One Year Later And No First Place Finishes: CeX And KPI Gaming Need A Lifeline
Both CeX and KPI gaming have been struggling to put up numbers for their investors. Both teams participate at a C-Tier level and are even struggling within amateur events. Due to these recent results, both teams have participated in multiple roster changes. CeX is based in the UK while KPI is from Spain. Despite their location differences, they’re still in the same boat with a lack of wins. This could be due to the players, coaches, or lack of experience considering both teams started playing within the past couple of years. With the ESL Premiership right around the corner, CeX needs to sign a worthy roster quickly. KPI must do the same before finishing their ESEA Season 35 Advanced Division matches.
WHO IS CEX?
It’s important to know that CeX didn’t always lack a champion roster. Back in their first year of competing, they placed first at Multiplay Insomnia 56. This was their sixth event of 2015 earning them their first big paycheck worth nearly six thousand dollars. At the time, Surreal, who now plays for Endpoint, was the team lead. Making the biggest impact frags allowing his team to win big. The team continued to trade out small players until finding their replacements in 2016 consisting of smooya and hemzk. Knowing the talents behind smooya, it makes sense that he left the team only a week after joining.
Two years after their first victory was a complete mess with zero first-place finishes and constant struggles to win at local tournaments. Nearing the end of 2017, the CeX squad found themselves at epic.lan 20 and 22 struggling to place first at another insomnia event. CeX placed second at their first epic.lan tournament then secured a first-place finish with the help of smooya, a player who had already won fifty grand that year alone. Some people even mentioned that smooya could’ve been the glue for that team. Making them a much bigger in the UK CS:GO scene.
As of 2020 things have started to look up for the team now made up of strictly independent players. They earned their first second-place finish of the year at the ESL Premiership Spring event after losing to Endpoint. Since then the team has signed all new players hoping to place first in their ESL Autumn event. There they will face a handful of smaller teams such as Radix and uMx gaming. The only team standing in their way is Endpoint—a six-figure org with four known players including Surreal. Once a CeX carry, now making a huge career with his new team.
This tournament can turn things around for CeX. An event that can finally break their one-year losing streak and put them in first once again. Despite being fully independent players, Impact and fluFFs are extremely consistent, always taking the safe way out trying their best to stay professional. Maybe this new roster can once again create a golden team like they had back in 2015.
Click to enlargeTHE HISTORY OF KPI GAMING
KPI gaming is also having a rough year in C-TIer CS:GO. At first, KPI was looking like a solid organisation. With multiple wins in ESL and a growing fanbase, nothing was stopping this rookie roster. In 2016 KPI had beaten K1ck eSports at two highly anticipated C-Tier events. One being the Barcelona Games and the other known as the ESL Winter Major in Spain. A roster built around ALEX who now plays for the Movistar Riders next to one of Brazil’s best known as steel. After winning a few B-Tier events, the team was able to put up money for pounh - A Lithuanian player who peaked with a few independent teams back in 2018.
Something that CeX and KPI have in common is the fact that they’re not willing to train their new players. Instead, they constantly rotate their rosters, leaving little room for team bonding and practise before events. It’s hard to climb out of C-Tier play when teammates simply just don’t get along or strive for success. The highest-earning player on KPI has also dropped a 0.72 player rating within the past three months with no highlights. Not something that any org should want to invest in. Unless KPI can form a winning roster, they’re better off playing as an academy team full of new players.
Once a player hits a certain age, they need to understand the difference between a hobby and a career. Based on numbers, CeX definitely has a better chance of climbing out of their losses. They have solid experience in ESL events and are looking to take down their rivals nearing the end of 2020. KPI has little work considering they have a brand new roster looking to get some playtime with their new team. Hopefully, these C-Tier teams can figure things out before discussing the idea of releasing their players to more stable organisations.
Images via CeX | KPI Gaming