How A Poker Organisation Invested In An Esports Team
An organisation known as eXploit Esports has gone through multiple roster changes after entering the scene in 2019. The team is based in Portugal and has spent the past two years developing on a competitive platform. While they're still working on competing with the best, eXploit has still had a lot of success after going from funding poker players to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) rosters. They’ve recently picked up two new players after an unexpected losing streak in a handful of C-Tier events. Just like poker, building a CS:GO team requires strategy, skill, and the ability to control one's emotions.
A NEW PROJECT
In 2019, eXploit acquired their very first roster to compete in Portugal and multiple online events. While their background was in poker, eXploit has spent the past couple of years studying esports and its money-making potential. The first roster came from a team called jA‘Vi, an independent lineup looking to make it big in the world of competitive CS:GO. They spent the first five months playing without a coach before understanding the importance of having one. An invitation from the Master Community Cup became eXploit’s one-way ticket to an all-star debut with their brand new lineup. They beat out Lan House and later on BaeconGG in the finals earning five hundred dollars along with a seed spot in a couple of ESL events.
After finishing third in the ESL Masters España group stage, eXploit made an appearance in the finals with similar results along with cash prizes. Their last event before hiring a coach was at the LPCS tournament located Lisbon. They faced off against teams with more experience but still managed to come out on top with a first-place finish. The GTZ Bulls and OFFSET Esports tried to get in the way of eXploit, but their skill level was no match for the up and coming roster. A Portuguese coach by the name of Rui “vts” Soares was hired after a successful trial run in an attempt to organise his latest demo team.
C-TIER RIVALS
Before joining eXploit, vts had an on and off career as a player with teams like k1ck eSports Club and For The Win Esports. He helped eXploit compete in B-Tier events and became the figure to push the roster to greater achievements. That included four top-five placements in a row throughout November and early December. They finished second at the World Electronic Sports Games after playing against Giants Gaming and OFFSET Esports. The one-day event was full of action but sadly eXploit got swept up in the grand finals. After losing to OFFSET Esports in their past two events, eXploit had an opportunity to take down their rivals at MLP Season 4; a well-known league in Portugal that has casted eXploit in the past and wanted to see the returning legends made their mark in CS:GO.
Even though it didn’t work out, eXploit still finished third at the end of the event and had another chance to beat their rivals. The Liga Portuguesa Grand Finals was hosted on November 22, 2019, with some of the best teams in Portugal. OFFSET Gaming arrived as the top dog team but were shot down by eXploit in the finals on map three. Train was the final map that allowed eXploit to beat their opponents by only two rounds after a heart-racing matchup. They ended the season off with a second-place finish at the Master Cup which was hosted by E2Tech. OFFSET Esports came back bigger and stronger which led to their 2-1 finish against eXploit.
Click to enlargeFRESH FACES
The start of 2020 was bittersweet due to the removal of Renato “renatoohaxx” Gonçalves, Bruno “BLOODZ” Mourão, and Filipe “NOPEEj” Dias. The three players helped form eXploit at the beginning of 2019 but were replaced on January 3 of this year. Miguel “sark” Diogo, Paulo “pr” Silva, and José “MISK” Rengel joined a few days later as emergency replacements. The latest creation from eXploit had terrible results and just didn’t connect as a roster; instead, they bashed heads until pr became a free agent in March. Cláudio “Cunha” Cunha played under eXploit for two months before following in pr’s footsteps two months after joining the team .
After months of losing, eXploit made a plan that worked for everyone on the team. MISK was moved to a coaching position which was a first for him while renatoohaxx and BLOODZ made a return. They won their first event together in the OMEN WGR Challenger against Rhyno and For The Win Esports. Not only was this event a legendary comeback, but it also earned the team nearly four thousand dollars. Since their major victory, eXploit has been on a serious losing streak and can’t seem to shake things off. They haven’t had a roster change since July so things might get tricky if they can’t secure another victory.
Images via eXploit Esports
