BDS: Best Damn Squad
Team BDS have been competing in Rocket League for almost a year now, and they’ve shocked the scene with their dominating presence. In less than a year, their total winnings have already surpassed $200,000, even without an international Major. Marc "MaRc_By_8." Domingo, Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez, and Alex "Extra" Paoli are the undisputed kings of Europe.
History
Most teams have a long history of playing together before they become an established force to be reckoned with. But not BDS. At the time of publishing, the current roster on Team BDS have only been together for a little more than six months. The players have each found their own ways to success, as you might expect from such driven and talented players.
For MaRc_By_8., it all started with Dreamhack Leipzig in early 2019. He teamed up with Alejandro "ClayX" Carbonero and Guillermo "GCR710" Cofrades for form the fully Spanish team ARG. Although they didn’t make it through the Closed Qualifier for Dreamhack Leipzig, they stuck together and made their way into the Rival Series. RLRS Season 7 went well for ARG, as they ended up in third place. For Season 8, ARG brought on M0nkey M00n, with GCR710 moving to a substitute role.
M0nkey M00n’s story also begins with Dreamhack Leipzig, when he tried to qualify with ZeNoMoon. His team didn’t make it either, but he also made it into Season 7 of the Rival Series. His season didn’t go as well as ARG’s, though, and he only got two wins - one of those over ARG. M0nkey M00n’s team disbanded, and he joined ARG soon after.
RLRS Season 8 was tough for ARG. Teams like Singularity, AS Monaco, and Discombobulators (now Endpoint) were just a little bit better. Still, ARG won more than they lost, and finished fifth to qualify for Season 9 of the Rival Series.
And then, in February of 2020, ARG got signed by Team BDS. BDS could not have picked up a better team, because the team won eight out of nine match-ups in Season 9, and instantly qualified for the Fall Split of RLCS Season X. But first, there was a long off-season, with many other tournaments to play.
First, there was the Rocket League Spring Series. Team BDS made it to the main tournament through the Open Qualifier, but they couldn’t win anything in the main event. For the Eurocup 10K, BDS got Extra as a temporary stand-in after ClayX was released. Even though this wasn’t their main roster, Team BDS won the whole tournament without losing a single match-up.
Extra was looking for a new team after his contract on AS Monaco had expired. With AS Monaco, he qualified for the RLCS after a good run through RLRS Season 8. AS Monaco didn’t stand a chance in the RLCS, though. Extra told Octane that internal issues were plaguing the team, which of course never helps the team’s performance. But after such a phenomenal showing in the Eurocup 10K, Extra found a new home with Team BDS.
Recent Results
Only a month after Team BDS signed Extra, they won the first Regional Event of RLCS Season X. Another month later; they won the second one. Now, BDS has shown us time and time again that they’re the best team in Europe. They’re so dominant; it’s hard to remember they practically came out of nowhere before RLCS Season X kicked off. By now, they’ve won four Regional Events and a Major, while ‘only’ coming in third at the other two Regionals. For a moment, earlier this Winter Split, it looked like BDS wasn't as invincible. But it didn't take long before they came back as strong as ever.
Expectations
It’s hard to imagine a world where BDS aren’t winning everything in Europe. Extra and his teammates seem just as poised to win again and again. If it’s up to BDS, they’re here to stay; whether other teams can challenge BDS is up to them.
If BDS keeps doing what they do best - winning everything - until international competition is on the menu again, it will be great to see them matched up against the best teams in America. It’s impossible to claim which team is the best in the world right now, without any international matches for over a year. All we can say is that we’re looking forward to the rivalries to come.
Images via BDS