Guild X Aim To Become Role Models On Their Way To Global Dominance

Since coming to fruition in June 2020, Guild Esports has expanded its unique business model into a range of esports, starting with Rocket League before growing into VALORANT and Apex Legends. While esports supremacy has slipped through their fingers for their respective squads in their opening 18 months, their latest signings have already proven to be champions, and now are eyeing to become role models in the industry, on their path to global dominance.

Guild X, the VALORANT roster boasting some of the top female players in the game, was acquired by the British organisation after their success as Project X, in which they recently won the Women in Games - Community Cup. With a line-up built up of predominantly European talent, centring around their American leader Klaudia "cinnamon" Beczkiewicz (also known as just Klaudia in the CS:GO community), Guild X has become one of the most exciting teams in the region, improving their results in the VCT Game Changer Series.

Cinnamon, with eight years of experience in CS:GO, spoke exclusively to GGRecon on how she aims to "become the best female team in the world", and be an esports athlete that the Guild Academy and other fans can look up to.

After signing for Guild, cinnamon said, "Guild not only feels like a family, they also provide some of the best resources that I've ever had as an esports athlete. There is no difference between us or any other professional esports team here at Guild, and I love that! The support, connections, and love have been amazing at Guild, and I can't wait to show our hard work in the upcoming tournaments."

With a top-six finish in the Game Changers Series 2, only falling to the eventual champions TENSTAR Nova, the Guild X roster believe that they will soon not only be the best team in EMEA, but the world, rivalling the likes of Cloud9 White over in NA. Having started out alongside Yağmur "Smurfette" Gündüz and Vivian "roxi" Schilling, the addition of Sophia "Kim" Benfakir and Anastasia "Glance" Anisimova has seen the side gradually find their stride, often using their practice time to develop a better understanding of the game at the elite level, as well as making up creative strategies to fit a unique playstyle.

"Every single tournament, and every week during practice, we do 'server time and VOD review' – this is when we watch our own games, whether a tournament or scrim and focus on our mistakes to fix them for next time," continued cinnamon.

"One of our favourite things to do is theory craft in the server to see other creative strats we can create, as well as seeing our reactions to various situations in-game. I am extremely happy to have Kim and Glance as our 'newly' added teammates, and I believe every single tournament, win or loss, we are learning and getting better from our mistakes."

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But performance isn’t the only target for Guild X. Michelle Tierney, Guild’s Chief Commercial Officer, has outlined that the roster is also aiming to become role models to their established Academy system, in a bid to produce the bright stars of the future. "Not only was it important for us to try and compete for equality in esports, but also to create role models so that students within Guild Academy could see that progression and our pathway to the pro system," began Tierney.

"As well as being role models, Guild X are top performers. Together with this, we saw an overall team culture focused towards mentality and in-game improvement. Their willingness towards coaching both in and out of game fit with our holistic approach philosophy, and we know exactly how we can help take this team consistently to the top through our own resources."

For Tierney, the Guild X project is valued just as highly as their other VALORANT roster, with the CCO believing that although the female scene is in its infancy, Riot Games will continue to support the scene's growth and Guild want to be on the top of a vastly growing esport. 

"Riot is well known for its willingness to develop its esports leagues into a titan level, combined with investment into new areas to see how they can best improve the esports ecosystem as a whole," said Tierney. "Knowing its designs for the Game Changers Series and plans to put females on a higher platform for awareness meant we felt the trust necessary to also invest ourselves, knowing it would be to a strong cause."

"The VCT Game Changers Series acts as the pinnacle of the female VALORANT scene, so for us, we intend to spend the next six months being consistently at the top of these events, as well as being a top-four team in Europe."

With Guild's backing, cinnamon also sees the fresh dynamics of the female VALORANT scene as an opportunity to reach the top - not just in Europe but across the globe.

"Our expectation as a team is to win and be the best; therefore, finishing anything other than 1st means we aren't satisfied," cinnamon claimed.

"I would love to showcase our skill and hard work internationally and compete against C9 White, Dignitas, and CLG Red. I think right now the female scene in EMEA is very fresh, there isn't a consistent team that is dominating the scene. Our goal as a team is to be this dominant team!"

Guild X have just one more series in 2021 to get their first silverware under their belt since joining, with the third and final series of the VCT Game Changers coming to a conclusion on November 21. Whether an early Christmas present comes wrapped with a bow on top for Guild X is yet to be seen, although we know this isn't the last saloon. Guild X is a project for the future, and they won't stop until they're on top of the tree.