlight that.

(02:20):
Yeah, well, that's kind of what made me think of it.
Like they've used a picture of him with hair that that's at
least. This is bold erasia.
That's that's older like that picture is older than CS2.
Wait, hang on, there's nothing wrong with bold.
Erasia Jack can't respect bold people.
What about Zen It in Zidan? Joe Rogan.

(02:40):
French. I'm not going into that one, OK.
Joe, Joe Rogan is literally us, but Charlie is currently called
Jamie. Pull that out for me, which is a
direct reference to the Joe Rogan podcast.
Yeah, it's. Not podcast, it's an experience.
He's a bit of a nick though. Anyway, enough about Eliege.

(03:05):
Let's move on though. Yeah, So Liquid have resigned
Eliege, which is potentially themost boring move I've ever seen
like Twist going back to phase and then a Liege going back to
Liquid. Neither team has actually
improved in the last year that exactly where they were before
obviously phase now of Jacob forBrain which.

(03:27):
I disagree with that. I think Liquid have been on an
upward trajectory as of late. Yeah.
And I think it's like, I think these moves are boring.
I agree. But they are like they make a
lot of sense when you've taken into account that twisted
replacing rain. But roll wise it's replacing on
these, right and these just taking up like the aggressive

(03:49):
rifling spots, which is what liquid have lasted.
They've just been the most Pussycat team for a while.
Well that's the thing isn't it? Like phase?
Phase never actually replaced Twist.
They signed a rocks replacement a year before they lost rocks
and then liquid. They had their elite

(04:11):
replacement, but then they murdered him brutally.
Rain wakers. Oh, I mean, I was going to say
you kinda was technically the elite replacement as it ended up
being, but you know, they murdered him.
He slightly committed suicide during that murdering.
Kind of a weird murder suicide thing we got going on and

(04:36):
eventually it's just brought himback to the Liege and it because
he is actually just really fucking good at what he does.
Might be a knob head, but he's good at what he does.
We spoke about this before and and I have the same opinion that
like he's very very good but is he good enough to justify being
a bitch and ruining teams? And nothing against them like
personally, but I just. Against female dogs.

(04:59):
No. Yeah, great.
I love, I love dogs. It's just being too interesting.
Yeah. I.
Know. Anyway, love bitches, love
Elise. But yeah, does he really need to
have such a stink, you know? OK, OK.

(05:19):
Are. You pretty kidding me, man,
because, like, you got shot for a smoke and then you don't, you
know, you know, Pom No, but like, not, you know, dramatized.
But it's a bit much. OK.
But like on phase where they hadrain I'd say no, but on liquid
where they don't have a player that can do what a Liege does.

(05:39):
Not press W. Yeah, and if you look at other
players that they maybe could have got to do that, Yeah, he
probably is good enough to be a cunt.
Do you think how how long until Allegias are gelling on Team

(06:01):
Liquid? Oh, for God's sake.
No, no, I don't think so. I don't think.
That's not that's not for God's sake at you.
It's a for God's sake at Yeah, Iknow it's going.
To happen. I don't think Elise will become
Nigel. Everyone becomes an IGL
eventually. You either die or live long
enough to see yourself become a rifling IGL.
He can't frag. Charlotte fall at one time.

(06:23):
Dupree didn't do it. He died too early.
Rest in peace, he's still good, he'd still improve.
Australis now the winningest. I'm not sure that's true.
He. Definitely wouldn't.
He was bums. Yeah, he was.
I love Dupree. He was.
He was a bit pooed towards. Yeah, I mean, I don't really

(06:43):
believe it. It's just, oh, it's the bit,
isn't it? I don't know.
Yeah, I obviously dupreed him, but like, I don't know, I feel
like Alish thinks of himself andhe that that's going to sound
really harsh. Elite is like an intelligent
guy. Like he does think about the
game. You can tell when he like talks
about the game outside of the server.
Like I think he does think aboutthe game.
Martest American player ever without and that's not not

(07:07):
saying American is stupid, but Ithink like if you see the way he
talks about things, if you get him in an environment where he's
not playing the game, his knowledge level is like like
rocks level. I think like just just insane
sort of micro are. You saying American player or
North American player? North American.

(07:27):
OK, the continent. I yeah, I wasn't going to argue.
I just wondered. I see.
But I think there is AI think that's kind of an unimportant
distinction. It's like, Oh yeah, outside the
server, he's really clever. It's like, I think actually the
opposite would be better. And I think for the opposite,
you're looking at somebody like Stewie 2K who is like invariably

(07:47):
an idiot outside of the server, but inside of the server.
Like his instincts are amazing. I'd rather go he's intelligent.
Like he's like Wayne Rooney. Like Wayne Rooney is a complete
moron but like he's one of the smartest footballers.
Tarik also, I'm probably not into a major.
Yeah, but like Stewie was like his like Lieutenant, wasn't he

(08:08):
like. His goebbles.
But it definitely was not what Iwas going to say.
I couldn't remember how to pronounce Lieutenant.
It's just not. It's really thrown me off.
I think was essentially calling.It's fun to call Tariq the IDL,
but I think Stuart. Sorry, can I, can I just most of

(08:29):
it? Can I just?
Do you want to wreck on? That just yeah, just real quick,
Stewie, mate, you're not watching this.
But if you are sorry for comparing you to Joseph
Goebbels, you're not. I mean, it's a man.
Who he is in this this equation right?
Yeah, I'm just saying American CS players, they don't know who

(08:50):
who the people are anyway. They they don't learn that shit
so it's OK. Yeah, Oh yeah, true.
These are super smart players we're talking about.
Don't know who Girl says yeah. Moving on, on the.
Fuck moving off on this really important conversation about
Elise. Speaking of Hitler, actually

(09:10):
there is one more thing that we've got in our notes about
this, which is that liquid have drops out of frag and there's
some like vRS fuckery going on. Well, just.
Just the issue is that they're citing illness, not the fact
they just they don't need to go to the event and go vRS points
anymore. Wait.
If I can do this podcast with this cold then.

(09:31):
The team cited health issues affecting one of their players,
the impact on their ranking and with their practice.
OK, so they were specific, but yeah, I just, but they started
playing the event, right? Like they they were there, they
played their opening rounds and they were like, look at that.
We've had enough. No, no, they they might.
I don't know when frag begins because they might, but.

(09:54):
When coverage begins, either, yeah.
Because the frag coverage was only starting at the top 24 and
it's 48 team event. But but so this is the point of
this story right is that they dropped out and in the initial
announcement report whatever forthem dropping out, HLTV said

(10:15):
what their coverage would be, which was the top 24 to which
Mesioso, the the guardian of vRSor whatever the fuck you want to
call him caretaker of vRS because no one else can be
bothered to point out all these fucking issues in the shit
fucking system. Pointed out that actually HLTV

(10:36):
starting coverage in the top 24 was a pretty bad thing because
it meant that it was beneficial for teams to lose an unranked
game in the group stage so that they were in the lower bracket
for the playoffs because they'd get an extra game and therefore
extra vRS points. These issues like how?

(10:57):
Do we get here? I'm sure someone's throwing a
deep dive on this, but like, again, this is not I don't want
to mention the view for this Valve is the issue, but don't
don't invoke a system and then outsource the operations of the
system to a third party who havelimited manpower, limited

(11:18):
coverage capabilities, right? Like these things will happen.
Like, I don't think you should cover every stage of if I get
healthier, but when it in when every stage of that does impact,
you know, the major standings, which is, you know, vRS quality
and all that bullshit. It's it's it's a shame really.
And and teams will lose out. And the fact that there's an

(11:39):
obvious loophole, like you mentioned there, Sam, that you
can lose to get an extra game. That's that's a joke.
It's it's a really bad joke. Yeah, quite frankly, I don't
think I should be forced to careabout frag Adelphia at all.
Unless nipper there no I which Ibelieve they.
Are, but that would be my choice, so I shouldn't have to

(11:59):
care about the rules of frag adelphia.
But this is also the issue with well, that's not the no, but
that's not even the frag rules. This is HWV coverage
restrictions, right? Yeah, you can't, you know, you
can't coverage coverage. You can't cover ABYOC LAN until
it gets to relevant games. If it's a fucking 500, you know,
500 team group, maybe it's a bitexcessive, but like a 200 team
group or whatever. I I don't think me and my mates

(12:23):
going to a LAN should get an HLVpage for it realistically.
Well, no, and this is. I think I specifically should.
Yeah, but for. Reasons outside of the server,
but cultural impact and such. But this is the issue, isn't it?
Like so frag 48 teams and a couple of of the events that
have been mentioned. I know Birch Cook was mentioned
fucking Lander land and what's the other one?

(12:45):
Draki land? We're all we're all mentioned as
like HLTV only covered the the top 16 teams, which they're now
doing for Frag, which gets rid of the competitive integrity
concern. But it's like 1.

(13:06):
It's not HLT VS fault for not realizing that there was a
concern because as you say they have limited manpower and all
that. But again, like why is all of
the data, all of the things thatholds up the vRS system just
being entrusted to a website with fucking limited manpower
instead of the people that forcethis system onto us all?

(13:28):
Why didn't Valve hire? I don't even know how many
people you'd need, but like, whydidn't they hire?
A million multi billion dollar company as well.
Yeah, why don't up for cash? Why don't they hire let's say 10
people and it's like, OK, you are now going to handle all of
this data Because then at that point maybe you could even do
full coverage. Because when it's HLTV, right,

(13:50):
they can't do full coverage of frag with fucking no name
dickheads who have just like cobbled the money together to
fucking take part with them withfriends who maybe live in
Philadelphia and then get HSTV pages or whatever.
You you can't do that of a 48 team event and then not do it
for fucking Epic LAN, which might have, I don't know, 200

(14:13):
teams. I really don't know how many
people sign up to an epic LAN. But like you can't do that
because at that point you're getting like completely unequal
coverage of the event. Some teams are getting things
that they shouldn't get. So you can you can do what they
might be doing now and make it so every team is, every event is

(14:33):
16 teams. And maybe that's better in the
long run, but also. But then every event is the
exact same format, the exact same, you know, teams will end
up there and we're back at wherewe started, which is why
everyone was like, oh, bring in vRS.
Well, exactly. So that that's the issue then
what happens when one of these tournaments that gets covered to
the top 16 team has the same competitive integrity issue as

(14:56):
this frag did for its top 24? Like the driver has to be all of
the data for every game played at one of these tournaments is
handled by Valve, or there has to be from Valve some form of
like format restrictions to prevent these kind of things

(15:20):
from happening. I think there's also got to be
some sort of consequence to it, right?
Like I know in the ESL rule book, if you if you withdraw
from an event like within the window, whatever it is, you do
not get invite to the next IEM, for example, right, which has
happened when there was the debacle with Chengdu invites and

(15:42):
stuff. There was a grace period.
But if you withdraw withdrew after that, you wouldn't be able
to go to Cracko. And I'll see Cracko is a masters
in a bigger event, you know, on the calendar, right?
But when it is like frag, like if people are only using frag as
a as a launch badge, so we say alittle vRS farm to get to the
major, they're not going to givea fuck if they don't get if

(16:02):
they're not allowed to play it, whatever the next frag is.
Do you know what I mean? So what is the consequence?
Because, you know, it's also it also, I think, you know, Frag
aren't a big company that they probably lose money, right,
doing these things. A big team like Liquid, if
you're a young NA player, Oh yeah, I'm not going to play
against some of my favorite players and maybe meet him.
That that could honestly be a reason people people sign up for

(16:23):
the event. You know what?
I mean, or even buy. Accurately, Yeah, absolutely
right. And then they're not going like
like it. It it just seems like liquid is
like liquid in this example. Like they they they get off
Scott free and like everyone else loses out.
The problem, the problem with this system, though, the further

(16:44):
if we go on, it's just like it just feels like the the closer
and closer we get to really dangerous territories.
I mean like even even without looking at all the fucking match
fixing and all the cheating and all the vRS bullshit that's
going on in Tier 2 EU, because like just look at some of the
teams fanatic have lost here recently and how much that
affected their vRS, which is a load of horseshit.

(17:07):
But you know, it's like you say,they're like what what
punishments can eventually be effective, but also what
punishments can be enforced because.
Well, look at what fortunate as well though, right?
That's that's the other issue. Well, yeah, but if if you go

(17:27):
back to before the vRS system, the whole Brovid incident,
everyone knew that Bro wasn't fucking I'll.
But you know, Blast couldn't dispute it, so how would?
It it's kind of the similar is when config joined nip right?
Like it was like. Keep us going, injured.
Or maybe it's maybe it's porocato.

(17:48):
That's good. But do you know what I mean?
Like, Oh yeah, they've got emergency sub, but which is also
like why things should be more publicized, I think, right.
Like I'm not saying whatever needs to know Hamper's reasons
but like really like emergency sub because you've just configs
are standing on a 2 year contract.
Yeah, yeah. Where is it?
Do you? Know what I mean?
It's the same here. We've cited health issues

(18:10):
affecting one of their players. Has he got a cold?
Does he even have that? Yeah, fucking Boo Hoo at the end
of the day, like you're a professional, right?
Like jumps. The fucking Rocker would do it.
If the vRS points to the tournament mattered, they he
would. He would play with the cold,
he'd play with whatever. Illness he's got, of course he.
Would so that's why I don't think it's valid.
I've been up since 4:00 this morning.

(18:32):
If we talk any more about VRSI might genuinely fall asleep in
this chair. Before we move on, I just have
one question. What is the most tin pot
tournament name you've heard that actually counts of vRS?
Because I think Birch Carp has to be up there.
Yeah, I think it has to be Birch.
Carp Extort Exort. The proving grounds.
For, Oh yeah, exort the proving grounds.
There's a load of nonsense as well, but Birch cup for fuck's

(18:53):
sake. Birch cup is is seriously.
It sounds like a Minecraft PvP server.
Yeah, I I was going to say it sounds like, you know, when you
play Mario Kart and single player and it's like an easy
mode. This is the Birch Cup.
That's good. Have you?
Found a nine mode it really. Was easy mode.
Just before you go off the BirchCup, go onto the players stats

(19:14):
at Birch Cup. I know you've clicked on to
Nurse's profile already, but like.
Yeah, I mean, look at this tin pot.
Yeah, I just wanted. To I have to say I love seeing
Fafin up there. I I'm a big faff and fan.
He's been massively off the boilfor.
A number one. Ever.
No, no, no. Before Big, he was saucy, and

(19:36):
Big just ruined him. And then he had all these health
issues. No, no, no.
There's a reason Big spent a lotof money on him.
He was like, genuinely good on Sprout.
I know it's Sprout. I just felt like that Johnny's
beads are the highest rated team, but they're out.
I'd also like to point out Crassnow wasn't Crass now rubbish.
He was really good at the start of CS2 and then he's been.
Robbed. I think he's like, isn't he like

(19:57):
the star player of nine, though?I think it's nine.
It might be. No, no, he's X.
In a circle? Oh.
He's X in a circle. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 9 is.
Exactly. Quite good, yeah.
Yeah, Favens on. 9's a crazy team because that's that's where
Fuzzy was before they recalled him back to wild card.
Yeah, and it's MODO, isn't it? Yeah.
So I I had to research them recently.

(20:19):
And like. I was like I just the only way
this team is even remotely good is if Favon is like back at his
like peak level. Anyway, the reason that I got
Charlie to get up the stats is mainly just just a circle back
and close off the leash finger and why it's actually good.
He's already made nuts better. Nuts better will be by far the

(20:42):
best player on liquid and yeah, probably also one of the best
players in the world again. So and that makes it worth it
alone. I mean, yeah, like and slash
heroic. No, it's was.
Oh yeah, he was a demon. Absolutely.
Yeah. So.
All right, anyway, let's move onbecause we're already 20 minutes

(21:04):
in and and once again we're talking about fucking liquid.
Let's move on to phase. Obviously.
That's where Twist went, and we weren't sure exactly who was
leaving. There were rumors it was either
Rain or Carrigan or Jacob, but that seemed unlikely because
they just signed him. We now have confirmation that
it's Rain who's been there for like 10 years or some shit.
It's 10 years, right? Just it.

(21:26):
Will be 10 years in January, so nearly.
Just under 10 years. Even better.
Didn't even get his decade. Doesn't even get his testimonial
match. Tara, you get your company pen
and you're out the door. One of the things you've is
really nice though. Oh yeah, absolutely.
One of the things you've writtenin the thing was that he's
incredible how long he lasted, which it's kind of true, but

(21:50):
also I think it's also completely understandable in the
sense that they he's like, he doesn't rock the boat much.
I don't think it is though. Like think about the amount of
times like I know you know what fans say doesn't matter that
much, but think about the amounts of times over the years
where he's actually been pretty crap, where everyone's been

(22:11):
calling for his heads, whether it's fans or analysts or
whatever, where there was potentially players that they
could have picked up that they probably would have improved
with. And rain still went for that
long. But also like just beside that,
going that long in E sports anywhere, which freakish.
The only other one I can think of in counter Strike is Crim's.

(22:34):
And outside of counter Strike, Ihad a quick look around.
It's Faker because even even skumps time in Optic card has a
little gap in the middle where he fucked off to Envy for about
3 weeks before he realized he'd made a big mistake.
Yeah. So yeah, it's like what, 9-9

(22:55):
years, nine months in an organization in E sports or I
guess any sport really is just like that's that's incredible
itself. Do you remember the first phase
roster? Can we can I was trying to do
it. So it was Fox?
Yeah. Scream.

(23:16):
Mike Kalele. Mike Kalele, Yeah.
Dennis. No.
Dennis came later. Your mate.
AZ yeah, rain. Another Norwegian.
Urgent came. Yeah, what a fucking team.
Oh, it was on the screen. That makes it look much less
impressive that I got it. Never mind.

(23:36):
Yeah, I. Wouldn't want to use that.
It's fine. I don't.
I don't think I'd have had a hada clue to be honest.
I. Thought I was, well I that was.
That was the first team I reallylike watched.
Yeah, I was just just about watching them and when they
announced the team, I was like, wait, phase, Rain's playing CS
now. Like that was my first thought,
like like the call guy Rain. And then I realized I know

(23:59):
they're actually different people.
No. So I started watching when it
was rain. Keo, Alu.
Kerrigan, Niko. Crazy team.
I definitely watched Fox on Phase, yeah.
So. Must have been.
That would have been about the time I started watching.
Yeah. No, I can't remember what I was
going to say now. So talk about something.

(24:21):
Else you were going to say something about.
He's a long standing member. What was it?
What was I going to say, Sam? Something about Faker.
Oh, Faker reportedly turned downessentially a blank check to
play in NA as well. Whereas obviously the rain
situation is different where I don't think he had many suitors,
it was Faker stayed on SKT or not T1 as they are now by

(24:42):
choice. I think it was Liquid or maybe
TSM who reportedly basically gave him a blank cheque and said
choose your amount of money, come play for us.
And he decided to stay in Korea instead.
So even that's like a he he stayed on that team because he
because they win it because theywere winning.
Rain stayed on this team even when they were bad, which is,

(25:04):
you know, marginally different. You've also written, again, you
you wrote the show notes. I just read them out.
That as incredible it was, how long he lasted.
It's actually kind of a weird time to do it because he's been
good recently. Yeah, like after being terrible
while Elise was there, Elisha's gone and magically rain has

(25:26):
started killing people again. Yeah, the roll cells win again.
Fuck. Yeah, it.
Could be it could be a vibe cell, it could be Alicia's vibes
were ringing him down. And Ren seems like a vibes guy
actually. But I will say the, the good
news, I think a lot of people are respecting a retirement.
Ren's got 2 babies now, or I mean two children.

(25:47):
One of them is, I think it's still still considered a baby.
I think a lot of people are like, yeah, he's, you know, he's
made his millions. He's going to just relax and,
and father it up. But he said no.
So I'm not retiring and I'm I'm considering becoming an IGL.
I told you, I told you, you livelong.
You either die or you live long enough to see yourself switch to
IGL. It's almost like I knew this was

(26:09):
coming up. He'd probably be a very good IGL
actually. No, he wouldn't.
I'm not sure. Read Read The Anatomy of a Dead
Team and come back to me. I'm I'm really not sure I think
he'd be very good at all actually like.
Not on like like on a 9 or a spark don't exist anymore, but
like a Nord of it. I feel like Rain being a good,

(26:36):
good ideal is like what you think about fucking Carrigan
being a good coach. But I don't think Carrigan will
be a good coach. Well, exactly.
He's saying that that's what he thinks about rain.
No, but I think a player becoming an ideal is more
natural than every ideal. Become a coach, I think, is what

(26:58):
I'm trying to say. Yeah, the IGL coaching,
basically. If you've been, if you've been a
pro player for as long as Ryan has and he's, you know, spent
that long at the top level, you know, you could call a band of
monkeys together and probably win some rounds, I guess is what
I mean. Yeah, I, I.
Would I would like to sorry you go ahead.

(27:22):
That's all right. I was only feeling dead air.
Go for it. Oh, right.
Charlie was was clicking around then and I know people kind of
did focus a bit much on the IGL thing.
They've been talking about Ray and IG Elling Falcons which I'd
probably rather shoot myself than see.
Who? Who is saying that?

(27:42):
Loaded Dick heads on Twitter. Same.
Dick heads, definitely. Yeah, same Dick heads as normal,
but what about? BC Games, Rains Agent.
Not IGL. Yeah, BC games.
BC games. The obvious one, right?
Like not IG elling like he goes and just shoots people with
simple that sound quite. Fun undo or or prime taps.

(28:03):
Isn't prime taps aggro? Sassanito's a lurker, any?
Yeah. Realistically you can cut.
Don't want just cut anyone otherthan yes.
Cut any of them and it doesn't. Really the the key thing is that
Next has been really good. Well, next room must be RGL.
In sure, well he can stay sure who I don't I don't hate.

(28:24):
This team's opening Jules. Like actually.
It's probably simple. He's got noise.
Oh, I think it might be Andy. I think it might be Andy.
Yeah, see you later, mate. Oh, no, it could be Sassanito.
Yeah. Ben Yeah.
That's not happening. That's not entering.
And entering on the same thing. We know this.
Yeah. No, but rain would be an opener

(28:45):
on this team. Open is the stat that you need
to look at. Well, Andy's also pretty decent
on opening as well. Like he.
Yeah, he's also better than Sassanito, so fuck rain.
Fuck. Just get rid of Sasanisa, he's
absolute garbage. Yeah, shit name as well.
He's rubbish like. Are you one O 1 in Tier 2 bucket

(29:06):
in? Yeah.
And you've been, you've been a young apology, a young prospect.
And you're 24. But also like BC game, time to
move on. You know, because.
His teams. How was that?
You know, there's that general thing of like, fucking Jesus
Christ of players playing betterwhen their team's playing better

(29:27):
BC game. We've been winning stuff
recently and he's still that fucking bad.
Mega jeeks. Yeah, he's not right.
Davy, J. Can we fuck Charlie find out his
stats in that event? I need to know now.
Good. Times.
Yeah, Daddy's challenger stats up.
Let's see one point. They won it.

(29:49):
Can we can we see the entire team?
I just want to know if he was the worst.
Oh I know if nex are out frankedhim out rate it in.
God, that is like, what's the point man?
Give it up. Go to event.
Move on. Wow.
I mean simple obviously farm thethe season and that was it
really. And then click players mate.

(30:14):
Yeah, you can. Do it, Jamie.
Sorry. Emmy played a Mar.
Emmy played a Mar. He.
Stood in for prime taps and he was better than him.
There's a surprise. Oh, just.
He wasn't even third of it. He realistically he's second on
the team. Yeah, I like, I know the number

(30:35):
of maps, but that's hysterical that Emmy just had one series is
that isn't the player and did better than the rest of the
team. Here's a question though, if
Nexus getting the best out of simple, is he actually a good
idea? Is he better?
Than I don't think simple needs a good ideal though.
Was Nexa ever a bad ideal? Seriously.

(30:57):
He didn't want to do it, which Ithink is different, but he was
like kind of OK. Yeah, like I.
Don't think you need. I don't think you need to IGL
simple. I think you just need to make
sure he has an orb. I feel like Nexa never really
was. That's more a man.
Management. He just didn't win with Nico,
which, you know, not many peoplehave.
Yeah, well. Statistically, yes.

(31:19):
Yeah, statistically, winning with Nico is essentially
impossible. And for that, what a what a
next, next. Your time on G2 does not count.
You are forgiven. Should we move on to the take of
the week because it's at least vaguely relevant to this?
Jamie, if you can pull that up for us, take off the week back

(31:40):
in the room. It would be disgusting to not
let Rain have a last major with phase and the 10 years with the
org. This is from Nell Endirect,
don't care if I'm not pronouncing that right is
disgusting. The biggest overstatement you've
ever seen? I'm going to let it slide and
assume that it's a poor translation.

(32:02):
But yeah, every word in French means disgusting.
The whole language is, isn't it?Yeah, I, I don't want to jump
the gun on onto the the thread that we're going to look into a
little bit. But sentimentality, I guess is
the word doesn't really have a place in a competitive
environment. Yeah.

(32:23):
It's what keeps shit team shit sometimes.
What I mean? I mean, like, I kind of, I was
because of how long it was taking, I was kind of beginning
to get the thought that maybe they were just going to say to
Jacob, like, yeah, you can play the next one, mate.
We're just going to venture until January because Rain's
doing quite well at the moment. And then let the fucker leave.

(32:46):
Because like, The thing is like,Rain can't go anywhere until
after the major anyway, right? Because he'll be needed for the
major roster. Because Phase aren't going to
get their five maps in with twists.
Oh God, it's also. It's also tedious, isn't it?
Rain can't go anywhere. So I kind of felt like maybe

(33:08):
they'd just let him have it. But yeah, yeah.
Read out the tweets, Elliot. Read out the tweets.
Yeah, so Messioso then replies with.
Alternatively, that kind of sentiment is what holds teams
back for years. How many times did Olaf come
back when he probably shouldn't have?

(33:30):
How much of that potentially stunt phases growth capability
to acquire young talent now responds with I don't mind a
kick when it's the transfer window, it's part of the game.
But in the middle of the season weeks away from the major is not
classy is of that fucking matters.
So they should forfeit messios on the response with so they
should forfeit the opportunity to develop their team moving
forward due to being sentimental.

(33:50):
That bitch loser mentality. If they think Jacob is their
future he should play immediately.
The experience he gains playing this major and the events
leading up to it will be show more.
Oh sorry will be the foundation of their entire next season.
Yeah this is like the most one sided debate of all time.

(34:12):
They should keep him because he's been there a while versus
no. They should get rid of him
because he's rubbish and they have better.
But yes, obviously they should get rid of him.
Yeah. I mean, the elephant in the room
on phase is, you know, it's still on the team.
He's still stinking it up with his. .7 That's not a very nice
thing to say. His nose is not even that big.

(34:33):
No, but you know, round. Yeah, I mean, I know you've got
a carrot and hate boner, but he really hasn't been very good for
a while, has he? This is this is not no hate he
this is purely eye test and stats.
I'm actually being backed up by the news.
I test Andy. Yeah, it's.
He is actually a problem now. Yeah, I I can't.

(34:58):
I'm talking about Kerrigan's right now, right?
Yeah, fair enough. I.
Can't do a conversation about about Goebble.
So which was Carrigan? Yeah, I'll Freeman.
Never mind. We'll leave that one out.
Yeah, no, that's yeah. Yeah, it's me.
Yeah. I can't see him.
He's hiding in the. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no. Hoping not to be cut.

(35:18):
Arrogant will retire at the end of this year.
I've been saying that. Yeah, well, the. 3.
Years. No, I he.
Should have retired when they won the major.
Man like I've done it. Send them a high they.
Wouldn't have won the major without Mr. Raine, so he should
ask us. Carrigan, count your days.
I mean, they hadn't won Cologne at that point.

(35:39):
Maybe he should have retired. After yeah doing it Cologne then
it is like sort of his home country ish.
It's a nice end. That's what I'm.
Saying fine, Rich Carrigon. Instead of instead of dropping a
naughty .7 every event, let's just like go.
Out he did that Cologne as well,but he.

(36:00):
Just he. Just he.
Just he had rops and twists and Brokie was like happy or
something. Brokie's been nice to be back
anyway. But it's just the phase issues
run deeper. Like like rain was not good
before they cut Brokie and then Brookie came back and Red's been

(36:22):
OK actually since then. Like a leash was the issue
there, not brokie. No, it was but like I'm just.
Just saying that how I also choose to refer to bold people.
But. He's not even bold.
I don't care. He's I was just a volsal, but
he's he's a voluntary bold. Volvo, Volvo.

(36:48):
I think he just fix it every morning.
He's definitely not an American.American Psycho.
Modern Routine. It broke it.
No fucking Alicia. Oh OK, Alicia's kind of Bolt
broke it. When people call Brokey Bolt
they should annoy me. He's not even close to Bolt.
Isn't Nell also Bolt? He's laughing.
Charlie, is that what you're looking?
For I've already I've already ever seen him with a hat on so.

(37:11):
Yeah, sure. I think he might be.
I'm sure Harry got blocked by him in like 2019 because.
He just, I'm seeing a lot of bold people on his.
Feet. I was going to say that it's a
lot of bold people gifts I'm sure not to use bold.
People sorry, I thought that photo of Hemigod was the
rizzler. We need to move on.
I'm I'm. I'm.

(37:37):
If so, if he's the rizzler, who's his rebels?
We'll move on. We'll move on.
Well, response. Oh, that was the.
That was the. That was when I said heroic or a
top seven team in the world. Absolutely correct.

(37:59):
They're not anymore. No they are not.
They are fucking rubbish. We'll talk about them in a bit.
We will move on to what we've listed down as The Who am I
game. Yes, right.
So what it is, is I say who am I?
And then you remind me who I am.No, the premise.
The premise is each of us, you will see now we all have a
little, little little person's face on our heads.

(38:21):
Editor. Editor Charlie.
I always have a face on my head.And we don't know who it is with
some yes or no questions, we're going to try and figure out
who's who. It's Guess Who, but it's Counter
Strike and adjacent perhaps. Who wants to?
Who wants to go first? I'll say I'd say we'd go
clockwise, but I don't know whatorder we're going to be.
In I think Elliot should go first because me and Jack came

(38:42):
up with his one first all. Right.
I didn't tell myself who it is, but yes.
Can you tell me as well? He messaged me as well.
Well, we'll fake it for the cameras, but.
OK. Go on.
OK. That's wrong all.
Right. Have I won a major?

(39:02):
No. Have I even been to a major?
Yeah, Yeah. All right.
Am I an Auper? No, no.
Am I short? Yes, I would say you reasonably

(39:22):
short, yeah. Shorter than me, all right, but
I am me. What?
OK, bloody hell. Am I from North America?
No, no. Am I from Eastern Europe?
No, that narrows it down. Am I from Australia?

(39:46):
No. Good is my Is my rating in the
last six months above 1.0? No.
OK, should we should we add on the extra context there?
Jack that isn't 1. Yeah, because you don't play
anymore. OK, Am IA.
Coach No. No.

(40:10):
Am I from Scandinavia? No.
Daring me? Have I played in the last four
years? I don't think so, no.
No, my Lord, no you haven't. He's been around though.
I'll give you like a little help.

(40:32):
He's been relevant, just not playing.
Ask one more question and then if you don't have a guess, I'll
give you a clue. OK, OK.
In your face, like I'm a bit scared.
Yeah, I have no idea. But like, I can't just say am I
this person because he was wrong?
I was just completely insane. Go.
On I think you might. Am I XMS?

(40:55):
No. No, but I will say regionally
similar. Yeah, regionally similar.
Would you like to ask one more question because you got a clue
anyway. Am I bold or bolding?
Yeah, I'd say yeah. Balding.

(41:17):
He's on the Norwood chart. Yeah, but he's, you know, there
is hair up there. OK, I know because I asked if I
was an author We. Haven't really seen him in a
while, have we? So.
No, I'm not sure. No, you, you see, I thought it
was Chris J, but you said I'm not an author, so it can't be
here. It's also.
Not that regionally similar, butalso it's regionally.

(41:39):
It's regionally. Close enough.
Yeah, I mean, Chris J has been cancelled, right?
Yeah. They may say, say that
sentiment. Be cancelled.
Ever watching novels, everyone watching, You're obviously

(42:01):
seeing this on its face, so. Yeah, no, I'm, I'm truly
baffled. Bolding close.
To wait, wait, wait, wait. Ask us if you.
Would questions to. Us.
No, no, no. I can ask us if you would fight
him. Would I fight Am?
Am I? Would I fight him?

(42:22):
Would I fight him? Yes, you would fight.
But that doesn't narrow it down at all.
It could be. Anyone you you have once told us
specifically that you would fight this person.
Don't play dumb with me, you know who this is.
Well, I thought blame F, but yousaid he's not Scandinavian.

(42:43):
You would not fight Brent. Shut up.
You know, I'd lose, but I'd fight.
Let's let's let's just go back up.
So hang on, what's the player? Yeah, what's the player?
Yeah, would would be. Oh.
Oh, am I mania? Excellent.
OK, I guess I'll go. Next.

(43:05):
Yeah, See, I would win that fight.
Yeah, for sure. OK, Am I an active player?
Yes. Hang on, who are you?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. Am I active in tier one?
No. No.
No. It's certainly not.
Am I over 30? No, no.

(43:29):
Am I European? Yes, some would say.
Am I British? No, no.
Some would say Europe. Am I Turkish?
No. OK European active, not Tier 1.

(43:55):
Am I Russian? Yes, yes.
Active player, yeah. Not not a coach.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not a coach.
Russian am I, Patsy? Yes.
Come on. Pick up the mandate.
That was far too quick. That was fun.
I just, I was thinking players you you'd like probably pick so.

(44:18):
Were you remembering the time that you smoked crack in a
bathroom with him? That's libelous.
Patsy, to my knowledge, has never done crack, nor with me or
on his own. But you have you done crack?
Do I? Do I look like it?
Do you want me to answer? Move on.
All right, Sam, you're Sam. OK, let me let me get off this

(44:39):
page because I think I'm going to need to.
Oh fucking hell, is it obscure? No, it's not.
It's just. It's not, it's not that.
Obscure ball, you'll know this. As.
Man potentially could be a lady begin.
Oh. No, no, I know exactly who it
is. Jack.
Fuck you. No, you, I promise you.
You don't. That wasn't anything.

(45:02):
OK, wait, wait, wait. Pause for a second.
No, just just for safety's sake.No, it's fine.
It's honestly it's fine. What you sent to me?
No, no, I know. OK, I said you I would.
Not no, I would not that. Movie.
Oh, I'd do that. Evil.
I'd do that to you. You're evil.

(45:23):
Yeah, OK. All right.
Active player. Yes.
NA. No.
No. Europe.
No European. Can you 2 decide?

(45:43):
I don't think so. No, he's he's absolutely not.
Fucking hell. OK, I mean.
Shit, sorry who? Not European, but.
Might be 1, might be one of those controversial countries
that's into in two continents. Except it's not really but.

(46:10):
OK, but he's. Not, but he's not European then.
Is he from Turkey? No, no.
What the fuck else is in two continents?
Maybe. Maybe you're not.
Maybe maybe I'm wrong. I feel like part of it is in
you, but it doesn't matter. I think it's occasionally
classed. It's it's occasionally like in
European. Oh, hang on, hang on, hang on.

(46:33):
Does the nation take part in theEurovision Song Contest?
I don't think so. I don't watch it.
Well, is it Israel? It's not, it's not Israel.
No, this country has not participated in the Eurovision
Song Contest. They can be.
They haven't been in junior Eurovision though.
Do they take? Do they play in a European mixed

(46:57):
team? They do not.
No, what the fuck? This will all make sense this.
All makes sense once. You figure it out like it.
You will figure like when you gooh OK that makes sense.
OK, Oppa. No, no.
So active player plays on a national team.

(47:19):
Some would say. Yes, but not his nation.
Oh fuck sake. The the HLTV flag of this team
is 1 country. Yeah, and but it's not from that
country. For, for, for, you know, I'll
give you that. You don't feel silly.
Can I ask what region he plays in?

(47:41):
South America. Molladoy.
No, no. But you're thinking I'll be
quiet. Well, surely then it's like it's
one of the Europeans there, or not Europeans.

(48:05):
Ask some questions, I'll make a guess.
Has he won a major? He has.
Yes. So it's kicker.
Yes, well done. Come on, I.
Told you it would all make sense.
Is Kazakhstan not in Europe? It's in.
Asia, it's in Asia, but I think part of it is in Europe.
That's why I was a little bit confused.

(48:27):
I I think it is like CIS in my head is European.
Well, because they play in. Yeah, it isn't even a real
thing. They play in actually qualifying
region, don't they? No, not anymore.
It's it's an Asian country. I mean it's a, it's a Stan
country like it's Asia. I looked it up anyway.

(48:49):
Just to make sure, Eminem. Fact that that was that was a
good one, by the way, that was actually really hard.
I've really. Struggled then I'm sure we'll be
back. We're we're currently.
Guessing. Yeah, we're currently 49 minutes
in and we haven't run an ad break yet, so.
Yeah, run the ad break. So Jack, do you find it hard to
keep up with all the news and Counter Strike?

(49:10):
I do. I took a weekend off and I came
back to six new IGL's, 3 retirements and apparently
Melvi'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.
Read it for three hours while questioning your life choices.

(49:31):
Yeah, it's like if HRTV had 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. All killer, no filler.
And let's be honest, some of these tournament formats you
need a guide just to figure out who's playing who.
TLDR breaks it all down so you actually know what the Hell's

(49:52):
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
to make you smarter, or at leastsounds smarter, in Twitch chat.

(50:13):
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.
All right, we're back from the outbreak.
I hope you bought whatever it was we were selling.

(50:33):
Let's get straight into. Sorry, sorry, do you not know
what the outbreak? Is yeah, it's a it's the bit,
it's a meme. You dip.
We're on to the taken I. Felt like I needed We're on to
we're. On to the taken of the week.
Who is that? Like the taken?
In Taken's picture, is it Lana Del Rey with a mustache?
I think so. He's a big fan of Lana Del Rey.

(50:54):
Shout out Lana one time anyway. Just read it out.
Yeah it's like the take of the week but it's exclusively from
Taken who is the star of the TLDR discord because he says
things like this. I sent it to an one MO but my
hot take of the week is minus naff plus no cries.

(51:16):
Liquid has nothing to lose in terms of firepower.
Naff has been on the cutting board for a while now.
Basically, fuck it and see what happens.
I'm glad you. I'm glad you said it as happens.
I just say I think I responded to his original message by
saying that's a nice take and now please face the wall.

(51:39):
I haven't opened his reply. I can.
Imagine. So he messaged me.
He messaged me out of the blue on Saturday.
It just says skip so but mine isnaff.
Plus no cries just to see what happens.
I responded you need to be shot and he said I am right and you
know I am. I like the sources cited and

(52:02):
it's just the cracked pie. It seems like actually come for
most of Taken's Taken's takes Taken to the Taken Enders.
Devil's advocate isn't no cries basically just the American
rops. I think he's American Dunk.
But in the Mongolian anyway. Dunk or duck?

(52:23):
One of them. Yeah, you might as well.
You guys don't flip the coin. They could just rubbish anyway.
Well. I'm sure I.
Don't. I don't think the.
Moves bad I I think the logic offucking and see what happens is
quite poor gianning. Yeah, but that's like his whole
MO. Yeah, it hasn't jokes he's been
doing that for. Years.
Yeah, I mean, let's let's sign Rainmaker and Patsy.

(52:45):
Wasn't it Andy? Producer chiming in to say no
cries orped when he played his FPL trial games mostly.
Yeah, no, I was, I was going to say this as well, wasn't it
Andy? That said, Andy being our
designer for the newsletter which was in the outbreak.
That's exactly right. To said that he would be an
author, so actually they'd have to get rid of Ultimate, which

(53:07):
you've taken at LED. With that, I'd have been all for
it. Yeah, if he just said mine is
ultimately and plus literally anyone, you'd have been all for
it. No, no, Ultimate's not that bad.
You just hate it. Just taking us back to the real.
World for 2nd. Brain dead.
No crisis obviously very good inpugs like as we know that does

(53:27):
not always translate to, you know, tier one counter striking.
That is, I think it translates better than most people think.
I don't think it does at all. I think if you think that you
should go and look at the Face it top 100 elos.
Yeah, and how many of them actually on their teams?
Tell me how many of them you recognize now.
Well, yeah, but I think some of that is because they they don't

(53:49):
actually don't. I think if you don't, I think if
they actually apply themselves. I mean like we've seen enough
players go from that to a decentteam.
There's a level of like talent, right?
Like you're like just the raw talent that means you'll be
like, sure. But I think to be a pro, there's
this kind of disproportionate level of commitment that you

(54:12):
have car from pugging, right? And you need to have that as
well as the talent. And I don't, I don't think we've
seen enough people go from pugging to pro to suggest that
it's actually a normal, achievable thing.
I I think we've seen enough to say that those people are the
exceptions. OK, but like the like no cries

(54:32):
is quite clearly an exception inthe sense of like how good he is
compared to his peers. No.
Well, it was good enough that people thought he was cheating,
which is. Doc was incredibly good in EU.
I I. Prize is incredibly good in NA,
like let's also take our expectations there a little.

(54:52):
Sure, Doc. I think Doc is a special case
where I think he almost certainly has the he clearly had
something else going on outside the game that stopped him being
the best version of himself because that guy, that guy does
things with like cow shy guns. I I've never seen anyone else do
and I know it's pokes, but like there's no way if he had like

(55:14):
the temperament of a like of a rain or a broker or something,
he wouldn't be. Amazing.
But that's because that's the thing though, isn't it?
Like these players, they don't have that.
They don't have the. Commitment.
Some of them do. The extra I'm not sure they do,
I really do. The soft skills and exactly a
teammate and a player are different to the, you know,

(55:36):
mechanics and and the staff. Yeah, yeah, no, of course.
But I think I think it translates for the for the
genuine like stand out players. I think it actually translates
decently well because the sort of player who people think are
cheating are clever enough to like that.
That was always the thing that Rocks wrote like he was so
intelligent people thought he was cheating.
And again, I know no cries is inAmerica whatever, like maybe no

(55:57):
cries is rubbish, I don't know. But like you think people.
I I. Stewie 2K was the last person
who was like revered like this in NA pugs.
Like the last person. Last person who had this
reputation in NA pugs was Stewie2K.

(56:18):
Yeah, or Bracks. I just think like generally it
is an exception. But actually I wouldn't hate it
and I'm not even I'm not even saying that because it would be
ultimate that would lose his spot.
I'm saying it because I think liquid have just fucked up for

(56:40):
years. Like, you look at Malbs, you
look at maybe even Lake, and there's a there's a few other
players who, granted that like, you probably would have had to
cut naff for them, which would have been stupid.
But you've brought in a lot of shit if you're Team Liquid in
the last few years, Like a lot of fucking utter garbage.
Yeah. Why wasn't like, I don't think

(57:01):
Swisher's particularly good, butwhy wasn't Swisher playing for
you? And a wreck just got cooked.
Why wasn't Wreck? Yeah, like all of these.
I was on this podcast ages ago saying like you're, you're sat
on, you're in Sierra Leone important cubic zirconium.
Like you have these diamonds, like why are you importing
Rainwaker when you have mouths like?

(57:22):
What are you doing? Yeah, I was quite proud of it,
hence why I brought it back. Like you had like gems in NA,
like they were just like, all ofNA is bad.
We've got to sign Patsy and Rainwaker.
It's like. Which I think also is that
mentality, like slightly atomic is why NA struggles, right?
Because it's just the defeatist.The game is shit and NA is shit

(57:43):
and Oh yes I'll kill NA but it'sgenerally I'll be the point
you'll get to which is you. Know well and they think they're
above. NAI think as well, like if
you're going to defend this ideathat experience makes you better
and being tied to an org that can support you makes you
better, then how much better could some of these players have
been if liquid had have jumped on them earlier like you know

(58:09):
they. Got burnt by Grim, didn't they?
Well, yeah, but we're going to talk about MAT in in a minute.
M80 did really well at Blast London and only really hexed has
that much land experience because EG were in the partner
system. And it's like, how much better
would like Swisher Wreck name a couple of the players on a

(58:30):
couple of the teams George is isis 1 of.
Them a lot of the ones who went to valor and Curry was like
really good in like tears who had a like.
How much better would a lot of these players be and if they'd
just been able to consistently play it at least Tier 2 EU lands
or Tier 1 lands? I will add as well though, like
with the vRS and like you know, there being more events and more

(58:52):
lands, like players would recently get more experience
from playing frag against good teams and and having to go to
these more Tier 2 lands, right? Your boot caps and shit.
So the the land transition becomes less of an issue, right?
Because you will have probably played less pressure lands
beforehand anyway, right before you get to your first IEM or

(59:14):
blast, you know, Premiere or whatever.
Yeah, but I guess the problem there is whoever the orgs
themselves can support it, considering so many are still in
Europe. So what we're all saying is we
all actually agree with Taken and this is a broken clock
moment. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's a
hilariously stupid take and I still want him to be shot, but

(59:35):
that's because he's taken. Yeah.
It it's I don't. Shocked as we'd lose content
well yeah, maybe not minus naff but plus no cries.
I'm completely on board with we'll move on to pro league
because for some reason ESL pro League is still going.

(59:56):
So first question on the docket,who or what is hot?
Who O to? No, but and friends.
Actually, can we? Can we?
Why is Pro League still going Jack?
I don't know. No, but it's like some deal that
makes people want it around or something.
Like is it really good for sponsors or something?

(01:00:17):
Like, well, it's very good for hours watch because it's a long
event, right? But it's been reduced massively
now, right? Right.
And they and then they pay the talent like because of the
there's so many days like I imagine like the talents wages
are lower per day. I don't know anything about
that, actually. Well, yeah, what I call it, I
know it's in terms of I, I imagine for sponsor metrics a

(01:00:39):
long event with more days of coverage in appealing just to to
sponsors would would be my guess.
Well, the talent love it regardless, but because they
they get guaranteed work and they can kind of do what they
want. So it's really good for talent,
which means they're keen to haveit on.
The teams probably like it because it's got like they're
locks in for a while and it's itjust makes sense for everyone

(01:01:02):
except viewers. I think is is what I'm getting
at. Yeah, yeah.
But I do hate it. Back to hottie.
Yeah, what the fuck is a hottie?Look man, we were big on Jame
and Norbert to liquid. Jame's been frying.
Norbert apparently is also frying.

(01:01:22):
Why did VP get rid of Norbert and Jame?
Who are you else's team? I'll look it up.
I mean, you asked me that as if I know who any of them are.
Well, as Elliot said last week, 4 out of five play for on the
team Sound like Pokémon. Did I say that?
Oh yeah, I did. Yeah, you did.
I thought he was. Really.
Good, according to Liquipedia. Duke Fisura.

(01:01:45):
Fantastic. He doesn't sound like a Pokémon.
He sounds. Like he's the Duke of the team.
No, he could be a Pokémon. Duke yeah, I guess he could, but
it's kind of a long name for Pokémon.
Like for alligator, they have tocut out a letter, which is why
it doesn't have the OR at the end.
No, but it's. Probably a similar situation.
So it's like Mizu, Lampada and frontales are like but Gen. 1 to

(01:02:06):
Gen. 4 and Duke for 0 is like Gen. 9.
Lampard is what Lampent should have actually been called.
Lampent evolves into chandelier.Yeah.
Front tails is obviously like front tails is obviously like a
regional form of nine tails. Like you get like regional

(01:02:26):
Vulpes front tails. It's just got the tails on the
Front Strike podcast. Yes, that's what the dreadlocks
are. Anyway, I mean, what else are
you going to talk about with this team?
I don't know. Basically stayed beat who
stayed. Beat.
Staging one of EPL has been crazy hot. 2 have beaten Furia,
the reigning champs of the last two on event.
Yeah, they've beaten Bait, who are usually quite OK.

(01:02:47):
Dogged on them, Yeah. Map 3 as well.
Yeah, yeah. And they've beaten ends.
Who's been actually all pretty decent wins like.
I mean this. One game is a star, but.
Even like solid run recently. They have true but.
And then beat Australis? Is that M80?
M80 yes. Yeah, so like, they're no mugs.

(01:03:08):
Like these are like all pretty. I mean, beaten Fury is a hell of
a result. Yeah, that like that's the very
impressive 1. Two nil as well, yeah.
That one's just strange. But then like you don't look at
the other Frio team which has been confirmed since I wrote the
hour. Fucking inner circle.

(01:03:30):
Yes. Who are were formerly known as
TNL which doesn't help any of usbecause we weren't watching them
play either way. It's very confusing that that
inner circle and X inner circle are both playing.
At the same time, yeah, yeah. I like that all the load goes up
inner circle as well. It makes sure on this page like.
I mean, who do they be? They be.

(01:03:51):
Who's the is that 3D Max? Yeah, so maybe 3D Max in the
game we're 3D. Max in the.
Game. I have no idea how legit that
win is anymore, but it's legit enough.
Yeah. It's a battery.
And a great game for Hypex on that one.

(01:04:12):
By the way, nought .65. I believe that was yeah,
excellent. Just what you want out your new
opera. And then they beat gentlemates
who I've actually looked pretty good at pro.
League I I refuse to accept the gentlemate.
Well, well, well, this was goingto be the next point, wouldn't
it? So should we talk about
gentlemates? They have literally no good

(01:04:35):
players. They can't be good.
Martinez's. No, he's not.
I've always liked him. I don't know if he's good, but
I'm. Always rubbish.
I'm not being funny, Charlie. Can you just confirm the number
for me? Can you go on to Davi G and get
get up the G2 match? I think he had 25 kills against
them in one map. I'm not, I'm not being funny.

(01:04:56):
A player like Daffy G should be getting 25 kills in a series
against G2. I think it was Mirage Charlie.
He should be getting 25 kills inan event.
He's garbage. 27 he's. Actually awful.
What are what are G2 doing? See.
Can you imagine how embarrassed on Piusmus feel?
But so. Are gentle weights actually

(01:05:17):
good? They're like, they're like fine,
but they're they're fine. But this is like.
Of that movie star team that made a Cologne quarter final as
well. Made a Cologne quarter of us
because they had some pious going out of his fucking mind.
They've now got Martinez dropping 1.05.
And they also had, they also haddeaths dropped 30 for the first
time in me and Elliot looked it up at the time and I think it

(01:05:40):
was over 12 months. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
If I remember right, him and Plopsky had both got over a year
without 30 probably at one point.
Speaking of Spanish players, do you remember Lowell?
Yeah, he gets a mention in the anatomy of a dead team.
What was he up to? Didn't he fuck off?
I I did look this up and I. Can't seems like it makes sense

(01:06:01):
but like I don't know. Is he currently playing in
Ballarin? He was last on arts at E Sports
but he left at the start of thismonth.
He is still an active player, apparently.
He's in heretics, right? Yeah, he was.

(01:06:21):
Yeah, he is a heretic. Being the witch.
But he hasn't been relevant for a few years, so.
OK, yeah, well miss you mate, but moving on.
Yeah, no, like gentle mates are for they're they're like
basically like a budget 3D Max. That's what I was going to.
That's what I like. They're definitely a budget 3D

(01:06:44):
Max. Yeah, they they will beat teams
with bad fundamentals. Can they be as they've just got?
3 Max jerseys as well, though. I'm just to give them that.
They've got nice jerseys. Because I mean 3D Max are
wearing the rankings. They're like a top. 50, right,
Just outside 50 or something. They're 13, Yeah.
Can they get there? I think they could, they could

(01:07:05):
be that sort of and gatekeeper team, yeah, you've got to beat
them to be a top ten team, right?
But. Like.
They're not really. They've literally got Davi G,
like have you seen him play? I don't care that he got 27 HG
to it, he's rubbish. I mean like, like sure, but he's
not rubbish right now, so. This is the second time that

(01:07:27):
he's Alex has LED a Spanish team, Yeah, for a massive climb
the rankings. And also they don't actually
have a piece this time that you can see anyone wanting to steal
away because everyone like Martinez is a known commodity at
this point. Yeah.

(01:07:49):
Yeah, and he and he's he. I know that he's not very good.
Yeah, but this is what I mean like.
Alex is a miracle worker. That's what we're getting.
At no but this. Is my this is my nip signed him
and then it's not in order. Marvis Star riders, you know,
like you knew they'd drop off because you knew they'd lose
some Pious. Yeah.
If they keep hold of this team, can they become consistently top

(01:08:09):
15? But but this is where they would
have been without some pious like 25th.
But do do you think that the top15 range is ever consistent like
you might be there for a couple of months, but like that that
sort of? 3D Max have been there for a
long time. Because they just not got any
better. Yeah, but that isn't so relaxed
because of the way the ranking system runs all that.

(01:08:29):
So just keep getting in the night.
Of the bad, bad, yes. Yeah, yeah.
But my point is if they can get there, that's pretty fucking
good. Because remember, like,
remember, like with vRS, you want to be 16th or above because
like 17th or maybe 18th and above.
Because like if you're in the spot of like, let's say for the

(01:08:54):
sake of it, 17th down to 23rd, 24th, you're in that really
awkward spot where you actually can't get invited to anything
and you just don't move for ages.
So if they could get there, they're in a pretty fucking
solid spot. Yeah, I just hate it.
I just don't. I just don't think they should
be good. I mean, they should get there.

(01:09:16):
We have to pull out all the stops to stop from getting
there. They they remind me of a sore.
So I have a, I have a. National team with old people.
Hear me out. Seem to show up and do something
I'm hearing. I'm hearing.
Hear me out. So we we spark up national
tensions in Catalonia, in the Basque region.
I'm going to stop you. There'll be a civil war in both

(01:09:37):
fronts. And then we land troops in
Gibraltar. Sure, man.
What's this got to do? This has got nothing to do with.
You told me we have to stop it. Oh, I see.
I'm going to stop it by stoppingSpain from existing.
I was thinking more like, you know, giving Liquid a rocket up
the ass and telling them to actually play like a real team

(01:09:58):
so they can take like 11th or something.
I mean, just like we need the teams between 20th and 10th to
just knock the dog shit. That probably is.
That's probably. A better I don't want.
To talk about this team anymore.OK, yeah, I I didn't want to
talk about him in the 1st place,but I was forced by the round.
Who's out? Surprise, surprise, the Cox over

(01:10:20):
at Rooster Be gone. How's NRG Fluxo going, Charlie?
Fluxo about to win that one. Like fucking Why is Kai at this
event? He's fucking useless.
What is Luke Alzie like doing onthis heat?

(01:10:41):
I, I don't know what you guys I'm.
Pretty sure Luke Alzie's been wank on them.
To be fair, I think this is his only map of this event.
Because he but he was really lost, wasn't he?
And then? Laughed Charlie.
Go look. He was good.
Like he was decent on Sharks. I think he was.
He was like actually decent and then like he's kind of been a
bit rubbish since, but he's clearly like shouldn't be on a
team with Carly who should be in.

(01:11:02):
Like just click on the matches. He should be in Gibraltar
fighting gentlemates. Yeah, yeah.
Look at his event like. Yeah, that's poor.
He's got bat, mate. That is poor.
All right, Fair enough. Yeah, that's why Lukaz is on
this team. So just so he he was at least
promising at one point. Kylie's never been promising.
Yeah, I, I don't want to talk about flux.

(01:11:23):
I'm going to be real with you. I'm sorry.
I just don't have it in me. No, I'm not talking about it.
But the last thing I did want totalk about before we depart, I
watched. I believe it was map 2 of M80
Heroic yesterday. That was one of the worst maps
of Counter strike I've ever seen.

(01:11:43):
It's just two team. Like so many untraded deaths, 2
teams that just didn't have a fucking clue what they were
doing. Like complete and utter
horseshit. Counter Strike there is around
the M81IN in this game where they were saving in A2V4 and

(01:12:07):
heroic just decided to run off the bomb site, get themselves
killed and M80 won the round. It was so terrible.
And my actual point in this was how fucking disappointing is it
that fucking M80 have done this bad at this event look like this
after looking like an actually like growing team again during

(01:12:31):
Blast over London. And maybe he's done this a few
times where they have like a good event.
And they have a little build on it and then, yeah.
I think they're just a little inconsistent.
They're streaky in the sense that like, they will have that
their peaks, right? That they'll peak together, do
good and everything. Oh, maybe they're good.
And then it's like, oh, we've actually forgotten how to hold
our mice for a bit. Hence what?

(01:12:51):
They kind of. You know who sub one rating?
Yeah, they kind of remind me of I MIBR who when they were like
when they had well, well, they still have Insani, but like it's
like if Insani's playing well, they can just kind of beat
anyone. Is it I think Felix the same
with lake where like if lakes because he's so aggressive and
so explosive, when he plays well, they look like the best
team in the world. But as soon as he has an off

(01:13:13):
game MIBR were like relying on safe Mac relying on slacks like
slacks is I I. It's a bit like a professional
player, a bit like you can do aswell.
Like before Furia had like theirrecent run, like I think me and
some spoke about this, there wasthis map where where you can
know was just like dying on inferno long every round because

(01:13:33):
his job was to take that space, you know what I mean?
But like that's the nature of that role, you know what I mean?
Like sometimes you, you RIP the site and get 3 kills, some
sometimes they they have an offer on the angle and you can't
change what you have to do, you know what I mean?
So. The teams that are that top
heavy are so reliant on those players that they just put
terrible. When they're not that, that,
yeah. Which is kind of the problem

(01:13:55):
with liquid as well, right? Like they, they don't like,
they, they rely like, Oh yeah, nuts has to get us into the bomb
site or we don't win. And they they because they only
have like one player capable of doing it.
And it's like, it's the same with M18.
Like they only have really Blakewho wants to be going in first
and opening at bomb sites. Yeah, it feels like you can anti
Strat these teams to quite a strong degree if you can

(01:14:18):
isolate, you know that player. If you can, stop watching their
demos. Yeah, but if it's like, oh, this
guy runs in, you know, they can't really do anything.
It's. Because as as well like Hexed,
I'm not being funny, right? He had a lot of clutches during
Blast London. But as you say, Lakers playing
well. Hexed is not a good player.
I just refuse to believe it. Yeah, I even when his numbers

(01:14:44):
are good, like eye test, Andy says no.
Yeah, no. Either way though it is annoying
because just the inconsistency of everyone on this team.
Like sometimes I watch Fisher play and I'm like yeah I kind of
get what people are saying. He's still not good enough to be
on Liquid like people think he is.
But like maybe he's not as bad as I think.
No slacks. I get lucky with slacks a lot of

(01:15:06):
the times and I watch him play when he's actually good.
Good for you. He's fucking rubbish.
Yeah, I just. Slacks is like, I don't know if
you're going to import an orpa, don't make it slacks.
I, I and also just. Again, you've just pulled up his
his race. Violently human name.

(01:15:27):
But like Fritz Dietrich. That's that's a caricature that
that's crazy. Slacks is the Fritz Dietrich of
Counter Strike. Now tell me, who is the Ernst
ROM. Do we have to keep doing this?
Yeah, just like it's there. Feel like it's really dangerous.
I'm going unless there's anything else pro league related

(01:15:51):
that anyone wants to mention. I've got a little plug.
Australis of one-on-one. Oh, did you make some clothing?
Did you, Jack? Did you?
Well, if. You said I thought I don't want
to. Talk about it.
All right, Good, that'll that'llbe the end of the.
I'm really sorry that's. Fine.
Me and Mr. Machine, we were working on a clothing line

(01:16:13):
called Basement Basement Dweller.
I don't know if you're aware of it, but we released our second
drop and if you're interested, it'll be linked down below.
So please have a look and tell us what you think.
If you think it's bad, then don't tell me.
Yeah, hope. Hope you buy lots and give me
money. I did because I'm a good friend.
You are. I I have a young boy to clothe,

(01:16:37):
but I didn't do you do do you dobaby clothes?
Maybe for the future. Yeah, for the Asian audience of
Counter Strike. Well it's that's every phase
fan, isn't it? I guess that that joke doesn't
work now. They've been around for 10
years. Me when I shed.
A little tear because my favorite player got benched

(01:17:00):
anyway. Bring the fucking outer Elliot.
I've been Elliot Azsk on Twitter, and that's Jack.
I'm Jack Nova Design on Twitter.Nova, H Designings.
Fine. You know my name by now.
I really can't. Be asked I'm one MO that's.
The one. Thanks.

(01:17:21):
For watching everybody. Thank.
You. Music.