“Spirit should kick Chopper”, OG regress with cadiaN, and why FURIA are the favourites for the Major

On this week's episode of Overtime on Inferno, our hosts engage in a great debate surrounding Team Spirit's leadership again (but longer this time). Danish AWPing IGL cadiaN also makes a return with OG, the boys discuss if his career is still dead in the water, and if there's anyone OG can sign as a 5th that doesn't involve rescuing Fl4mus from the shadow realm. Otherwise known as Virtus.Pro.Join the discord:https://discord.gg/X3jU4djxUKCheck out Logan's newsletter:https://thestratbook.gg🎙️ Subscribe to the pod:https://readtldr.gg/podcast🗞️ Join +32K readers of our newsletter:https://readtldr.ggBecome a Counter-Strike demon:https://learncs.ggFollow your host and guests: https://twitter.com/AN1MOCS2https://twitter.com/novaHdesignhttps://twitter.com/aizyesque Thumbnail Jazz by: https://twitter.com/jameshserpa 📌 Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to crew[a]readtldr.comChapters00:00 Intro - what pro do you have delusional support for?04:22 IEM Chengdu review: Team Spirit24:55 IEM Chengdu review: Astralis, Mouz, Vitality29:50 IEM Chengdu review: FURIA vs Vitality38:50 OG sign cadiaN49:08 Taken of the week58:55 BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 2 preview

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Santa Claus, the magic of the FACup, and GTA6, these are all
things people still delusionallybelieve in.
But what do you, 2 Sam and Jack delusionally believe in in the
world of Counter Strike? Ted Kaczynski.
I mean, he was real. He was a real.

(00:23):
People in the world of Counter Strike.
Really got real fellow. You're about to say names like
Hampus, Nathani, and perhaps even Chopper.
Why can I not believe in the Unabomber?
Nathani is the truth. I'm a terror.
A terrorist of your own. Yes.
OK, I understand. Go on, Jack.
That's good. Yeah, I believe.
I believe in Nathani still. I think.

(00:44):
I think if spirit they have to make changes, which they don't
because Chopper's really good. He's actually the solution.
It's not. It's not Boomich.
It's not funny. Oh, OK, you could.
Have I mean that's. The that this is actually a good
offer. They could kick Zwey because
he's pretty shit, you know that?That also is an option.

(01:09):
Yeah, I I kind of agree. I mean he.
He. I mean he.
Is going, Isn't he so, so, so, so on?
Dix is at his. Home we will.
We will get on to that very shortly.
Yeah, I think my actual counter Strike belief, even though he
has justified it more than otherpeople, is probably Alexi B.

(01:35):
Confirmation bias. Of what?
Him being good one a few times to me not.
Really what not really what confirmation is I'm a little.
Confused. No, You're you're.

(01:57):
No, because you're saying that he actually is good and you
believe in him when, yeah, he's only had success for three
months out of his career. Not really sure.
I mean, that's more. Success than.

(02:17):
Daphne's had no. Not at all.
Daphne is a is AI am Calivita winner brackets online.
He's I am, he's a room winner. I've got SO.
Many. He's never won an IEM.
Oh, you won Rio? Yeah, Daphne would have been a
major, a major winner if if he was on spirit.

(02:40):
OK, look, I've got loads of these.
I mean, I wrote an ask or I talked about Dock as a what if
player. That's my delusion.
That's my most delusional 1. I think that's that's
particularly delusional. I've got Mia.
I still think Mia's good and I still kind of believe in.
Was Mia ever good? Like, like good like?

(03:05):
I'm sure he was fine. Was he ever good?
He was he HLTV #21 one yeah, they're like he just missed out
on top 20 by one place. OK, and what's what's the fellow
who was on verse pro never threwgrenades?
Chiron. Chiron.
I loved Chiron. Still think he's good?

(03:27):
Still think he's got. It Chiron.
He's actually crap. Yeah, of course he is.
But I still like him. Yeah, no, of course he is.
But I still, I still kind of feel it.
I'm surprised you didn't say Patsy Jack this.
Is delusion. He's really good.
He's really, really good. I, you know, I used to go to

(03:47):
school with somebody who like, Imean, when I was very, very
young, we, we had to introduce ourselves with a name and the
fun fact about ourselves. And he just went, my name's
Nathan and I don't believe in octopuses, which is, that's the
most delusional belief. It was.
That's his actual most delusional belief ever on that

(04:11):
we will roll the intro music. I am Chengdu.
That's what you guys have been watching.
If you've been up 3:00 with us three or later in the day if
you're from further east or earlier in the night if you're

(04:31):
from the West. Not much.
We just, we had to be up so early to watch this, but I'm
glad we were because this was actually a super fun tournament.
As you can see on your screen, if you've got a screen, you can
see who won. We actually want to start with
the start of the play. Well, actually just before the
play offs because that's where we ended last week's podcast and

(04:55):
we had a bit of a conversation in the week about spirit that we
wanted to bring onto the podcast.
Sam, state your case. What does Spirit need to do?
Well #1 Zwey needs to go, don't he?
Because he's just like, he's notcutting it.

(05:15):
But I'd also like to point out Tania.
Charlie, if you could click on Tania, please.
So past three months, they are not particularly nice stats
considering how he was playing before that.
Like for the for the sake of it,Charlie, if you just whack it on

(05:36):
to 2025, I know that will have the spirit time in that is a
very big drop off, right? And look, look, I know we've
spoken about this before. I know that you know Russian
Igls. That.

(05:58):
There's not exactly many good ones, but I just think if we're
at a point now where 4 separate players are struggling in these
two extra spots in spirit and that they actually probably
don't win as many events as theyshould considering the fact that
they have Duncan Shiro. And also they have had some

(06:19):
pretty fucking disastrous tee size recently and it was a huge
problem in Chengdu. Maybe, just maybe, it might be
time to look at someone other than Chopper.
And here's the thing, before yousay it, before you say it, I'm
not 100% convinced anyone would be better than Chopper.
I have reservations about Boomich.

(06:40):
I have reservations about Nathanie, with serious
reservations about him, actually.
And your other option is like Leah, who you'd be promoting
from like one solid Namega run that's dropped, dropped off a
Cliff since they lost way. But are we really saying that

(07:01):
everything we see from Spirit isactually acceptable, or are we
just a little biased? So I've got a couple of things
to say. First of all, there is another
option for Russian IGL. No, don't say it.
It's Jane. Even if it's Jane in a fallen

(07:21):
arc, it's Jane. Jane is almost certainly the
best Russian IGL. Oh, without.
Without. Almost certain the best Russian
IGL. But here's the thing.
So even if he has he, he actually rifles so, so, so he
actually rifles a lot on Teesside nowadays.

(07:41):
It's something that I looked into recently.
I somebody like sent me some data on it.
Yeah, he rifles a lot on Teesside.
But but rifling a lot on. T James James won a major and
and about and and five year cellchallenges and shoppers won a
major and Cato and Cologne. Yeah, there's there's level to
this game. On the right but the but The

(08:02):
thing is like. Yeah, he rifling on Teesside.
Respect. OK, rifling on Teesside is one
thing. Elliot, like a lot of people
rifle on Teesside more than theyall know.
That is just kind of the the waythe game has gone.
You've seen the same data as I have for that.
Rifling on CT side is another thing because yes, Jane could

(08:26):
have a fallen arc. He's not horrible on a rifle,
but Jane. Pretty good on a rifle actually.
But Jane could also have a Kadian arc and that's he could.
That's obviously a big concern. But but I think there's, I think
it's I look, if you're going to change Chopper, I'd rather Jane

(08:48):
on a rifle than Nathanny or Boomage or Leah personally or
Jerry like like Jerry, I think that's a better shout.
Bring him back. Yeah, well, well, exactly right.
Like but but we've. But we've always said the same
thing, right? In that Jane needs soldiers.

(09:09):
Who do you see? Well, that's why you replace.
You replace David Norbert. Is 1 soldier an.
Illegal. An illegal suggestion?
Well, but yeah, but like, Jane would be a soldier in this case
because he wouldn't be. Awkward.
But Jane also never had a donk or a shiro, right?

(09:30):
Like has he ever actually had tocall with with such *?
Power no so be you have to you have to like.
Shiro becomes what would be Janein the old VP system, which was
mean Jane is free to be a soldier.
You would bring in Norbert to beanother soldier.
Donk becomes like flair or fame and then Tania can be the other

(09:51):
one. Probably flair.
Well, no Norbert's Yakinda because Norbert became Yakinda
and Yakinda there and he was really good at it.
Actually. He was like, he like had an
uptick in performance when he was like.
Being in the battle though, is he?
No, he's not, but you, just likehe doesn't need to kill him.
The criticism about his way is why he's in is reasonable,

(10:13):
right? I think like it's totally fair.
And I think we all know this is just a Band-Aid to fix for, for
until Zontix has had his sabbatical or whatever, right?
Tania was the best player on a bad team and is now the third
best player on a very good team.He's not going to put the same
numbers up, is he like like I think it's silly to think that

(10:35):
he's not been as good as we'd hoped.
I like, I'd agree with that, buthe's also positionally he was
set up in heroic to to perform right and to to have success.
He's not set up in the same way because the system requires.
But I think that's. Attributes, right?
I think that's bullshit, honestly, I think that's cope.

(10:55):
So. So you're telling me I'm.
I mean, you call it what you want.
It's not cope but it but it's. But but so you're telling me
that Fallen can set up free people for success and Apex can
set up free people for success? Fucking Brolan can set up free
people for success but Chopper can't.
Success. No, but like what?

(11:18):
Why is Spirit the only team? No, but he can.
He's setting. He's setting up.
He's setting up the best player in the world and probably the
second, third best opera in the world.
By the way, what Charlie has just brought up is a list of
games that I've found from this year, because obviously Spirit
don't actually lose that much. All of these losses are due to.

(11:41):
Port. So what are we complaining?
Yeah, well, I mean you can. Point to lots of I, I mean, I
watched, I watched the the semi,I watched vitality versus mouth
at this event and these were some of the worst teesides I've
ever seen. I think we're just in a matter
with Teesides, Armstrong and also also also also it's

(12:02):
literally like saying, oh, you lose the matches where where you
don't you concede more goals. Yeah.
Of course, yeah, if you're having a, if you're going to
lose the game, you get one of your slightly.
Worse. It's not like that.
How it is and I think. This is a repeated problem.
If it was, if they only lost, ifthey only lost about tee size,
fine. But I think you've selected data
where they've had had bad. No, no, no, no, no, Jack, they

(12:24):
don't not. Necessarily no.
They only have. They don't lose much more than
this. Yeah.
But so of course they're see. Of course they're see.
From the start of this is from the start of the year and
there's like what, 10 games there, but whatever.
Of course they're not. They're not going to have bad CT
sides because a the game's CT sided and B they have 4 like
star. Level players the game hasn't

(12:45):
been seated of. Course the CT sides.
It hasn't been. Most of the maps in the map pool
were T sided. I mean, what when I looked at
the, when I looked at the round win data from this year, there
weren't that many teams who werepositive.
So this is this is right what myeye brought up right.
And I think I'm not sure if thatif that tweet is actually the

(13:08):
one about Chopper, but I think Spirit had like at least average
T side win rate during during Chengdu.
Like maybe Elliot had the size someone had it, but they weren't
awful. Like like I think people were
just generally not having good tee size.
I think that's that's more of a,a general thing, right?

(13:32):
It's not. I also I'm also, and this is a
bit of a change of tact, but I'mpretty sure Halle is like the
system guy in spirit. I'm pretty sure there's a thing
that like Ali basically came outin an interview and was like, in
my opinion, the the coach is like a football manager and it's

(13:54):
down to the the players to fulfil my vision on the like in
the server. So I think whoever you have IGL,
you're probably going to get something that looks quite
similar to that. I also think the system is
clearly just set up to get the best out of doc like that.
That's why would it be. Why wouldn't it be?
Well, quite right. Fine.
And it it may be that comes at the detriment of other players

(14:16):
when that's a, that's a fairpoint.
But like, I also think I also don't, I don't know, like if you
change to a system a like a morestructured system, they're
clearly a little bit loose at the moment You change to a more
structured system, like do you lose some of that power from
Dong? I think you probably do.
And there's a world where they change to like, accommodate

(14:39):
tenure and they actually just get weaker because Dong is no
longer the best player in the world.
I he. Will I think?
It's it's all Well, he will. But there is a word.
It's all well and good. Just looking at Spirit on the
face value and being like, OK, they came properly into Tier 1
after like a small break Januarylast year.

(15:00):
Since then they've won Cato Cologne, a major.
It's great doing that and obviously it's very impressive
that they've done that in such ashort span of time.
They've also had a lot of disappointment in that time and
when you look at the fact that they have Don Conchiro, Donkey
is like playing at a peak level that realistically we haven't

(15:24):
seen before because he's a rifler and not an author.
Like even if it is mildly lower rated than simple, I don't know
if it is or not, I'd still say it's.
I think it's about. In a sense, he's better because
he's on a rifle. No, but I mean, even if the
number's lower like it's, it's better.

(15:45):
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know.
Yeah. I don't, I don't actually think
that just winning those is OK. We saw Vitality win what, 7
events in a row? Like obviously that's also a
freak thing, but Spirit should have won more than they have and
I don't see how it can't be a system issue.
So if it if that's down to Hallie, then Hallie's the guy
who has to go and you give Chopper another chance.

(16:07):
But I just think when other teams managed to have a passive
rifling star, an aggro lurking star, and an Orping star, Spirit
should probably look to do that too.
And then they'll probably have amore consistent system that
leads to more fucking trophies. Only one of those teams with
those systems has won more than Spirit this year.
Like Vitality, IF won everything.

(16:29):
Yeah, it's also yeah, like how do you compare?
How do you like Falcons? Also to it a year where one team
has been dominant as well, right?
Like obviously they could. Have beaten.
I still think it's it's and I'm looking it starts now.
Mirage is the only map where they have a red TTT 100%.

(16:51):
They have like 50 or more on on every other map for the in this
year online so. You have to remember as.
Well, I don't think it's actually a fair on.
Quite a few bad teams. So when they play the teams
around their level that it's generally more of a concern.
Yeah, like. Sure.

(17:12):
But like I don't that's true. That's true of everyone.
Like that's true of all the big teams.
Yeah, fine. But if the big teams beaten them
consistently. I disagree, I disagree, I
disagree, but they're not being interested because they won
Cologne and they weren't they weren't a favorite.
Cologne. Oh, great.
OK, they OK, They won. They won one tournament.

(17:32):
Well done. What?
What else have they won this year?
Bounties and like. I think we've we're in the most,
we're in the most competitive time of seriously we've ever
had. Like, of course, don't win
everything. Mongols won an event, but hardly
won most of them. Fury just won an event.
The top five is. So we're saying, so we're.
Saying team. So we're saying your team can be

(17:54):
dominant and we also do we thinkwe've done Conchiro that spirit
probably are the team best set up to be dominant.
Would you want is? Would you want?
Is there line up any better thanIs there line up any better than
Falcons? Yeah, exactly.

(18:17):
On on on a pure paper. On paper, I think Falcons.
Probably role for role. Pretty close to Don Hashiro.
Maybe. Honestly, I'm not sure Kaosuke
and Dunk are equal. No whoa.
Kaosuke is Bish, Nico and Donk and then Kaosuke and and Tenir

(18:39):
which is. Well, Falcon would win in that
regard, I would say. It's like it's like pretty close
at least. And then like for vitality, it's
like Flames versus Tenir, Zai Wuversus also Cheira.
Didn't didn't for your life. OK, don't beats anyone you put
him against but. Didn't Falcons just beat them
because he, because Donk does actually not beat everyone

(18:59):
Because Nico is like his kryptonite?
Well, yeah, I think that that isawesome.
Yeah, I mean, like I, I, I don'tthink the spirit like obviously
Donk is the best player in the world, but he is also set up
more than any other player in the world.

(19:20):
I think that's pretty much unarguable, Like he is the best
player at all and he should be salvable than anyone else.
That is fine. But I also don't, I actually
don't think this spirit team is as like, oh, they should win
everything. They should.
OK, you can say they've won one trophy this year.
Maybe they should want two or three.
But like, Falcons probably should win two or three.
Vitality should win two or three.
Like it's kind of just like, yeah, there's only one winner of

(19:43):
each tournament. Yeah, right.
I think the bigger issue is thatSpirit have these super low
loads like that's that's fun, but that's going to happen when
you play a loose style. But the other issues with
Falcons is that everyone knows there's a fucking constant
target on their back, and that probably doesn't help anyone in
the team. But in all seriousness, that
probably doesn't help anyone in that team because only a couple

(20:07):
of names know that they're 100% safe all the time.
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely.
Like Falcons have their own pressure as Falcons.
And donkey is obviously set up, but like, I think because of the
looser style, he's not as set upas this argument suggests he is.

(20:29):
I'm not saying he. Is I don't know man, I he has a
rifle every round. There's that side of it, but
sure. I mean, it's not Sanji dropping
Jay morphs every round. But I also, I think being this
this entry aggressive player, like being set up as having a
flash run for you here and there, right?
Like, like he's still hitting the shots and ripping heads

(20:53):
himself. Like that's still just him being
good. Yeah, yeah.
Do you know what I mean? Like I don't.
What I mean is he still takes a.Lot.
He's not the way an Orpo would be, I would say.
Yeah, he takes a lot of fights purely on the basis of being
dunk than a system making him dunk, yeah, if that makes sense.
But but, but then would would the system a, a, a actual?
So if you had like a, a, a really structured IGL, would he

(21:16):
not be able to take these fights?
Like, is that not like donkey's going to take these fights
regardless of the system? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So if you have a better. System have to be benched.
But if if you have a better system, then you can also have
like someone like Tania who we've seen is a genuine tier one
talent be be supported within the system or and then you have

(21:41):
a third star and then you are talking about winning trophies
more consistently. It just would happen.
But that is the problem. The problem.
Is yeah, which is fine, but but.Which is my entire point.
I think the problem is the dead weight you have in the team
you've got, you've got as right who's like 17 kills in a in a,
in a series like his last. I'm not, no, I'm not saying

(22:02):
he's. In in this but I think.
Kaisuke had a stink and you know, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. But my main point still stands
in that Spirit cannot seem to get anything out of more than
two people. And that is a problem because if
you look at the other teams likeyou kinda molad oi Kaiser or you

(22:28):
swap Yuri for any one of those names.
Fucking exertion. Tulsi Spinks, Rocks Flames, Zai
Wu like it take it. Take your pick on any trio for
these teams. They're all getting something
out of trios spirit. Don't that has to be a systemic
problem when you when you see itacross now multiple names in
both of those positions. It's a problem with the system.

(22:50):
So something within the system has to change, whether that's
Chopper or Halle, because they don't win as consistently.
Do you need three people? I'd also say that.
That I think when every other team does you.
Don't when spirit, when spirit win, man, they win.
Well, they win comfortably, right?

(23:13):
But the Cologne final was not tough for them, I don't think.
But wait, what's? You know.
Basically. I don't think they need to copy
everyone else. If they win twice a year, it's
cool. Is that, is that what we're
saying? Like they shouldn't strive to be
better because if they win twicea year just because like I mean

(23:34):
players have insane firepower then it's all cool.
If it's, I think that's fine, yeah.
I think that's a pretty pussy approach to it to be honest.
If it's an IEM and a major I feel like.
I think you're winning. Yeah, fine.
And then at the end of the day like.
Become the best team in the world though.
When was the last time you thought Spirit was the best
team? But no one said they were.

(23:55):
But they obviously want to be. My team doesn't want to be the
best team in the world when they're at that level.
And when when was the best time?I'm sure they want the best
team. Seemingly seemingly mouse,
seemingly mouse like we've been on this for like 15 minutes,
let's move on because we're going to get nowhere.
No, I I don't think it's as Chopper's, I don't think this is

(24:16):
entirely Chopper's fault. I think there's probably more
problems with that team. I think there's yeah, I mean,
this was as very fault. It's also kind of like, you
know, the system's set up for Donk to do well.
If he can't beat Nico, then there's kind of a.
Problem. And also also just just on this
Falcons game, Donk didn't play very well.

(24:36):
Like he just had a bad game. And I know, and I know Sam is
going to say. Built around someone being good.
I know Sam's going to say well, yeah, if your sister's built
around Donk playing well, it's not very good.
If there's one player in CounterStrike history, you can
guarantee we'll play well in 95%of the game.
Yeah, it is Donk. We will move on onto playoffs.
Why are Australis in playoffs? That's my first question.

(24:59):
Shouldn't be there, waste of time.
They were looking at. The right.
Foot the the event until playoffs.
Really. I mean, they, they took a map.
I took a map. Vitality, really.
I actually thought Vitality werereally quite poor in this
playoffs. They were, no, they were not
good at all. They showed off.

(25:19):
Well, yeah, we'll breeze over them beating Australis because
they were Australis were just never going to win this game.
About what? Like this?
There's just no, it doesn't. It doesn't matter that it was
21. They weren't going to win.
Mouse, we we need to have a conversation now.
You have been inexperienced on stage as long as Theo Wolcott

(25:40):
has been a young prospect. This is this is this is not OK.
You can't keep choking on stage now Like this is just like you
have to beat Vitality on stage at some point you have to they
can't beat Vitality on stage. I.
Mean didn't they technically beat?
Didn't they technically beat Vitality on stage in the group
stage? The group stage.

(26:01):
Also that's on a stage. Stage meaning playoffs.
They technically beat. Yeah, exactly.
This is what this is. This is where we're at.
They're technically beating themon stage.
Yeah, great. Fucking do they not want to be
the best team in the world? I mean it would be the best
exertion was was one was one V5 for playoffs.

(26:22):
The. Position was actually 1V5 for
the whole event. But but this is this is the
thing about mouse, right where Iknow it's easy to call them
chokers still when they're stillwhen they get wins in Group
stages or whatever. But how do you just think every
win that mouse gets against Vitality?

(26:45):
It's probably like it's the bridge before a bridge Too far,
ain't it? Do you know what I mean?
Like they're not as good as Vitality.
They never will be. Vitality is.
Playing OK, OK, you could. OK, OK, I know what you're
saying, but this was a joke. That they should have won.
This was a bone of they weren't well, well, yeah.

(27:06):
OK, they won't train and they. Should have won as well.
You want to talk about dog shit Teesside?
You want to talk about Nuke? Nuke was unwatched.
No, no, no. It was so bad.
That did happen in this game, but like as as a general point
though, mouse are very good, butI think they even know deep down

(27:30):
that they're not quite good enough.
Do you know how many Teesside gun rounds were won in this game
in the first map? Wasn't it 211 for each team?
It it was like two or three. It was like, I know Vitality won
a tech 9 force and mouse won a force back an eco round and I

(27:54):
think a second eco round and I'mpretty sure Vitality won two gun
rounds. I think that was it.
It like they had eight chances and nuke is not a map anymore
where like the CT side should bethis dominant No, in my opinion
and I know it's MR12 so like whatever, but they kind of went

(28:15):
to overtime and won 1613 anyway.This was a horrible, horrible T
side from both teams to be quitefrank and a horrendous joke from
mouth. I I some of the rat like I know
like you can look at Zai woo having 30 kills.
I think it was the last he's under the last round of
regulation or one of the last rounds of overtime where he gets

(28:36):
4 kills from ramp with an orb and he's literally just re
peeking into them and there there's no util, there's no
flashes. They haven't tried to Molly him
out. I think they just assume every
time he's dropped off and he's just he's just fighting and he
just kills all four of them 1 by1.
With an all device did the same vitality, didn't it?
It's just like, yeah, the standard of Nuke.
I think from from these teams that it was so bad.

(29:00):
Vitality, you're kind of bad at a lot of maps, like I know you
wanted to. Talk No, no, the train is.
At the moment. No, they actually.
No, it's just. Not good at the moment this.
This is a point, but that is train is is is so uninvolved.
I think we can. I think we can now.
So move into the. 2 dimensional.To talk about this right, so I

(29:20):
was going to make a brief comment there about how Newt
Nuke used to be the marker of the best team in the world,
where I'm not sure it is anymore.
I think it's probably train or Overpass right now at least.
More likely train. Just just before also we get
into the final obviously period to drop a Maple playoffs,

(29:41):
they're no longer just a a kind of flaky, fun team that they're
obviously good. Yeah, well, let's briefly.
They should have beaten Falcons.They demolished I, I felt and
then obviously this final what we're going into now, but.
Yeah, you've just, you've quickly gone over the quarter
final, semi finals, they've absolutely smashed Mongols and
absolutely smashed Falcons by a very similar score line.

(30:02):
Like, yeah, yeah. I just under those.
Games weren't really worth talking about as a result.
Yeah, yeah, just just well. I think they are because they
were that good, right? But yeah.
No, but we can talk about that in context of Fury and let's
let's let's stick with finality for a second.
Their map pool is fucking horrible right now.

(30:23):
Their nuke is not particularly great.
Their overpass is not particularly great.
Their train is fucking horrible.Like their train is seriously
bad because it's the exact same train that they played at the
start of the year. So I think they're currently.

(30:43):
Very untrusted with the major. Must you be?
Yeah, definitely. How?
How bad can it be that you floatyour insta ban?
I know fear don't play it either, but you'd rather ban
train a map you picked at this event, You've picked it twice in
this event and you've banned it in ABFI final because you don't

(31:07):
trust yourself on it? That's insane.
And Ancient was closer than it should have been for a team that
don't for a team that don't playit?
What the fuck? That's an exist video I think.
It says AI think it says a lot about the current.
I think it says a lot about the current mindset of vitality that

(31:28):
they sat there and yes, they didend up removing the right one
out of the two because they would have got fucking spanked
on train. But they sat there and said, you
know what? Fury are actually better than us
on Train and Overpass and we have to get rid of one of them
now. To your ancient point, Vitality
should have won that map. Fallen really bailed Furor out.

(31:55):
Really, really bailed Furor out.So Vitality should have been.
One of the series. And that and that gamble, I'd
say that route was pissed poor. But you know, it's like, and and
it's something that I interviewed you kinda this

(32:17):
morning and he said it like Fallen did bail Fury out in this
series on every map. Vitality could and realistically
should have won every map in this final.
But the fact that they didn't, it goes just really somewhat

(32:40):
where Vitality are at right now.And I know I said it a couple
minutes ago, but I have a feeling, Elliot, you might not
have been with us in that moment.
Vitality are really, really far away from winning a major right
now. Really far away.
Yeah, which which seems like a strange thing to say about a
team who just got to the final of an IEM.

(33:00):
But like they were unconvincing in the semi final.
They should have lost that semi final 2.
Now they jumped a map to Australis and you look at Furia
and you're like, yeah, this thisis clearly a better team than
Vitality right now. You look at Falcons and you
think actually Falcons, do you think they have a better chance
of vitality? I kind of do, to be honest.

(33:23):
I don't know. I don't know how you feel.
But see, I don't go on Jack. We should get a rematch of this
in the upper final of Flash Rivals.
Fewer are facing Pain, Vitality,Tyloo in the opening rounds and
the brackets should lead them toface each other.
And I know it's been like 3 dayssince since Shangdu.

(33:45):
I don't even know I'm, I'm, I'm out of it really.
It'll be interesting to see see the 2nd result, especially when
it's not final. Maybe the pressure is not not as
on. But yeah, it it's wild that a
team that's been as dominant as Vitality have been this year can
potentially go into the major not looking like a favorite, not
even looking like a real contender.

(34:06):
No, I mean, I would say I think that.
Like they'll they'll mid playoffs but.
They're still obviously a favorite.
Like so it's it's a funny one, right?
Because like when it comes to Falcons, I think history tells
you that Nico is never a favorite a major like as good as
his team can be, you have to just consider them not

(34:27):
favourites, which which is a shame, right?
And I also think Falcons still have some composure issues.
Like I can't remember who the fuck he did the interview with.
Maybe it was like just two DK orsomething, but I remember seeing
a quote from testers saying something like, oh, we're not
going to see we don't want to see any more mini maps after our

(34:47):
games, you know, from like that that unloosable rounds.
And then they literally lost oneto Fury Falcons as a team have
composure issues, but they they just do.
So I think as well as they are playing still not convinced that
when the the pressure's on and they're in these massive games

(35:09):
that they can win a major. So I think the favourites are
probably as they've been all year in like Vitality, Spirit
and then now Furia, because you can't count out Fury.
I know what I said earlier. I think Furia right now, I

(35:29):
think. Furia might be the favorite,
yeah. Which is Matt.
Well, I think as well. As a favorite ever won a major?
Yes. Australis 3 times in a row.
Yes Australis 3 times in a row. Vitality fanatic.
Multiple times fanatic. They weren't, they just nip just
choked. In recent times, though, I feel

(35:53):
like let's look at like Rio. The vitality majors were won by
favourites. Beat.
Fucking yeah they were. Yeah, but they weren't.
It doesn't mean they're not the favorite, but the The thing is
though, is like. Difficult anyway.

(36:15):
Fury Fury's a favorite in a really interesting sense because
like if you look at like Vitality before Austin, they
were obviously just the best. And if if you look at vitality
and heroic before Paris, they were the 2 like best teams in

(36:37):
the world. So they were the two favourites.
Furia are like Cloud 9 outsidersand Gambit on crack.
If if that makes sense in in that they should really be like
the 5th best team in the world or the 5th favorite, fifth
favorite to win it. But actually they've won so much

(36:58):
that now they're just like the favorite.
And that's, yeah, it's strange. Yeah, so Furia and Vitality
wrapped up Chengdu wrapped up IEM Chengdu.
I should say Furia with that three nil win.
Just like that, we're going to cut to an ad break as well, and

(37:20):
we'll see you well in your time in about 30 seconds, in hours,
in about 3 minutes. So Jack, do you find it hard to
keep up with all the news and counter strike?
I do. I took a weekend off and I came
back to six new IG LS3 retirements and apparently
Malvi's water boy got picked up by a top 20 team.
Right, that's why I've been relying on the TLDR newsletter.

(37:42):
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.
Yeah, it's like if HLTV for a baby with your funniest friend
who actually watches every game.Yeah, quick hits of news, spicy
officer moves, upcoming match schedules, and even some insider
gossip. All killer, no filler.

(38:02):
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
going on. Plus, it's funny.
Like actually funny. It's like reading a group chat
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(38:24):
sign up for the TLDR newsletter.It's free, fast, and guaranteed
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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. We mentioned this man earlier

(38:49):
when we were talking about Jame and his potential fallen arc and
you did say Sam that he might have a Kadian arc.
I hope that does not include Jame going to OG because that is
what Kadian has done today. And I just have one question.
Why money? Can I ask which which part is

(39:12):
the? Why?
Because I think there's quite a.Few questions from this minute.
Take your fucking pic man, Take your.
Pic I mean I mean look right now, I think we probably already
spoke about this at some point maybe I don't know we kind of
try not to talk about OG but just for the sake of it because

(39:35):
we're on it right now. I still don't really understand.
I know Chris and in his they'll tweet afterwards said like both
parties decided it was a good idea but everyone always fucking
says that. I just don't understand why
they'd why they'd bench Chris and like he's one of the better
young IG LS in counter strike right?
Does then. I think he already does, right?

(39:57):
Is there Nikka does who I'm not like massively high on, but for
the level OG you're at you actually can't get much better
than Nikka does. Yeah, that's what I was going
to. Say and you've then gone so so
why for both of those, but you've then gone to Cadian.

(40:17):
Now I'm happy that Cadian won't be rifling because I've seen him
be a rifle IGL and he was fucking awful but.
I've also seen him awful. IGL too and he was fucking awful
then as well, so I can't like she's obviously a backward step

(40:39):
for Kadian, like when you when you look at where he's been in
the last few. Years.
Yeah. Off the gallows, maybe?
Everything is a backward. Everything is a backward.
His career's done. What was his death so like?
But yeah, it it you just feel like Kadian probably should have

(41:01):
retired and became a much loved analyst because of his sense of
humour rather than you know. This, this, this move is, is
going to Turkey and getting yourhair transplant done at like 40.
It's like, it's like this is what it is.
No, no, no, no. But you got to respect.
OG. That's people not being bold.

(41:26):
They're still bold inside though, aren't they?
This. This move is going to Greg's for
lunch because you can't be askedto cook.
Not sad. I know because I can understand
Greg's. Greg's is all right.
It's cheap and it's cheap and sad and whatever you cooked all.
Of it, this move, this move is going to the shop, walking past
all ingredients to buy rustlers.You're already there.

(41:49):
Yes, Yeah, it is. Yeah, I, I just.
Can't. I knew a guy at uni who ate
rustlers burgers with a knife and four that's.
My terrible. Posh I just can't understand it
from. The thing with this move, the
thing with this move is, is, is they've obviously those viewers
who are not visually enjoy the podcast.

(42:15):
Producers don't. Want to just put a picture of
Rio Ferdinand in the QPR kit? Which, yeah, that's pretty good.
But it's pretty OGOG must be signing someone good or someone
they must have someone who's a right because why would they
consolidate that open IGL into one role unless you there's a a
rifle you're getting who's good,but who's good enough to justify

(42:38):
having catered on the team? Like how?
How do you outweigh that? I well, I know somebody who has
an idea. I don't have an idea.
I was what I was going to say was like, what about Nikodos to
100 Thieves? He's been on so many olds, man.

(42:58):
It's not horrible, is it? I just it's not horrible and I'm
not sure 100 DS are going to do better.
Although although I'm also not sure they'd do better, like I've
obviously said before, they should either get claim or
sumpires whoever isn't on G2 next year.
But if they do sign a game of Legion court, they'll probably

(43:20):
be playing at a level from the get go that is higher than Nick
does his level, so it probably also wouldn't go great.
I don't think I think he's that bad, really.
He's not bad, he's just he's notbad.
I do. I do agree.
Yeah, he's he's good at Tier 2. He's he's, you know, too good

(43:41):
for the Championship, not done for the Premier League.
I do agree that Crizen like Benjamin Crizen is insane If
like. Which is why I think he must.
That's the point, to go somewhere.
Yeah, like he surely is. Like, OK, I I I've shown that
I'm, I'm decent in this shit team now someone get me.
Someone saved me. Maybe he's gotten the Carrigan
call. I feel like it's a it's, it's a

(44:08):
little too early for. That anything that involves
Carrigan's demise I'm happy with, but.
I'm still convinced you he will be the Phase IGO.
I'm still convinced. Before he tanked his fucking his
stocks, yeah. Doesn't matter.
I don't think they can. Although phase historically are
very good at. True True.

(44:28):
True. True, True.
True. Yeah, we'll just run the Real
Madrid, it'll run his contract down, right.
Yeah, I know. I I I hate this move for
everyone. I hate it for Kadian.
The thing with Kadian is like hewas obviously really, really
good on heroic. Nobody's going to argue
otherwise online. At least online he was like a
1.06 ish player, but obviously agood in game leader.

(44:51):
But literally everywhere else has kind of been rubbish.
So like was heroic. I think heroic was the outlier.
Like OK, you can argue rogue butlike he was playing against like
actual piss around them. Like on North he was.
Heroic is the outlier. He should.
He's just the one you wrote. He's.
Just not, he's not had a good, agood shake of the tail really.

(45:16):
Is he like you think like what'shappened to him career wise?
So he like, he was benched by all the Danish teams, like no
one, no one wanted him. So then he became an analyst for
a bit. Then he was on Rogue fighting
around with fucking Hiko and. Yeah, well, he he was.
What's the Aussie guy? I forgot his name, Yeah.
Ricky. They were a Tier 3 and a team,
yeah. Yeah, yeah.

(45:37):
I know you could have like he got a rogue.
He he was like a few rounds fromthe major, if I remember.
I like that. Yeah, Gage North and.
Then obviously heroic is successful.
I'm pretty sure they lost to North.
In a real two different majors. But then listen.
But I don't know Heroica good. Then the the fucking FBX thing

(45:57):
happens like middle flashpoint. I don't know if you could
remember that right, But like the team got sold and it didn't
and they they were just strandedin lockdown summer in America.
And then heroic is good and actually like win a few things.
They obviously the EPL thing andthen like to the land.
They're like kind of like the good.
And then his two star players who supposedly like, you know,

(46:17):
see him as like a father figure and a Big Brother and stuff,
decide to go actually fuck you. They, you know, they mutiny and
go to to Australis. We all know how well that's gone
for them. Can I can I stop you there?
Fuck it, like and and then you may.
Everything you said up to this point, but I feel like when

(46:42):
Elliot said heroic is the outlier, this is also the point
where the, you know, the tail turns on its on its head because
you look at the Liquid team, yeah, he's not been a great or
five GL in CS2 because he's all been took a real hit.
But that Liquid team, you know, should have worked out, and
there's things that we know thatwe're not going.

(47:03):
To every Liquid team should haveworked out.
Fine, fine. Liquid team as well.
We know. Certain man on that.
There's things that we know thatwe're not going to say on the
podcast, but that Liquid team did not work out, and a large
part of it was due to Cadian. Yeah, look at Australis.

(47:23):
And I'm not saying that team should have been winning
trophies because he fucking shouldn't have, but like, do you
know what I mean? Like, it didn't go well there,
right? Which isn't great.
Yeah, yeah, they got much better.
I think self self self defence is self defence and I will not
elaborate either. Like, yeah, like he, he, he

(47:45):
clearly, he clearly is difficultto work with, is probably
overarching it. But like, there's a reason his
two star players stabbed him in the back, right?
And there's a reason he was likeblacklisted from every day in
his team before. Like he must.
He must be quite difficult to get on with behind the scenes.

(48:07):
It's difficult to believe because he's like the nicest
guy. He's really nice.
I think he just might be a little bit stubborn.
I want people to challenge that,I think.
I think people who were star players or better than him
statistically will be like mightcome and do the whole let me do
this and he'll say no, let me call whatever.
Go on, do it in a bad Danish accent.

(48:29):
I know you wanted to we're. Going to win the title, that's
all I can. Say you're going to win the
title. That's the only accent I can do,
the only phrase. I just don't think it takes
much. Fucking much.
He doesn't take much fucking that.
That wraps us up, I think, on Katie.
You know, if there's anything more that needs to be said.
Yeah, he doesn't take much. Fucking doesn't.

(48:50):
Take. Much fucking as we as I alluded
to, there is somebody who has anidea who, oh geez, fish should
be, we said. They must be.
They must be. They must be signing somebody
good if they're going to have Katie and to replace his two
roles. They must be our old friend
taken of taken of the weak fame has a great idea.

(49:11):
And for those of you who don't have video he has suggested and
I would like to I would like to clarify he he starts this with
unironically. He's not joking unironically.
I would say plus B mass from Monty for OG's fifth spot as
opposed to the other B mass. He has experience.

(49:32):
I can't imagine he's that expensive.
He could help Katie in a bit. None of those, none of those
phrases mentioned B Mass being any good, which I think is quite
telling. It's not a single part of this
sentence where he says he's a good player, he has experience
of losing, he's not that expensive, and he could help

(49:54):
Katie in a bit with what? Because not because it's not
Counter Strike. And I said I was AB mass
believer for a long, long time. I do like.
That I don't dislike B mass. I do.
After that just said otherwise Iwould say SUSP and he can join.
He's Adam B again. Big fan of the podcast.

(50:18):
Which is cute. Yeah, big fan of Adam B me.
I think SUSP is a reasonable callously, yeah.
I do, yeah, is a lot more reasonable.
I don't really hate to be misujusted honestly.
Like it seems the kind of move that OG would do.
I think that's the issue it seems.
That's why I hate it. It seems possible, that's why I

(50:41):
hate it. It's something OG would do, ergo
it's a terrible idea. The realistic the realistic
rumour, though you may unkind, I'm.
Not sure that no I I I wasn't sure what word I was going to
say to be honest. But I'm not really sure that's
fair on OG anymore. I know that we're very used to

(51:02):
tier one OG being like particularly stinky and only
signing shit players, but like. Tier one OG is so generous.
But they were playing in every tier one event for some fucking
reason. But before this Canadian move
that we can't really wrap our heads around and you know, if it

(51:24):
works great for them, I guess they were actually making pretty
smart moves for a year, like Tier 2 OG this year has actually
because they've been quite well.Then they've made so many moves,
some of them are going to be good eventually, no?
But they've had a string of goods, right?

(51:45):
Yeah, and then they signed Kadian like it's clearly just
luck. But I think that's just name
value danger in it. Yeah, because they so I would
say that's why they signed Arrowthoughts as well, though,
because he'd heard of him. It's a sweet rice.
No, I don't know. I don't know.

(52:06):
I I feel like I feel like John sweet rice.
They have like. Buzz on the bench.
They have buzz on the bench. Yeah, yeah.
But he was gone a while ago. At this point I feel like John
Sweet Rice was more just like hestill had some residual like
residual. Rep Aura.

(52:27):
Where it wasn't a bad signing, but it turns out that like.
Yeah, yeah, I I actually like him.
He is just crap like I won't I won't criticize why they made
that signing. No, it's just more like.
OK, so for a name, I think who, who are they actually going to
get? Who do you think?

(52:48):
Well, if we click on the tweet from you can trust every word
that comes out of his mouth. That was a segue.
Flamus, apparently. I mean, yeah, isn't he on like
AVP terrorism, buyout contract, prison so.

(53:08):
Isn't it? Isn't it something like?
A I don't know if OG. Have money, I think it's a four
year contract and a 1,000,000 buyout.
But on on OG having money, didn't they recently raise quite
a lot of money through like some?
They sold their those two team if I remember.
Are they? Yeah, yeah, but then they also

(53:28):
have a like a fun funding round,whatever the fucking term.
Is oh, I don't know why they. Sold.
Gill Scout. Cookies.
I think they got a few million from that and they also did say
that. They're and they're going to
spend it on flammers. Reaffirming their ambition,
whatever that means. OG probably should have some

(53:49):
money so maybe a big money move for Flamus isn't out of the
question because VP are going towant to recoup most of that
million they paid for him. Jesus Christ OG.
They didn't pay a million for. Flamus OG OG, if you're
listening. If you are listening, do not, do

(54:10):
not, do not spend 700K on flamus.
It's not going to move the needle you.
Do yeah, do not, I mean. If you can get him on load good
Flamish is not really good. My problem is not.
Not 700K Good. It's not even that it's there's

(54:34):
like 3 players in the world OG could sign that would make them
like relevant. Like don't spend loads of money
on one player when you have AdamB on the team.
Do you know what I mean? Like do you know what I mean?
Like it's like, that's not even a criticism of Adam B It's like.
Respectful. You aren't going to you're not
going to be top ten in the worldwhen the rest of your team is

(54:57):
Katie and Adam B Arrostos and Spooky.
But I don't care how good Famousis, you ain't Dong so you ain't
going to be top 10. But yeah, I guess if they like
keep. Promise is good.
Though like if if they do keep making those changes though,
like Flamus is a very good starting point, that would
probably end up being yeah, the the one that you just build

(55:20):
around for the next three changes.
You made just don't spend loads on him.
That's just like that's just going to be a bad idea.
If you can get him for cheap, I like it.
If you can't, there's other, there's other Russians, there's
other like Russian speaking players who you know.
I've got a total experiment for us.
Oh God. Which prisons were VP, contract

(55:44):
jail or playing with Kadian in 2025?
I mean. I think he's not playing the
game better. Yeah, I think so, because like
I, you can just play Pugs at home if you're in contract
prison. Well VP have also let Flamus and
other bench people play in a couple of like smaller online

(56:07):
things and like Little Mix teams.
They're not that fast. Whereas if you're on a team
Kadian, you, you, you are stuck with him.
Yeah, you have to be asked because he, you know, he's going
to be like Royal. He's going to be really bothered
about winning like third. Place playoffs like I actually

(56:27):
do quite like Kadian. I always thought he was fun.
I really like. He's a nice guy.
He's lovely. He's a nice boy that that heroic
team was one of the most fun teams I think I've ever watched,
really. You're good to watch.
I did this right fine. Like the the way they played was
great so it's just a shame that like CS2 just made him a bit

(56:49):
rubbish. Yeah, it it like CS2 really did
go OK, Yeah. Do you have anything else to
talk about Blast Rivals? Yeah, yeah.
Here's a full experiment. Before.
Yeah, we do. Is there anyone that CS2
actually like halted their career?

(57:14):
I'm going to say not counting simple because I think that was
CS2 and other factors more than Cadian.
Not more than. There's others that were
affected but I don't think anyone was affected more let.
Me think who else would you say?I know there's there's obviously
answers to the opposite but. I was just saying Brokey with

(57:35):
the Ashes that like Fate was still good at the start of CS2,
but I think he's definitely like, I think just always in
general, right, have suffered. Yeah, I was going to say some
pious for a bit. He's now fine.
But then some like like. He's not great still.
Honestly, we never we never saw Duncan go right, but I think
like CS2 just does like lean into his mechanics and and the

(57:58):
what his play style quite well, right.
Jane. Yeah, Jane, Actually Jane.
Yeah, of the ruler, actually. I mean, he's now built himself
up on para vision. But I I from what I'm told, they
play a bit of a different style.They're a little bit more
aggressive. It's it's like an adapted
version of VP for like worse players is what I'm told.

(58:18):
But they're a little bit more aggressive.
Not that they could be any less aggressive.
Yeah, I think, I think like all the players we've named have
been offers, which is quite telling.
It's shouldn't. You shouldn't.
You used to pay to win a gun. Then should you really?
Well, yeah, quite some. Fucking pride I'm.

(58:39):
Trying to think if there's any riflers who've just been like
they just got one shot by it. Like I don't think it's possible
for a rifler to be completely watched up by sister I mean me.
Ben, Me. Ben, Me.
Fucking move on, move on. Let's make some fucking.
Who ruined it now? Blast Rivals that starts is it

(59:03):
tomorrow as we record today as you're available if you're not
listening, if it's already started, when you're listening,
if it was yesterday grow up. You should have you should have
been listening yesterday. Blast Rivals is in Hong Kong in
Czech. Labcock still there that's.

(59:24):
Good. One.
Yeah, this is another one that'son early in the morning for us,
for US Westerners, that was brilliant.
We we begin with a game that is absolutely not worth waking up
at 2:00 in the morning for. It is the Mongols with control
controllers versus Passion USA. Can we please refer to by this

(59:46):
government name of Una Delegate Controllers?
Barton, Jargle. Absolute biblical.
I'm pretty sure Bartha means hero, but I don't know what the
rest means. No, I we did, we were doing
coverage. I think we like translated it.
And I think Barthenjargal means like if it isn't like today is a
blessing, but twice like I thinkhis whole, his whole name is

(01:00:09):
like Thursday, today is a blessing.
Maybe that's when he was born, Idon't know.
But it's amazing. That's a great blessing.
He is really good and Passion UAare really, really, really
rubbish and they don't play the game anymore.
They just, I think that they signed to Passion and they just

(01:00:29):
stopped playing. I haven't seen them.
Yeah, ironically, yeah, it's. Actually really odd.
Like Charlie? Just just go on their own,
really. Go on their profile real quick
and look at when their last gamewas.
They just, they just don't play the game.
It's really strange. September is that they haven't

(01:00:50):
played for for a month and 1/2. I did wonder where they'd.
Got I've not heard and they and they've won lost in the 1st and
that being a LAN, is it even a LAN?
Like was that a lot? I'm assuming it's a LAN.
But they were clearly doing OK as well.
And then like, have they been ona month from camp?
And we're just like, right, we're not playing any officials
in this time. Like I I would like the absence

(01:01:13):
explained actually. Well, I don't have the answer,
so you're going to have to find it for somebody else.
Yeah, lack of comfort in the crotch.
But they'll they'll be at the major.
So maybe they would just like, you know, they're building up a
massive strap book for the majorwhile everyone else is grinding,

(01:01:33):
wasting all their idea. Like, yeah, we've talked about
how teams run out of ideas by the end of the season because
they've just been running the same strap book and they've had
no time to go up. They've got, they've had so much
time. JT and TC are in the lab cooking
up new flash banks to throw thattheir players can then whip on.
This is. Yeah, I I just don't want to

(01:01:55):
watch this. I don't.
Mongols are better than I thought they were going to be,
but they're still worse than they were.
And that's so sad. Go on.
Do you think if if passengers didn't come back, would we care
if they just like if, if this break just was forever and and

(01:02:15):
like, would you miss them? I don't.
Think I'd have noticed if they weren't at the same time, but.
Precisely that, right I'd. Probably eventually be like, oh
we should, we should get Holzerkon a team now.
But the rest of them? Yeah.
Fucking couldn't get a bunch of shit.
We could just. Get yeah maybe is fem.
Good. No idea.
Fem's probably joining for that,isn't he?

(01:02:37):
Oh. God, yeah, eventually.
I hate everything you've just said.
Hey, everything that's just happened, everything's just been
said. Let's move on.
Thankfully, the second game of this event is an absolute thigh
rubber giga banger fucking must watch.
Get off whatever time it is for you.
It's half four for us get off and watch this.
It's spirit versus Falcons. It's just thank you, thank you,

(01:03:02):
thank you very much for the start has been shit.
But look at that main course, man.
Look at it. Get that down my throat.
Rupe is just evil isn't it? It's like 3 of the top top five
whether you agree or not. And the Mongols.
And and the make a wish team. Not good is it?

(01:03:26):
How's that happened? I know it's an 8 team tournament
kind. Of, well, it's.
A farce anyway. But it's because only four of
them are vRS invites. The other four were wild card
invites. Yeah, there's a lot of wild.
Card Invites Falcons are a wild card team.
So it's definitely just a joke of an event then?

(01:03:51):
ESL she'll. Ignoring the contracts that I
have with Blast, I do think Rivals is a pretty crappy
format. Yeah, I I think Rivals should be
changed for next year. Like I don't really see the
point in it to be honest. Like if.
It's able to be honest. Blast bounty is cool, but blast

(01:04:14):
rather they don't care. Spirit Mongols theory of Italia.
Yeah, I I just think with rivals, like it just doesn't, it
just doesn't make sense. Like it's meant to be the
biggest event of your Blast season.
By the way, HLTV lists them wrong.
They're just meant to be called Blast tournament location now,

(01:04:34):
not season 2. But like it's your biggest event
of your season but it's also your smallest event in terms of
teams. And it's not even just using vRS
invites which I don't think theycan anyway because it's only 8
teams. Like it just doesn't make sense
to me as a tournament. But it's not why a passion UA

(01:04:56):
there if it's meant to be your biggest event.
I don't want to be rude and and I also don't want to like be
shilling for vRS either but likeif half the team defending can
be wild card invites, that seemslike you're not really following
vRS at all then. It would kind of be fine if they
didn't invite paying. I think it might be an exception
because of how much vRS rules have changed this year, but I

(01:05:19):
also just think right. It's all bollocks.
If we're leaving best of wands in the past and best of three
finals in the past, can we leave18 tournaments in the past?
Actually the point in them. They are a bit shit, aren't
they? They really.
Do have to agree? And this doesn't.
Even this should be the playoffs.

(01:05:41):
I mean it shouldn't be the playoffs because passing UA in
it. This should be the playoffs. 18
playoffs are following. But it doesn't even have like
the insulation that like an old blast event used to have where
like you say what you want aboutthe blast partner system, but it
did mean that typically you weregetting like at least seven,

(01:06:02):
like 6 or seven of the top ten teams in the world at every
blast event. And like, they were, they were
good. Old blast events were good.
But this is just the worst version of the old blast system.
So yeah. Yeah, I mean, I say I liked
Bounty. I like Blast Bounty.
But you know what? Sorry I.

(01:06:23):
Was going to say if we talked about the last two games and
fuck off. Oh yeah, why not?
Furia versus pain? Furia 2.
Nil Vitality. Tyloo Vitality. 2/1.
There's, I mean, it feels weird to say there's more chance of
Vitality dropping a map to Tyloothan Fury dropping on to pay.

(01:06:48):
And that's not a comment on Painor Tyloo.
No, I agree. Vitality like The thing is if Ty
Lu pick like train or ancient like they've got a chance but Ty
Lu won't pick train because theyit confuses them.
Don't Ty Luke play an OK amount.Of train, I've no idea.

(01:07:13):
Trains in China. They literally, yeah, but they
literally like every time I watch Ty Luke play, they're
playing Mirage. Ricardo.
I don't like, I think they actually do play quite a lot of
train. Like I've only ever seen Mirage.
In the VO lads. I just like to say Inferno is
their first pick on HFTV becausethey've played it 11 times in

(01:07:34):
the last few months with eight losses.
It's like they're. Statistically bad words.
It's their first book I love. It I just I just.
A closing point. Sorry, Jack, if you've got
something to say, you go. I just don't think this events.
I just I just don't care. Like the first, the team that

(01:07:59):
wins it maybe has a bet a higherchance of putting the major.
I just don't care. And it's not like I'm trying not
to be ESL shell man, but the time zone fucking sucks.
Like I have to be awake for Chengdu.
I I don't have to watch, so I won't be.
Maybe I'll watch my OPS, but it's not like good games, are

(01:08:21):
they? They're just not good.
No, a lot of them aren't, but. Spirit Falcons is I just don't
care. As your final point, Charlie,
could you just go on to Ty Lou'sHLTV page please, and then click
on stats and just Scroll down totheir map win statistics in the
past three months? Great, I love them.

(01:08:42):
These are absolutely. Terrible and for people.
Yeah, they say they have 11 games on Inferno.
For people who don't have video so train, they've played five
times, they have a 60% win rate,Overpass they've played five
times. That's three wins, percent win
rate. Mirage, they've played five

(01:09:03):
times. They have a 40% win rate.
Inferno, as Elliott said, they've played eleven times and
they have a 27.3% win rate, which is three wins.
Ancient they've played four times, winning one, and Nuke,
they've played six times, winning one.
Their map pool is actually abysmal.

(01:09:23):
That is one of the worst map pools you'll ever see.
How are they even that's? Pretty bad.
So I just had a look at as well who they beat on train and
overpass just for some. Just for some reference, they
beat Australis on both. They beat B8 Australis and Fluxo
on train with losses to 3D MaximFanatic, which is about, you

(01:09:45):
know, it's kind of fine for thatlevel.
They beat Australis 3D Max and Lynn Vision on Overpass with
losses to Mongols and B8, which is kind of like fine, but those
are their two best maps. And then you go to like Inferno,
which as we mentioned is kind oftheir first pick.
And it's like, yeah, they beat they beat Liquid game Legion and
Lynn Vision and lost to everyoneelse.

(01:10:07):
They lost Australis Vitality. I mean, Vitality battered them
at esports World Cup. That's a while ago 3D Max Aurora
fanatic phase, Falcons and Paynehave all beaten them on inferno,
which is like their home map they've got like very few of
those games. They've even got double figures
as well. They've got double figures
because Aurora fanatic pain. The rest are all like 13 eight

(01:10:28):
to thirteen 5:00-ish. But if they get trained, they
can beat vitality on it and if vitality band train and pick
ancient, I actually think vitality or 20, but that's quite

(01:10:49):
brave because they don't really play ancient.
Yeah, I the opening games are a little other than the Falcons 1.
It's a little uninteresting, butthere's enough good teams here
that playoffs should be pretty good as long as this it'll.
Probably have a good. It's just, it's just predictable
until Friday, isn't it? Yeah.

(01:11:10):
Yeah, it is, but you never know.You never know.
Maybe Ty Lue make it happen in Hong Kong.
Who knows? It was political.
I was deliberately avoiding political statement there
because last week we made about 15.

(01:11:33):
Is there anything else to talk about?
Is there anything else to talk about?
I feel like we've we've talked about everything.
We've talked about Newsweek, isn't it?
Slow Newsday. I will say, just just sort of
touching back on Chengdu, it wasa good event.
It was a really good event. Yeah, I enjoy.
Good games, good results. I, I tend to write off the

(01:11:57):
Aussie and and Asian events generally.
I just kind of don't watch them.I'm glad I was working it.
I'm glad I watched it. I actually really enjoyed it.
So yeah, time zones, you know, always suck.
But it's a good event and that'sall I have to say about it.
It was good. You got any closing words?

(01:12:22):
Leave the people with. I stand by my earlier statement
on the Unabomber. Don't give me a trust.
I've been. I have been earlier Azs.

(01:12:42):
That's been Sam Anamov, the guy who liked the Unabomber.
We distanced ourselves from him.That's Jack, the train guy.
I just, I think that's still themost famous thing you've ever
done. Till I become the Unabomber.
Till you, Jesus Christ. I will worship.
You forget what I said about thepolitical sentence.

(01:13:11):
Yeah, let's see you last. Week don't don't open your
letters. Apart from the newsletter, you
should open the TLVR newsletter.The Unibomber cannot put a bum
in the e-mail bye.