Jason Lake Of Complexity Gaming: The Old School Genius Who Started From Nothing
Back in 2003, Jason Lake was a real estate lawyer who had recently founded his own law firm. With a B.B.A in Finance and a Juris Doctorate, Jason had learned the essentials about starting a business. Everything in life was going as planned - until his roommate got him into Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). With an instant attraction to the game, Jason formed his own team to compete against the best. Originally named Team FBI, Complexity Gaming built an independent reputation up until 2007. Across three years, coL had won multiple CPL events earning themselves roughly two hundred thousand dollars. In 2007 Complexity Gaming became an official organisation with a new lineup of sponsors and investors.
The journey of Jason Lake
Jason might have worn a suit and tie to his team events, but that didn’t stop him from boasting like a party animal. Known for being the centre of attention, Jason didn’t mind being honest during his interviews. He acknowledged that winning was his only goal, and top-three finishes didn’t satisfy him or his players. Within seventeen years he had dropped nearly thirty players and never let friendship get in the way of business. 2020 has been one of the best years so far for Jason Lake and Complexity. They’ve won some top tier events despite roster issues getting in the way.
Since 2009 Jason has had a reputation of showing off his earnings. Willing to acquire any player he felt was worthy of playing under his team. He purchased two rosters in CS 1.6 that were eventually dropped once Jason found better talents in 2013. His decision to purchase Quantic Gaming helped establish NA CS:GO after picking up players such as Hiko, n0thing, and swag. The team eventually found themselves at DreamHack Winter 2013. Complexity went 3-0 until losing to Fnatic. Making them the first all NA roster to participate in the semi-finals at a major event. Because of this, Jason helped form careers for some of the best players to ever touch CS:GO.
Since selling the semi-finalist roster to Cloud 9 in 2014, Complexity was in need of a massive rebuild. In 2019 the team picked up blameF, RUSH, oBo, k0nfig, poizon, and their coach keita. Because of these new players, 2020 has been the most rewarding year for Complexity’s CS:GO division. They've received five first-place finishes including the BLAST Premier: Spring European Finals. The biggest achievement for Complexity to this day. Before that, they had won four HomeSweetHome events earning just over one hundred grand. This year alone, Complexity has earned six hundred thousand dollars which is fifty percent of their lifetime earnings.
New faces at Complexity
With the help of oBo, Complexity was able to climb their way to the top. The young prodigy played for a bunch of independent teams before Jason saw his FPL highlights. Having the opportunity to go pro and play with a North American team oBo accepted the offer to join coL. Jason might not be the best at playing, but he sure can scout for good players. With a 1.11 player rating, oBo was outperforming experienced pros in the NA scene. Before choosing to take a break from the game, oBo had gotten the chance to play with the best because of Jason Lake.
Click to enlargeTime for a change
With IEM and DreamHack Masters near at hand, Complexity needed to find a more permanent fit for their team besides NaToSaphiX. After 100 Thieves released their CS:GO roster, multiple top-notch players became free agents including jks. He has a 1.15 player rating and placed second at IEM New York. Last year he was acknowledged as the fifteenth best player of 2019 after placing second at IEM Beijing. Originally known as the glock god, jks is eager to please his new team and revive the NA scene. In the past, Jason Lake has described his team-building methods as a chance to give players new opportunities. As a CEO, he feels that knowing the difference between encouragement and honesty is important.
Without a doubt, Jason Lake is one of the sole creators of North American esports. He gave up real estate to pursue something he believed in—a chance to put his region at the top in a brand new past time activity. Esports has become a billion-dollar industry which Jason has spent most of his life working for. Not only does he have seventeen years of experience, but he’s also proud to be the Founder and CEO of Complexity Gaming, a brand that has become a household name for gamers across North America and continues to strive for success. Seeing how 2020 has treated coL, the following year could possibly top this year's peak performance.
Once seen as a loudmouth CS 1.6 coach, Jason has spent the past couple of years networking with players, becoming someone these future talents can look up to.