Why Are Amateur CS:GO Teams Struggling To Get Off The Ground?
While the esports industry continues to grow, some teams tend to fall behind. For some, it’s due to a lack of investments, whereas others struggle to find the right combination of players. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), amateur organisations often get lost within the success of their superiors. Many of these fans want to see the best of the best compete and show off throughout high earning tournaments.
This isn’t the same feeling that viewers get from watching a majority of these smaller teams designed to train up and coming pros. That’s why a handful of orgs have died off nearing the end of 2020. A lot of amateur teams only last three to five years which can be an upsetting fact for those who want to grind their way into a C-Tier lineup. At the end of the day, the most important factor is breaking down these shocking retirements.
OFFSET ESPORTS MAKES A SWIFT EXIT
One of the first teams to call it quits back in December was OFFSET Esports. The Portuguese prospects have spent the past three years perfecting their craft as program developers. They’re mostly recognised for their participation within C-Tier events along with multiple first-place finishes in 2019.
At one point they even managed to work their way into the B-Tier arena after a successful run at ESL Masters España Season 5 and 6. Their latest roster began playing as a full team around August of last year. OFFSET had their best year in 2019 with a total of eighteen top three placements. Let's just say 2020 was an entirely different story for these CS:GO contenders.
OFFSET’s tournament earnings decreased by ninety percent in 2020, which meant a tough time finding new investors. The one event that they actually won earned them tournament points rather than cash. Most of their actual income came from small qualifier packages which were only worth around fifty dollars. The number of events they played compared to their 2019 season were no issue whatsoever. Instead, it was their roster changes that cut the team short.
NYYRIKKI ESPORTS CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE
NYYRIKKI Esports ended up being in the same exact position as their C-Tier opponents by the name of OFFSET. The Finnish org was the first team to disband in 2021; the official release happened on January 1. Based on the teams overall earnings being five grand, it's easy to say that their performance hasn’t grown over the past three years. The team’s trophy case mostly consisted of participation ribbons despite their roster oozing with talent. After NYYRIKKI made a last-minute roster change, the most notable pattern in their losses was the lineup.
Their previous rosters consisted of players who had earned solid reputations within competitive CS:GO. NYYRIKKI’s roster for 2020 was unknown and full of players who had a lack of experience in competing. At one point NYRIKKI had an opportunity to sign ENCE’s very own Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen. Near the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, NYYRIKKI opted for a more affordable lineup. That decision led to the team playing a total of twelve tournaments with some embarrassing placements.
Click to enlargeWHAT WENT WRONG FOR CONQUER GAMING AND 9INE
Another Finnish org that was trying to squeeze by in the fight or flight world of CS:GO was Conquer Gaming. The team once performed with well-known amateur players but eventually made the switch to unknown rookies. Conquer even made the choice to part ways with their entire roster, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t show up in 2020.
Conquer had a great year compared to their previous seasons. They earned just over ten thousand dollars whereas in 2019 Conquer only brought in two grand from a single event. Based on the teams' contracts being listed four months at a time, it seems like Conquer wasn’t quite committed to CS:GO.
One of the last teams to throw in the towel this year was 9INE. Their roster faced drastic changes since their debut in 2015 which led to their final season. The Swedish org was able to perform at a B-Tier level despite their roster being made up of lesser-known players. 9INE stuck together till the very end, but that could have cost the team a chance at success. Instead of pulling back and analysing their mistakes, 9INE kept on entering costly events.
OVERALL CHANGES
Some of these teams have a lot in common, whereas others just made the wrong decisions as individuals. The key parts within these teams falling apart were risky roster changes, a lack of confidence, and not knowing when to call it quits. Just like OFFSET, NYYRIKKI, Conquer, and 9INE, most amateur teams fund players with lots of potential. Sometimes these orgs are in the wrong place at the wrong team whereas others lack the right staff. While COVID-19 didn’t help these teams succeed, it’s not the only thing to blame when building an org. It takes a lot of hard work to form an empire, but at the end of the day, it's tricky work.
Images via OFFSET Esports | Conquer Gaming