So basically, you want this to look like a CS major

No thanks, those tournaments are sleepers for any non-EU/CIS fan

+1 these people got goldfish memory

Like yeah, 4 guaranteed to EMEA makes a little more sense, but surely isn't the catastrophe all these kids are making it out to be

If EMEA really is king of 5v5 tac fps like so many of their fans claim, then they'll win anyway

All we learn is the damn 50 states
Them fifty nifty united states...

Chances are, if you're a fairly normal, healthy young person, and are fully vaxed, you should be OK.

I'm type 1 diabetic and have a history of lung issues but I still was OK. A couple days of 100+ fever, chills, body aches and dry cough. After that I basically felt normal and tested negative 1 week after testing positive.

EDIT: but still keep to yourself until you're better. Protect those around you

Agreed. It'd be great to see him in a team that has a chance at winning tournaments, even if they're regional

Idk I feel like all of those are solid nicks

Especially like JohnOlsen tbh

God forbid it went to meation or dairytion

We can cut him some slack for that, but he's a legitimately problematic individual regardless of whether he's neurotypical or not

Lol you right. But in a way... sometimes the truth is a dumb take xD

True, but that would also mean more non-assholes as well, so the proportion of encounters with assholes vs. non-assholes wouldn't be any higher just because the site has a larger user base.

CS' community is far more homogenous, and its forums are far worse.

1. Daps switches (back) to VAL
2. Stanislaw switches to VAL
3. Stan joins Daps' team
4. Stan kicks Daps

Never been done before

I'm here because I like both games and I can only deal with so many social darwinists/blackpillers/racists/incels in the HLTV forums before I need a damn break (VLR has a few but not as many afaik)

Well dang

If Acend win Champs then they're 2nd for sure. If they don't, I think put SEN second.

KRU needs to be there as well.

I'm guessing Gambit to win Champs, so

1. Gambit
2. Sentinels
3. Acend
4. Liquid
5. Fnatic
6. KRÜ
7. Envy
8. Vision Strikers/X10
9. Vision Strikers/X10
10. Team Vikings

Almost exclusively according to performance at the 3 Masters and Champs. More weighted to Champs obvi

I can see that. Very much agreed that CS experience will continue to matter less. Soon we'll have stars that never really played CS.

I'd have to agree about NA VAL. I think a lot of young talents are excited about it, although we'll see how many go the streaming route vs the esports route. And I still think we might see Tarik go pro, which would be a big move.

I see what you mean about NA CS, although its hard to imagine it getting worse given how much unsigned talent is sitting around. Floppy already went back to CS and Extra Salt are actually qualifying for things again, and we still don't know RUSH or oBo's plans.

Still, if I were betting money, I'd be betting in agreement with you

There's a general assumption that nitr0's transfer to TL CSGO is only the first of a potentially massive roster shuffle in NA that crosses between CS and VAL.

Curious to hear opinions - after the dust of the NA roster shuffles settles:

• Will NA VAL get stronger/weaker?
• Will NA CS get stronger/weaker?

Will we see a return of folks like Tarik, RUSH, etc. to the professional esports scene? Does 100T pick up big (former) CS names or do they gamble on young VAL talent? Do any previously NA teams go international? Do Sentinels stay true to their PR talk and keep their current roster iteration? Does EG CSGO actually rebuild its roster?

Which players will switch games? Who will stay put?

Sorry to see him go, but after all the roster shuffling there might actually be 2 or 3 good NA CS teams, so that isn't a bad thing

Not like NA VAL is going to lose a bunch of tier 1 talent

Yeah, I could see him IGL'ing a team like that tbh

were they? If so, that's sad, I was rooting for KRU at Masters 3 and super glad to see them put up a fight here (and maybe keep these semis from being all EMEA)

Racism is certainly a problem on these forums.

Removing flairs won't change that, partially because as said above, nationality and race are not the same.

First part of your statement is essentially true, barring any weird bracket occurrences or unforeseen circumstances (whichever team wins champs is the best team in the world).

But regions are made up of many teams, not just the best team in the region, so the second part of your statement is categorically false. If I use results-based analysis as you did in your comment, then clearly EMEA is stronger because they have 4 teams in the playoffs while NA only has one.

As a region as a whole, no, C9 winning wouldn't mean NA is better.

EU has more depth. We just have to accept it. NA is not as dedicated to esports in general, but especially not in the 5v5 tac FPS genre.

We saw NV get that stage buff at Masters 3.

If they hadn't had a COVID situation here at Champions I'd imagine they'd be in the playoffs.

But at least now we know (barring any unforeseen, unfortunate circumstances) that all playoff teams can be onstage, and that is for the best.

Dang man it's refreshing to be on a site where people actually acknowledge how ignorant and useless RL (and Thorin) are

I see your points.

Those esports you mentioned are the exact examples I was thinking of when I was explaining the issue of esports that are dominated by one region.

True, they are 'global' in that there are pro teams across the globe - but there is very little competitive balance between the regions, as you identified. Sure, that model is lucrative to an extent, we see these esports make money - but we lack developed esports that have competitive balance across the globe, and while it might be idealistic on my part, I'd like to see VAL accomplish that as much as possible since it seems to be the best esport candidate yet to do so.

Tl;dr we could be more ambitious in how we conceptualize what a global esport is, and how balanced the competition between regions can be.

TBF it would be more encouraging if one of the EMEA playoff teams were a Turkish squad. I loved watching SMB in the last Masters.

It's not a bad thing to have these four, not bad at all - to have them dominate would be a different story though.

And true, with how little CIS representation there is, it's good to see Gambit do well. Especially because they are very wholesome in how they engage with their competitors.

Yeah, that would be worse, fair point.

I find it highly unlikely that neither NV nor C9B make playoffs. Probably NV will, and C9 will play VS close but lose in 3.

It would be big for NA VAL if at least Tarik would go pro. But knowing how cozy and lucrative streaming life is, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't

That is part of my concern

Fair points, all.

I hope you're right, at least in that EMEA dominance doesn't become the norm. I don't dislike EMEA at all (I actually really enjoy the 4 EMEA playoff teams, all for different reasons) but it's more that so many esports become dominated by one region, and it'd be great if VAL can avoid that.

If the semis is all EMEA. This could very well happen.

EMEA fans/talent would be hyped, and of course we would all understand why, but it would be a bad sign for the future health of the esport.

I think a lot of us want to believe VAL can be a truly global esport in that any region can have a team capable of being World Champions.

(And no, I wouldn't be happy if all 3 NA teams had made semis. That would be pretty bad as well)

No, but I don't think it was a wise decision on his part.

This aged like absolute milk

At the rate we're going right now, you might get that mouse fam

I'm malding at 20

Literal same

Actually same. I wasn't in time for actual NA LCQ pickems but I did my own partial one during the break (when they were moving it online) and had C9B winning. I was riding high off that and now I'm getting owned (had them beating Fnatic in first round and in lowers)

Yeah I slept on Fnatic. Plus C9B looked hot coming out of LCQ

Pretty much same... Fnatic torpedoed my group D. I had them losing to C9B in first round and in lower final

But I also had Acend qualifying in upper of Group A so that's pretty hecked now too LUL

I had Fnatic losing to C9B in lowers with VS going thru in upper... I think I've lost that whole group now

On a scale from 1 to 10, how destroyed are they?

A little sad about no Lothar or kaquka

absolutely. yinsu, kaquka, jessGOAT, and pansy are all fantastic

is kaquka working Champions tho? Haven't seen her. Maybe playoffs?

Starxo: "am I a joke to you"

Wrong site but yeah

Doug is a bit of an airhead, but three quarters of the talent team being talentless? My sweet summer child...

I am a dude who is primarily attracted to women.

FNS is one of the reasons I have to put that "primarily" in there

Pansy is absolute S Tier. Like one of the best to ever do it

DDK and Sean casting together was so cool