Author: Benjamin "esk1mo" Esgate

Season 16 was another action-packed season of the ESL Pro League, which saw the Counter-Strike scene head to Malta. Vitality take home the trophy on the European island beating out Team Liquid in the Grand Final . No prizes for guessing which category they fall into at this event. But which teams joined them in the winners’ section – and which teams left Malta wanting more? We’ve picked out six winners and six losers from ESL Pro League Season 16.Winners: VitalityVitality look revitalized with the addition of Lotan “Spinx” Giladi and take home the trophy.The Parisian organization was in the…

The last group of ESL Pro League Season 16, Group D, saw the final six teams go head-to-head for the last three spots available for the Playoffs. The games were action-packed, and there were a lot of closely-fought matches. In Group D, there were no completely new lineups; teams were either bedding in just one new player or continuing with the same five as before the Summer break. The stable rosters meant there was some high-quality Counter-Strike on display, preparing us nicely for the Playoffs, which are starting in just a couple of days. Here are our six major takeaways…

Group C of ESL Pro League Season 16 was action-packed and was the first group without a clear favorite heading into it. There were never before seen lineups, some long-time squads, and some other teams fielding new players. All this resulted in a group stage full of competition and exciting Counter-Strike. Here are six major takeaways from Group C of ESL Pro League Season 16.With another player promoted, MOUZ look strong and progress to the ESL Pro League Playoffs in MaltaI have been doubtful of Christopher “dexter” Nong and his MOUZ project for a while now. However, my view of…

A season of ESL Pro League is always a premium event on the Counter-Strike calendar and Season 15 is no exception. These tournaments are highly contested, with the field of teams at ESL Pro League Season 15 consisting of the best Counter-Strike has to offer – all packed into four round-robin groups.According to the Louvre agreement, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, FaZe, and G2 Esports are considered “Partner Teams” and receive automatic invitations to these competitions. Other teams like Heroic and Entropiq obtain their invites through their position on the ESL World Ranking. Outside of these phenomenal teams backed by…

Being one of the highest performing players on the team and in the world, the departure of Robin “ropz” Kool serves as a massive hit to MOUZ. They were also the first professional squad for the Estonian sensation.ropz joined the organization; then known as mousesports, in 2017, after establishing himself as a young up-and-comer in the FACEIT Pro League (FPL). But following the departure of Finn “karrigan” Andersen, he too is now moving on to be reunited with the aforementioned In-Game Leader.Can NBK- bring an end to the irregularity?With the exception of a brief period following an unexpected victory at…

With the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 starting in around a week, we present our preview of the Challengers stage.The prize pool for this year’s major event is $1,000,000 USD. It will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, at the Antwerp Sportpaleis arena. But it’s not just the prize money that motivates the teams and players. This is 2022’s biggest event, and every team wants the prestige that comes with lifting the trophy. Here’s a quick rundown of the sixteen teams taking part in this stage of the Major. ENCEFollowing their Grand Final appearance at ESL Pro League Season 15, the Finish…

With Groups A, B, and C for Season 15 of ESL Pro League all wrapped up, Group D is just around the corner. Group D is the final group of the Group Stage and will decide who will be the final three teams to earn their berth into the playoffs. The top three teams from Group D will join NIP, Entropiq, Fnatic, FURIA, ENCE, FaZe, Movistar Riders, Players, and Liquid in competing for the ESL Pro League Season 15 trophy.Group D contains the world’s number one team Natus Vincere as well as the two Danes in Heroic and Astralis -…

Attention is already locked on the next Counter-Strike campaign. 2022 offers so much potential due to the multitude of new rosters being created as well as the sheer amount of young and exciting talent breaking through into the upper echelon of the game.1. Natus Vincere will continue their dominance in early 2022Since Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy’s permanent inclusion in the Natus Vincere lineup in April of 2021, they have been on an immense run of form. Since the switch-up, the Na’Vi squad has won every single LAN tournament they have attended and a plethora of online events. This success netted them…

The first group of ESL Pro League Season 16 was action-packed and full of highly contested games. With the Summer break over, some teams continue to develop with their new lineups, and other teams look to build on their form from before the break. We’ve picked out six takeaways from Group A of ESL Pro League Season 16.Vitality look revitalized with their new Israeli additionThe Summer break saw Israeli rifle star Lotan “Spinx” Giladi join the French-Danish side of Vitality, replacing Kevin “misutaaa” Rabier on the starting lineup. The 21-year-old was one of the breakout stars for 2022 and looked…

Is any roster move other than the departure of In-Game leader Christopher “dexter” Nong a mistake for MOUZ?MOUZ have been in some lackluster form as of late, and their Quarter Final appearance at IEM Cologne 2022 does not make up for the months of poor results the Australian In-Game leader has overseen.The German organization first entered the Counter-Strike franchise in 2002, and over the years, they have found lots of success and had some of the greatest players within their ranks. In Global Offensive, they have won some noteworthy trophies, like ESL One New York in 2018 and ESL Pro…