The Problem With Six Player Rosters: Why It’s Better To Start On A Smaller Team
After Astralis had announced their seven-player roster in May of 2020, analysts and coaches around the world discussed the future of this decision. Would it become the next best strategy or just another letdown for high earning organisations with money to spend? One thing that everyone agreed on was that the decision was definitely an extreme one at best. Astralis was handing out player contracts like candy on Halloween. Acquiring two extra players was too much of a safety net, showing the team had cash to burn. A seven-player roster defeats the purpose of both academy teams, and substitute players.
CONFUSION FOR ASTRALIS
Essentially all small players would pounce on the opportunity to play with a big-league team, despite the role they were given or the money in their contract. It’s every player's dream to participate with the best teams in the world. Only thing is - these part-time contracts can lead to disappointment and a loss of confidence for new players. For example, adding JUGi along with es3tag and Bubzkji was an odd choice, considering JUGi was a much smaller player who had been known for team hopping, and never found his footing with an official org.
Whereas es3tag and Bubzkji had more experience, earnings, and high-performance records with their previous teams - JUGi was a good A-Tier AWPer and was never one to pick up a rifle. That was until he signed with Astralis and had to do exactly that, but at an even higher tier. Seems strange that a team would buyout an average sniper just to hand over a different role. Fourteen matches later with little success, it was time for JUGi to exit his position. This is someone who could’ve been the main AWPer on any C/B-Tier team, instead of playing the safety net.
After a streak of disappointment, Astralis proceeded to play es3tag who helped the team find win after win. Something that could’ve easily been solved if they ran a practice team to see who was the best fit. Obviously, they found es3tag was a good choice, who now happens to play for Cloud9. Astralis placed first at the ESL Pro League Season 12 event earning just under one hundred grand. Feeling that es3tag was more profitable as a trade rather than taking Bubzkji’s sub spot, he was acquired by a new team. Now Astralis is once again playing with their original roster in CS:GO. To get to where they are now, they’ve found success for one of the three players - not a perfect ratio, but for sure a realistic one.
DON'T OVERLOOK SMALLER TEAMS
For people who think C/B-Tier teams are not worth playing for - look at Team oNe. An organisation worth almost two hundred grand and mostly participates in C-Tier tournaments. They’ve earned multiple sponsors, verified social media accounts, and a huge following. A team that not only makes money from tournaments, but also has support from their line of merchandise. This is the perfect example of a team that any C-Tier player should want to sign with. Not only do you get a player role but also the team name to back up your finances.
Click to enlargeAN INDEPENDENT EMPIRE
Another semi-professional team that has built a career from their branding is Mythic. The centre of attention for this organisation has to be fl0m. A well-known streamer on Twitch, who’s built a fanbase consisting of almost seven hundred thousand followers. He’s formed a reputation of being both serious and goofy, while still playing at a competitive level in CS:GO - essentially the only game he streams, and people love it. He’s also built Mythic League, which is one of the most hyped-up events for amateur teams. With multiple sources of income from his fanbase, fl0m no longer needs to rely on playing pick up with big teams. Instead, he’s taken the matter into his own hands and built an empire.
For some players, the Mythic Cup happens to be one of the biggest events in their gamebooks, making the tournament an important one to play in. The Mythic Cup offers up and coming pros to gain their spot in the spotlight. That includes casting reels, match forums, and Liquipedia records. To be a part of this, all you have to do is figure out the max skill level that you play best at, email some teams, and start hitting clips. You can’t do this thinking you’re better than everyone around you. Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond. Later on, you’ll learn how to market your appearance with smaller teams and use streaming platforms for income. This way, you can learn new tactics and not be under constant pressure to earn money for your organisation.
Images via ESEA Mountain Dew League | Mythic
