Fnatic have announced a partnership with Chinese Mobile Giants OnePlus, which will see the OnePlus logo on all jerseys of the Swedish organisation, replacing the word โFnaticโ in the process.
The announcement was a part of a 2-hour live stream event held in Berlin called Legends in Action Live, where fans had a chance to interact with the new Fnatic roster of popular esport League of Legends.
โThis is a hugely significant moment in the history of Fnatic,โ said Sam Mathews, founder of Fnatic.
โWe share the same values when it comes to performance and becoming the best we can possibly be, so in OnePlus we have the perfect partner to take Fnatic into a new era.โ
While the financials of the deal are still unclear, it is reported that the deal is a long term partnership between the two organisations as OnePlus enters into the world of Esports.
It is time for the CSGO teams to get down and dirty in an attempt to land a spot at the upcoming IEM Katowice Major, starting with the European Minor. A region that has always raised the question of being allotted more than two spots from the Minor has seen the argument grow stronger, with the quality of teams participating in the current one.
In comparison, EU Minor is the most stacked one and has a compelling argument for extra slots, which would only increase the overall quality of the Major. Now, getting down to brass tacks, we take a close look at Group A of the EU Minor, which starts on January 16.
The Group consists of mousesports, a team that is regarded as one of the top five teams in the world and not just by HLTV rankings, an Optic lineup that has looked promising in spades, Vitality, who has one of the hottest properties in the CSGO world right now in Zywoo and the odd one out, unfortunately in Valiance.
When you see teams like these appear in the Minor Qualifiers, let alone the Minor itself, it raises questions on the entire process for qualifying for the Major. mousesports have always been a steady and safe bet to perform well at any event.
But, they took a gamble replacing Styko with Snax to add more firepower in an attempt to push to compete with the likes of Astralis, Natus Vincere and Liquid on a more consistent basis. Safe to say the experiment failed to live up to the hype. But, it did offer us a look into just how explosive they could have been had they found a rhythm, as evidenced by their triumph at ESL One New York.
Snax was soon benched, with Styko returning to the active lineup. While it will take time for Styko to be inculcated back into the lineup and in the same rhythm as before, the support playerโs return immediately made mousesports more consistent on the server.
Their biggest achievement since the return of Styko would be treading through the waters of the EU Minor Closed Qualifiers. A Top four finish at ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals was also commendable, with mousesports ultimately falling to Astralis in the semi-finals.
But, the real challenge lies ahead. We have already seen NRG falter at the Minor. mousesports have more experience. But, you never know what the Minor can serve, especially if itโs the European one.
This has been a bizarre association, to say the least. The decision to go full Danish was vindicated earlier. They merely missed out on a spot at the Major – New Legends Stage. But, their decision to replace gade with niko improved them immediately.
Their highlights with the roster was a second place at cs_summit 3 and surviving the ESL Pro League Relegation Phase. While they did qualify for the Minor with niko, they decided to add refrezh to their roster after the youngsterโs blistering performance standing-in for Golden representing Cloud 9.
A quick glance at the statistics would show you that while niko performed better than gade, he was still some way off to adding the firepower that is needed to push Optic towards the Tier-1 region.
refrezh is definitely an upgrade in terms of raw firepower. The youngster achieved widespread adulations not just for his performance for Cloud 9 but also during his time at Fragsters, which was also a full Danish roster.
Optic might be an afterthought for many at the European Minor. But, it is difficult to write off any Danish roster at this point of time, let alone one that features konfig and refrezh together.
Valiance have always hovered around the Top 30 mark with their old lineup. So, when they fused together with the core of Imperial, bringing in nexa, ottoNd and EspiranTo, fireworks were expected. The performances though, have been only decent, with gradual improvement visible.
Their record with the new lineup could be a sign of things to come with 43 wins out of 60 matches. Unlike other iterations of the Valiance lineup though, it isnโt huNter doing the heavy lifting even though he is the highest rated player since the lineup came to fruition.
Everyone is stepping up while LETN1 is carrying his own weight, making the roster a real darkhorse at the European Minor. They already have a small title under their belt in the form of LOOT.Bet Cup #3.
On paper, the lineup is an explosive one if allowed the freedom. But, they will be up against three teams who are all favourites to advance in their own sense. A genuine underdog story could be on the cards should Valiance manage to somehow get through the Group Stage.
There are high hopes from this roster. The initial iteration that included Happy achieved some decent results. But, it was mostly due to Zywoo carrying the lineup. The youngster boasts a rating of 1.43 in the matches played under the Vitality banner, which just goes to show how big of a carry he has been.
Despite the heavy lifting, Vitality have not managed to create as much of a splash as was expected. They did win Dreamhack Open Atlanta but again, that was Zywoo doing the lifting, with a rating of 1.49 through the event.
Replacing Happy with ALEX might seem like a gamble. Let me tell you it is anything but. For one, ALEX has been one of the most stable players within the gamut of French teams and despite being British, his association with French teams, especially in LDLC has shown he can more than adjust to what the situation demands.
While they have played just four maps with the new lineup, ALEX has been the highest rated player overall in the combined statistics, which could come in handy at the European Minor.
The addition of ALEX will surely bring an upgrade in terms of firepower. But, will it be enough to get Zywoo and Vitality to the Major? Zywoo stickers anyone?Prediction
Prediction
Teams to Qualify from Group A – mousesports, Vitality
mousesports – Top seed from Group A
Vitality – Second seed from Group A
OpTic – Eliminated in the Decider
Valiance – Eliminated in the Elimination Match
The opening matches pit mousesports against Valiance and Vitality against Optic. Talking about the first matchup, even though Valiance have all the tools for success, they are yet to prove it on LAN.
mousesports will come ready to tackle the uncharted territory of EU Minor and should ideally not slip up against Valiance.
Coming on to Vitality vs Optic, it just might come down to who has devoted more time towards building the team chemistry and strategies. According to NBK, they have undergone an intense bootcamp with their new lineup.
Final day of practice done before the Minor concluding 9 days of play in a row. Did a ton of good work, feeling mostly ready for the tournament with the whole team. Half of the job is done, leeeeeet's get ittttttt and GET THOSE VITALITY STICKERSSSSS ๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/tZo739c6iK
Already boasting of one of the most highly-rated prodigies in the Counter-Strike circuit, the bootcamp could just unlock Vitalityโs true potential. OpTic, on the other hand, seems to favour a loose and puggy playstyle, which letโs konfig do what he wants.
It was one of the reasons konfig and cajunb reportedly did not like the in-game calling of stanislaw, who had more of a structured way of going about things.
We believe mousesports and Vitality will go head-to-head in the Upper Bracket with mousesports qualifying as the first seed from Group A. We expect Valiance to run Optic very close, who should prevail in the Elimination match to set up a rematch against Vitality.
But, the French team should overcome Optic and qualify as the second seed from Group A.
Anything in excess could be addictive. Addictions come from a lot of things. In this case, it’s gaming – specifically, PUBG Mobile. A fitness trainer from Jammu has reportedly lost his mental balance after playing the game for 10 days. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, also known as PUBG has been growing in popularity constantly ever since it was released as a mobile edition some time back. PUBG Mobile has been bringing out constant features and updates which can lead to anyone getting addicted to the game. But this move can result in online gaming addiction which could eventually backfire.
In a report by UNI, a fitness trainer from Jammu started injuring himself and eventually ended up in the hospital because of injuries caused because of his addiction to PUBG Mobile.
The report also stated that mental imbalance triggered because online gaming is not a new thing. This is the sixth such case which has happened in Jammu.
The fitness trainer allegedly was addicted to the PUBG game while playing over a span of ten days and after he completed a mission, he reportedly started hitting himself and thus injured himself and was admitted to the hospital.
The doctor at the hospital was quoted by UNI as saying, “The patient is unstable at the moment and has partially lost his mental balance”. The doctor also stated that even though the patient was recognizing people, his mind was not conscious and was still reeling under the after-effects of the game.
Jammu locals have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik to get ban such “life-threatening” games in the state and country as well.
ESL has announced the Groups and Schedule of the IEM Katowice 2019 Minors, which will serve as the means of qualification for the Major to be held in Katowice, Poland.
The group stage brackets for the #IEM Katowice 2019 #CSGO Minor Championships are set!
The Europe and CIS Minors are set to take place from January 16-20, with the Americas and Asia Minors will take place from January 22-26.
The top 2 sides from each region will go straight to the Challengers stage, where they will face the challengers from the FACEIT Major 2018 for a chance to be part of the final 16.
The 3rd placed teams will also have another shot at qualifying for the Major, with a separate stage called Minorsโ play in, where the top 2 teams will qualify for the Major.
Below you can find the first-round matchups for all the Minors:
Of the 16 teams scheduled to attend the event, 9 will receive direct invites, with 7 spots to be decided through qualifiers, including a dedicated slot for Oceania.
The open qualifiers will consist of BO1 matches, with elimination matches being BO3, with the winners joining 4 invited teams for the closed qualifier, with a double elimination BO3 and a BO5 final deciding the single qualifier from each region.
A report by reliable journalist Jarek “DeKay” Lewis for VPEsports states that the Belgian duo of Adil โScreaMโ Benrlitom and Kevin โEx6TenZโ Droolans are looking to form a team with Team LDLC ace David โdevoduvekโ Dobrosavljevic.
ScreaM is currently a free agent, having been without a team after leaving Team Envy in early 2018, and having a brief stand-in appearance, most notably for Fnatic at ESL One New York Last year.
Ex6TenZ, currently left out of the active roster of G2, has been the In-Game Leader with the French organization, previously playing for Team LDLC and famously being the IGL of VeryGames and Titan in the early days of CSGO.
While the details are still sketchy and the plans have not been fully chalked out yet, a move for Franรงois โAmaNEkโ Delauney remains on the cards, with his contract with LDLC expiring just last week.
BenQ announces ZOWIE XL2546 as the Official Monitor of PUBG ASIA INVITATIONAL (PAI 2019). PUBG ASIA INVITATIONAL 2019 is the first PUBG Premier event in the year of 2019 taking place from 10th to 12th of January 2019, to be hosted at Cotai Arena in Macau. The event holds the prize pool of USD$500,000 and kicks off the yearlong project PUBG has been planning, which eventually will lead to the PUBG Global Championship at the end of 2019.
The 16 teams around Asia will be invited to the PUBG ASIA INVITATIONAL 2019. At the end of the 3-day battle, the team with the most points will be granted the ticket to PUBG Global Championship and will be crowned as the Champions of Asia.
Mr. Rajeev Singh, Managing Director of BenQ India, said:
We are proud to be a part of the PUBG ASIA INVITATIONAL 2019 this year. BenQ is focused on serving the customers and delivering seamless, engaging user experience, which is imperative to the brand. It is our responsibility to ensure that the customers are empowered with the necessary hardware required to become instrumental in the journey to success. We look forward to our continued association with PUBG ASIA INVITATIONAL.
BenQ is providing ZOWIEย XL2546ย Esports Monitors to assist our fellow survivors with best image quality. ZOWIE XL2546 monitor comes equipped with Native 240Hz Refresh Rate, Static 1ms Response time and DyAcTMย Technology which offers a smooth and clear image. Most importantly, BenQ Zowie XL series offers the two most preferred features by gaming enthusiasts- Black eQualizer and Color Vibrance that helps players identifying the enemies on the field visually, and the option to adjust the screen color tone to match their comfort.
FaZe have announced the signing of free agent Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubayev to complete their roster, while Janko “YNk” Paunoviฤ returns to a coaching capacity to complete the FaZe squad.
The 28-year-old veteran will take the place of Finn “karrigan” Andersen, who has been loaned to Team Envy. It is very likely that Nikola โnikoโ Kovaฤ will be retained as the shot caller.
Interestingly, among the star studded FaZe lineup, their newest entrant will be armoured with a Major, having won PGL Krakow with Gambit, a feat which has eclipsed them having come close on many occasions, most notably losing out closely to Cloud9 in the Boston.
OFFICIAL: @AdreNcs will stand-in as FaZe CS:GO's 5th player through the Major, & @YNk has signed on to coach the team โ๏ธ
Our first games with the new-look lineup will take place at the iBUYPOWER Masters in Los Angeles, California from January 19th-20th.
On the other hand, this is yet another big break for YNK, who is set to fill the vacant position left by Robert “RobbaN” Dahlstrรถm, who left the team due to the birth of his second child. YNK has previously had a stint with MIBR for 5 months, winning the ZOTAC Cup Masters in the process, but a poor string of results saw him on the end of the firing line.
Robert “RobbaN” Dahlstrรถm has stepped down as the head coach of FaZe Clan, owing to personal reasons, after having become a father for the second time. He, however, confirmed that he would be returning to the organisation in Late January in a different capacity.
In a statement, the 33-year-old said:
I became a dad for the second time back in September and the travelling has been very hard for me,
It has been hard to coach and still be the father I want to be. However, I will still work in FaZe. I will have a different role that I will announce later in January.
The frontrunner for the vacant coach position is being led by former MIBR Coach and Analyst Janko โYNkโ Paunovic, who was replaced by Brazilian Wilton โzewsโ Prado after a string of mediocre performances in his 5-month tenure as coach.
In February of 2016, as FaZe Clan first entered Counter Strike, we brought on @FaZeRobbaN as our Coach and he has been instrumental to this day in helping us build Champions.
The move comes after the decision to Bench In Game Leader, Finn โkarriganโ Andersen, who will be seen playing for Team Envy on loan. The North American organisation have yet to find his replacement.
Robban will be most remembered for leading the European squad to victories at ELEAGUE Premier 2017 and IEM Sydney 2018, as being the #1 team for 15 consecutive weeks. The new roster will be announced soon, with their first tournament being the iBUYPOWER Masters from January 19-20.
Indian CSGO rose to prominence in 2018 and while there was a slight hiccup, *cough* forsaken *cough*, it is safe to say that 2018 has been the most happening year for India in the CSGO scene. Many legends of the scene took a back seat while new names became the toast of the nation.
We have compiled a list of 20 players, which include stars that held their own and a few names that surprised people positively.
Note: The statistics have been picked up from HLTV and Sostronk. There might be a few matches that did not find their place on either platform. Such matches were overlooked.
20. Abhay โKnightRiderโ Mulchandani
A year where God Particles reinstated the presence of a Delhi team as a prominent challenger within the Indian circuit, Abhay Mulchandani rose to prominence as a player to be feared. Boasting an overall IR of 1.39 in Official matches, the Delhi-based star had already shown positive signs towards the end of 2017. But, 2018 saw KnightRider become the Ultimate Carry for God Particles, registering only 9 <0.9 IR matches in the entire calendar year.
God Particles made it to the Grand Final of Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup INDIA before losing to Entity, where they had to forfeit a map due to Abhay falling ill.
The Delhi-based outfit made it to ESL INDIA Masters after starting 2018 in the Starter Cup. Their notable wins came against Invictus at the Taiwan Excellence LAN Finale and over ex-Optic India in ESL INDIA Challenger Stage. KnightRider is lauded for his raw firepower and it will be interesting to see how much he can improve in 2019.
19. Dipayan โMachoโ Das
DreaM-MaChO-The_GuRu-aFlekX-loafer-Negative
Slaughter Rage Army is a team that has surprised many in 2018. And while it has truly been a team effort, with everyone contributing to the success, Dipayan Das added other feathers to his cap. Qualifying for the LAN Finals of ILG Cup Season 2 with Team Oh Bey, the diminutive youngster won the Bengaluru LAN in December, 2018.
While Slaughter Rage Army dominated the North-East Indian CSGO scene in 2018, Dipayan Das was consistent in a support-cum-lurk role. He and team captain The_Guru were also selected for the Optic tryouts initial session but decided against travelling to Bengaluru owing to personal commitments.
All in all, it was a good year for SRA and an even better one for Macho. The team decided against playing the Winter phase of ESL India after securing second place in the Fall Season and are likely to return in the new year.
18. Vishal โhaiVaanโ Sharma
Not many expected Vishal Sharma to be in the Final Eight in the tryouts for Optic India. Ultimately, haiVaan was picked in the Final Five. The star was lauded for his communication skills, leadership and his versatility with the weaponry.
Initially picked as an IGL according to everyone, haiVaan also survived the arrival of yB, who replaced Formless in the active lineup. haiVaan struggled to put up numbers. But, he played the support role well, which is an underrated trait within the Indian scene.
haiVaan is yet to showcase his potential in Ate Gaming. But, as the player grows more comfortable in his new role, with his new teammates, we can expect better and consistent showings.
17. Ayush โAstarrrโ Deora
The quintessential face of Indian Counter-Strike, Ayush Deora had a mixed 2018. While he was inactive for good portions of the calendar, Astarrr lived up to the billing every time he made himself active within the Brutality lineup.
Despite Brutalityโs struggles in 2018, Astarrr recorded just 5 <0.9 IR matches โ none after July 15, which highlights just how ominous he was towards the second half of 2018. He did go inactive again. However, there are rumours that he is likely to return to the scene in a lineup that consists of MithilF, Manan and a couple of other renowned players. Hereโs to hoping he does. Indian CSGO awaits the return of the mercurial star.
16. Ankit โV3nomโ Panth
Another household name within the Indian CSGO scene, Ankit Panthโs rise off-the-server was astonishing. From getting a shoutout on Beyond the Numbers to recording a video with Faze Censor, AnkitPanth continued to push the boundaries and create a refreshing image of what a model Indian CSGO professional should be.
On the server though, he was inconsistent, with several negative IR maps against his name. Brutality did qualify for the Finale of the ESL INDIA Summer Phase, ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND Indian Closed Qualifiers and the Dew Arena Finals.
But, their record at these LAN Events were discouraging, to say the least. Still, Brutality continues to remain as a strong force within the INDIAN Csgo scene. There have been a few changes to the lineup and it will be interesting to see how V3nom is able to push the envelope, both off-the-server and on it.
15. Bharat Kiran โribbizโ Reddy
Photo via HLTV
Another player that is in the legends bracket, Bharat Kiran Reddy extended his legacy by getting his hands on the ESL INDIA Summer trophy. Ribbi was again consistent on the server and managed to recover from a dip in form in mid-2018.
Invictus had a poor showing at the Taiwan Excellence Cup LAN Finals. It will be interesting to see if ribbiz continues to be a part of the pro scene, having hinted at inactivity at the Summer LAN Finale LAN event.
14. Chinmay โPokiโ Mehta
Photo via HLTV
2ez had a very iffy start to 2018, struggling to record consistent wins against top-tiered opposition. But, the second half was brilliant for the Mumbai-based outfit. Starting with a spirited performance in the Direct Invite Qualifiers of ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND ASIA 2018 Indian Qualifiers, 2ez finished second at the Dew Arena Lan 2018.
Optic Indiaโs disqualification saw 2ez go up against Slaughter Rage Army for the ESL INDIA Fall Season title, where 2ez came up trumps and secured a place in the ESL Pro League Season 8 Asia Closed Qualifiers.
Chinmay Mehta has been one of the cornerstones of 2ezโs success. In 2018, Poki was consistent for his side while not being as prolific as his teammates Rexy and t1to. Pokiโs highlight was that he held his own against SEA opposition early on in 2018 during the Dreamhack Marseille Qualifier.
With Antidote added to the lineup, 2ez will now hope to make more of a mark in the SEA region. As for Poki, itโs just a battle to help your team and be consistent on the server at the same time.
13. Sahil โpashasahilโ Pasha
HuntR-ManaN-Pashasahil-Ribbi-Excali
One of the main pillars behind Invictus and their success in the first half of 2018, pashasahil remained with the team after the departure of Huntr and Excali to Entity. While Invictus were unable to post satisfying results post-shuffle, pashasahil established himself as a worthy contender within the Indian Counter-Strike scene.
While he has not lit up the scene, he did not have a single <0.90 IR event in 2018, highlighting his ability to hold his own against any and all. A definite name to watch, the 18-year-old will be keen to enter the top 10 in 2019.
12. Simar โpsyโ Sethi
Photo via HLTV
On and off in 2018 due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Simar Sethi still showed glimpses of why he is so revered within the scene. Playing through the pain in the first half of 2018, the star awper lit up the ESL INDIA Summer LAN Finale with his ability on the server, ending the event with an IR of 1.31 over six maps.
The player then took a bit of a sabbatical to nurse his injury and came back with renewed vigour within the active lineup at Entity, winning the Taiwan Excellence Cup INDIA. His performance at Dreamhack Mumbai left a sweet-and-sour taste. While he did hold his own against other sides, his performances against the newly formed Signify and South African team Energy left a lot to talk about, with a few noticeable whiffs with the AWP.
Entity are just getting settled after the arrival of Dav and Solo. Psy himself would not be happy with his display in the matches mentioned above and is likely to hit the practice servers hard in 2019.
11. Rahul โt1toSavageโ Sridhar
Photo via ESL INDIA
Not as consistent as 2017, Rahul Sridhar still managed to put up a good showing in matches that mattered. One of the highlights was against Vici Gaming in the ESL Pro League Season 8 Asia Closed Qualifier, where he held his own.
There were numerous negative IR maps posted by t1to. But, he led 2ez amicably in the second half of 2018, with his team not only winning the ESL INDIA Fall Season but finishing second at the Dew Arena 2018 LAN Finals.
2ez have started the Winter Phase strongly, with just two losses posted in 8 matches and it will be interesting to see whether 2ez can manage to go up against Entity and Signify on a consistent basis.
10. Bhavin โHellRangeRโ Kotwani
Bleh & HellrangeR
Lauded as one of the best In-Game Leaders in India, 2018 saw a different side to the vocal star. Entity chose to hand the reins of IGL to Amaterasu and shift HellRanger in a support-cum-lurk role for a change of perspective.
And it seemed to have freed HellRanger to an extent, with Entity coming close to grabbing the ESL Summer Trophy. While they lost, thanks to an incredible comeback from Invictus, everyone in the crowd recognized the efforts of the Entity captain, especially on Nuke, where he dropped a 38-bomb.
BhavinKotwani has improved his on-the-server ratings a lot after being relieved of IGL duties. While he would want to forget the games against Signify and Energy at Dreamhack Mumbai, HellRanger has proven that he is much more than an able IGL and it will be interesting to see how he can continue to improve himself in terms of firepower in 2019.
9. Tejas โRexyโ Kotian
Photo via ESL INDIA
Undoubtedly the star for 2ez in 2018, Tejas Kotian showed he is ready to take on Asian opposition now, with a credible performance in the Dreamhack Marseille Qualifiers in early 2018, boasting an IR of 1.28 for the event.
Rexyโsperformances on LAN was also a huge positive. Not only did he post a positive rating in what was a brutal defeat to Invictus in the semi-finals of ESL INDIA Summer Phase, but he also had a fair showing on the server at the Dew Arena Lan, finishing the event with an IR of 1.09.
Overall, Rexy had just one <1 IR event in 2018 โa 0.99 rating against Vici Gaming in the ESL Pro League 2018 Asia Closed Qualifiers. A positive year for TejasKotian, who will look to push on in 2019.
Honestly, Ace is probably #1 on my personal list and perhaps, overall as well. But, technicality restricts his ranking. Ideally, Ace has achieved the most of any Indian CSGO player in 2018, joining XCN and showing that Indian players can be attractive recruits for other Asian powerhouses.
Colossal performances for XCN were followed by a brilliant debut for Signify at Dreamhack Mumbai, his first Indian LAN event in 2018. Ace also posted incredible numbers for Signify playing in the Starter Cup and Challenger Stage of ESL INDIA Winter Phase under the tag Placeholder.
All in all, Ace is likely to move up the rankings in 2019 as he plays more events in India. If it was down to ranking the Best Indian CSGO Players, Ace would have probably been at the top alongside Havok. But, as the rankings relate to the Best CSGO players in India, it would only make sense if we prioritise the players who made it count while being a part of the Indian CSGO ecosystem.
7. Lukas โybโ Groning
Everyone craves for class German engineering. So when Optic India brought in yb to aid their cause, despite a few skeptics, there was a hope that the player, who was once associated with the Indian CS Source scene, would be able to improve Optic India.
While almost the entirety of the teamโs achievements have been overshadowed and maligned by Forsaken being caught with cheats, no one can overlook the improvement that yb had brought in. So much so that Marzil intended to stick with his IGL in search of a new team post-Optic India.
Signify put their trust in the German and it has paid dividends so far, with the team posting perhaps the most successful result of any Indian team since Wolfโs appearance in the Major. Signify dismantled Bravado and while they lost ultimately to them in the Grand Final, their display sparked a debate that perhaps, Indian Counter-Strike is not as far behind other regions as people make it out to be.
Individually speaking, yb wasnโt the brightest of the bunch. But, he came in clutch with crucial kills while his in-game calling made sure he was contributing more to his teamโs cause. The aim for 2019 is perhaps to put Signify on the map in the Asian and international scene and yb will be a key cog in it.
6. Sunny โDeathMakerโ Das
Everybody is talking about the diminutive versatile star from North-East India after his performance for Signify at Dreamhack Mumbai. But, what people tend to miss is that Sunny Das has been in and around the top scene the entirety of 2018.
Starting the year with Ate Gaming, DeathMaker impressed despite disappointing results overall. He was then given a chance at Entity gaming, which he grabbed with both hands, winning his first big event at Dew Arena.
He was then released by Entity gaming. But, DeathMaker continued to impress, landing the ILG Cup Season 2 title with Team Oh Bey. Given a chance by Signify, Sunny Das hit the servers with a point to prove; to prove that he can go head-to-head with the whoโs who in terms of raw firepower.
Finishing the event with an IR of 1.27, DeathMaker has proven that he is ready to be included in the talk for the best Indian CSGO players. Perhaps, in 2019, he can do a bit more and enter the top 5. A player to watch.
Head over to the next page to unveil the top five!
