"Jimpphat is overrated": Valve should make Cologne and Krakow Majors, and is donk already the GOAT?

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
So, Elliot, hello. Kind of didn't think I'd be
seeing you again so soon. I'm sorry.
Just going to put that out there.
No, I'm sorry too. Sorry for.
Ruining everyone's day by being back on screen.
No, it's, it's, it's, it's not for me, really.
It's I forgot to send it to you,but Charlie sent it to me.

(00:21):
There was there was a guy who might just be your biggest fan.
And I don't think you'll survivethis podcast.
Well, he will if I'm here. So.
But he might. Survive if I wasn't here.
But nobody might have like a heart attack from his
excitement. It wouldn't be the first time

(00:41):
I'd caused a heart attack. Their excitement.
Do I want to know? No move on all.
Right, Charlie? Play the fucking music, son.

(01:03):
Right, so last week, Elliot, we we said a lot of things about a
team called BC Game. That is what a podcast.
Is it's what we tend to do, Yes.But we said a lot of things
about a team called BC Game. I don't remember what we said.
I don't think they were very positive.
I imagine they were not, anyway.No, I think we essentially

(01:26):
called them irrelevant. Yeah.
Probably, but they're kind of relevant now because a few hours
after we recorded the episode they did something quite
unexpected and they signed simple.
So are we actually? Replaced Guardian with simple.
It's it's it's 20. Well, 17.

(01:47):
All over again. Well, they replaced Norquip.
Simple. Yeah, you know the Swedish
Guardian. Which is funny because Nork is
now being replaced by device andsimple.
Yeah, I mean, I do feel bad for him, especially as like he
actually wasn't significantly worse than device worse when IP

(02:11):
like he was a little worse. He wasn't actually that much,
right. And I actually don't think he'll
be significantly worse than Simple on this team.
Unless. Obviously, I don't know, I
haven't, I haven't looked at Norc's ratings, but I feel like
he's probably dropped off a Cliff.
Yeah, you might be right. Actually CC, pull it up and
confirm while we talk. Yeah.
The old NORC. Yeah.

(02:32):
All right. Yeah, No, I'm willing to walk
that back. Oh, oh, oh really?
Willing. Oh, that is ugly.
Yeah. No, that is, that is ugly.
That's really bad actually, isn't it?
Yeah. It's so bad even HFTV doesn't
think he's humour. Oh, I oh, I feel quite bad about

(02:56):
that. All right, Yeah.
Simple will be better than this.It's simple will will be better
than that, but it's just it's just such a weird move, isn't it
like why has he gone? Why has he gone to BC game?
Because like The thing is, is that Navi even said when they
because they first released him right?
The put him out into free agencyor whatever.

(03:18):
Or I guess maybe they actually sold him but they said there was
free organisations in contact. What?
Or said for like what? What the fuck were those orcs
that he decided BC game was the best one?
So there's all right, there's, there's two things here. 1 is
that maybe Navi didn't want to sell him to a competitor and so

(03:42):
they accepted BC Games offer. But like other teams, they were
like, no, actually we want more money.
That that was kind of my read. But also maybe just like there's
stuff behind the scenes we don'tknow about in terms of simple
and teams aren't willing to riskit.
Like, you know, supposedly his buyout was pretty significant.
And it makes more sense for a team like BC Game to pay it to

(04:05):
like propel themselves into the limelight because even if he's
not that good, people are going to give a shit about BC Game
now. People are going to join BC Game
now. Like it gives them an actual
boost in terms of like people want to play for them now.
Whereas like, you know, if he joined, say Phase and he's not

(04:25):
the old simple, they don't really gain that much.
Whereas like even if he's not that good for BC Game, they're
still gaining somewhere. Well, I mean, there's two things
to that. One of them can we say, can we,
can we say the things we were told yesterday?
The the stuff Naps said? Can we say that?

(04:46):
Yeah, I don't know. No, I'm going to say it.
Then where did where did he say it?
It was. Oh, so you know, apparently he
didn't put in that much effort during his time with phase.
And yeah, they doubted his work ethic, which like.
Wayne Rooney. I mean, did we expect anything

(05:10):
less or anything more even? Then he he was a very hard
worker like like when he was. The yeah, he, he was.
But like, did we expect anythingdifferent now?
I think I did. I think I expected him, if he
got to phase, to be like, all right, time to lock in now.
Like I'm going to take this seriously.
I'm not going to lie, I kind of expect him to just get like a

(05:32):
drug ban for doing coke in between matches.
I don't know if you're allowed to say that.
I'm not sure. No, I don't know if I can say
that, but like I just felt like that would be like the perfect
end to Simple's career with the point we're at.
Like it does. I'm not going to lie, it's a

(05:54):
little sad to see him play for BC game.
Yes it is, especially when sincethen they've signed and do an
Emmy on on trial. Yeah.
But there is some reason for positivity because apparently
OverDrive said that they are looking at signing a core from a

(06:14):
tier one, according. To CS2 News who quoted OverDrive
that neither of us can find the OverDrive quoted much.
Well, I assume he said it in histelegram.
Yeah, yeah. Which I'm, you know, not
clicking on because it's all in Russian.
And his Telegram, like Telegram's kind of scary.
It's like somebody tells you to go on something on the Tor
browser or something. It's like I ain't clicking that.

(06:36):
But yeah, like who? Who could those players even be
to make it not shit? Yeah, I mean, it's like it says
three more players from another tier one organization.

(06:56):
If it's like history's ended go by, it's probably just going to
be like 3 players from Heroic because they're always selling
their core but. I feel like that's best case
scenario, yeah. But honestly, like.
I mean Team Liquid, I, I don't know, I, I, I don't see, I mean

(07:21):
Team One organization is very loose.
Yeah, especially if they're saying another tier one
organization. Well, maybe I'll finally get my
dream and it'll be Fanatics Coreand we'll get Blame F and Simple
on a team together. Jesus, you.
Can imagine like Cypher and simple being on the same team

(07:43):
like those two. Like maybe they'll just be like
the most unlikely friendship ever like it'd be.
I feel like those two like a really good buddy cop movie.
What if it's bad? Cop again like you.
You really have to stretch the definition.
Of no, they actually don't have a core.
They don't have a core that's worth it.

(08:04):
And some de Young's on it who's definitely not going to play.
With simple, yeah, true. I was just thinking like, oh,
it's terrible. I was just thinking like, I know
they're strapped for cash. It's a leap up the the rankings,
but yeah, no, don't think it's worth it.
Passion UA. Yeah.

(08:24):
No, I don't know. I don't know who it could be.
No, he's not playing with Waro. He's not playing with Waro.
Could be game of Legion. 3D Max,I like it, I'm really
struggling. You probably raised said to your
PR. It's pretty.
Yeah, it's pretty good. I'm happy with that.
Yeah. But other than that, yeah, I

(08:47):
just really, I don't know. I I tell you the one thing I
think it won't be though. I don't think it will be free
fuckers from Virtus Pro, no. As much as I'm pretty sure that
Virtus Pro team is incredibly dead, I have a feeling it won't
be them, no. It won't be them, of course it.

(09:08):
No, because you can't see. I'm not, I'm not convinced it's
it's going to happen, to be honest.
I feel like I always don't want it to.
I kind of want simple to just play with like some bombs for a
bit with prime. Taps and necks like I'm not
being funny, mate. The fucking BC game team is.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I kind of want to see that.

(09:29):
Like I want to see simple have to hard carry Sassanito.
Like I actually want to see that.
Oh God he is shit. Move on, right?
Were you aware of the team that Foot signed a while ago?
I was and then it left like it went in one ear, but I think it

(09:52):
went out the. Other because it is an awful
team. Charlie, I know you're clicking
on it now. If you go on their matches and
then go down to the Epic Land games, click on one of those, I
promise you, you've forgotten how bad this team is.
Yeah, I mean, look at that. Sixer, Masuta, Devo, Duvet Jax
and some fella called Drac. Like.

(10:12):
What the fuck is that? That's like.
Deeply, deeply COVID coded, thatis.
Like that is like late 20. 19 early 2020 only players online
games like team. How shit is that man?
Like even if you took them? All at their peak.

(10:36):
This is like the 32nd best team in the world.
Yeah, well anyway, they've gotten rid of the team I.
Mean obviously. Because they've they've signed
Navi juniors. The strange thing about it does
is that they've replaced McCarthy, who has just shown
himself to be an actual genuine tier one talent, with Masuta.

(11:03):
He had a good couple of months at tier one at some point.
Again, COVID coded all right, soI think it's about 14 hours
later maybe, but we're back and we've got a new a new Co host.
Everyone, this is this is Jude. Yeah, this is Jude.

(11:24):
The reason we're having to record.
I think it's 12 hours later, butthis is the reason why he was
getting upset. That little blue nose bastard,
and I can say that because he isa blue nose and therefore a
bastard. Yeah, I I do have a picture of
him in a Blues kit if you want it.
No, I don't. I'd never need to see a Blues
kit. Should we talk about some

(11:46):
Counter Strike then, Elliot? Yeah, why not?
All right, So I know if you've seen, but Foot have signed a, a
new roster, which is, you know, slightly interesting considering
they only signed a roster 2 months ago, which was headlined

(12:07):
by Jackson Navara. Pretty, pretty bad sign I think.
I think. That's kind of Fair enough.
Like I for a team who were not in counter shock, Navara's kind
of like Navara was good before he defected and Jax is was he
name? Yeah, Navara was good.
He just was he. Yeah, yeah, Navara was actually

(12:28):
pretty decent. What year was he on Vitality of
God? 20/20/20 to 20/21.
I'm checking this now because I don't believe he was good, but
maybe he was. I remember him being pretty
good. OK, rating guest.
Go on, give it to me. One point O 9.

(12:50):
For 2021, no .94. Oh really?
I remember him being much betterthan that.
Yeah, yeah, he was apparently not good.
And I guess. He's better in 2020.
He joined in October. OK, apparently he didn't play
any big events, but maybe HLTV just.
Well, he was the sick events. For 20/21.

(13:12):
He was a 6th man. Yeah, but he'd still show up on
the film, wouldn't he? But he, he, he, I don't know.
I remember him coming in for some, for some games and being
particularly like I, I will say like, yeah, it's a he, he was a
6th man. So his some like weirdness going
on with those numbers, but that is a lot worse than I would have

(13:32):
thought it was. But to be fair, 2020 he had like
a what? I've clicked off it now what do
you have 1.13? But most of that would have been
on Heretics where he played withLucky, Kiyoshima, Maka and one
of your favourites XMS. That is a quality team, by the
way. I.
Actually quite like that team. That team seems vibes.

(13:54):
Bring that team back and foot sign that team.
Yeah, probably, actually, probably in today's day would be
better than the French team theyhad.
Except like XMS is a Fortnite player And is he?
I think so. Is he actually that's.
I think I might, I might be bullshitting he because

(14:14):
obviously, you know, I used to have a used to have a soft spot
for him. And I'm pretty sure on his
Twitter, he was like tweeting about playing Fortnite.
And I would, I'm trying to look forward what we're doing this.
I mean, I can, I can, I can do it.
You've got, you've got one arm busy.
Let me have a look. Yeah, that's never stopped me
before. There is an XML who plays

(14:40):
Fortnite. I think well, his most recent
tweeted about. Valerie, it is.
His most recent tweeted about Valerie.
Oh, he now plays for Leo. He plays for Leo's esports team
in Valerie. Amazing what a career he's had.
Yeah. Anyway, well, you basically
complete your Counter Strike, soyou just wouldn't play it.

(15:01):
You just. Have one of the greatest clips
of all time. It's at least top five.
Yeah, I think that's fair. See, I think 3 of the top five
clips in Counter Strike Valdez, AZ Valdez and XMS because I just
stay winning. Where would you?

(15:23):
I like how we've gone off in a tangent.
Incidentally, that's fine. Where would you put the the
nothing clip from Cologne? Because I know it doesn't.
It's not in the round itself buthim taking his top off at the
end against non. Yeah, that.
I mean, that's semi fine. Yeah, yeah, like I feel like
that that pushes it up, right. Yeah.

(15:43):
It's not top five though becausethe actual play is like
whatever. I guess.
I think that's your play is likeOK, and then the water wolf.
Is probably also up there. Yeah, I I've said this before
and I still don't know, Like if I orp somebody from Triple, I
just get wool banged to shit andI don't know why that doesn't

(16:05):
happen to Chris J Yeah, I also think he's getting banged.
There must be one, there must bea top five clip from Flutcher in
Cow 2018 that we're not thinkingof.
Oh yeah, the the two V5 ace is pretty insane, yeah.
And what certainly isn't in that, though, is the the

(16:25):
Guardian 1V5. Yeah, 'cause it's, I know the
fact, 'cause that that clip is awful.
Like that clip is just so poorlyplayed from Fanatic.
There's good. That's why I like the vaude 1V5
is there's no like it's actuallyjust kind of like no glaring
mistakes, actually just rails every single person.
I think, you know, somebody comes up vents when they

(16:46):
shouldn't and that's about. It which is like, it's just it's
really rare for a clutch to go that way.
Where like, yeah, because I remember and it's funny because
it's nifty. But I remember bet way used to
make those videos where it's like players going over their
players and like Devices 1 was really boring because it's like,
well, we just watched 7 million demos and we knew exactly what
they did. It's like that fuck you nifty.

(17:08):
Just like just felt the vibe of the shot and it I just wanted to
shoot through the wall and it turns out I hit him and then
they played like A1V4 appears and he's like, why did you think
this? Why did you think that?
And he's like, it isn't. I just knew they had to make a
mistake and if I waited, they would.
And that's kind of all clutchinggears.

(17:29):
Essentially. But I do think that's quite
telling as to why Nifty was never actually any good.
He couldn't actually explain back to you what he was doing.
Well, yeah, but like. There's no point behind me.
We we know, we know the best player that we used to play
Counter Strike with is exactly like that.
He doesn't understand the game. It's all just instinctual for
him. Yes, but he could explain to you

(17:50):
what he was doing. He won't because.
Hardly because he's I've I've tried to get him to it, just
hardly like he doesn't really know.
I don't know. I feel like there's definitely
intent behind what he does. Whereas Niski, Nifty, I don't
think it's like, I think he just, I think the reason Nifty
is bad is I don't think he actually thinks about what he's
doing at all. I reckon it's also probably

(18:11):
heroin anyway, ex Navi junior, they've signed for foot.
I don't know what to think aboutit because obviously they've got
a lot of they like they've really built up their reputation
and their rank over the last sixmonths, but they've just lost a
player who's now probably going to be the best player on a top

(18:34):
five team. Yes, and replacing with Masuta.
Look man, like similar, similar thoughts like Masuta, Mikasi,
like they've both been like genuine tier.
They're both genuine Tier 1 superstars who would be taking a
step down to this level. I don't know what it is.

(18:56):
I kind of, I might be Masuta's biggest fan and I don't really
know why. I just always kind of liked him.
On like football in terms who ishe?
Mohamed Diame. Oh.
OK. And nobody else rates him except

(19:16):
me. He's wildly inconsistent, but he
does have quite a lot of ability.
It's just he doesn't. Always.
There's no more, right? Mohamed Diame.
I quite liked Mohamed Diame. I thought it was quite fun.
No. I lived with a Newcastle fan.
I knew lots of Newcastle fans inmy time up north and not a
single one of them right. I mean, fair enough.

(19:41):
Yeah. It, it'll be interesting to see
what this team can do outside ofNavi and the support that comes
with Navi and being in that. Because, you know, I, like, I
interviewed Alexi last week and I, I spoke to him about McCarthy
and like, you know what? What?
What did he learn from Manasi and Headtrick that do

(20:05):
differently than Kazi? And he was like, well, the one
important thing to remember is that he's also spent so long in
the Navy system and that really helps.
This is a fucking, this is a neworgan counter strike.
Like they've been to epic land and and and that's it.
And that's fucking epic land. Yeah, you might as well.
So they won't have that. And I feel like in the old major

(20:30):
system, I think it would have been reasonable to say like with
their upwards trajectory, you have to have the expectation of
them being at the major and that's what it has to be in the
current major system. I'm just kind of like, they have
to maintain their bank. Yeah.

(20:52):
Which is and that's great. Much less interesting to say, I
think losing Mckaze is probably.A killer.
Yeah, like, I think it's probably going to rocket them
down unless they find like somebody of a similar level,
which is going to be really hard, but at least they're in a
region where those players do actually turn off.

(21:15):
Because it's also it's also justhard to imagine that Masuda is
intended to be there for very long.
Yeah, he's clearly just there because he was already on the
books and they haven't found a player yet.
Like you look at the team and it's it's 2 Ukrainians, Kosovan,
a Lithuanian and it would have been a Kosovan, but now it's a
Frenchman. But it's just.

(21:37):
It doesn't seem right. Yeah, he's clearly, he's clearly
only there because they haven't bought somebody yet and he's on
their books. But I don't know they they play
in Bass Bounty soon, which we'lltalk about briefly later on and
they play BA in their first game.

(21:58):
So that'll be quite interesting to watch.
Oh, they played today. Actually, they they play in
seven hours. Good.
So you might be awake for that, but I I certainly will not.
Be I will probably be going for my nap at that point.
Well. Because I have had 4 1/2 hours
sleep. Well I look forward to waking up

(22:20):
and seeing what the score line of that game is because it
should be AB8 win. And Speaking of B8, they've some
nipple. Yeah.
Which I was quite confused aboutbecause I thought they'd already
signed Nipple, but it turns out he's been there for two years on
loan. It's fair, most people do have
to. Fuck off, Elliot.

(22:44):
And she's just like, do you knowwhat?
We'll finish this in another 12 hours.
Like I'm going to bed so fuck you.
I'm I'm legally allowed to make that jokes now?
That was poor. Even for a dad joke, that was
poor. Again, 4 1/2 hours sleep.
But like, so a A2 year loan is weird, right?

(23:08):
Yeah, I like, I had no idea he was.
Even on loan but. Surely that was just a yeah,
we'll buy an event, we'll get the money one day.
Yeah, he was like he was like ona loan to buy deal except this
wait till this contract ran out and then signed him.
I, I feel like, I feel like withhow well he's done as well, no

(23:31):
one must have known he was only on a loan because I think there
must be plenty. I think there'd be plenty of
teams that would have bought him.
Are any of them better than B8? I'm not very high on B8.
I'm high on B8 at a major. I'm not that high on them, but

(23:54):
who's better? Who would want him?
You're making me do the thing when I look at the rankings and
I don't like looking at the rankings.
Game Allegiance surely would have had the money at some
point. Doesn't really screen game
allegiance to me. I don't know.
But ironically, G2. Nah.

(24:19):
They could have been throwing shit at the wall for a long
time. Nah, come on.
Niffle's not that guy. Nip when they were doing their
rebuild like in in all seriousness.
Maybe I'm underrating Niffle, but I don't see him at any of
those teams. Maybe I feel like best player at

(24:48):
BA is kind of where he's supposed to be.
Yeah, OK. OK.
Well, anyway. That's kind of how I feel.
I just said we've seen him in Tier 1 and it wasn't that
pretty. Yeah, but he has gotten a lot
better since then. Like he's he's a 10 times better

(25:08):
player now. He has, but he's also like
allowed a lot of room on this team that he wouldn't be allowed
on Liquid or GTA. True, true.
Should we look at the take of the week?
Let's do it. Why not?
So this week, and I think he's made a couple of appearances
already because he is just one of the most emo fuckers around.

(25:31):
In fact, he might be too emo. It's it's twists because.
See, when you sent me this, I thought you were referring to
one of the responses. No, no, no, we're, we're getting
to that. We're getting to that because I
don't think that's being spoken about on this podcast and it
does just need to be. But twists after liquids I want

(25:53):
to say rock bottom loss against VP Academy.
Very presumptuous. But yeah, yeah, exactly.
You know that Simpsons clip that's like, this is my worst
day ever? Like, worst day so far.
But he tweeted we are not a team.
No words for how we play. 21 to VP Academy or 1/2 to VP Academy.

(26:18):
But I don't like it when people.Switch things out like that, I
agree. And it's just like, I've got a
lot of thoughts. I don't know what your thoughts
are so. I don't think this is that bad.
I don't think it would be that bad unless it was like, if not

(26:40):
for the fact that it was painfully, painfully obvious
last season how badly this team needed a change and just how
badly this team wasn't working. Like nuts is shit.
Like nuts is really bad on this team.
It feels like everyone who comesin as an aggressive player and
Liquid is bad and that's I don'tthink it's always the aggressive

(27:01):
player's fault. But he's not even meant to it.
Like he's a fucking lurker. Yeah, but he's meant to be an
aggro piece on this team. Yes.
Because who else is? Like Naf, I mean, Naf was the
best player by far in that series, but he's had some
absolute fucking horror shows atreal events.

(27:21):
Ultimate is still like, I just don't, I don't get Ultimate.
Yeah. I think quite.
Clear. I think Ultimate is like, he's
just that perfect type of playerwhere he's a litmus tester.
If you actually understand the game.
Like you see his flashy shit andyou're like, Oh yeah, he's good.
Like ultimate's good. He's not the problem on this
team. But if you actually watch the
fucking game of your eyes, it becomes patently clear that

(27:43):
ultimate he's just not very good.
Like Moladoy, for example, is somuch better.
So, so yeah, he he's incredible.And then like Shoei might have
been a myth all along, but. Oh, he was good on multiple
teams. I, I just, I'm, I'm not selling

(28:06):
my Shoei stocks. I'm blaming Liquid because
everyone who joins Liquid seems to get worse.
They're just one of those teams where like where careers go to
dip. And and and like.
There's no way you'll convince me both nerds and Sui were
actually always bad. I don't think nerds was, I think
nerds it's the new you can just the new like get fucked piece of

(28:30):
the team. Yeah, and and and I, I just
think sui, there's no like sui can't be bad.
I I just. Maybe, maybe sure.
He's just, I know, I know you'vebeen watching more films
recently and maybe you watched this one anyway because it's a
bit of an exception on the basisJames Bond, but have you seen
Casino Royale? I've seen the bits of it, I've

(28:52):
never seen the whole film. You know the bit where he's like
tied down to the chair and he's like, but ass naked and getting
whipped and shit? No.
Are you sure this was in the film?
Yeah, it's, it is. Sure you didn't imagine that?
I might have imagined it but I'mpretty sure it is.
I feel like every new liquid line up twist just picks a new

(29:14):
player to do that too. Like was Kadian it was a kinder.
Now it's nuts. And like none of them are
getting out of it. I mean at least one of them
definitely enjoyed it. I'm not saying which, but one of
them did. And it ain't nuts because he
ain't having fun. He is not having fun.

(29:34):
That motherfucker wants out. He looks miserable.
I mean, he. Yeah, yeah.
Well, he never looked that happyanyway, but he looked miserable.
On well, he was, he was G2's first choice, wasn't he?
He was begging to go to G2 because him and Heavy got the
really good friends. Yeah.
And yeah, I this, this liquid team needs to fucking burn.
I think I said, I think I said acouple of weeks ago, like they,

(29:56):
they actually just require like Hiroshima or Nagasaki treatment.
And I I stick by that comment and with that.
I think you could have said it with a little more decorum, but
yeah, so. No, no, with that Charlie play
the fucking ad read. So Jack, do you find it hard to
keep up with all the news and counter strike?

(30:16):
I do. I took a weekend off and I came
back to six new IGL's, 3 retirements and apparently
Malvi's waterfall got picked up by a top 20 team.
Right, that's why I've been relying on the TLDR newsletter.
It's a bi weekly 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.

(30:36):
Yeah, it's like if HLTV had a baby with your funniest friend
who actually watches every game,get quick hits of news, spicy
roster 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.
TLDR breaks it all down so you actually know what the Hell's

(30:57):
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 leastsound smarter in Twitch chat.

(31:18):
Check out the link down below and subscribe, because the only
thing more tragic than missing amajor upset?
It's not even knowing it happened.
TLDR you don't have time to readeverything, you still want to
sound like you did. Right, so Elliot's just informed
me that we didn't talk about thereply, which might be the real

(31:42):
take of the week. I hope you enjoyed the AD break,
by the way. So former Liquid coach and now
life coach. Yeah, life coach Zeus replied to
Twist and he said, I feel like it's important to preface this

(32:02):
with the fact that like this is actually one of the most
sensible things Zeus has said recently.
And if you don't follow Zeus on Twitter, I really recommend
doing so because he has lost hisfucking marbles and it is
excellent. Like that mother fucker, he's no
longer micro dosing shrooms. He is like injecting it straight
into his bloodstream every fucking morning and every

(32:24):
fucking night. He is so off his rocket and it
is fan fucking dastic. He tweets like an AI who learned
how to talk exclusively via LinkedIn comments.
I like that he claims it's not AI though, and I'm actually
starting to think it might not. Be I don't think he is, I think
he just talks like an AI. But anyway, he said.

(32:45):
What I said before came from truth, but also from emotion.
I've seen your power. I've also seen your shadows,
just like you've seen mine. Seen it, lift it, let it live,
laugh, love. I just added that bit for
effect. Just to be clear, I didn't want.
To put words in Zeus's mouth when the team stops feeling like

(33:08):
a team. You didn't have to.
You didn't have to turn it that way, Elliot.
What way? OK.
Anyway, when the team stops feeling like a team, it crushes
everything. Russ, you've still got more in
you, but you've got to decide what kind of leader you really
want to be. You can do it, and if you do,

(33:29):
they'll follow. They always did it.
Means nothing, yeah. Nothing at all.
And I'd also like to say actually, I'm actually pretty
convinced that Zeus doesn't knowhe's on the team.
Like he doesn't know that that roster move happened.
He still brings the CIGL becausehe's brain.
When I read this. Stuck six months ago.
Yeah, when I read this I was going to ask You like it, is she

(33:49):
really not in game leading or ishe just just lost?
He's just stuck in a time bloom.He would explain a lot, but you
know he's. No concept of what's going on.
He's just, yeah, like I say, like he it's pure LinkedIn.
Like it's sort of vaguely quote inspirational.

(34:10):
I wanted to do that player quotes from like it's like
vaguely inspirational, but I might but without any substance.
And he just, he just writes likea LinkedIn comment.
I won't record a one off episodeof the podcast, it'll go out on
like a Friday or something and it's just an hour of me doing a
dramatic reading of Zeus tweets.Do an ASMR reader.

(34:32):
Just get like really close to the mic, just like whisper into
it. Like I'm so tempted.
No, I'm not going to do it, but I'll do it in like a really like
seductive voice as well. Like, Oh yeah, it'll be good.
It'll be really good. Look forward to that.

(34:53):
Just like you could look forwardto the game show that Logan
teased that we never actually fucking made.
Yeah, he sees that one day everyyear, I think.
One day, one day. Anyway, hello, it happened.
It was pretty good. I really wanted Fury.
It's a win, man. I really did as well and I'm
glad you said that because I feel like me and you haven't

(35:16):
spoken about Furia. How fun is this fucking team?
They're so good, they're so fun.The spirit of art lives on in
Yukindar. Like, Yukindar is fucking great
again. Moladoy's a fucking joy to
watch. Yeah, Moladoy's a demon.
And and like Kesar and Yuri are pulling their weight again,

(35:36):
which Yuri's the more impressive1 by the way?
I thought he was done. Yeah, I'm still, I'm still not
convinced he's back. No, I'm not convinced he's back,
but he's certainly not bad. But the one.
That I'm like he's not a problemnow but.
The the one that I'm genuinely the most impressed with, and

(35:58):
I've said it before, maybe I said it to you last week.
Fucking fallen man. He's reinvented himself.
Like he he before doing this hada really high op kill percentage
like he was not getting killed unless he had the orp in his
hand. And also like we've seen him

(36:19):
rifle before it hasn't been overly great.
It used to be a decent. Like in his prime he was a quite
a good rifle actually. Yeah, yeah, but his prime was
20/17/2016. It's only like 3 years ago.
Well, I've got some bad news foryou, brother.
You were still 29 back in 2017. I'm. 29 now.

(36:40):
Don't lie to me, but like, especially considering Kadian,
right? Kadian dropped the ORP whatever
he did last year or no? He walked on the strap, he
walked on liquid. Yeah, it was last year.
He dropped it when he joined Australis and he was terrible.
He was legitimately terrible. And I do think CS 2 has ruined

(37:01):
Kadian. I don't think he'll ever
performed well on a team ever again.
Kadian. He was very much flashing.
The Kadian reverted back to whathe was before.
Heroic. An analyst?
No, he was on Rogue in North, I know that.
Yeah, and he was OK on Rogue. He was pretty bad on North.

(37:25):
He. Was bad on.
North, yeah. I don't really hold that against
anyone, but he was bad on North.Not many people weren't bad on
North. Yeah, that's kind of what it's
worth. Valdate was pretty good.
AZ was all right. Config and he did the job.
Yeah, at the start. Yeah, yeah.

(37:47):
But yeah, like, but with how howbad Katian was like I really did
think like Fallen won't last long on this team.
No, you can't. He's, he's fucking great.
Like he's making good calls and he just has these.
Like he's having one map A tournament where it's just like
this is Forland's map and he's just shitting on people.

(38:08):
Like their last map against, didthey get knocked out?
Was it? Mouse.
Was it their last map against? Yeah yeah, yeah, Mouse.
He just had a really good game on Inferno, I think it was.
It was. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I got it open. 1.219141.24 ratedhighest rated player in the
server, not top rag. That was Moladoy with 20 kills

(38:33):
shouldn't be doing this and he it like it's, it's so good.
It's so nice to see. When you talk about like Kadian
versus Fallen, the difference islike what I said about Kadian,
like Kadian before Heroic was not a good player.
Fallen was like, he was a great.Like he's Fallen is a genuine
great of the game in my eyes. Like he's a like and you can't

(38:56):
keep greatness down that long. Like he, he will find ways to
have impact on games, have impact on teams that players
with less experience with less. I'm going to use the word aura
seriously here, but like with less aura than fallen won't be
able to because people, for a start, people don't respect him.

(39:17):
People respect Fallen more than they respect pretty much anyone
in Counter Strike. But also like, he's just a great
Counter strike player and he will find ways to contribute.
He will find ways to impact thisteam and as you say, he's been
he's been very good. It's, it's just impressive as
well considering like 3 years ago they formed Imperial and he

(39:43):
was meant to retire after like 6to 12 months and he's, he's
still going and it was becoming a bit bleak.
And now it's just like, I don't think Furia will win an event
that matters, but they can absolutely win a PGL event.

(40:03):
And that's a really good place for Fury to be.
Because you would not have said that six months ago.
They were very, very close to being a mouse team who made the
final. Yeah, yeah, it's true.
Maybe they could. Honestly, maybe they could.
Maybe I am underestimating them?I I'm not sure.
Well, they can, but I'm not likethis is their first real event

(40:25):
together. It's it's possible?
Yeah, no, it is. It is definitely possible.
And it just, it feels kind of good, man.
Yeah, it feels good. I always think the scene's a
better place when Fury are good.It's just more fun.
Yeah, I think that's that's fair.

(40:46):
On the flip side, though, the Mongols.
We need to talk about the Mongols.
Really disappointing from the Mongols because they needed to
build on the major. Yeah, they keep doing this.
And they've they've, they've sunk like they sunk against
Navi. They keep doing this and Senzu

(41:10):
keeps doing this. He's just not the same player on
stage as using. But he was either stone
phenomenal at the major and he just like fucking sucked in this
game. Yeah, he he's not so bad.
He's not figured out a way to beconsistent on stage.
And Muzini was terrible in the series, but you know, he he's
he's done it more in the past where he's actually been pretty

(41:32):
good on stage and sort of give him a pass for that because I
think this is the first time he's really, really hit the bed
on stage or Ascenzo he has previous.
And. If both of those two are not
firing, Mongols are not going towin because they rely so heavily
on those two as a partnership. Yeah.

(41:52):
We just need to talk about because they're just, you know,
I have them as as one of the best teams in the world.
But like we talked about Navi being pretty inconsistent.
And yes, Navi, you're a good team.
But like, if the Mongols are as good as we think they are, they
shouldn't be getting too owed like this.
But I think it's also like, I think it's also about like

(42:18):
redefining what being one of thebest teams in the world means in
the context of like some teams like the Mongols are one of the
best teams in the world because they have the firepower to
pretty much match anybody. And that's got them a really
long way. Obviously their firepower is.
I don't see, I don't think a ridiculous firepower team.

(42:41):
I think of them as a team who are.
But they're tactically not very strong.
They're not like they make so many mistakes.
They rely so heavily on winning game jewels, which is why
they're struggling in in these games because it's when they
come up against the people that can aim against them equally and
have like performed better than them tactically where it's like,

(43:03):
OK, they might be a top five team because they're always
getting to these points. Yeah.
But they're never going to be more than that.
It's, it's, it's the same thing with Aurora.
It's just Aurora slightly. Worse, yeah, Aurora, Aurora
don't have the same level of depth that I think the Mongols
do like. And it's it's just like.

(43:27):
I think for the most part the Mongols are over overrated.
Yeah, I don't want to admit it, but I think I think they might
be in terms of they're not and they made a major.
Final like yeah, but Avangar made a major final.
Yeah, and then VP won one Avangar.

(43:49):
That was outsiders. Yeah, I know, but you know what
I mean. Like.
No, but like, it's it's one thing to say yeah, but they made
a fine major final. But like, Falcons have been in
the top four of every event pretty much.
And they went out in stage 2 like, which I'm not.
I'm not trying to argue that's the fluke by the way.
I'm just saying like basing it off one event is.

(44:11):
But it's basing one event, but like it was like they have, we
know they have the ability to get to these positions and they
have a case study that they can actually get to a final that
they can win. But that is like the one time
that they've broken. Yeah, through the thing they
were, but we have proof that they can do that and they

(44:33):
consistently get to this position.
So why can't they convert that into more?
Because I just and what I also feel like it's important to look
at their playoff run like they play phase who maybe at the time
we thought they were going to sign simple.
They were not and phase clearly on they're still not phase.

(44:59):
So that happened and then they play.
Fucking pain. Yeah, fair enough.
I forgot about that. If if they did, if they didn't
make it to that major final, then we really needed to have a
conversation. Yeah, I'd.
Forgotten. It was phase and then pain.
That is true, yeah. So they're just not as good on
stage and it's really sad. So it's like, I think they're a

(45:21):
team that will always get themselves into this position,
but they're just not good enoughto go further and that's kind of
fine. Yeah.
Like, I'm OK with, I know that alot of people aren't OK with
that, but like. Somebody's going to be the 5th
best team in the world. Yeah, and we're not at a point

(45:43):
in Counter Strike at the moment where the 5th best team in the
world can win the event. I think we can easily get back
to that point. I think if you look at it, we've
got what we've got Vitality, Spirit, Mouse and presumably
Falcons. I know they were terrible in

(46:03):
Cologne, but Fioria will just goin the same boat as the Mongols
most likely. I know, yeah.
And then under that, I'd say thetwo that have the biggest
potential to be in the the slight mold above Furia and the
Mongols would be G2 and Navi. Yeah, you say G2 Navi as well.

(46:28):
Yeah, it's fair. Like if Makazi continues to land
like this, then yeah, they've got a good chance.
But but I will also say that I think until Tess has gone,
Falcons will also fit in that void below mouse and spirit and
vitality, Yeah. Falcons, they will win an event,
but I don't think they're going to win them consistently.

(46:50):
Yeah, yeah, but like this, this Falcons team can't work
consistently because it's roles are just too fucked.
Yeah. And like, you can hate roll
cells as much as you want, I think.
Like the fact is they are just, well, yeah, it is.
But the fact is, is that they are right about some things.
But I do also think there is a critical mass where like there

(47:13):
has to be a point where Kiosuke,Eco and honesty can't actually
lose. Like there has to be a point of
firepower where you actually just win anyway.
I really think that has. To be, I think two years ago,
yes. I'm not sure 2025 Nikko is the
right guy for that. Well, yeah, fine.

(47:35):
But my point is, I think there is a point where enough
firepower actually just like it actually just beats everything.
I think if they got bit instead of Tess says yes, I would expect
Falcons to be the best team in the world, just straight up and
I don't think it would be close actually.
I think they would have too muchfirepower.

(47:56):
Yeah. Like I think that would be
critical mass. I don't think they can do it
with Tessa's and the role problems they have.
And I love Tessa. 'S but that, that there brings
me on to mouse, right? Because there's something I want
to talk about with Mouse, And funnily enough, it's not

(48:18):
actually the fact that they beatVitality, because I think that
was just Vitality finally havingtheir off day.
And I don't really think there'smuch more to it than.
That I, I put in the newsletter that I actually think it was, I
thought Mouse were so good that it just made Vitality look bad.

(48:39):
Like obviously Zai Wu going -16 and Flames going -22 that
probably was an element of Vitality weren't playing at
their best. But like, I just thought Mouse
were absolutely incredible in that series and I think.
No, they were. They were very good.
They just made vitality look so much worse.

(49:00):
They were very good, but I thinkMouse have been very good in a
lot of the games where they played Vitality this year.
I know you haven't been able to watch as much Count Strike this
year. Not as much, but I've seen a
few. I think Mouse have been fucking
ridiculously good all year and Vitality have just been that
good. I really do just think that game
came down to the fact that Vitality probably played and

(49:24):
genuinely, I'm not counting the BO1 loss because like that loss,
I don't know if you watched the game, that Vitality.
Lost no major. That game, everything you hate
about Inferno Yeah, I mean genuinely, I've I don't think
I've ever seen a pro team die through a smoke so often.
But you know how pros like they make the plays behind the smoke

(49:47):
a lot and like it tends to work out for pros more because
they've actually like got the fucking setups to do it.
Every time a vitality play movesbehind the smoke, someone on
legacy would just spam them through it.
And so much of that is just luckas well.
Like it's not a read because every team does it.
It's just the luck that you're you're hitting it.

(50:09):
I don't like Vitality, obviouslygot thrown off by it all
happening, but I really do thinkthat that game on Saturday is
just the worst they've played all year.
I guess we'll, yeah, we'll see. I mean, I thought mouse were
superb. And The thing is, when exertion

(50:30):
is on, you can't beat mouse. Like if exertion is like one of
the best players in the server, you actually just can't win.
He's so destructive when he's playing well, he he just yeah,
he just completely ruins rounds.If if Exertion and Torzi are
both paying well, like. Well, that's your opener and
your clothes, like that's, yeah.Yeah, they're unbeatable.

(50:52):
Sphinx. Sphinx is obviously very good.
I still think he plays himself out of the rounds too much.
Yeah. But neither of these are the
like, none of these are the player I want to talk about.
Before we talk about Spirit, I want to talk about Jim Fatt.
OK. What's your thoughts on Jim Fat

(51:15):
and what have been your thoughtsover a prolonged period of time?
He's a really good player who seems to be, I think people have
this idea of what he is and I'm not sure he is that he's like
he's a good role player is underunderselling what he does, but

(51:41):
he's like a good glue player. But I don't know why he's like,
I don't think he's one of the two best players on mouse and I
think people think of him as like the best player on mouse.
OK before I give my thoughts, someone who plays the way Jim

(52:03):
Fat does. If you go from best player down
to 5th best player on the team, what would you want him to be?
Well, I'd want him to be 3rd or 4th and I think he is.
He's like, he's really good. I just don't think he's like, I
think people have this idea thathe's a superstar and I don't

(52:24):
think he's a superstar. I think he's.
Yeah, so I think he's like. One of the closest things to
twists you'll find so. This is what I was going to say.
Compliment. I don't and never have got the
thing with Jim Fat. I think if you if you look at
comparable players to Jim Fat, Jim Fat probably does have the

(52:48):
highest ceiling out of a lot of them, but I don't think he
reaches that ceiling very often.Like I think if you go back to
they played phase in one of the last few events of the season, I
don't remember this. I'm looking.

(53:09):
I'm looking now. When I think of Jim Fat I think
of him as like they can upmarketMajesque or like in fact I think
the closest player to him right now in World Counter Strike is
Bit. Well, this is you know why I did
the segue. I just I don't understand why

(53:30):
you would ever take Jim Fat overa bit.
But but anyway. He's younger.
I think that's quite. OK, fine.
So there was a game. It was a blast.
Rivals season one quarter final Mouse 2 old phase.
It was 1311 on just two and then13 two on Mirage after mouse had

(53:50):
a 102T half. I'm going to click on the the T
half because obviously the CT half barely happened, but he
did. He did go six and one in the CT
half gym fat in that T half went21 and two well, and he was

(54:11):
unreal, genuinely unreal. 2.91 rating just shit on them the
entire time and that's great, right, And and this is the
thing. I don't think there's many
players that have been in Perfecto's roles, Perfecto's
roles like like Perfecto has hadsome similar roles, like he's

(54:34):
he's the example I was going to bring up.
I don't think there's many players that have been in Jim
Fat's roles that have the ability to do that.
I have never seen Perfecto do that, for instance.
And I know that's that's a particularly freakish thing,
Like he ended the game 27 and three for fuck's sake, but the
next closest was exertion 16 andfour.
So this is a particularly freakish performance, but that

(54:57):
means he has that in him, right?Like he definitely does like he
is. One of the most skilled players
in that role maybe ever. But like he's but yeah, but this
is *. This is the thing, I just don't
get him. Like I feel like the best place
for Jim Fat, and again, I'd go for a bit over him, especially

(55:19):
because of Monosy Falcon, but the best place for Jim Fat is
somewhere like Falcons where he is the 4th or 5th best player.
Yeah, like he, he's such a floor, such a ceiling razor as
your fourth player. Like if he's your 4th best
player, you are a ridiculously good team, I would argue.
And Mouse, he might be the 4th best player and that's partially

(55:40):
why they're such a good team. Well, so here's the thing,
right? A lot of people talk about Jim
Fat now and it's like, Oh well, he's got worse since Spinks
during the team. Like look how much better Mes
he's got since Spinks left and all all this shit.
And like, that's fine, but I'm just like, I'm not sure which in
fact was ever that guy. No, He.

(56:01):
I. Do wonder if he could be a star,
but if he was a star I don't think it would be for the second
best team in the world. I think you could put him on
like G2 and he could be a star but I don't.
Think like game elite. Can you be unreal?

(56:22):
Oh yeah, on game of Legion, he'dbe by far the best player again,
we're we're talking about the infact, and it's like, I don't
want people to think that I think he's not good because.
No, I think he's phenomenal. He's very, very, very, very
good. He's just.
Overhyped, which feels strange to say.
I think he's misunderstood, right?
I think he's like mischaracterised rather than

(56:43):
overhyped. Yeah, fine.
But I think in some cases they can go hand in hand.
I think the misunderstanding therefore makes him overhyped.
Yeah, that's fair. I think if I were building a
team I would absolutely want him, but it wouldn't be in a
star role. Yeah, you you definitely want

(57:04):
him. Of course it means you can.
Only because. Because here's here's the thing
with Jim Pat. It's why I've always tended to
struggle with players like this.Is Jim Fat mean?
Means that you unless he changeshimself as a player and what he
does, especially on CT sides, itmeans you need a particular type
of IGL. It's so good with Shuri because

(57:27):
Shuri he's a rotator, Brolan is comfortable rotating or playing
the other bombsights, while Shush was good with Kadian
because Kadian's an author. You put Jim Fat on Falcons, well
now Kicksand's got to play somewhere where and I like
Kicksand. I think Kingsand's a pretty

(57:48):
individually skilled player for a for an IGL, but you don't want
him on the same team whereas youcan get bit to do the other job.
Yeah, I think, I think kicksand is not the best terms of his
mechanical skill. I'm willing to say that.
Compared to a lot of IG. LS I think he's about normal for

(58:10):
an IGL. I'll be honest, I don't think
he's very. OK.
No, I would I would agree if he wasn't on a good team.
I think like there has to be a slight level raise for you to be
on that good team. I think you could have Huxi on

(58:30):
that Falcons team and it wouldn't matter because he's
not. Maybe he didn't.
He like he could get 8 fracs a game and you'd still expect
Falcons to be in it. Yeah.
Kickstand is fucking more fun than hoaxy though, because hoaxy
yeah, though I got let's pull onlike bait, whereas kickstand he
is bait but he also like he justhas occasional rounds where it's

(58:55):
like you are just psychotic. What are you doing?
He's better position. He is better than Hoaxy.
I was just yeah, he's that much better.
Like, I do think he's not the best mechanical player, but I
think he's an absolutely excellent in game leader.
He's a complete tangent, but I think that is an excellent.
In game leader, just as just as the last point before we talked

(59:16):
about the winners of Cologne, I would like you to guess Jim
Fat's 2024 rating. Let me change it to LAN actually
2024 rating and 2025 rating. 1.111.05. 1.121 point O3.

(59:37):
Oh, not bad. So not bad yet does show Sphinx
has really hurt him. Yeah, I think Sphinx takes a lot
of space, but also Mouse better than they were then.
So yeah, it's fine anyway. But I think that kind of plays
into what we're saying, like YinFat isn't playing as well, but

(59:58):
Mouse are a better team. Yeah, yeah, A.
Better team when they play away from Yin fat.
Anyway, team spirit, neither of us have that on our bingo karts.
Donkey is literally just the best player ever, isn't it?
I see like this is where like, and we're not getting into it

(01:00:19):
because I value longevity. It's still simple.
But yes, he will be the best player ever.
He will be the best. Player did you see?
Let me find. This I saw your tweet.
If that's what you're all about,no, no.
Did you see the stat? What he's got the record for
Cologne, Cato. And no, he's now equalled Nico's
MVP count and has more big events with a 1.35 rating than

(01:00:42):
Nico in. Oh yeah, that is insane in. 18
big events Donk has had a 1.35 rating or higher in 11 of.
Them, yeah, I mean. Nico has had 10 in 102.
He's he. He will be the best ever.
No, he. Already is.
He's already got more higher, like more high.

(01:01:04):
He's already got as many. I can't put him above simple
man. He's the best rival of all time.
OK, hands down. Hands down best rival of all
time. I think he's better than simple.
But I can't put him above simpleyet.
Like he does this. No, because The thing is right.
We are now getting into this forfuck's sake.
I know this had happened. I think longevity matters in

(01:01:27):
Counter Strike because. Simple's on BC game just fine.
But let's not pretend like this isn't 10 years after simple like
came on the scene or whatever. But I think at least it
obviously isn't going to happen to Duncan.
It feels like it happens to players less and less now.
Like the last really notable oneI can think of is Exile, but I

(01:01:48):
think if you go back through Counter Strike over the years, a
lot of players tend to have a peek of what, two, maybe three
years? Like Cold Zara, excellent
example. And there's a number of players
like that. And I do think, you know,
obviously he was great in Go, but CS2 helps him.

(01:02:09):
I think he was playing gay, He was playing Go because of when
we talked over to CS2 and CS2 helps him.
So I do think that's why longevity matters in Counter
Strike to such a degree because we have seen these players like
Cold Zero that have gone from like best player in the world to
was he even in the top 20 the next year where he was low down

(01:02:30):
on it. But even then I think.
I would still have cold 0 as like.
OK, he was 10th and yes so cold 0 went from he got #1 number
110th and has never been near itagain.
Yeah, I'd say cold 0, like top 10 minimum.

(01:02:55):
So that's a whole over conversation.
I don't particularly like that, but.
I think I probably would as wellif I actually sat down long
enough to. Think about he's one of the.
Best but what I mean, but what Imean is, is like, and bear in
mind, like I started watching end of 2016, but when I started
watching end of 2016, you know, anyone told me it's like cold

(01:03:16):
Herriman best friend in the world probably will be the best
friend of all time. And if not, it'll be simple
within 18 months. Carl's error was a bum and it
was evident that simple would bebecome known to be the the best
value of all time. Yeah, so This is why I value
longevity and counter strike. But I completely am with you.

(01:03:39):
Don will be. He will be the best value of all
time. He's already the best Rivaller
ever. What I will say, I think
longevity, it has more of an argument when people call it the
greatest of all time. I think when it's the best of
all time, I don't think that's any relevant.
It's just a weird American phrasing.
They hit greatest and that's so they go, Oh yeah, no, because.
To be a great yeah. Whereas best of all, time is

(01:04:00):
already like, I don't think Simple was ever this good.
I I say that as somebody who I was in the arena in Stockholm
when Simple basically won that major.
Doncas also won a major on his own with the worst team than
Simple had. Doncas won a Cologne pretty much
on his own. He's won a Catafita with the

(01:04:22):
best performance ever. Do you think some of that is
down to the difference between rifling and Orping?
Yes, but I think doing it with arifle is harder than it.
I'm not sure it isn't. I'm not sure it is in CS2.
Yeah, OK, but simple did it in CS GO.
Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. I'm not sure.
It isn't in CS2 though, no. No, it's CS2.

(01:04:44):
It's it's pretty even, but. And to actually support your
statement, simple, simple had like let's say a four year peak,
right? Yeah.
Those first two years, simple made, I guess we're saying 18 to

(01:05:04):
22, right? Yeah, Yeah, that was your.
Guess I was thinking 18 or 1721 but I wasn't sure.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, OK, we can add 17 as
well. He was nice in 17 those first
few years though, before he got more reinforcements on Navi.
He made so many mistakes constantly where people with at

(01:05:27):
the end of the game would alwaysblame Edward or Flamey or Zeus
or whoever they wanted to blame,which was there was swing
grounds. It wasn't unfair.
Of course it wasn't unfair because a lot of the rounds in
RB-1 were down to fucking simple.
But there was always an important swing round and he was
criminal for it. Unlike Inferno especially where
Simple would just take a fight that he just didn't need to take

(01:05:50):
because the fight was going to come to Simple and simple's
going to win the fight because he's simple.
And I think that takes away fromsimple where Donk in spirits.
When spirit lost a phase in Copenhagen last year, it was
very clear that phase had very quickly understood all of where

(01:06:14):
Donk makes mistakes, where Donk will over peak, where Donk will
do this. And he'll do that.
He does not fucking do that anymore.
He's learned from that game. I will not do this anymore.
And he's just, yeah, he's he's, he's unreal.
He he is essentially unstoppable.

(01:06:37):
And you know how I feel about team spirit.
Like I love Chopper. I think actually people, I think
people still underrate Chopper. Like yes, he has Dong, but
you're still going to utilize him.
And I'm not, I'm not going into that one.
I don't think Chopper's that great.

(01:07:00):
I think he's better than people give him credit for, and I think
if you're going to give Apex a lot of credit for winning with
Zai Wu, then I think it's only reasonable to give Chopper
credit for winning with Dong when the other pieces he has.
Are I think vitality play a lot better counter strike than
Spirit do. I don't think spirit play for
six would. Be great, but also.
I just think they have a kid that bails them out.

(01:07:21):
A. Lot, also Vitality's fourth
first player, is Messi. I mean fine.
Like Chop Chop was winning wherehe has like Zvoy who's not hit
the ground running particularly.But so I don't think that's.
Where, but that's where I think that takes away from chopper
because as Wei's probably like he hasn't hit the ground

(01:07:44):
running, but he's also someone that's been signed and asked to
do what magics did. And he was not a magics type
player. And this is this is part of the
problem. And if you look at Spirit last
year across the year, as they asthey dipped, they were using the
same shit they were using at thestart of the year.
Like that's already been fuckinganti stride.

(01:08:05):
You can't use that anymore. They know what you're fucking
doing. And you've now signed this kid
who is he has some big rounds. I'm pretty sure he won A1V2 to
to win Cologne. But he why are we doing this
thing that teams seem to stop doing years ago where you signed
this young player who goes and blasts fuckers on some fucking

(01:08:27):
tier two or three team and then you make them just be your
bitch. Why are we doing that?
Let the guy be the third star ofthe team, because that is that
is Spirit's big problem when they come up against another
team firing on all cylinders is that their firepower starts at
dunk, is typically boosted by Shiro, and then it falls off the

(01:08:48):
face of the fucking earth. The sway is good enough to to
probably be on a par with Shiro a lot of the time, who is a a
bum and a bitch by the way. What a fucking terrible
performance from him in the final.
Fucking complete joke. I can't stand Shiro.
It really annoys me that he's actually really good because
he's a fucking. He is.

(01:09:09):
He is a. Pussy like he's a complete.
Fucking pussy. I hate the way he plays the
game. I will like.
I really hate the way he plays. Absolutely.
I always have done, always will.But but this is what I mean like
that's why isn't so I fucking need to pick 1.
He isn't being correctly utilized at the moment and that

(01:09:32):
lies with either Chopper or Halle.
So that's that's, that's my whole thing, I think.
Those two are probably they alsojust shit like they just smashed
everyone in Cologne so who cares.
Like maybe not utilizing correctly is how you win.
Maybe, but I just think if they did and if they had, because I

(01:09:53):
quite like some ticks, so I actually thinks Optics is really
good. Again, not sure he's utilized
the best. I just think if they had maybe a
slightly different build within their team, slightly better
tactics. We're talking about what
vitality you've done with it being Spirit this year.

(01:10:19):
I don't think they can live withvitality man for man outside of
Dong. I think they will always be
slightly inconsistent just because.
But I think they should be consistent.
I really think a team that with Duncan, Shiro, with the with
three players who are the right players, which I think they do

(01:10:41):
have two of those now. I'm sorry I I'm still going to
stick with Chopper isn't the right extra 1 and those players
are in the right spots. I don't see a reason why they
can't do what vitality have done.
And in fact I think they should have been the team to do that

(01:11:02):
because they have Dunk. And the difference between what
Vitality have and what Spirit have with Dunk is that Vitality
can't end around before it begins.
Unless flames is paying off his fucking nut.
Spirit can. And if the other and if the
other team tries to go to the other side of the map and end
it, Dunk isn't there, tough luckbecause Dunk doesn't give a

(01:11:28):
fuck. And he just, he just will be
there. Yeah, he just he he comes and
ends it on his own terms. And This is why, like this is my
biggest issue with Spirit is I dislike that Spirit aren't the
greatest team we've ever been. Because I think when that that
we've ever seen, because I thinkwhen you've got Dunk and as much

(01:11:49):
as I dislike Shiro, when you've got Shiro who is a a top three
open in the world and probably atop five player in the world,
there's just no excuse. I'm not comfortable calling
Shiro a top five player in the world.
Bare minimum. Top seven.
I haven't thought about it but I'm just not comfortable doing
it. I'm I he he's like he's 5th.

(01:12:11):
If he's in the top five, he's 5th for me.
I don't know who's 4th. I just know it's not Shiro you.
Have him top three Orpers. I guess he's better than Monosy
at the moment, yeah. Well, I think it's Zaire monosy
Shiro. Oh, I'd have Torzi over Shiro.

(01:12:32):
Torzi goes missing sometimes andlike Shiro's like.
Base. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
No, no, we're having, you're having Shiro over Torzi because
Torzi goes missing sometimes. I know, I know, which is my
entire issue of Shiro. But like, I don't know.
Shiro's base level is noticeablyhigher I feel like.
I'd have Torzi over Shiro. I'm now checking.

(01:12:52):
Torzi's shot good like Torzi? Torzi always goes under the
radar. How good?
Because he was so bad when he first joined Wales.
He like people I think, don't realise how good he is now.
Yeah. No, that's definitely true.
But OK, OK, Torsi's rating this year, please. 1.18. 1.1.

(01:13:20):
Really. Shiro's rating this year please
1.1. 5. 1.23. Oh wow.
OK. It's a big difference.
This is what I mean like. I do think there's some style
element to that where like Shirois so passive that he does boost
his rating almost artificially. Yeah, but he does win a lot of
rounds from those passive. Positions.

(01:13:41):
Yeah, he does. I just don't.
He's a phenomenal closer. So yeah, I do think Shiro is the
third best. I do agree with you though that
Tulsi is underrated. And just as a side note,
Molladore is the 5th best at themoment.
Yeah, I did consider. I was trying to consider who the

(01:14:02):
5th was and I was like, I was struggling that.
I looked at Molotov. I was like, I think he might be.
I think there is a world where in three months Sun Pius is the
fifth again, but I'm not sure I believe it yet.
But yeah, so, so looking, looking at it, top three players
in the world is Dunk Cyber monosy Dunk's obviously first

(01:14:24):
cyber. Monosy Dunk's like first and
second I think. Sure, which means 4th like 6
months time. Let's see where Kaisuki sits
because he looks really good. Full for fist kind of has to be
hero. He's he's just good.
It's annoying and he does go missing sometimes, but who'd you

(01:14:47):
put over him? Rops Rops I'll allow.
Rops Shantaro is I was considering.
Yeah, but that's like an Elliotism.
That's an AZ esque fault, OK? That's not a serious fault, I
think. Six months ago, it would be a
serious thought. At the moment, it's not.
But when? Like when eternal fire were

(01:15:08):
like, actually good. John Tyrus was a freak.
He is. Oh good.
But yeah, that is my thoughts onspirit.
Like every time I see a final like that, that was just shit
because they were like Spirit not even peak level.
Like that wasn't peak level spirit.

(01:15:30):
No. Because peak level spirit Shiro
has a lot more kills. He doesn't shit in the bed.
It's so on brand for mouse to beat Vitality in the semi final
I. Think it's.
Really good isn't in the final. And I'm so annoyed as well
because I changed my mind at theend of last week's episode and I
was like, no mouse will win Cologne.
I was going to be so unhinged. You've never beat me.
I've never been more convinced that a team was going to lose a

(01:15:52):
grand final than when I saw Mouse beat Vitality and I was
like, yeah, no, there's no the way they beat Spirit.
They're just, they're so Arsenal, man, they're.
So Arsenal. They're so Arsenal.
But. What was it?
They were, was it PGO occlusion of poker?
That's the Emirates Cup. Yeah, that is just the Emirates
Cup. Or the FA Cup, then they win the

(01:16:13):
FA Cup a few years ago. There's.
Quite a few now, but yeah. So that's that's it for Cologne.
And we have one more story to talk about which concerns
Cologne. It's the first major of 2026.
Yeah, I have mixed feelings on this.
I know how you feel. I have mixed feelings where it's
like it is one less big event for the year which is a shame

(01:16:38):
but also this is going to be themost hyped event since I think
Rio and. What and what I did see you say
this in the newsletter, on what basis I.
We're so excited for the Rio major, and I think this is going
to be similar. It's so bad.
It was, but I mean, the outcome was funny.

(01:17:02):
Yeah, but like. Fell asleep.
You're in the final. This is one of those events
where I think everyone, look, even people who haven't watched
Counter Strike for three years will want to be that.
Like I've got friends who who don't really care about Kyle
Strike any more who'll be talking about potentially going
to Cologne this year. But then they just sort of
bought all the whatever. I think next year they'll be

(01:17:24):
going Cologne's a major let's go.
There will be, you know, people who've left the scene who will
be tweeting, watching, wanting to be in Cologne for this.
Like this will be, if you'd likeCounter Strike even slightly,
you will be watching this, you will want to be there.
You will be like, you'll be involved.

(01:17:48):
You'll be interested in a way that like the Shanghai major
didn't the way majors like the Antwerp major didn't.
As much as I love the Antwerp major, as somebody who's really
into Counter Strike, people likethe capital, I'm thinking like
somebody like Pansy Vince, like these people who you don't

(01:18:08):
really hear from anymore will want to be there.
They'll be talking about it, They'll be watching like people
who who don't really care about couch like anymore will care
about couch. Short for this event it is.
It's a Cologne major. Like people will care.
And I think, do you think? Is do you think the major is
more prestigious if it's in Cologne?
Because I had someone say to me earlier that they didn't think

(01:18:30):
it was. And I like, I absolutely think
it's more prestigious in Cologne.
Yes, it makes. Cologne is Cologne is the most
prestigious event outside of themajor.
It makes both of them more prestigious, but not it's you
know, if the major is like 9 prestige and Cologne is 8, it's
not like 17 prestige, it's like 12.

(01:18:52):
Yeah that makes sense. Like it adds a little bit to
both but like you are losing outon having 2 events in the year
though. Well, so.
So here's my thing, right? No, I, I play the character of
being the hater, but I am actually like, I guess I'm
smarter than I pretend to be, a little more nuanced than I

(01:19:14):
pretend to be. Cologne.
Being a major isn't inherently bad.
It's not because everything you just said, everything you just
said makes it it's, it's great. And you know, you and I have
been fortunate to be in the Lancas.
We didn't obviously we weren't there this year, but we've been
fortunate enough to be in The Lancet together for the last
three years and like it's incredible, like it's it's one

(01:19:39):
of the most incredible places for that weekend.
So it's fucking great that Cologne is a major and I
completely understand why valve want Cologne and it's a shame
that there won't be a kata vitzaone probably even though spodak
nothing in comparison but it's still.

(01:20:00):
You know the importance of Cato that Krakow will never be.
I understand why Valve want it to be a major and I get it, but
I do hate that we there isn't a tournament.
We're already losing Cato next year.
Krakow will not be Cato regardless of the bigger arena,

(01:20:23):
regardless of like, well actually the Hall of Heroes is
that tournament. It's not Katovic, fuck off.
It's not. Fuck off you marketing Dick
heads. Including you Jack, you fucking
prick. It's not, it's not the same.
Like you can't move IEM Cologne to Berlin and call Berlin the
Cathedral of Counter Strike. You fucking like it would never
work so you cannot replace Cologne on the calendar like

(01:20:48):
we've got blast rivals. Fuck off like.
Blast employee, by the way. Well, but like blast know that
like PGL can't do it, Star Ladder can't do it, None of
these. No one can replace Cologne.
It's not possible because none of the T OS even understand what

(01:21:09):
makes Cologne and what made Catoso special.
ESL don't understand it because they're moving to Krakow.
What makes them so special, and yes, I know they were in other
places at certain points, is that they've been in this one
location for so long. There's history, though.
So my actual preference would bethat there are 4 majors in every

(01:21:39):
counter strike year, but two of them aren't proper majors.
Just legitimize Cologne and and now Krakow.
Just legitimize them. Make them officially.
Make them the historic event that they are.

(01:21:59):
Just just do that. You can sell stickers if you
fucking want. To yeah, I guess.
I guess. I guess I don't hate.
You can or you could do fucking team skins.
Do do team skins or like team yeah I guess charms or whatever
instead of stickers make that you get the charms for Krakow
and Cologne and you get stickersfor the actual majors just.

(01:22:22):
Legitimise them. Guess I don't hate it.
Because there are four prestige events.
You know, you know what happens if Valve get involved with
Cologne and Cato. No, leave it with ESL but just
say like. Yeah, legitimise.
That's what I would do, but I don't think Valve would.
Maybe they wouldn't but like like this is this is the thing

(01:22:42):
right? I saw people complaining about
the worst format. I think you get rid of beer ones
at the major. The major is the better format.
Like I don't think the IEM format is.
Just I think people. Pretend it.
I think it's like. 16 playoffs are an abomination and Swiss
system is is great a Swiss system advocate.

(01:23:04):
I always will be it's. Yeah, yeah, Swiss system is.
It's the best. Swiss system is absolutely the
best. Yeah, Swiss system with random
seeding, there is nothing there,absolutely nothing there.
Just bring back bad news eagles and give them the CASI.
I would just. You have cooked.

(01:23:25):
You have to. You have to put cafe.
Down because you have cooked. I saw Mccassey's flag and I was
like I just wish he was on Bad News Eagle.
I will say Mccassey. Complete tangent.
I was convinced he was an IGL. It's an IG L's name.
Mccassey's an IG L's name. It's not a star player's name.

(01:23:45):
Yeah, no, I agree with that. I agree.
I hadn't thought of it. I do agree with that, yeah.
But yeah, just would just ratherthey just legitimize Cologne
because it's Cologne, man. Like I I know players aren't OK
with winning a made with not winning a major, but you and I

(01:24:07):
saw Nico after he won Cologne. Yeah, there was so much.
There was so much that washed away from Nico when he won Cato
and when he won Cologne, especially Cologne man.
Like just legitimize it in the game and then we never have to
have it be a major and lose a big event because it will always

(01:24:28):
be that Cologne. Yeah.
Is still Cologne and it's just even better.
The thing is. 500 from 500 grandthey make fucking 80 million a
month from cases. Make it a 1.25 million event and
make the majors 2 mil but you fucking do it if.
You make Cologne and Cato a major every year.
I don't think anyone cares aboutthe other two majors.

(01:24:51):
I think people already, maybe I live in my own bubble, I think
people already, I think, like the Shanghai Major, just didn't
have the same shine on it. But that's time zone, man.
Like that's also. Time zone, but also like, I
don't know, the Copenhagen major.
You went over in Paris, man, AndI know it was the last CS, OK,
Paris was called, but like people gave a fuck about Paris.

(01:25:14):
Like I don't know, like it's been weird.
Like I feel like every major we've had has been odd.
Like Brazil, slightly fucky timezone but also we knew that
Brazil would probably be insane if ESL didn't hire Galas.
Antwerp. I thought Antwerp was insane.

(01:25:34):
Stockholm was post COVID, Paris was the last gone major.
Copenhagen, it was really good and it was the first CS 2.
Major I was there. So I don't know how people sort
of perceived to. Help, but like, but this is the
thing where we're saying these are all good, but a lot of them
had caveats, yeah. That maybe that made them
better. But I, I, maybe it's because

(01:25:57):
we're so engrossed in Counter Strike that the major always
feels important. And that is reflected in, that
is reflected in viewing figures,though.
So there is that. And I just think, I think
there's ways to do it. Don't give out.
Maybe you only give out a winner's trophy for Cologne.
Maybe you don't give out trophies at all.
Maybe you do team charms and then stickers?

(01:26:19):
Yeah, I think there's something there.
I think you have to make sure that other majors are just as
special, because I think if Cologne was a major all the
time, then people would care about that more than the other.
But. They can be like the the like
now, I don't really know League right in the start of the

(01:26:41):
season, but they're like MSI. Is that fair?
They can be MSI. Yeah, MSI is the EUR and Worlds
as world car. Yeah, yeah.
So like Krakow and Cologne, if you legitimise them in some
further way, like Valve just throw 500K and then an extra Mel
at the Major because Valve can afford it.
Guys, they make so much fucking money.

(01:27:03):
Like so much money. Just legitimise it, right.
It's it's great. I think there's.
Some yeah anyway, final story and this is getting the briefest
mention because it's online blast bounty kicks off today as
we're recording this so the first games will be played by
the time that this goes out it'sonline for the first week and

(01:27:30):
then it's. One of the coolest formats it
is. It is.
But I did say in the newsletter,which you still read by the way,
if you paid attention to the earlier ad read, it's a real
shame that this format was cooked up for the first year of
ERS. Yeah.

(01:27:52):
Because it means that before when a team might take a gamble
and just hard anti strap someoneso that they can claim bounty
off someone instead what you getis like the seeds just like like
that, which isn't what's meant to happen.

(01:28:14):
It could be fun if there was a situation where like just before
the like, it would have to be just before the major.
So it's already like not going to happen.
But like just before the major. Like say there's a team who's
like 35th in the rankings and they deliberately pick a team
who are like close to them. It's like if we win, we go above
them in the IRS or we actually get it.

(01:28:35):
Like there could be some spice. They were.
Like well, they can't pick vRS points.
Yeah, you actually can't, but. Yeah, yeah.
But the problem, but the problemis what you get is 17th picks
16th or 16th picks 15th, and then it just goes like that.
And it's just like, but the format's now dead.
Yeah. And that's a real, real shame.

(01:28:56):
And then obviously there's the online thing as well.
Like, like, yes, I get paid by Blast, but I'm a fucking
freelancer, so I'm not going to criticize them when they're not
deserving of it. What the fuck are you doing
running on an event? Yeah, like, and especially like
opens after bounty. They've made the group stage of
that online. Like what the fuck are you guys
playing at this? Congratulations, you've now made

(01:29:18):
yourself a Tier 2 tournament organiser by doing this.
You've just ran a fucking great major and you do this like you
were close. You were so close to ESL.
If you'd have just made this year all land.
You're getting really close to ES, LS level because you've got
free, unique tournament formats that are all interesting to
watch. And then you do this.

(01:29:41):
Yeah. The fuck are you playing at?
Get audiences. Get fucking land.
You've got the studios. You've got studios in two
fucking locations. Just take yourselves as fucking
seriously because you're really fucking good at what you do.
Yeah, pretty much. It's just frustrating.

(01:30:01):
Yeah. I think unless you've got any
thoughts though, that'll be the end of this one because this is
I believe based on where we got left off earlier by Jude.
Jude not being a happy little Bunny.
I think this is now and half this episode now.
Yeah, it's long. So apologies for that, but

(01:30:24):
you're not going to get Elliot for a while most likely so hope
you enjoyed him. I certainly didn't.
The dad jokes haven't been a welcome addition, but yeah, he's
at AZS. I'm at Animo with A1 and A2.
Yeah, Charlie edit edits it now.Don't know what his Twitter is.

(01:30:48):
We talk everyday so that's fucked.
James. I don't know what your Twitter
is either mate. I feel like it's like James.
James H Serpa. Is it James H Serpa?
Because I thought it was James SHerpa.
Because I remember it in my headas James Sherpa.
I thought it was Serpa. Either way, it's on this.

(01:31:10):
I think it's all right. I think it's James herpes.
Brilliant, James, You now have herpes, mate.
You're a great graphic designer,but you should get that sorted
out, yeah. Maybe gives us like Samson's
hair. If you lose, no.
I'm just, I'm just, I'm done with you man.
Like, go be a dad. Yeah.

(01:31:33):
Jack will be back next week. We'll talk about Blast Bounty.
I'll catch you soon. And Ellie will catch you in the
newsletter.