1. For the people who aren’t familiar with what you do in csc would you like to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself and your role in the league?

   I’ll start with my history in the league then step into what my role as numbers head means, just for clarity. I joined the league midseason back in Season 5, and went PFA and did a little bit of casting and observing. From there, I stepped into more staff roles, I was an arbiter, an admin (twice), a Transaction Manager, and have been in and out of every committee except for moderation. Recently I’ve been stepping further into numbies, and since Harames had to go over to admin, I’ve stepped into numbers head. The role of Numbers head itself is to “manage numbers” which means keeping track of the formula and working on continuous improvements, keeping the FACEIT API items working, making sure manuals is able to function (they are now self sustaining so I just check there aren’t fires), and lastly work together with admins to determine tier lines and team counts in each tier.

2. I know this is your first season as the official numbers head(CONGRATS BTW), what are some of the goals you have set for yourself this season?

   One of my biggest goals for this season is honestly improving the automated requirements systems and all the other tools to help people see where they are without numbers running a script manually. I want to eventually make it to where it’s feasible to have signups automatically place people, since right now they get a DM that tells them they are approved, but they can’t queue into combines until someone on numbers runs a script to place them. Outside of that, there is a new rating system that CSC has with Fragg 3.0 (Swing Rating) and I plan on experimenting with the new stats that exposes to see if any of those are useful metrics for placement.

3. What does the off season look like for CSC’s numbers head? I know we have been busy trying to revamp written media but is there any similar process that you have been working on this offseason without sharing too much about the secret formula?

   There is a very set process of things that need to happen between seasons for numbies. We need to lock season dates and generate a full season performance review - this lets us get a good look on how accurate the MMR of each player was after manuals, and gives a good review of any changes, as well as saves that data for use in the future. We also make final changes saved and adjust any API changes and prep the ITR (Intent to Return) system so that admins can “start” the next season and begin working on combines. After those steps are done, we have to review how accurate placements were based on requirements to determine if any placement requirements are changing, and if so which ones are the most impactful. We need to strike a balance between the most accurate placement possible (preventing smurfs and giving everyone a good chance to play) without impacting the ability to play in the league as much as possible. As far as revamps in the offseason we simply don’t have time. Most major changes are worked on throughout the season and tested, then we silently implement during the large offseason transition.

4. For any new players coming into the season could you explain what exactly is MMR?

   The simplest explanation of what MMR is really comes down to looking at your FACEIT ELO, prem rank, and the systems other games use. It’s a number that is derived from something to determine how “skilled” a player is. In most competitive environments it’s derived almost exclusively from win rate. FACEIT is win/loss with a bit of factoring in the team ELO difference, Overwatch uses win streaks as well, Prem is a black box but wins gain rank and losses lose it. Our formula uses all the data we have available from different sources (faceit, combines, etc) and tries to estimate the best value to get you to a point where you can play a season of counter strike against your peers. Our goal is fundamentally different from other platforms, since we have to lock in MMR at the end of combines in most cases, and therefore we have to be more quiet about the system since it’s possible to “game” MMR, when the entire point of platforms like FACEIT is to see who is best at “gaming” their ELO system.
   
   TLDR: MMR is your ELO, but it’s not a ranking of how much better you are, but rather where you’re predicted to best fit for a season.

5. Do you feel like there has been enough done to clearly communicate with the player base about how the final MMR numbers are reached?

   Yes and No. CSC Numbers Public Documentation There is public documentation that we carefully made that explains everything we can as well as we can (but if there are questions feel free to open a ticket and ask). But unfortunately because numbers can’t be extremely public with our processes, people haven’t had communication that the documentation exists, or know where to find it. ? placement gives the fast answer to what MMR is and how it’s different, but in the end people ask a lot of questions about how MMR is reached and what it means in poor places. I’m not disparaging staff who are helping out and give the best answer, since that’s better than telling everyone to open a ticket and nothing else (staff please still give the quick answer usually it’s all the person is looking for/is able to be said) but that document should probably be shared more widely for those who do want a closer look at what we do <3

6. Lets use an example player that falls into the recruit tier, IF you can share any advice what would you give to that player that wants to “climb” to the (Prem) rank of csc ? Is the path to success hitting a certain prem rank or FACEIT level 10? Or should players focus be on regular season performance?

   CSC is a league where improvement is a possibility and for many it’s a goal. Our formula (and therefore your tier) measures skill in a way that we can’t share exactly to prevent abuse, but I can say that if you’re able to improve your rating season over season and your FACIET ELO is generally trending upwards those are both likely to improve your MMR. Notably if you queue in FACEIT, we have systems to prevent boosting from impacting our MMR (so don’t just stack with level 10s). Similarly, don’t bait your team to improve your rating. The best method to boosting your MMR between seasons is by improving at the game so that the rating you get is naturally going to be higher against the same opponents. For most players I’ve found that there are 3 areas of “skill” that they can improve on, and especially in lower tiers they need to find which they are missing on and focus on it, while in higher tiers the reasons are more nuanced. So starting with recruit/prospect peeps advice. The 3 areas are aim, game sense, and util. Usually a lower tier player is either missing or bad at one of the 3. Identify it, if you can figure out why you’re bad at it, then work with your franchise or CSC’s coaches to improve at it If you’re in a higher tier of CS play (tendy and up) you may not have any key deficiencies and are more likely to need to improve gradually at all 3. For those players I’m more likely to recommend more hours, to try playing a wildly different role, pick up IGLing for a season to force a new perspective, or similar ways of forcing yourself to play in a way to naturally gain an edge and round yourself out more. As for Elite and Prem players.... What do you want a Recruit player to teach you about how to play counterstrike? I was paid to be at the major as an observer, not a player lol.

7. What are some of the tasks that you have to deal with that the average CSC player wouldn’t know falls under your responsibility ?

   Most players know the numbers head is in charge of all things MMR. The 2 areas that are probably not thought of is ITR and League Planning. Simply put, because we need to place everyone returning, we’re in charge of managing who is returning or not (tech is taking over with it being on web but we still have to manage enabling it on our end for placement work). As for the area that tech isn’t starting to take over, that would be League Planning. League Planning means taking all 500-900 players depending on season, and determining where to draw the tier lines so that the top and bottom players can still be in a tier together, how many teams to be in each tier, and unfortunately how many players won’t end up on a team and will be an FA at the start of the season. If any of those factors are off then the league won’t be healthy in some way. If the balance of a tier is too narrow, then the MMR system won’t be accurate enough to have the value it needs to have for that tier, too wide and the tier min players won’t be able to have enough impact in their games and feel helpless. Similar issues exist with FA counts, if you have too many then we’re basically telling them to go kick rocks, too few and the few you have may have chances to sub and get a roster, but then you have 4v5s happening during regular season or teams aren’t able to make changes if players have issues and need to leave, strategic changes, or just personality conflicts.

8. I just want to thank you again for taking your time to help our written media team break in the new season. Is there anything you would like to add? **shout outs, call out the haters or a general message to the entire league .**

   The biggest point I’d like to make is to file a manuals report if your games feel off. Either if you feel misplaced, or your opponents. The reports aren’t instant but we’d rather have them than not. (?numbiesreport to get a link to our report form) similarly, if you have any issues that aren’t just a skill mismatch or other issue with someone being misplaced, open a ticket. Our staff want combines and the league to be the best experience possible (most of us also play in it) so we will try to help. Responses may be slow due to ticket volume or availability, but every ticket does get read even if we don’t have any action we can take at the moment.

Introduction

Hello everyone, it is your favorite media guy Mxgabyte here. As the title suggests, today I’m going to be sharing my opinion on franchise cultures.

This is going to be a very opinionated article, but that’s kind of the point. I don’t necessarily expect everyone to agree with me, and honestly I hope some of you don’t. I’d like this to be something we can actually discuss as a community rather than me just writing something, you reading it, and everyone moving on.

I hope you enjoy the read, and let me know what you think in the forum post for the article. Have a wonderful Thursday night!

How Long Does a Culture Last?

How long does it take for a franchise to become a completely different franchise?

One season? Two? Five?

It’s a strange question, but it’s one I’ve found myself thinking about lately.

We hear the word “culture” all the time in CSC. Players talk about it during the draft. Management talks about building it. Entire franchises become known for it.

But what does culture actually mean?

To me, culture isn’t a logo, a Discord server, or a reputation that’s been around for years. It’s the unwritten parts of a community. It’s how teammates respond after a tough loss. It’s whether newer players feel comfortable asking questions. It’s whether people stick around in Discord after scrims just to hang out. It’s how leadership communicates when things aren’t going well. It’s the small interactions that slowly shape what it feels like to be part of a franchise.

That’s culture.

Over the last few seasons I’ve had the chance to experience CSC from several different perspectives. I’ve been a player, coach, media member, and part of franchise management, while also spending a lot of time talking with leadership across the league. Through all of that, one thing has become increasingly obvious to me.

Franchises change.

Players come and go. Captains step down. Coaches move on. Management changes.

Every draft brings in dozens of new personalities with different ideas about leadership, competition, and community. When you really stop and think about it, it’s surprising how quickly an organization can become something completely different from what it was only a few seasons earlier.

And I don’t even think it necessarily takes some massive management change for that to happen.

Think about how much one team can change with only two or three different players. One really active person can suddenly have five people sitting in Discord every night. A new captain can completely change how a team communicates. A player who enjoys helping people can start working with players from other tiers. One group starts playing games outside of CS together and suddenly people who barely knew each other at the beginning of the season are hanging out every night.

Now multiply that across every team in a franchise.

A franchise can have the exact same GM, the exact same logo, and the exact same Discord server and still feel completely different because the people inside of it changed.

History vs. Culture

That led me to another realization.

I think we sometimes confuse a franchise’s history with its culture.

History sticks around forever, culture doesn’t.

History is remembered, culture is lived.

At least... I think it is.

CSC has been around long enough now that every franchise has stories attached to it. There are great seasons people still talk about, terrible seasons people still joke about, championship runs, roster disasters, rivalries, memorable personalities, and probably a handful of things everyone involved would rather forget.

Those things become part of a franchise's history, and over time, they become part of CSC's history too.

And history is really hard to get rid of.

Someone can join CSC today and hear a joke about something a franchise did several seasons ago without knowing anything about the people currently running it. Eventually those stories and jokes become part of how we identify franchises, even if almost nobody involved in the original story is still there.

I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing either. Honestly, I think it’s part of what makes CSC feel like an actual community. We have history. We have inside jokes. We have rivalries. We have things that happened years ago that somehow still get brought up in chat.

But I think there’s an important distinction between saying “this is part of that franchise’s history” and saying “this is what that franchise is like.”

Those aren’t always the same thing.

So What Actually Survives?

Of course, there’s another side to this.

Some franchises really do seem to have an identity that sticks around almost regardless of who is at the helm.

Maybe it’s because strong leadership passes certain values down from one season to the next. Maybe veteran players help preserve traditions. Maybe certain organizations naturally attract similar kinds of people. Maybe a GM establishes an expectation early enough that new players eventually adopt it themselves.

There are traditions that absolutely survive roster changes.

There are inside jokes that new players somehow learn within a week.

There are expectations about how people behave, how seriously teams compete, how involved management is, or how much everyone hangs out together.

Sometimes a player joins a franchise and within a season they’re helping carry those same traditions forward to the next group.

So maybe there is something that carries over.

Maybe culture isn’t rebuilt from scratch every season.

The question is how much of it really survives.

Because if ten people leave and ten people replace them, obviously something has changed. But what about five? What about twenty? What if the GM stays but almost every player changes? What if every player stays but the GM changes?

At what point are we looking at something new?

And I think there’s another question buried inside of that.

Who actually owns a franchise’s culture?

Is it management?

Is it the players?

Is it the veteran members who have been there for five seasons?

Is it everybody?

I don’t really know.

Management obviously has a massive influence. They’re deciding who joins the community, setting expectations, handling problems, organizing things, and ultimately determining a lot about how the franchise operates.

But management can’t control every interaction happening every night.

If your franchise has five tiers, that's at least 25 active players across those teams. The GM isn't personally creating 25 different experiences. The people they're playing with are. Their captain is. Their teammates are. The random player from another tier who jumps into their voice channel and hangs out with them is.

Maybe management creates the environment, but the people inside of it create the culture.

Or maybe those are the same thing.

The Franchise Ship of Theseus

Here’s the thought experiment I keep coming back to. Imagine every player, every captain, every coach, and every member of management left a franchise tomorrow. The logo stays, the Discord stays, and the name stays, but everything else is replaced.

Would it still feel like the same franchise?

Obviously, technically it is. Nobody is arguing that the franchise itself suddenly stops existing, but would the experience of being there actually be the same? Would the same jokes exist? Would people communicate the same way? Would teams approach competition the same way? Would people hang out in the same channels after matches? Would being drafted there feel the same?

If your answer is yes, then culture must exist somewhere beyond the people. If your answer is no, then maybe culture has always been the people.

And if that’s true, it creates another interesting question: how many people would actually need to change before your answer changes? If one person leaves, obviously it’s probably the same culture, but what about five? Ten? What if everyone changes except the GM? What if the GM changes but almost everyone else stays?

There’s no exact number where a franchise suddenly becomes something different, and that’s what makes the question so interesting to me. Somewhere along the way, enough pieces can change that the experience becomes something new, but I don’t think any of us could point to the exact moment when that happens.

Maybe That’s the Point

I honestly don’t know which answer I believe, and the more I’ve thought about this article, the less interested I’ve become in finding one. Maybe that’s what makes CSC so interesting in the first place.

We spend a lot of time talking about franchises as though they’re permanent institutions, but in reality they’re constantly evolving. Every draft reshapes them. Every new manager leaves their mark. Every new group of players changes the atmosphere in ways that are impossible to predict. Some parts survive and some don’t. Some things become traditions that last for years, while others disappear the second the people responsible for them move on.

Maybe that’s why two players can have completely different experiences wearing the exact same logo only a few seasons apart. Neither of them has to be wrong about what that franchise was like. They just experienced different versions of the same franchise.

I think that’s ultimately where I’ve landed while writing this. A franchise’s history belongs to everyone who has ever been part of it, but its culture belongs to the people who are part of it right now. The people who came before helped shape what exists today, and some of what they built will continue long after they’re gone, but the people who are there now are the ones actually living it and continuing to shape what it becomes.

Next season, some of those people will stay. Some will leave. New people will take their place, and they’ll bring their own personalities, ideas, traditions, and experiences with them. The logo will still be there. The name will still be there. The history will still be there.

But the culture? I’m not convinced that ever stops changing.

So I’ll leave you with the same question I’ve been asking myself throughout this article: When you think about your favorite franchise, are you thinking about its culture, or are you thinking about its history?

And maybe more importantly, how much would have to change before the franchise you talk about is no longer the franchise that actually exists today?

I’m not sure there’s a right answer, and that’s exactly why I think it’s worth talking about.

The regular season is over, the grades are in, and now it is time to see which franchises actually made the most of Season 20.

These report cards are not based solely on final standings. Each franchise was evaluated across every tier, looking at overall performance, consistency, roster management, improvement throughout the season, and how the team measured up to expectations.

Some franchises delivered from top to bottom. Others had one team carrying the weight while the rest struggled to keep up. A late winning streak may have saved a season, but it does not erase everything that happened before it. These grades are meant to reflect the full body of work from the opening match through the end of the regular season.

With multiple writers covering different tiers, including separate evaluations from both Prospect writers, every franchise is getting graded from several different perspectives.

Class is dismissed. Let’s see who passed.

Now lets meet the writers:
Recruit: Mxgabyte
Prospect: Redbull and pander
Contender: gabehasbongo
Challenger: Silky Johnson
Elite: Mxgabyte
Premier: Quack

Recruit (B): AG was just good. Nothing overly dramatic, no massive collapse, and no miracle turnaround. They showed up, handled their business, and put together a respectable season. They may not be the first team people talk about, but a roster that consistently gives you solid results has plenty of value.

Prospect - Redbull (D): Two great seasons with with 2 top 10 players. How can I grade them the way I did? Simple, poor roster management really bit this team when it mattered most. Two top 10 players getting leveled out by two players in the bottom 10 of ratings is tough luck. The only change that was made was cutting Pander who went on to lead AVIs comeback of the season. What a stubborn team AG was going to Nuke 6 times throughout the season only winning on it twice. Season on the line for your team and somehow get stuck fighting for your life on overpass?? I don’t even understand how it comes down to that. They never showed improvements throughout the season and tried to just brute force their will on other teams. Top it off they looked scared on overpass obviously no one was comfortable with their map pick. At some point the responsibility doesn’t fall on the players but on the management to step in and try to offer help or direct the team in other ways.

Prospect - Pander (D): Unfortunate underperformance and playoff miss from a pre-season darling. It had a top 2.5 who matched up with anyone in the league, but needed firepower beyond that.

Contender (D): I believed that this squad had what it took to be a top 10 squad. Unfortunately roster instabilities and a lack of having a full five ultimately killed this team. While it's super disappointing to see them ranked this low there aren't many bright spots I can point out for this beaten down squad.

Challenger (B-): While their ranking isn’t the highest, I appreciate the steps taken to make this roster even better, especially with the absence of KamKisser for most of the season. I think the changes they brought, such as +FullCap, were a welcome addition that from my scrims against them brought a ton of firepower. I think Mike and the AG crew have a very solid squad that I would also label as another dark horse going into playoffs. Now the question becomes, since the curse is broken, how will that play out in BO3s?

Prospect - Redbull (D-): ATL went from match day 1 warriors and potential champions all the way back to fight for last place all in the same week. I know I have been ribbing the ATL team all season but at the start I was riding high on the roster

Prospect - Pander (D-): This team just didn't do much after their surprising MD1 victory over BOO. Their second biggest win was a forfeit for a negligible technicality in a map they lost 4-13. I don't know why this team struggled so hard, these aren't bad players, but the team's aura was inverted from where it should be.

Challenger (B-): Same 5 all season with quite a bit of success, settling at #8 to end the season. I’m not sure of a change that could have happened outside of a trade maybe that could have propelled them more towards the top, but I don’t think there is any shame in the success they have had this season. The team seemed pretty well rounded on paper, sometimes the games just don’t fall your way.

Elite (D+): ATL started the season 2 and 0, and for a moment, it looked like they might be one of the surprise teams in the tier. Unfortunately, that early success did not last, and finishing the season 4 and 9 is a rough look after such a promising start.

Instead of building on those first two wins, ATL slowly fell further behind as the season went on. There were still moments where they looked competitive, but the results were simply not there often enough. Overall, this was a disappointing season for a team that briefly looked like it could be something more.

Premier (D-): One of the worst teams in the standings for almost the entire season sneaks into the playoffs. ATL seemed to be playing behind the pack from the start unfortunately with Kowalskey and Swaey for one reason or another not staying on the roster for MD1. Reeling from that they were able to pick up scott and trance, but even then it was a slow start. This felt like just a mess of a roster slammed together, the only three wins on the season were against the bottom of the barrel of the tier, so winning the games they were supposed to, but not being able to secure the wins that they maybe were not as evenly matched with. Mismanagement and unfortunately a team that didn’t click until it was too late, brush it off and re up next season, the tide is turning!

Recruit (C-): ATO never really got going. There were a few moments where it looked like they might finally start figuring things out, but every bit of progress seemed to come with another setback. I do think they improved, which keeps this from being a completely lost season, but the results were still well below where they needed to be.

Prospect - Redbull (B-): If i could give this team an F for every time Diety has downvoted my ssds or my articles I would. Unfortunately for myself I took and passed journalism 101 with a B in college so I know that I have to remove my personal bias and judge them fairly. ATO on a good day were an above average team that on most match days seemed to be just average. I don’t think anyone had them as favorites at the start of the season so they were playing with house money the entire run. They put BTA on BOO and would have these crazy wins over great teams. They beat FNL, FRG, and BOO and in that run I saw no ugly losses. They are a very solid team that could catch fire and take games off the big teams. Ap0c had a crazy underrated season and I have to give credit to the management for drafting a solid foundation of a team. Deity , titus , zamp0 and perspective I hope y’all can carry the energy into next season if y’all decide to keep some of the core. Ap0c say hello to Glizzyqueen in tendy for me.

Prospect - Pander (C-): A team that seemed mid and ended mid, but along the way seemed to trade wins and losses every game. Very hard team to judge in any given match.

Contender (D-): This squad had an extremely rough season with an overall record of 4-8. Wins were few and far between with their most successful week being the one of MD7 and 8 where they pulled half of their season's wins off. While this looked like the turning point for the squad they then went out to lose 4 straight matchs. Redward was a solid player for this squad but unfortunately he had a bit of a fall off towards the end of the season which coincided with an ATO fall off.

Prospect - Redbull (D): WIZZZZZ. I dont know what happened here guys. On a good day I think Riko can be the best shooter in the tier. We’ve seen teams like AG or OS have some success riding the high of one or two players being able to dominate the rest of the field. Maybe its just time for a reset for the boys over at WIZ moopz and WJ could be big parts of the core moving forward and I expect Riko to return to form next season. Dont take these grades personal guys I still believe and wanted to believe the entire season. Sometimes you just get the short end of the stick :/

Prospect - Pander (D+): Reminds me of a my S19 ACA team, where no individual was terrible, but nobody was good either, and we just were stuck in neutral all season. It's a hard problem to fix when there's no clear single improvement you can make.

Contender (D): WIZ needed changes this season for them to become a competitive squad. They never really looked scary even in their wins and it was always a toss up to see if they would even make their losses close. Overall not an impressive season from the squad at WIZ.

Challenger (B): Rough start to the season for the Mages, but management took the long shot to swap things up with a trade with the Headhunter’s Guild and that sparked this roster. 0-4 start then 5-2 since the trade. Love seeing a good turnaround. They made playoffs and I think could certainly be a dark horse. I love what has happened with this team this season!

Elite (A): WIZ reminds me a lot of the BCH Challenger team from last season. They took an early loss, brushed it off, and then just kept rolling from there. They had close games, they had blowouts, and through all of it, the vibes around the roster seemed to stay sky high.

That confidence clearly carried over into the server, because WIZ finished the season as the number one seed. They were consistent, resilient, and always looked like they were having fun while winning. Great job by WIZ on putting together an incredible season and earning their spot at the top.

Premier (C-): I felt like this was one of the most cut and dry feeling teams of just needing one more piece, if it was a change in the line up, or maybe a map pool update. It felt very one sided of a team for most if not all of the season, there were some bright spots for this squad, I think making the playoffs is great. However there were some chances for this squad to be great, just too many close games to the way side.

Recruit (C-): FNL is frustrating because there was clearly something there. Their best matches made them look like a team that could cause serious problems, but those performances never lasted long enough. They did not completely fall apart, but they also never became the team I thought they could be. The D in expectations hurts, but it feels fair.

Prospect - Redbull (B): I have to eat crow or whatever the saying goes. I had FNL close to last place coming into the season. After the first couple of games I had felt vindicated in my predictions. Evan ( gm of FNL) does not play when it comes to roster changes so I knew change was coming. First the cutting of the IGL Hamlet and the signing of my old ESEA teammate Twyz. I will state here that I had my doubts if Twyz would mesh with the roster but again I was proven wrong. Twyz was never meant to come in and carry the team or save them like I had expected. He adopted a new more support role that allowed his team lead by Sapphire and Xtori to blossom into a top 5 team. FNL is a example to all other teams that are scared to make changes right away that with management that cares it helps your teams become better versions of themselves.

Prospect - Pander (B+): This team came in with sky-high expectations and stumbled out of the gate a little. They swapped in Tywz and started clicking, winning 7 of their last 9 and finishing in the top 5.

Contender (D): Ben 1v9? This team looked so great to start out the season and I heard great things about them but after MD1 they didn't win again until MD9 (Excluding a forfeit W against FLT). They made the move to pick up PalomaSucio which looked like it might bring some light into this team but unfortunately it didn't. They might have done well to make 1-2 more roster moves to become more competitive.

Challenger (B+): FNL is an unsuspecting org in my opinion. They give off such chill, laid back vibes but always field competitive teams. Been an FNL fan for a lil bit now and its justified. They had a great roster this season. It helps having one of the top 10 players in the tier on your team, but thats thanks to management drafting the correct people. I don't really have many complaints about this roster or org.

Elite (C+): If AVI had the donk of the tier, then FNL had the s1mple. THG dropping 37 kills in 23 rounds against us last week was one of the most ridiculous performances I have seen all season. Having a player capable of taking over a server like that gives FNL a chance against almost anyone.

The roster had a lot of potential, but overall, I would still call this an average season for them. They were only a few overtime losses and close games away from having an amazing record, but that is just how it goes sometimes. Still, when you have the s1mple of the tier on your roster, expectations are naturally going to be high. Barely scraping into playoffs causes the grade to drop a little, even if they are still a team nobody should want to face.

Recruit (A-): GF felt like one of the few teams that had everything working at the same time. Good performances, strong consistency, and noticeable improvement as the season went on. They were not perfect, but they were close enough that finding something serious to criticize feels like nitpicking. This was an excellent season.

Prospect - Redbull (B-): This grade might surprise some people that think I am a GF hater but I’m really just a tough love type of person. Writers had them at 9th in the preseason rankings. A lot of the emphasis heading into the season was placed upon Milky and Lance as the returning CSC veterans to help build a solid foundation for their team. If we take a look at their games it seems to be that games where Milky and Lance did well in the rest of the team fell behind. In their losses they never had a game where the entire team played well below average. It seems to me that perhaps the issue is that its been a challenge for the support players to be able to have impact while also providing Geiazou and Mr longballs everything they need to frag. GF plays down to their opponent but can match up with the best of teams. Wins on 3 different maps is solid but I would like to see some experimenting on Dust 2 or Ancient I think they would do well with either.

Prospect - Pander (B+): Starting 5-1 helped set this team up as a contender, but a cool finish left this team 7-5 and lacking a little punch against feistier teams. This team was never an easy matchup, though, and should be proud of a solid season.

Contender (B): Ethan brought back an extremely strong core from last season and added Sprite and andyj to the mix. While this team hasn't looked as dominant they still had a solid 7-5 season that they should be happy about. Going into playoffs this team will be stronger than their seeding suggests as they look to take on some tougher opponenets.

Prospect - Redbull (A-): H4K is my favorite team to #cockwatch and support. They have been great for most of the season. Along side BOA H4K are my championship favorites if BOO don’t win it all. Unfortunately for them we do play them this week of playoffs so hopefully they go easy on us. Back to their roster Bodjangle, CPT diabetes, covi and seize are on another level. Having played a lot of the other top teams I always felt like there’s some weakness to expose but H4K didn’t show me anything. I will dock them some points because they took a 30 minute time out against BOO when we had made a come back and were looking to steal a win. Great season guys way to take care of business hopefully our matchup Tuesday will be a banger.

Prospect - Pander (A-): A very good stable roster that, outside of a couple odd bad games, looked like a top 3 team all season long. It's hard to find faults here.

Contender (F): oBo was a bright spot for this struggling squad that only ended with 3 wins on the season. His 1.14 overall rating was impressive considering most losses ended with this H4K squad only winning single digit rounds. Cutting Flaccidkneecap certainly helped this team a little with firepower but unfortunately with it being so late in the season sunny was not able to help this team's fortunes.

Challenger (A+): Sitting as the sole team with 3 losses in Chally and in the #1 spot, I think they are the only team that deserves nearly A+ across the board. I can’t think of a single move they could have made to propel them even higher than they already are. This team is just a great all around squad that are the championship favorites.

Elite (B-): Honestly, this was not a team I had very high expectations for going into the season, but they completely blew those expectations out of the water. Having adn and Dark both finish inside the top five in rating shows just how scary this roster could be when everything was clicking.

They may not have been the flashiest team every single week, but the talent was clearly there, and they proved they belonged near the top of the tier. H4K put together a much better season than I expected and deserves a lot of credit for proving people like me wrong.

Prospect - Redbull (B+): This report card will be going off regular season only. Having said that Kryptic and company really turned the ship into the right direction early in the season to finish as a top team. I thought they hit gold drafting sandy early and fumbled it releasing them. That just goes to show I know nothing about roster building because since those moves they have been moving differently. In the last month of games they finished 6-2 with both losses coming on inferno. They should be more than happy with their season as they have become legit contenders for the championship.

Prospect - Pander (A-): Some weird losses mar an otherwise stellar season, especially the MD1 shellacking by AG. Beyond those goofy losses, this team was damn near impossible to beat. Seramin and phobic pickups worked well.

Contender (B): They had an extremely solid run this season going 8-4 overall. They really were the gate keepers of the upper level as they beat lower ranked opponents consistently but struggled against some tougher squads. Overall the solid season mostly carried by Niloc's All Star performances.

Challenger (D): To my knowledge, HG is one of the “sweaty” orgs or at least that is how I perceive them. Their season has certainly not met their expectations. Unless there was internal conflict, I am not sure why the panic button was hit for a trade after MD4. Safe to say the trade did not work out, as I thought it surely would have made them stronger despite me not understanding the trade. A late season pickup in TroyjanHorse certainly adds some smarts and firepower to the team, but too late I fear as they barely missed the playoff mark. Oh would could have been if they stuck it out, or even made another, earlier move after the trade.

Elite (C+): HG somehow found a way to completely turn their season around. There was a point where they looked completely out of the playoff race, but instead of giving up, they battled back and finished the season with a respectable record and a playoff spot.

That kind of turnaround deserves a lot of credit. It would have been easy for the season to fall apart, but HG kept fighting and found a way to save it. Great job by them for sticking with it and giving themselves a chance when it matters most

Premier (C): An 0-3 start set HG behind to start the season, however, it felt like all sesason I was just surprised at this squad. One week they would beat UPS and HR, and then the next they would lose to WIZ and DRG. Overall I felt like with the amount of times that Zim would dodge smoke there were many games that if they had the full 5, it could have made a difference. Overall it felt like very mid of a season, but nothing super glaring in terms of faults.

Recruit (B+): BOA may have had the highest ceiling in the tier, and they had one of the safest floors. You rarely watched them and wondered what team was going to show up that night. Their consistency carried them a long way.

Prospect - Redbull (A+): BOA are heading into the playoffs with a perfect record(writers curse maybe depending on when this releases) and they look like the favorites to win it all. They are the only team with wins on more than 5 different maps (6 so far). Coming into the season the writers had them placed around 3rd-4th place. This BOA team has been excelling way past expectations rostering 3 players with above a 1.0 rating( 2 of those 3 players with above a 1.2 rating) Dizzy and Gage look to be all stars this season but that is not to discount anyone else on the team. Happe and Carrie have had games where they are the highest rated player in wins and Nashbrowns came close dropping a 1.27 recently. Overall I have nothing negative to add to their great season.

Prospect - Pander (A+): It's really hard to find a flaw in a team that won its first 11 games. And it's very hard to fairly judge "Improvement Grade" when no improvement is needed. This was just a nearly flawless season from a rock solid team that managed all their hurdles. Easy A+.

Challenger (A-): Drafting the best player in the tier, while staying in the top 5 all season and finishing at #2 says all that needs to be said really. They have not needed a roster change all while being in the trophy hunt since week 1. Using two keepers on their 2 AGMs doesn’t really matter either since those 2 have both been performers as well. Pulse is also a lil cutie. I have a B for improvement because I mean like, I’m not sure they got any better but were just this good all season.

Prospect - Redbull (B-): JDM came into the season under the wing of NOX igling and they were struggling to find a solid base. When they finally started to take wins off teams they traded away their igl for a entry player that they ended up cutting not even a week later. I thought they had over cooked and burned the food if I’m being honest. Luckily for JDM stampy was able to pick up where NOX left and lead their team to some serious wins and playoffs off of their calling. Soapkitchen was the real deal since the start of the season but the one player who seemed to gain the most from the new enviroment was Iwuvvalorant. IWV was able to play their game and the numbers showed that. A reflection of greater confidence in their game plan and trust with teammates allowed JDM to grow into playoff threats. No matter what happens they should be proud of a great season they had.

Prospect - Pander (C-): Snuck into playoffs after a 1-4 start. Basically the same team as AG, with three solid shooters and two struggling members. Making playoffs helps a lot.

Contender (C): A deadeven season for the Colin lead squad. While not the worst results this team would basically only go 1-1 every single week and you could tell it was taking a toll on the mental of the team. A last ditch effort from JDM to pick up Neopolitan and Fex didn't fix this team's woes as they kept their 1-1 a week streak going.

Challenger (B+): Fresh off a rebrand, I feel “new” orgs are always eager to prove themselves and I think JDM has done exactly that finishing at #4 in the standings. I suppose if you aren’t #1, a roster change could always be done to propel you higher but I am not sure what it could have been in this case, I don’t have the inside scoop for their squad. I feel like they have flown under the radar for a lot of us here in Chally, so I am sure they are looking to make the ultimate run to force everyone to know who they are after all is said and done.

Elite (C): JDM has just been decent all season. They are the definition of a C average team to meJDM has just been decent all season. They never looked completely outmatched, but they also rarely looked like a team that was ready to take over the tier.

To me, they are the definition of a C average team. They had good moments, bad moments, and plenty of matches where they looked exactly like what their record says they were. It was not a terrible season, but there was also nothing that made them stand out from the rest of the middle of the pack.

Recruit (B+): There is probably some bias here, but NAN earned a strong grade. This team was not always clean and definitely made things harder on themselves than necessary, but they kept finding ways to win. More than anything, they crushed the expectations I had for them coming into the season. An A plus in expectations feels completely deserved.

Prospect - Redbull (C): GOOD OL NAN. Where do I start with you. Only NaN could go from a bad team to underrated to top 3 standings wise and then back down to 9/10 within like two weeks. There were all over the place this season going on win streaks and then loss streaks. Their placing is accurate in my opinion they seemed to struggle against the top teams but very rarely dropped easy wins against bad teams like some top teams are guilty of...(BOO). I will grade them high on roster management because I like Dorga he’s funny.

Prospect - Pander (B-): Don't let the relatively meh grade fool you, this team is very dangerous. They just happened to randomly lose half their games all season in ways that were hard to predict, as least as far as I was concerned. It has shooters for days and always seemed a legit threat to win it all.

Contender (B-): NAN had a good season going a solid 6-6. I honestly don't think this roster needed any roster moves because they always seemed very good. Overall I think they had the team that could win the issue was that sometimes not all of them would be online on their MD's. Good squad but mental needed a fix.

Challenger (A-): Our season has been a success as far as I'm concerned. One roster change, management was active in looking for the best possible option after Conan decided to step down and thankfully they were able to land Twinkle in a trade with HR. The ultimate chud squad was assembled. I think purely from a raw skillset standpoint we knew expectations were decently high we just had to not be a bunch of chuds like we were for a while there.

Elite (C): There is definitely some bias in this grade, and I am sorry, but that is just going to happen. I helped build this roster, so of course I am going to believe we did a good job to some extent. That being said, our performance was still ass. We missed playoffs, and when we absolutely needed to win, we did not get the job done.

We started the season 0 and 5, but after making several roster moves over the next few match days, I believe the final version of this team proved it had the potential to beat anyone. Unfortunately, the final week was plagued by circumstances that prevented us from fielding our full five, and that played a major part in costing us our playoff spot. It was still a disappointing season, but I am proud of the moves we made and the effort management put into trying to turn everything around.

Premier (B): Overall a great season for the nan fellas, despite last seasons history hanging over their head, they pushed through to a third seed and were able to set themselves up for a solid run in the playoffs. Compared to last season, this team feels significantly better built, instead of Jason backpacking a roster, its a roster with shooters, and shorty to put them over the top. Where they struggled a bit was when shorty was not playing as well, and the rest of the team had to stand up. Regradless, the power rankings team, with me included, had them dead last in preseason power rankings, and so for them to snatch a 3rd seed, I think there is plenty to be proud of in the NaN camp. Now go get a trophy!

Prospect - Redbull (B): When you draft the best player in the league its hard to give you anything lower than a B rating. Where they cooked with this line up was pairing Joe with drunk de mone and noggin. Look at their games and wins and you can see when someone has an off day the next person up is ready to step up and fill those shoes. They seemed to struggle with some player attendance issues throughout the season including a bizarre 4vs5 in which they left with a win. Pair that up with some late seasons Ls and they finished a strong 10. I think on their best day they are easily a top 3 team they just had some bad luck when it mattered most. Hold your heads up guys y’all had a great season!

Prospect - Pander (B): joe's MVP season kept this team afloat while the other players suffered through some very inconsistent performances. It looked stronger as the season progressed.

Contender (C): Another 6-6 Tendy team that just looked alright. I could never tell what OS we were going to get because this team was super inconsistent. They could have been the best squad in tendy but we wouldn't know because man they would flip a coin every MD to see if they would win. This squad locked in for the final stretch of the season and got themselves a playoff appearance and that should be applauded.

Challenger (D-): Nearly all of the struggling teams in Challenger this season made a change, except OS. Why not? There is so much talent on this roster, and ik I have been a bit of an OS meat rider this season since I am friends with 2 of their players, but damn man something needed to change. 7 straight losses then a final 2-0 run to secure playoffs. Did management never see a reason to change? I think the org, and the players, would have been better off if something changed for all of their respective situations. Who knows what a simple change could have done to spark a fire in the roster earlier on, especially knowing all the talent that hit the trade block this season. I bump expectations up to "D+" simply for making playoffs, as I think that counts for something, but it was a nail biter to get to this point.

Elite (A): If you had asked me to grade OS last week, they probably would have received an A+ across the board. They were undefeated, nobody looked close to challenging them, and I am sure the vibes were sky high in the OS camp. However, after a disappointing final three match days, I did have to lower a few of their grades. The biggest reason was the lack of improvement. After starting the season 10 and 0 before finishing 10 and 3, they showed that they were not getting better as the season went on.

Even with that disappointing finish, OS still had an incredibly consistent roster and multiple players who will probably take home All Star trophies for their performances this season. Finishing 10 and 3 is still an amazing accomplishment, and OS deserves all the praise they receive for what they were able to do throughout the year. Congratulations to them on an incredible regular season.

Premier (D-): A season to forget for OS, the Shogun started off the season on a positive note, that being a 2-1 start, after that? One of the worst slides we have seen in recent Shogun teams. The team from the start had its worries, a first season player in Yugoslavia brought in as the first round pick, and then signing LeethyDr, Katalyst, and SmartAsSuperman. This roster, to me even in my original power rankings I had my doubts about the roles of this team, and it seems like my worries were well placed. OS has yet to place in the top 3 of premier the past 5 seasons, even during season 16 when there were 6 prem teams TOTAL. This season continued the trend, and for me, this all begins with the roster never getting off the ground. Their first game was missing Yugo and brought in Clumsy, who went ballistic and willed that team to an OT win over DRG, and their second win came over an HR team who was still figuring it out. This roster never seemed to gel together at any point in the season, ranging from not getting their 5 together for MDs, and even when they were able to get into the server, they never found any consistency. This not to bash any players, but more of an issue with how this team was built and how they tried at any point to fix any of the problems with the roster. I have no doubt that if they could have fielded the same five for each MD for each Monday im sure they would have a significantly more cohesive team overall, but, sometimes thats the way the cookie crumbles. Hey it can't get worse from here! Right?

Prospect - Redbull (C+): This is going to be my last chance to speak about how rigged the games were against DRG this season. What a brutal beat and honestly they still almost had playoff hopes coming into the last match day. I really like what they did picking up hamlet and pairing her with other smart and vocal players. They cooked with the ingredients they had at their reach. In another life I really think this DRG would cause issues for teams in Bo3 series. Its unfortunate that they were not able to show off their skills in playoffs. Besides that I applaud the turn around by them and their attitude of fighting to the very end.

Prospect - Pander (D+): This team faced the hardest SoS in the league, and wasn't up for the challenge. It took a few wins off playoff teams, so bully for that. It had some nice pieces, but lacked consistent firepower needed to make the playoffs against this schedule.

Contender (C+): The DRG squad had so much promise in the beginning of the season! Even being ranked extremely high in the power rankings at one point! An extremely consistent season has now come crashing down after 3 straight losses. While their extremely solid start to the season has allowed them to secure playoffs their form has looked shaky at best to end the season. Overall a solid middle of the pack team that should be happy with their overall season.

Challenger (C+): I had high hopes for this roster being somewhat familiar with some of the talent on this roster. I do appreciate management's efforts to bring some firepower to the team with Katernum's addition which statistically has worked out, but I do think that another move could have been made to launch this team even further up in the standings.

Elite (C): DRG started the season extremely hot and looked like one of the strongest teams in the tier. Unfortunately, the season ended in the complete opposite direction, with them losing their final five matches.

I am not saying a roster move was absolutely necessary, but after that many losses in a row, I think something needed to be considered. Even a small change might have brought some new energy into the team and helped reset the dynamic. They clearly had the talent to be a top team, but the way the season ended makes it hard not to wonder what could have been done differently.

Premier (D): This is a toughie. I really believe that this squad should have been significantly better than I think their record shows. But, unfortunately, this team did not preform all too well. For me it just never seemed like they could get on the same page in terms of T side, as well as being very hot and cold. They were also sitting on quite a lot of elo to spend, the most in the tier if I remember correctly, so there was space to maybe make a firepower upgrade, but for me, just an unlucky season that could have turned out great.

Recruit (A-): TEE came into the season looking like one of the best teams in the tier and spent most of the year proving it. They were talented, consistent, and rarely looked out of place against anyone. The improvement grade is lower mostly because there was not a lot of room to grow. When you start near the top and stay there, that is hardly the worst problem to have.

Prospect - Redbull (D): I HATE TEE. I hate that I have to give them such a rough grade. I thought this would be the season tinyjesus could recapture some of his recruit season magic and igl a team back to the top. Unfortunately the magic just wasn’t there this season. They did lock in against BOO which is always fun. The roster wasn’t the issue in my opinion I think 9tailedfox is a great player, along side brutalboost who all had moments of putting the team on their back throughout the season. Sometimes you fall victim to the whole "someone has to be at the bottom" but even then they still took playoff team GF to like triple OT on the last day of the season showing that they have that dog in them. A new offseason presents the players and organization a new chance to refresh and I have no doubts that these players will kill it in the upcoming season. Sometimes a change of scenery is welcomed. Way to fight to the very last chance guys ❤️

Prospect - Pander (D+): This TEE squad converted some believes after a 3-1 start, but just couldn't get going after that in the face of an extremely hard schedule. It wasn't a BAD season, the wins just didn't come after the hot start.

Contender (C): A strange case in terms of middle of the pack teams. They will beat any of the bottom 15 teams but will also lose to them in spectacular fashion. They have players that can play at a higher level but for some reason everything wasn't clicking. Their final 3 wins of the season did secure them a playoff berth which is nice for this squad. Overall meh season from the boys at TEE.

Challenger (A): Fielding the same 5 all season, not counting Subs of course, they have remained near the top of the tier pretty much all season. Them being susceptible to the loss streaks with a 2 and 3 loss streak is a little odd, but everyone is allowed to stumble at some point. I do not ding them too much for that given how good they have been besides those two small stretches.

Elite (D-): TEE came into the season as the reigning champions, and while they did not retain every key player from that incredible run, I still had high hopes for them. After a close opening match day against my own team, those expectations only grew. It looked like they may have found a tier breaker in ExNinja, but unfortunately, that story did not continue throughout the rest of the season.

TEE made a midseason roster change and swapped out two players, but it never led to the improvement they were looking for. This season feels like a sad case of what could have been but never came together. I hate to be this harsh, but I will always expect big things from a defending champion, and TEE simply did not produce the results, consistency, or meaningful roster improvements needed to meet those expectations. Overall, it was a disappointing season for TEE, but hopefully they can regroup and turn things around next season.

Prospect - Redbull (B+): FLT flew under the radar for me the whole season. After a scrim or two against them I thought they wouldn’t be strong enough to be a top team. To the surprise of no one I was wrong again. FLT might have dropped the occasional game here and there but I cant fault them for losing with subs. This team was drafted pretty close to perfect for their system. A lot of people think that you have to draft the best players with the highest ratings but they were able not only draft a potential MVP in Ko but surround him with a great support system. They showed they were willing to take the fight and for the most part win on any map. Overall what a great rookie season by the FLT boys.

Prospect - Pander (A-): Starting 0-2 left this team with no real expectations. Going 8-2 afterward cemented them as a top tier heavy hitter. Well-constructed roster that gelled under Orca's direction.

Contender (C+): Tough season for FLT so you just kinda have to feel bad for them. After their unfortunate pick up of AJ_ leading to four forfeit losses they really never looked the same. They managed to take down some bottom ranked squads to make playoffs and played close map against BCH so there might be some life left in this team.

Challenger (D+): New org luck did not go the way of The Armada. Based on results, the pre-mid season changes just didn't work out the way they aimed for them too, but I will always give credit to the attempt to add some strength to this roster with the addition of Clanke then another late season change picking up Javi but they just didn't work out the way they planned obviously and that’s just how it is sometimes. There were such high hopes after a 4-2 start, then it seemingly just unraveled going 1-7 in that final stretch. With a season under their belts running the org for the first time, lets see what the FLT management can bring to the skies next season.

Prospect - Redbull (B-): I feel like I really did curse this team. I was so high on them coming into the season. I was sold on the original roster and the level of leadership they had in place. Sm1ke can overcook sometimes when it comes to igling but its never because the calls themselves are bad but rather the ideas can be too advanced for players. Halfway through the season they sat winless until they finally made some roster changes. In comes my prospect enemy and fellow writer friend Pander. Recently cut from a struggling AG , his impact was immediate. From there on out a combination of leadership and skill was finally coming together. All the ingredients in the kitchen make a great meal when you know how to use them properly. They finished the season on such a hot streak they were able to go from winless into a potential playoff upset in 3 weeks time. FNL and AVI have shown that with good experienced players and management you're always in the race for the championship.

Prospect - Pander (C+): This team has pre-season swagger but came out dead flat, starting 0-5. A mid-season swap to add Pander led to a surprising playoff run and positive RD as the team started to gel. Not an easy team to grade except for "Improvement", which is easily league-best.

Contender (A): Hawkish survives the season with no roster moves! Overall this AVI squad has been dominant against most teams and has shined against most teams. By far the best Overpass team in the league as they boast a 3-0 record on the map with thier latest win on the map being a 13-2 drubbing against DRG. This team is extremely impressive and should be a major threat going into playoffs.

Challenger (D-): They nuked their roster, but too late in the season imo. While I do appreciate any team that tries to set their roster up for success with changes, I just think they did this too late. Their changes netted them a lot of talent however, but if they were gonna blow it up, it needed to happen before there were 2 games left until playoffs.

Elite (D+): You somehow drafted the donk of Elite and still missed playoffs. Shame, shame, AVI. Shame, shame.

In all seriousness, having a player put up the kind of season GregJ had should have been enough to make AVI a dangerous playoff team. Unfortunately, the rest of the roster never consistently came together around him. There were flashes of potential, but when you have the best player in the tier and still miss playoffs, it is hard to view the season as anything other than disappointing.

Premier (A-): The best team in the tier, generally was the perception of this team for the entire season. Only two close losses, almost the perfect season, if not for an overtime loss to NaN and then a loss to DRG as the blemishes on this season. Otherwise than this you cant really find any other faults with this squad, drafting, vibes, map pool, all some of the best in the tier. Can this AVI squad take it all the way after one of the great prem seasons? We will see.

Recruit (D): This season was rough. There is no clever way to dress it up. BCH struggled early, struggled late, and never found the answer in between. The roster management was slightly better than the actual performance, but that is not saying much. Sometimes a bad season is just a bad season, and this was one of them.

Prospect - Redbull (D-): I’m not going to dog pile on a team that for all purposes knows their season has ended and have to be planning for the upcoming season. I would have liked to see them experiment with roster changes more often. The games I got to watch they seemed to be quite unprepared for the matchups. BCH will bounce back next season I have faith in their franchise management to step in and start fresh.

Prospect - Pander (D): Three wins over playoff teams is the high point for a team that otherwise existed as a speed bump. It needed a roster shakeup that never came.

Contender (A+): They should have had a 12-0 season alongside FRG. They have been absolutely dominant against the squads they face and will be continuing that going into playoffs. Every player is above 1.04 rating and is a threat. There are very few weak links in this squad. Shouwman and Khad are a spectacular duo that tops the charts for BCH and they'll most likely keep rolling till the finals.

Challenger (C): My beloved BCH didn't turn out so hot this season, but boy they locked in for these last 3 games to clutch a playoff berth. Still a new org, but I hear so many great things about management. I always give high marks for attempting to make rosters better, and more so when those moves actually work out and their pick ups really seemed to work in their favor. Sure, they would have liked a higher seed and better over all season I'm sure, but they are back in playoffs and that is all that matters.

Prospect - Redbull (C): HR was my choice for finishing first place at the start of the season. I placed a lot of faith in the management to ball out no matter what the roster was. WHAT A AIRBALL by me. HR had such a rough start to the season loss after loss they keep grinding and chipping away. Eventually with changes and determination they finally were able to build off the entire seasons work and effort. In the last 4 games they couldn’t afford to lose any and they balled out and made the playoffs cut. It could have been easy for them to throw in the towel and move on but they are just built different. THEY GOT THAT DOG IN THEM and I LOVE when teams like that are able to put all the work and grind of the season and show what’s possible when you don’t give up. GREAT SEASON YALL. SO wazo0

Prospect - Pander (C): Big four-game win streak to finish the season and save their playoff lives was the culmination of a great treeko pickup and some gelling from the other members. It wasn't a great HR team, but it looked like a fun time.

Contender (C-): This was a rollercoaster of a season for HR. Many roster moves made a promising squad look a bit lackluster. Saken was the absolute carry of this team with 1.11 rating with DnV close behind with a 1.09 rating.

Challenger (C-): This team was loaded going into the season. Then shipping Twinkle to NAN and their first round pick in Clanke to FLT, then a promoted HR Contender player just to cut them, a revolving door of players, TroyjanHorse getting cut before landing on a solid roster finally. I mean, what happened? Hard to be consistent when the lineup seemingly changes every MD. Thankfully (or not), I can say from experience that their final iteration of the roster has some mf shooters. I’m staying at a mid-C grade for the roster management just for the early/mid season blow up and constant changes but the house gambled some more and ended up with a solid lineup that will be competitive in playoffs. They really do always win it seems.

Elite (B-): HR feels like another team that was simply middle of the road for most of the season. There is not a ton of praise to throw their way, but there is also not much that was truly terrible.

They made a few good roster moves, improved enough to secure a playoff spot, and ultimately accomplished what they needed to accomplish. It may not have been the most memorable season, but they are in the playoffs, and that is what matters. Enough said.

Premier (C-): The first overall pick. Securing Sharp, Kiri. A solid one two punch. Filling out the rest of the roster with the best talent you can get. A season destined for glory. Then, a season of looking like the best team in the tier to losing to the worst in the tier. Maybe it was the Falcon incident, maybe it was the random subs from time to time across the season. Who knows, but this season for HR was riddled with inconsistencies across the board, but they found a way to win in the end. A 5-4 record going into the playoffs and looking to be a scary opponent for any teams to match up with them in the playoffs. (Gulp). I think I was just putting too high of expectations for this roster, for me, I believed that Sharp could backpack this roster all the way to a trophy, but in the end, it ended up being too herculean of a task. Not to say that any one on that team was dragging, but I didn’t seen enough pop offs from any one else on the roster that would have been significant enough to put enough trust in this roster to take it all the way to the #1 seed. In the end, with the #1 pick, I just expected just a little bit more from this team, will next season be hard luck for the high rollers, or will they hit big? Lets check in next season, love you clxtch <3.

Prospect - Redbull (B): The BOO crew entered the season ranked at a strong 3rd place. We ended the season at 7th tied with 5th but RD bit us in the rear. Its safe to say that we have dropped the ball this season especially against the teams lower in the standings. Dewey has lead us to some big wins against strong opponents but I would still like to see some variety from our map pool. We have 4 wins(Out of 7) on 4 different maps so that’s a good start. Honestly just with the addition of Cosmo I would give us a A but the scouting department hit it out of the park with Jrag. Thank you Marcos for staying up late and forcing your voice to be heard Jrag is the truth. I love my team. 10/10

Prospect - Pander (B+): Nice performance throughout. BOO was beatable, hard to say they've proven themselves in the top-5 or the title contender conversation, but when you win more than you lose you can say you had a good season.

Contender (D+): This team plays so many close matches but always has trouble closing them out. They have the team to be able to not end their season 5-7 but they always seemed to fall at the final hurdle. Going into playoffs they have a good chance to upset some high ranked teams because BOO can and will drag these teams into the mud with them in long drawn out series.

Challenger (F): As one of the many resident BOO Crew fans, this one hurts but I must be honest. I will always have high hopes for the BOO Crew but man this is a rough season. While I do think that they are way better than the results show given so many games of theirs were decided by a couple of rounds, ultimately they still ended up the bottom ranked Chally team. Only one roster change this season by adding Tbonelul and I thought that he would bolster them by adding some firepower but alas it did not work out how I thought.

Elite (B+): I loved the moves the BOO crew made, especially the decision to pick up Tacosbrick. I think the impact of that move showed almost immediately, and the team looked much more complete afterward.

Since making those changes, BOO has looked like a solid and consistent roster. They may not always dominate their opponents, but they have become a team that you can trust to compete every match day. Overall, management deserves a lot of credit for recognizing what needed to change and making the right moves to improve the team.

Premier (B): A wacky start to the season for the BOO crew, with that random ass quack guy going on IR for 4 games, of which they went undefeated for the first 3. The fourth being a loss to UPS due to a roster explosion after a player mentioned 5 minutes after match start that they couldn’t play on Mondays... Regardless, once the BOO crew got some mallard reinforcements they went on to go 3-2 albeit a disappointing result but still a winning record which secured them a playoff berth. This season was for me, was a blast, capitals and somas cats being mascots before MD's, Dewey being a goat, and overall great vibes (as long as we don’t count the AVI game) lead this team to be successful all season. I think after the roster settled down with the addition of "quack" we stabilized quite nicely. I think when this team was at its best we could smoke any team any day and it wouldn’t be close. The issue was being able to be all shooting on the same day, which is why my grade for consistency is no higher than a C+. Overall, I don't know if you can ask for much more from a season, not many roster changes, low expectations, and a whole lot of fun. Thank you Soma, Dewey and Biscuit for a great team, and to all my teammates thanks for making my season such a blast :D. 👻 BOO CREW 👻COMING THRU 👻👻 BOO CREW 👻HAUNTING YOU 👻

Recruit (C): FRG might be the most C team I have ever graded. Not bad enough to call the season a failure, but not good enough to get excited about either. They had some nice wins, some ugly losses, and spent most of the season living right in the middle. Perfectly average, for better or worse.

Prospect - Redbull (B-): FRG is going to get a harsh rating from me only because I hold them up so highly. I think Richie is easily the best player in the tier and belongs on a contender team, wittix has grown so much in one offseason, summer can take over any game at the blink of an eye. Where I dink them is the weird losses. Not counting the ridiculous win that got reversed for reasons. FRG is too good of a team to drop these random games where in my opinion they should be favorites. I know that they grind the game and scrim a bunch. I know that gabe is whipping them into shape. I know that they are better than their record says, but yet here we are sitting at 6-6 at the end of the season. They are still my favorites to win if BOO drops out.

Prospect - Pander (B): FRG seemed to start insanely hot, and then just fell apart mid-season before looking back in form as the season ended. I didn't have amazing expectations for this team, so the fact it was in my top 5 several times speaks to how good it looked.

Contender (A+): A solid group of shooters lead by an all-star performance by Lmao. FRG had the perfect season in Contender with a 12-0 record. While the record seems dominant many of the games were not as 5 of those games went to OT and 3 others were at 13-11/13-10 score lines. This squad always managed to pull out ahead of these scrappy matches in part due to the fact that it felt like anyone on the team could have a pop off game and end up on the top of the leaderboard.

Prospect - Redbull (C+): UPS might the most mixed bag of surprises this season. After a loss streak of 3 to AVI, COW and DRG they finished the season going 4-0. In those 4 games they took games off #1 seed BOA who was undefeated and 9th placed ATO who at the time were in competition for a top 5 seeding. They might be the perfect representation of a true Prospect team, showing that on any day any team despite their record can beat the best team in the league while struggling with some of the lower ranked teams. The big part of that success wasn't just a single player having a crazy season but everyone who was selected putting in their part of the effort to win. Aero, Biggs, Mini , Eno, Toast all should be proud of this season. A true under the radar team that went unappreciated by the writers ( yes I know that means me ). I dont know how true it is that UPS coaching is on another level but some magic happened here that flipped a switch and turned the season around for them. SO KEAGOO.

Prospect - Pander (B-): I liked this team. They had some flaws here and there, but could still stomp teams from time to time, including a massive streak-ending loss handed to BOA. MD12. Spirited shooters who worked well together. eno was a good pickup.

Contender (D+): Great team on paper with some solid shooters. Ending with a 4-8 record was not something I expected out of this squad as they had some sneakily good players. Closing out the season they had a rough patch of matches going up against some top teams in that mix. Fortunately for this squad their two wins they secured in the final 3 weeks allowed them to sneak into playoffs to extend their season.

Challenger (C): If there is a "sweaty" org, it is certainly UPS. A title is expected every season. They are certainly still in the running sitting at #9 in the standings, but being a #1 ranked team is usually expected from UPS management and for good reason. A late season trade might bring them more comfort and firepower going into playoffs so we will see what is to come for these shooters. I think there were some moves that certainly could have been made throughout the season to help bolster this roster to the heights expected out of UPS squads, but nonetheless they have remained competitive knocking off some big names along the way but remained shaky in some of their other bouts.

Elite (B-): The Impastas put together a solid 8 and 5 season, and funnily enough, I think the team name perfectly describes what they were all about. At their best, UPS looked capable of beating anyone in the league. The problem was that they also had nights where they looked capable of losing to anyone. They constantly played to the level of the competition in front of them, which made them one of the hardest teams to properly judge all season.

There was clearly a lot of talent on this roster, and an 8 and 5 record is nothing to be ashamed of, but the inconsistency kept them from ever feeling like a true top team. They showed flashes of being dangerous enough to make a deep run, but they never consistently put everything together. Overall, UPS had a good season, but it still feels like there was another level this team never fully reached.

Premier (C+): You signed JASON. JASON. And did not end up being the #1 seed. This has to be one of the most unreal sequence of events for a team ever, signing the reigning MVP who did not look human all of last season, and somehow, he looked human on this team. Albeit they did end up being 6-3, sure, great. But for me, having signed the #1 pick and then once again pulling the best players up from UPS accademy, and a solid option in bones, you have to have the highest of high expectations. The roster itself stayed solid, having the craziest super subs brought in to fill in anyone who needed a day off. I can't hate too much on the managerial side of things, keagoos actual rating though? Lets leave that aside... In the end, they probably get another trophy with a cupcake walk to the finals, and then I once again have to ball my fists in rage because somehow this happens every season. Will UPS resign jason and terrorize the league again or will numbers finally do the right thing and require jason to play with 4 challenger players to balance him out!

Recruit (C-): COW started from a rough place, but I will give them credit for not staying there. The results were still disappointing, and the roster never looked fully settled, but the team improved enough to make the ending feel better than the beginning. This was not a good season, but it also was not one without progress.

Prospect - Redbull (B+): COW my favorite franchise to support from the sidelines. I give their trade of pook for NOX a A+ what a great big brain move. I love that they did it because it shows me that they thought they were a piece away from being contenders. Nox is a big time yapper so much that when I first met him it was too much for me and I dismissed him. Another blunder by me because the more I would talk game theory or post game late night talks with nox im realizing holy shit this dude is so smart with his approach to the game. Juan and the rest of the COW roster commited a heist by pulling this move off. I think even if nox had a bad season( he didnt) the change of scenery was needed for the team. The new life injected into this roster was immediate. With the new and improved roster they only dropped games against BOO and FLT. In that same span they managed to take games off 3rd place HG and 7th seed GF. Its crazy to think at a point in the season they were considered dead in the water and the crawled and scratched their way back into securing a playoff appearance. I ding them for their early season woes but honestly they pulled off a master class in fighting to the very end. I’m not even on this team and I’m proud of the way they fought. Great season BOYS.

Prospect - Pander (C): COW punched above its perceived weight class with regularity. It wasn't a great team, but it was a scary team on occasion. Stable roster, good attitudes, and the best performing COW prospect team in years.

Contender (D-): So close yet so far for this COW squad as they ended the season with a 4-8 score line. This squad had a many roster moves this season as they tried to find out what worked. Things looked hopeful as they took down UPS and DRG late in the season but a loss to BOO put the nail in the coffin for this squad. 8Bitbanana was the one bright spot for this squad.

That closes the book on the Season 20 franchise report cards.

No grade tells the entire story, but these results give us a pretty clear picture of which franchises built strong teams across the league, which ones exceeded expectations, and which ones have some serious homework to do before next season.

Playoffs may change how we remember a few of these teams, but they do not rewrite the regular season. A championship run can create a legendary ending, but these grades reflect everything it took to reach that point.

Some franchises earned their place at the top of the class. Some barely avoided failing. Others are probably hoping we lose their report card before it makes it home.

Until next season, enjoy the grades and start preparing your excuses.

Welcome back to another issue of Aero Asks! I changed up the questions this week so you’ll see some new stuff here. I also thought Juan was a perfect player to interview as he’s someone that I immediately was in awe of as an IGL. He brought the best performances out of me in combines and also inspires me to learn IGLing along with my current IGL Toast. But I’ll stop rambling and let’s get into the interview!

Q: Can you give me a quick introduction to yourself?

Hey, I’m Juan! I’m a part of “What Do You Beef?” or COW for short. I’m the Prospect team Captain and IGL. I’m 27 years old and live in Dallas, TX. For a living, I’m a Powder Coater by trade — basically, I paint metal for a living (insert cool Instagram picture here). In my free time, I’m usually playing games on my PC or hanging out with my fiancée.

Q: How did you get into CS?

I started playing CS:GO back in 2015. I got into the game by watching everyone’s favorite streamer, Summit1G. Watching Summit play the game every day made me think, “Hey, I can do that too!” So I downloaded Steam, bought CS about a week later, and started grinding.

I met a lot of friends along the way during the GO era who taught me everything from skins to utility lineups, and they even got me into watching the professional scene. I played CS:GO heavily for about two years straight and reached Master Guardian 2 as my highest rank, ending with around 1,200–1,300 hours played.

Then 2017 happened, and for whatever random reason I had, I decided I was done playing Counter-Strike. I sold all the skins I collected and started playing Rainbow Six Siege. That lasted another two years before I got sucked into Escape From Tarkov, which I played for about three years.

One night, one of the homies I met along the way told me the group wanted to play CS again and asked if I wanted to help teach them. After fighting it for a while because I didn’t want to get back into CS, they eventually convinced me. I started **GRINDING** again, fell back in love with the game, and I wasn’t letting anyone take that away from me. The guys eventually stopped playing as seriously, but every now and again we would bounce back and forth between CS and Tarkov.

Q: How’d you get into CSC and how long have you been here?

This will be my second season as a CSC player. My first season was on COW, where my Captain and IGL was Orca. He helped refine me as a player and really pushed me toward becoming an IGL.

I’ve always naturally taken over the leader position, even if it was because of my lack of game knowledge at the time, but I would sometimes lose confidence in my calls. Orca helped change that for me.

An old friend of mine who used to play in the league was a Challenger player named ReggieBoons, or ReginaldBoons. He also helped prepare me by improving my aim, positioning, and overall understanding of the game.

Once he felt I was ready, he told me about CSC and what it was all about. He told me I was good enough to compete and that I should sign up. During Season 18, we worked on improving the areas I struggled with, and in Season 19 I finally signed up and played my first 12 games on a team.

Q: What’s your biggest strength as a player?

I would say my biggest strength is my ability to coordinate and utilize players’ strengths. I’m a sucker for just watching CS being played and reading the enemy team.

Like I mentioned before, I’ve always naturally taken the IGL position, even in PUGs when I notice my team isn’t flowing correctly. I strongly believe that even in PUGs, you need someone calling the shots so everyone is on the same page.

We are all playing the same game, but there is so much happening at once that you need someone directing the flow of traffic.

When it comes to PUGs, you can only “bitch” at your teammates to do what you want for so long before they tilt and stop seeing the vision you’re trying to create.

What I love about CSC is that we have so many different personalities and people from different backgrounds, but we’re all here to win by any means necessary. The competitiveness of this league is what makes it enjoyable for me. There’s a different level of love for the game from the players here compared to PUGs.

Q: How do you and your teammates get along and what are your expectations for the season?

We recently had a team change and swapped out a player. Pook moved to IGL/Entry, and NOX joined from his former squad, JDM. I won’t get into the details of why the swap happened, but it wasn’t because of vibes.

The reason I say that is because I’m also the vibes captain of the team. I love making jokes during TACS, I get hyped off of getting the first pick, but I’m also the IGL who will hold us accountable and make sure we get our heads out of our asses when needed.

My personal goal for this season is to get at least 5 wins or make a playoff appearance. I want to show the league that I can lead a team and that I’m a good IGL. My paper stats won’t always show how valuable I am as a player, so I want people to know my name and what I can bring to a team.

Q: What role do you play?

I’m our Support IGL. I like to lead from the back-line and let my guys paint the picture for me while I focus on calling and setting up utility for them.

My biggest strength in my IGL career has been my mid-round calling and getting everyone back together once they’re comfortable in the round. I enjoy reading the flow of the game and making adjustments when needed.

If I’m not able to IGL, I would like to say I’m still a solid support player. I’m always looking to be in position for a trade, provide information, and do whatever the team needs to succeed.

Q: What are your individual goals for the season?

Like I stated before, this being my first season as an IGL and wanting to continue down that path, my goal is to get 5 wins with my team (as our original stack) or make a playoff appearance.

I’m a newer face in this league, and it’s stacked with a lot of talented IGLs. I want to make a name for myself and throw my hat into the ring, so to speak.

I know a good IGL is hard to come by, and they’re a hot commodity in this league. Being able to establish myself as someone teams look at as a potential draft pickup every season is my long-term goal.

Q: What is the scariest team in your opinion this season?

I tell my squad this every Tuesday and Thursday:

“Anyone can win a match ANY given Tuesday or Thursday. There’s no point in being scared of them. This squad specifically is full of shooters and high-potential players. If we stick to our drills and play our game, we can take on anyone.”

I say that because every team in this league can be beaten. CS has fundamentals for a reason.

With that being said, I’m not going to be cocky and say no team scares me, but I do respect the hell out of BOA, FLT, BOO, and FRG. Every individual player on those squads has earned my respect, and I always approach those matchups with caution.

Q: What is your dream roster?

Honestly, I could build a dream roster every season, but if I had to name a few players in no particular order, it would be:

Kiwi, Nox, Summer, Orca, TinyJesus, CeeDubbleU, Noggin, Aero, Marcos, and CaptainDiabetes.

All of them can speak for themselves. Their names carry weight for a reason. Great people, great company, and great players.

Q: Who’s your season MVP of the season so far?

I don’t really have a great answer for MVP, so I’m going to give the “lame” answer and base it off numbers alone.

My answer would be Dizzy from BOA. He has been **FRYING** people in the server all season. We played against them (I was subbed out), and he absolutely fried my team on Inferno.

The numbers speak for themselves, and he has been one of the standout players this season.

Q: How often do you play CS?

I generally play every other day, if not every day. I average around 30 hours a week, so it’s basically a part-time job for me — but it doesn’t feel like one because I genuinely love doing it.

Q: What other games do you play aside from CS?

Recently, my normal rotation has been Project Zomboid, Escape From Tarkov, SKATE, and Rocket League.

I mainly play shooters, but I also enjoy survival games, building games, and party games as well. I like anything that lets me compete or create a fun experience with friends.

Q: What is your least favorite color?

My least favorite color is “Sunshine Yellow.”

Since I’m a powder coater by trade, I deal with colors every single day. I can name exact Pantones and shades just by looking at them, which is honestly pretty insane.

Sunshine Yellow sucks because it has to be baked at 400°F for around 45 minutes, and when it comes out, it’s bright as hell. You see **every** mistake, detail, and piece of cross-contamination.

It genuinely annoys me when a client comes in wanting yellow and immediately gravitates toward Sunshine Yellow. It’s the one color that always finds a way to test my patience.

Q: What is your opinion on pineapple on pizza?

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge pineapple-on-pizza guy. HOWEVER, if you’re going to do it, you should do it like me and always get **cold pineapple**.

The people who get hot pineapple on pizza seriously need to seek help. Hot fruit on a savory meal is just not enjoyable, and it completely throws off the flavor.

Cold pineapple? Fine. Hot pineapple? Absolutely not.

Alright! I hope you enjoyed the interview, and learned something about Juan! I have a ton of respect for him as a player and thank him so much for allowing me to interview him! I hope you guys have a great rest of your day and keep interacting with CSC! We appreciate the support even if you don’t play!

Playoff Season 20! Who is ready for some great BO3 action? Throughout the season we have had ups and downs, the people who started off in first place are no longer in first place and some were at the bottom and have grinded their way up. That just goes to show how much things can change within a 13 match day season. I, for one, am very excited to see how everything turns out after FNL beats everyone because we are the goats.

(1)TEE vs. (8)ATO: For this first match-up, this story is more than just the number one versus the number 8 teams. Back on Match Day 2, TEE beat ATO 13-11. This was before everyone knew what the teams would become. TEE proceeded to become one of the top teams in the tier where ATO fell into a slump losing multiple games in a row. The two faced-off again on Match Day 12, this time ATO beat TEE 16-12. Which at this point was the turning point for ATO’s playoff run. It’s almost poetic that ATO and TEE are facing each other first in this playoffs. Who are you going to be rooting for?

(2)GF vs. (7)FRG: FRG and GF have only faced once before on Match Day 7 where GF claimed victory by a 13-5 scoreline. I have said it before that GF is one powerful team. They are on a 5-game winning streak and they do not seem to be stopping. FRG has had an up and down season finishing with a 6-7 record. (I just wanted to add a 67 joke here somewhere.) FRG and GF both have some great players on their team and I am looking forward to watching these teams duke it out.

(3)BOA vs. (6)FNL: This may come off as a little biased so I will do my best to stay impartial. I’ll talk about BOA first. BOA is sitting pretty with an 8-5 record with 4 of their 5 players at a 1.00 rating or higher. BOA and FNL have faced once before and BOA beat FNL 13-10. FNL has statistically been a playoff team they know how to play BO3’s and I think that it is going to be a great match-up and I know who I will be rooting for, but who will you be rooting for?

(4)AG vs. (5)NAN: Both of these teams finished 7-6 for the regular season which just goes to show how formidable these teams are. This match-up is going to be exciting to watch. I honestly do not know who is the underdog and who is the favorite. In their only game against each other, they went 13-11 one round away from getting into overtime. This match was played on Nuke and it looks like CT Nuke did what CT Nuke does. This game could have gone either way. I am so excited to see what happens in this match-up.

Mxgabyte: NAN Over FNL: RAAAAA NAN WIN RAAAA

Semaj: NAN Over FNL: NAN are on a streak here. Megabyte and co have decided to shape up out of nowhere and are looking in great form. FNL had a rough OT loss and I know that’s gotta be tough on the mental. FNL isn’t out of it but it’s now or never.

Slik: FNL Over NAN: Sorry Mxgabyte :( but I have FNL winning here. They have looked like the better team overall. FNL suffered a very close loss to the 2nd best team in the league, where NAN defeated a relatively mid team. FNL has been right on the precipice of breaking through, they just have yet to actually cross that threshold. Whichever team wins this game though will probably have a pretty solid shot at making playins.

Mxgabyte: DRG Over AVI: DRG is still the safer pick here because of their overall form coming into the matchup, but I do think AVI has real upset potential if the veto breaks the right way. The biggest thing is Mirage. DRG is 4-0 on Mirage with a +21 round differential, while AVI is 1-2 with a -9 round differential. That gap is way too big to ignore, so if I am AVI, Mirage has to be removed early. Once Mirage is gone, this matchup gets a lot more interesting because you are taking away DRG’s clearest win-condition map.

The interesting part is how DRG responds after that. AVI has shown enough on Ancient that DRG probably does not want to let that become the fallback map, so I would expect DRG to remove Ancient at some point. From there, the veto starts pushing both teams into less comfortable territory. That is where maps like Overpass, Anubis, Nuke, or Inferno start coming into play, and that is where AVI’s upset chance becomes real. DRG should still be favored, but if AVI gets Mirage out and forces DRG to spend a ban on Ancient, the map pool gets a lot less clean.

In the end, I think this likely comes down to either Overpass or Anubis. DRG would probably prefer Overpass since AVI had a rough showing there, while AVI would likely prefer Anubis for the same reason on the other side. That makes the veto really important in this matchup. DRG is the better pick on paper, but AVI has a real path to make this weird if they can drag DRG away from Mirage and into one of those more uncomfortable maps.

My simulated ban would be:

AVI bans Mirage, AVI bans Inferno, DRG bans Ancient, DRG bans Anubis, DRG bans Nuke, AVI bans Dust2

Leaves: Overpass

Semaj: AVI Over DRG: We’re cooking things up over at AVI that none of you could understand. DRG is about to be shocked!

Slik: DRG Over AVI: DRG GONNA TAKE THIS ONE, I think DRG has looked like the better team overall. I know AVI has been looking better, and have made improvements to their lineup, but I think DRG will continue to play well like they have for most of the season and take this game. It would be super critical for AVI to win this game as it will help their case to make playins.

Mxgabyte: HG Over ATL: This might be one of the hardest decisions of the night. I do think im going to go with HG being the pick here, but I will be honest, this is not one I love if ATL gets the right map. ATL has the cleaner comfort maps in this matchup. They are 2-0 on Ancient with a +10 round differential and 2-1 on Anubis with a +5. That is a easy path to win if they get their way, especially because HG is 0-1 on Anubis with a -4 and has been banning Mirage, and Overpass a lot. If I am HG, Anubis has to be removed, and I would at least be thinking hard about whether I can let Ancient stay in the pool. The reason I still think HG can win this is because ATL’s bad maps are really bad. ATL is 0-3 on Mirage with a -17 round differential and 0-2 on Nuke with a -14. HG is not great on those maps either, but ATL has shown way more blowup potential there. Dust2 is probably the most interesting map for HG because they are 2-2 with a -2 round differential, while ATL does not have an offical result on Dust2 and has banned it a decent amount it could very well still come up in the final selection. So the whole matchup comes down to whether ATL gets to play one of their comfort maps or whether HG can drag this into Dust2, Nuke, or some weird middle-ground map. If it is Ancient or Anubis, ATL is in an amazing spot to win. If HG gets this away from those maps, I like their chances a lot more.

My simulated bans would be:

ATL bans Mirage, ATL bans Nuke, HG bans Anubis, HG bans Ancient, HG bans Overpass, ATL bans Dust2

Leaves: Inferno

Semaj: HG Over ATL: HG are the better team on paper but this is a tossup in my opinion. It can swing wildly either way and I’m all for it. HG come out with a win here.

Mxgabyte: UPS Over TEE: I still think UPS is the safer pick here. At first glance, TEE being 1-0 on Anubis with a +8 looks nice, but I do not really buy that as their best map. That win came against JDM, who is 0-2 with a -14 on Anubis, so that might say more about JDM being bad on the map than TEE being good on it. TEE also bans Anubis a decent amount, so it is not like they fully trust it either.

The map that makes more sense to me is Mirage. TEE is 2-2 with a -2 there, which does not look amazing, but all four of those games were close. They beat NAN and BOO, and their losses were close against FNL and DRG. That feels like a much more honest sample than one Anubis win. The problem is UPS is also solid on Mirage at 2-1 with a +5, so it is not like TEE would be dragging them somewhere uncomfortable. If this does land on Mirage and gets late, I trust UPS more to close it. UPS is 5-4 in close maps, while TEE is 2-6, and that is probably the biggest difference in this matchup.

My simulated bans would be:

UPS bans Overpass, UPS bans Nuke, TEE bans Inferno, TEE bans Anubis, TEE bans Dust2, UPS bans Ancient.

Leaves: Mirage.

Semaj: UPS Over TEE: Unfortunate season for TEE but UPS will win this one easily. Don’t count out TEE though. Lots of team underestimnate teams with a bad loss record and get stomped.

Mxgabyte: BOO Over JDM: I like BOO in this matchup, but the veto has to be handled correctly. JDM has two maps that BOO cannot ignore: Inferno and Dust2. JDM is 3-0 on Inferno with a +7, and even though all three wins were close, being undefeated across three games still matters. Dust2 is the other danger map. JDM is only 2-2 there, but the round differential is +6, with wins over NAN and DRG and close losses to FNL and HG. BOO does have a Dust2 win, but they also got blown out 4-13 by H4K, so I would not want to give JDM either of those maps.

That is why I still lean BOO, because if they remove Inferno and Dust2, JDM’s pool gets a lot less scary. JDM is 0-2 with a -14 on Anubis, and they also ban Ancient and Mirage a lot, so there are only so many comfortable directions for them to go. The big question is who is willing to gamble on Ancient longer, because neither team really wants to play it. If BOO can force JDM into using a ban there, the veto should land in a much better spot for them.

My simulated bans would be:

BOO bans Inferno, BOO bans Dust2, JDM bans Ancient, JDM bans Mirage, JDM bans Anubis, BOO bans Overpass.

Leaves: Nuke

Semaj: BOO Over JDM: Computa make blink have a life game and win. In all seriousness BOO have toppled the kings of OS and will now go forward and easily slide into playoffs.

Mxgabyte: WIZ Over HR: WIZ is the pick here, and honestly, I do not think the data gives me any reason to overthink it. If anything, it makes me feel even better about them. Anubis is the big scary one. WIZ is 4-0 with a +20, and yeah, you can say some of those wins came against weaker Anubis teams like JDM and BOO, but that is not the whole story. They also beat UPS and ATL there, and ATL is actually a respectable Anubis team. So this is not some fake “they beat bad teams” stat. WIZ is genuinely dangerous on that map, and if HR lets it through, they are basically walking into the blender with a smile on their face.

The problem for HR is that banning Anubis does not magically fix the matchup. WIZ still has Ancient sitting right there, and they are 2-0 with a +12 on it. One of those was a close win over AVI, who has shown they can play Ancient, and the other was them taking care of HG pretty comfortably. So HR can plug one hole, but another one opens right back up. HR probably wants this to end up on Mirage or Nuke, but WIZ bans Mirage a lot, so I do not think HR gets to live in that comfort zone. That makes Inferno feel like the likely landing spot. It is not WIZ’s flashiest map, but they are 2-0 there with wins over NAN and FNL, while HR is 0-1 with a close loss to JDM. At that point, I am taking the better team on a map they clearly do not mind playing. HR can make it annoying, but I trust WIZ to close this out.

My simulated bans would be:

WIZ bans Dust2, WIZ bans Mirage, HR bans Anubis, HR bans Ancient, HR bans Overpass, WIZ bans Nuke.

Leaves: Inferno

Semaj: WIZ Over HR: WIZ should win this one but HR are no slouches taking good teams to OT. I don’t see WIZ in danger of losing this one though.

Mxgabyte: OS Over H4K: I still think OS is the pick here, but the veto is what makes this one interesting. H4K’s cleanest win condition is probably Dust2, where they are 2-0 with a +16 round differential, but OS bans Dust2 more than anything, so I do not really see that map making it through. From there, H4K probably has to get rid of Mirage and Nuke because OS has been undefeated on both, and those are not maps I would want to willingly test against the best team in the tier.

The spot I keep coming back to is Ancient or Overpass. Both teams have reps on these maps and neither feel like full home team advantage. I say that as OS is sitting at 2-0 and +16 which is why im really leaning towards H4K going against the grain and forcing OS onto a clear 4th map where they are least confident. I still like OS by a pretty clear margin, but if H4K wants to make this weird, they need the veto to pull OS away from their obvious comfort maps.

P.S Slik is a smart enough guy and probably did the exact same analysis I did. That being said watch out for a map OS has never played to test the waters before playoffs. They are locked either way so whats the hurt in trying new stuff.

My simulated bans would be:

H4K bans Mirage, H4K bans Nuke, OS bans Dust2, OS bans Anubis, OS bans Inferno, H4K bans Overpass.

Leaves: Ancient.

Semaj: OS Over H4K: OS might’ve showed all teams aren’t unbeatable but I think they bounce back like nothing happened and put on a stomp.

Silky: NAN Over BOO: If I close my eyes, will the scary ghosts go away?

Doodyl: NAN Over BOO: I don’t see this game going the other way. Twinkle popped off last game and we all expect him to do it again.

Pulse: NAN Over BOO: PENGUIN SILKY CRAM TWINKLE AND AVISUAL BARK BARK BARK

Silky: BOA Over ATL: One of the premiere chally games for MD12. BOA strong, Pulse and Ronobos too fine. ATL strong too but not snakes can swim

Doodyl: BOA Over ATL: This one could go either way. I am thinking ATL will keep it close and make this hard for the BOA squad.

Pulse: BOA Over ATL: DADA AND LUNACY OMG CARRY ME

Silky: UPS Over FLT: This game could be close imo. Neither team has been particularly hot but UPS coming off a win against TEE is nothing to scoff at.

Doodyl: FLT Over UPS: BIG PLAYOFF MATCH. I think Lee will call a master class game to keep FLT’s dreams alive.

Pulse: UPS Over FLT: BOBFINNAROB AND VONG TILL THE DAY I DIE

Silky: JDM Over DRG: The Drakes do not have cool drifting cars, but breathing fire is pretty cool I guess.

Doodyl: DRG Over JDM: ANOTHER BIG PLAYOFF MATCH. Both teams are coming off losses, but I think Harames will wake up his team.

Pulse: DRG Over JDM: idek gang exit?

Silky: AG Over AVI: The curse doesnt know what it wants anymore, so I will continue to pick AG bc I will be right at some point

Doodyl: AG Over AVI: This game should be easy for AG, but if they under estimate the AVI squad things could get bad. This is a must win game for AG as they are already toeing the line for playoffs.

Pulse: AG Over AVI: Browns vs lions in 2010s

Silky: TEE Over OS: Samurai can’t golf I fear. TEE just too strong atm

Doodyl: TEE Over OS: This is another game I don’t see going the other way. TEE is just eating and OS has been in the dumps.

Pulse: TEE Over OS: idk how we lost last MD tbh TEE but now you get to beat up on OS so have fun wpnblur

Silky: BCH Over HG: A bit of a bold pick from me, but after BCH rolled FLT on MD11 I think they can carry that momentum into a win vs HG. HG is not gonna make it easy, but I think BCH comes out on top.

Doodyl: HG Over BCH: Both of these teams are out of playoffs according to my calculations. This is going to be a vibes game and I hope to see a little trolling to get across the finish line.

Pulse: BCH Over HG: WARI FOR THE WIN DRAG THEM TO PLAYOFFS

Silky: H4K Over FNL: The other premiere chally game for MD12. Can the Slashers match the freak of the Togglers? I think there is a possibility, but it will be a banger of a game either way I think.

Doodyl: FNL Over H4K: FATHER ALMIGHTY WE SHALL EAT TODAY. I WAS FEELING A BIT PECKISH.

Pulse: FNL Over H4K: DOODYL I NEED THIS FROM YOU PLEASE

Silky: WIZ Over HR: I gotta go with WIZ simply bc they are a known quantity. If pnk continues to play the way he did against AG then damn this will be an interesting game for sure.

Doodyl: WIZ Over HR: In Cluu we trust.

Pulse: HR Over WIZ: PNK MY FUCKING GOAT IM BACK ON THE HR HYPE TRAIN RAHHHHHH

Aero: COW Over AG: This is pretty much a 50/50, but I’ve got to back my boy Juan and the guys at COW here. I think they’re on a run and will secure playoffs here.

Pander: AG Over COW: I think they can do it. bubbles and gturner need to bring their A games to stay in the playoffs, though.

Redbull: AG Over COW: This should be the match up of the day for Prospect. The whole season doesnt matter because if you win here then youre in the race for the championship. I think COW will give AG their hardest match up of the season. These teams match up well on paper but in the end I think AG top players will overpower COW.

Krypt1c: COW Over AG: This is one of the biggest matchups for playoff ramifications. Whichever team wins should be in and whoever loses could be out of playoffs. I think COW have looked better recently so I will give them the edge here.

Aero: AVI Over ATL: This AVI team NEEDS to win here. Whereas ATL doesn’t really have anything to play for at this point. So for me that says that AVI should finish out this season with a win. Will it be enough to secure playoffs? I’m not sure. But they’re gonna give it their best shot.

Pander: AVI Over ATL: Gotta bet on me. We were off Tuesday, it won’t happen again. All the marbles.

Redbull: AVI Over ATL: AVI has to win to secure a spot in playoffs facing a ATL team that is begging for the season to end. Maybe ATL can play spoiler but I dont think that will happen.

Krypt1c: AVI Over ATL: AVI have everything to play for here as a win should allow them to sneak into playoffs, ATL are out regardless and I question how invested they will be which makes me lean to AVI.

Aero: FRG Over H4K: FRG gets back to winning ways here. Idk why but I feel something off with this H4K team. Its purely a gut feeling here.

Pander: FRG Over H4K: Low stakes game, I think FRG can bounce back.

Redbull: FRG Over H4K: Im not worried about FRG and their recent form and string of losses. I think playing more matches and losing close games will make them stronger in the long run and they will be hungry for a win against a top team like H4K. H4K you guys have had a great season time to prep for playoffs :D.

Aero: HG Over WIZ: This one is just off standings. I think HG is just too much for WIZ to handle here and WIZ is going to end their season on a sour note.

Pander: HG Over WIZ: Lopsided matchup a lil.

Redbull: HG Over WIZ: HG have not looked back all season since making roster changes. They are the real deal and been on a roll. WIZ are a damn good team that despite their record still show up to games and fight you like no other team. I really wish WIZ had some better luck this season but they could leave us with one last upset. WIZ has my heart but HG is the pick.

Aero: JDM Over HR: JDM is the stronger team for me. Both teams need a win here and I think that JDM just has more in the tank than HR. Another 50/50 though and I could very easily be wrong.

Pander: HR Over JDM: Two teams that have a decent chance of making the playoffs. HR is a lil more desperate for the win though based on RWP. Win and you’re in.

Redbull: JDM Over HR: HR is the scariest team of the fringe playoff teams. I would not want to play them coming into playoffs. JDM matches well into them in my opinion so Im expecting a really close game. Both teams to make playoffs but JDM eek out a win in the end.

Krypt1c: HR Over JDM: Treeko has come in and performed pretty much equal to how acidz was pre promtion since being picked up by HR. (1.19, 1.18, 1.14 in the last 3 wins) and SiSu has had a couple big games in the recent streak as well. I think HR are finding a groove and find 4 in a row.

Aero: TEE Over GF: TEE needs a win here and GF has been stumbling. I genuinely think that TEE gets this over the line in a last second attempt to secure playoffs. It would be a legendary escape if they were to do it.

Pander: GF Over TEE: I like TEE’s spirit, but I’ve been a GF stan all season for a reason.

Redbull: TEE Over GF: TEE need some magic to happen to make playoffs. It starts with a win against GF and then alot of luck from the CSC gods.

Aero: UPS Over BOA: Mini is gonna drop a 20-11, eno drops a 25-16, and UPS wins to end the undefeated run. I know, not as out there as some of the others, but I think us winning is insane enough to begin with.

Pander: BOA Over UPS: So am I 12-0 predicting for BOA? Or does UPS have a David Tyree racing downfield to ruin history?

Redbull: BOA Over UPS: BOA will finish the season with a perfect record. Im more interested to see if they can pull off the miracle run with a championship ending.

Krypt1c: BOA Over UPS: I just can’t bring myself to pick against BOA anymore, they are playing for a perfect season which is insanely impressive. Cheers to 3 seasons in a row regular season #1!

Aero: OS Over BCH: OS has looked stronger and stronger as the season has gone on. They’re truly coming online, and I think they keep that rolling against a BCH team with nothing to play for here.

Pander: OS Over BCH: Neither team has especially huge stakes in this game. OS is comfortably in, BCH is comfortably out. Just a fun game to pass the time.

Redbull: OS Over BCH: OS are one of the stronger teams in the league. I dont care about records I think this team could beat anyone on any day. BCH could upset OS and have a good sendoff to a not so great season.

Aero: BOO Over ATO: BOO is one of the strongest teams in the league and ATO is coming off a loss. I think that BOO is strong enough to get this over the line with a big performance out of Redbull here.

Pander: BOO Over ATO: ATO definitely does not want to stay in the shuffle of 5 win teams. I don’t think BOO cares about that, though.

Redbull: BOO Over ATO: One last test for both of the teams heading into playoffs week. ATO should provide us with a tough match. Im excited to see what they bring to the table.

Aero: FLT Over DRG: DRG is the another team I think that doesn’t get the win they need here in the playoff battle. I think they will fall just short against an FLT team looking to keep a high seed heading into the post season.

Pander: DRG Over FLT: One last gasp from a team that frequently has surprised me. I don’t think it’ll be enough for playoffs, though.

Redbull: DRG Over FLT: FLT have secured playoffs and are fighting for seeding. DRG is fighting for the playoffs chances. I think DRG have been victims to some of the toughest matchups Ive seen so far in my csc career. Theyre a good team fighting for a spot while FLT can play more laid back.

Razr: NAN Over FRG: I said it before, Ill say it again, NAN IS ON A HEATER!! 4 wins of their last 5 games. Keep up the good work NAN

Mxgabyte: NAN Over FRG: NAN looking mighty fine right now. We gonna beat the bull out of these frogs

Razr: AG Over BCH: AG had a little hiccup in the middle, but it looks like they’re back on top 3 wins in a row, lets make it a 4th

Mxgabyte: AG Over BCH: AG just sweeps beach here. AG have just seemed better day in and day out

Razr: FNL Over COW: FNL clears COW for the second time. No question about it

Mxgabyte: FNL Over COW: FNL has two top tier players and I think they will hit their typical last season stride starting today

Razr: BOA Over GF: So long as no server issues arrise, BOA wipes the floor with GF.

Mxgabyte: BOA Over GF: BOA is the best team in recruit right now. GF will make it interesting but I still have to side with the team that is a step above the rest

Razr: TEE Over ATO: As much as I am a STAN for ATO, there is just no chance that ATO is going to beat the No 1 overall team right now

Mxgabyte: TEE Over ATO: TEE is really good. Almost as good as BOA in my opinion. I think they have similar records but i just trust the boa team more right now.

The Free Agent Press is proud to present a series of interviews with the free agents who won the inaugural S20 Free Agent Showmatch. (editor’s note: evolution, the winning challenger player, did not provide a response to the interview questions. Additionally, Postman Pat has since left the discord/league, but his answers will still be provided to honor his victory.)

Balexster - Elite FA - 744 MMR

What’d you see your role as for the series?

During the series I was calling/AWPing/lurking, kind of doing it all. In general for teams to know I am rifle lurk/anchor 2nd AWP, but willing to main AWP if needed or given the chance.

You had 23 kills in 19 rounds on Nuke and 29 kills in 29 rounds on Mirage. Were you on one, or do you expect this kind of performance out of yourself every time? (In other words, make an argument for why Numbers shouldn’t kick you up to prem.)

I mean, I think I always expect myself to be the 1st or 2nd frag on any team I’m on except when I am the IGL support type player I have been forced into in most of my lineups in CSC so far. So I think it was nice I can go out and prove what kind of fragger I could be for a team out there.

What do you hope GMs watching could take away regarding what they’re missing by not picking you up?

I have fragged in almost every season and have a decent amount of experience in team CS both in and out of CSC. I am in my opinion a great T-side space creator (I mean just look at my nuke T-side for proof 😄 )

What are you looking for in a team you might sign with?

I am looking for a team that is willing to put in the work and effort to achieve the ultimate goal of anyone in CSC and win the whole thing. Also would like a team with established calling system so I don’t have to feel the need or be forced into calling so I can focus on fragging.

Jung - Premier FA - 1333 MMR

How did you view your role as the premiere player on the team?

Role as the premier player was just to get some kills and keep the vibes going tbh.

What were you telling the lower tier players on Nuke?

Playing with lower tier players on Nuke was tough just dealing with some of the pathing and comms. Got messed up by team calls a bunch of times but it worked out.

Were there any unexpected nerves knowing this was a streamed game?

No nerves for the game. It was fun to get one in.

What are you hoping for any (A)GMs watching the stream to pick up on from this?

Any GMs, I’m ready to play.

What are you looking for in a team you might sign with?

For any team, pretty much anything but AWPer. Lurk is usually best for me.

fartbabyjahque - Recruit PFA - 256 MMR

What did you envision to be your role on each map to help the team?

I was hoping for a support role, and in a sense I did achieve that. But I found my teammates were so dominate, I was tasked with cleaning up the leftovers.

It seemed like you paired up with Jung frequently, backing him up or getting boosted. Was this a planned strategy?

There wasn’t much preplanned strategy, every call was made per round or on the fly. Jung is an amazing caller and as someone who appreciates clear direction, it was easy to synergize with him.

In the caster booth we were going crazy at your peek clutch kill on Mirage A site on nitrat3 in overtime, just an absolute demolition. What was your favorite play of the match?

I think it might be that one. I remember watching the VOD and hear you guys assuming I missed my pre-fire, but I actually had to flick from jungle to him. Overall though, I was a little upset I didn’t get to pop off more. I would’ve like some more spectacular plays😅

What message would you like to send to Recruit GMs based on the showmatch?

I hope Recruit (and ranks higher) GMs notice my ability to adapt, make things happen, communicate clearly, and motivate a team to cross the finish line.

Postman Pat - Contender FA (left discord/league after the showmatch)

Hi Postman Pat! I had some interview questions for you based on your victory in the FA Showmatch.

How did you view your role for the maps?

I played whatever role the team needed on the fly. On Nuke, I filled as utility support or lurker, while on Mirage, I balanced entrying, lurking, and taking space depending on what the round called for.

It seemed like you thrived in hitting W to get where you weren’t expected. Is that aggressiveness something you like to see in your teams?

I noticed a real lack of info-gathering in my games. People seemed too scared to scout, which makes sense since nobody wants to get picked off without a teammate there to trade them.

If there was any round you’d want to highlight from the showmatch as “this is Postman Pat”, could you describe which and why?

Proactive info-gathering and aggressive timing plays felt like my real forte, so I can’t really point to any single round in particular. I just focused on making those space-creating plays.

Razr: COW, I know we just signed BRG and we have a new roster and are still trying to figure out what we’re doing, but lets go. its the point now where we put up or shut up. There is 3 games left, lets get this done, you’re in the final stretch.

tK: COW had a really good week 2 weeks ago going 2-0, but they went back into old bad habit and finished last week 0-2 again making them 3-7,as other teams playoffs is still in contentions but they have a hard week and most definitely would need to pull out AT LEAST 1 win out of these 2 matches to make playoffs.

Razr: BCH, you called me out for saying y’all were in the middle of the pact. What happened? You’re 3-7 now is the time to stand on business. Lets fucking go.

tK: Another hard week for BCH going 0-2 making it 0-4 over the last 2 weeks, playoffs is not out of reach but they HAVE to figure out what’s going wrong and fix it because the race is tied and now every win matters.

Razr: ATO ATO ATO my sweet love child. I am so excited rank you guys higher, I believed in you all the way keep it up <3

tK: ATO Are on the regain tour with 3 wins out of there 5 last matches and 1 of these lost was with a sub, I think they finally start clicking as a team and i see them clinching last playoffs spot if they just keep playing like they been the past 2 weeks.

Razr: FRG I love y‘all, you are still in this run don’t give up don’t give in, you got this lock the fuck in.

tK: FRG is the definition of teamwork makes the dream work with a 4-6 record but 4 out of the 5 player having under a 0.95 rating, if one or two of them step up individually this team could be a really strong one and I’m expecting a strong ending of the season for these guys

Razr: NAN is on FIRE right now, In their last 4 games, they have only dropped one, and it was to TEE and they took them to overtime, Do not underestimate them.

tK: NAN could definitely be in a better spot with a 5-5 record but 3 of these 5 loss have been hard fought 11-13 or overtime loss while they win comfortably when they do, if they just keep doing what they been doing and fix 1-2 small mistakes i could see this team as a contender

Razr: TEE is 100% in the conversation for the best team in the tier, I think after the BOA game we are going to know for sure but right now they are sitting pretty at the top. Good luck guys.

tK: The life game merchants strike yet again, this time with myself having a life game along with our super sub in our win over NAN. This team continues to live and die by the life games, and they are barely staying afloat at this point. We are going to need to see more consistent performances out of everyone on this team if they plan to make playoffs, and even then to make it far in playoffs.

Razr: GF is having a grand ol time sitting where they are, top 5 in the leader board, I think that they deserve it, they are popping off and it shows. Keep up the good work

tK: GF is a BIG question mark for me with a 5-5 record but with wins only on Nuke and Anubis, do they have the smallest map pool in recruit or just hiding it for the later half? Regardless a lot of talent and if they can figure it out i put them high on my list for sure

Razr: AG, You are fire, I know im so biased, but I do believe that you should be higher, I just wanna see the record improve before I start putting you higher, for real tho. Keep making me wrong and make me a fool.

tK: AG AG AG, you guys just need to find that consistency cause from one week to another you guys look like the best team in the game to one of the worst... i still believe you will figure it out and finish this season strong.

Razr: FNL is having some issues right now, I still think they are trying to find their footing, they have some fucking shooters and some fucking brains, I would not underestimate them based off their record.

tK: FNL have one of the most experienced core with Razr and Trains going for there 3rd trophy, Even though they 6-4 i think that team will start showing up in the later half of season/playoffs and have full confidence this team will be one to be feared

Razr: BOA I think is the top dog, I think right now they are the best team in the tier, They are proving it each match day. I am interested to see what happens after this rescheduled TEE BOA game it might change my mind.

tK: BOA still looking real strong with a strong 13-6 win against FRG, with 4 players with above 1.0 rating , this team is looking like the strongest team in recruit right now no doubt !

Razr: NAN Over BCH: Ive said it before NAN is on a fucking tear right now, they have been hitting shots taking names. POP OFF QUEEN

tK: BCH Over NAN: My faith is BCH has proven time and time again to be unfounded, but I still think this team is better than their record suggests. I’m going to keep backing them until it proves fruitful and then maybe I’ll start doubting. BCH takes this 13-11

Razr: BOA Over TEE: Rescheduled game?? I guess whatever. This is for all the marbles. Two top dogs going at it. This is going to be the game to watch this week. I still think BOA is gonna come through clutch, I think in the pocket they are locked in. #SorryNotSorry

tK: TEE Over BOA: A wise person probably said at one point something along the lines of “if you can’t believe in yourself, who will” or something like that. I think that person knew that TEE was going to be facing far and away the best team in the tier in BOA, but if I don’t back myself who will back me, yk? TEE in 4 with a life game from Jonah.

Razr: AG Over COW: AG just beat FNL on a rescheduled match on Sunday, I think they are going to ride that high and take over COW

tK: AG Over COW: COW had their moment in the limelight after beating BOA and TEE b2b, but then fell short to both ATO and GF last week. I think AG have shown to be a more consistently competitive team and I think AG take this somewhat comfortably with a 13-9 victory.

Razr: FNL Over GF: FNL IS NOT LOSING 2 GAMES IN A ROW. WE ARE LOCKED THE FUCK IN.

tK: FNL Over GF: GF could very well take this one and I wouldn’t be too surprised but I’m staying on the FNL train for now. Both of these teams have proven they can compete with the best, and this should be the match to watch. However, I think FNL eke out a win 13-10.

Razr: BOA Over ATO: BOA gonna sweep the floor im sorry Meat, BOA just too tough right now.

tK: BOA Over ATO: ATO went on a bit of a hot streak with their wins over AG and COW, but BOA are the best team in the tier. I think they handle business pretty convincingly with a 13-6 win off the back of Brennan having a great bounce back game after the TEE match.

Razr: TEE Over FRG: TEE again, the top dog, I do not foresee them losing 5 rounds in this matchup. Good luck FRG

tK: TEE Over FRG: FRG have been hopping up the standings, but after a couple unfortunate losses to some of the top teams, I think TEE is going to have an insanely lucky life game and win out 13-8. Give me TEE in 4

Pander: Well done taking the surging Touge to OT, but that loss basically wraps up the season. A very tough final week against H4K and OS lies ahead, but without any pressure for the playoffs maybe you can claw some wins? I’m also happy to see ceedubbleu’s season-long quest to get his rating above 1.0 almost reach fruition!

Krypt1c: BCH would need some incredibly fortunate circumstances & to win out in order to make playoffs. Aside from stealing a win vs GF this season has ultimately been a tough one in the server for BCH.

Pander: The Acolytes remain a confusing team, following up a great win over NAN with a 2-13 clunker against a UPS team that struggled to put away TEE on Tuesday? And it’s your 2nd 2-13 loss in three games? It looks like the wheels have mostly come off after spending the first half of the season losing relatively close games. This is not a bad team, it just has a bad record and probably is playing for pride going forward given the -28 RD. Two wins aren’t gonna be enough to overcome that.

Krypt1c: WIZ need to string together a 2-0 week vs TEE/HG to try and find a playoff run. Even if that were to happen they may be at the mercy of a tiebreaker.

Pander: Speaking of very narrow paths to the playoffs...DRG’s path is about as wide as a needle. That path involves doing the same thing as AVI did this week by beating GF and FLT, and by enough to change a -24 RD from a liability to better than other 5-win teams. I haven’t done the math to confirm if it’s possible or impossible yet, but even if it IS possible I’d wager it’s in the <0.1% likelihood territory. I like the players on this team, and they had one amazing week stomping NAN and UPS, but it’s time to start planning a summer vacation during the playoffs.

Krypt1c: DRG have been close to putting it together but 2 lopsided losses to HG & BOO paint a dire picture for any hopes of scrapping into playoffs.

Pander: With 3 games left, ATL isn’t dead yet. Technically. But I find it hard to say there’s much hope to hold out. OS has been a nightmare team lately, HR just beat FLT and AG, and AVI’s won 4 of 5. ATL has a massive RD deficit, and needs 2 wins at minimum to have a prayer. I try to root for fellow writer Herbaceous and former franchise-mate Sweet Meat, but the music is starting to play.

Krypt1c: I may have jumped the gun a bit on ATL last week, as of writing this they are 3-6 with an outside chance of sneaking in playoffs still needing to win 2/3 at least of OS/HR/AVI.

Pander: I still remain skeptical of this team’s chances given their -20 RD and remaining schedule against HG and GF, neither of which will be an easy game, but beating BOO keeps a narrow path alive to the playoffs. And beating them 13-3 will give any prognosticator pause before betting against them again, especially if TinyJesus keeps up his torrid pace (1.20, 1.32, and 1.68 in his last three).

Krypt1c: Tee broke their loss streak vs BOO but still have work to do to get into playoffs.

Pander: I don’t know what has happened here. AG seemed like a lock for a top 5 finish early on, and they’ve just kinda fallen apart, with a -28 RD over the last 5 games that includes a 13-6 win! That’s the league’s worst mark over that period, and it’s cost them in the playoff hunt, as they’re now the first team out. And unfortunately, they face off against my team Tuesday, which looks pretty tough, and then get a feisty COW team Thursday. There are some scenarios where winning one of those is enough to make the playoffs, but you’ll want both to feel safe given a -16 RD.

Krypt1c: If AG split a win between AVI or COW this final week they should make playoffs but for a team that started the season as strong as they did it’s pretty surprising that they are this close to potentially missing out. I think they will be able to sneak in and would be a scary round one matchup for a higher seeded team.

Pander: Just after dropping two against HG and GF, they snag two strong against FLT and AG, posting a 26-14 week. second best behind AVI (and maybe OS, TBD). This team’s very much alive in the playoff hunt, but JDM looms, potentially a win-and-you’re-in game in the making for both teams. Props to SiSu for dropping 41 kills on the week.

Krypt1c: HR are at least a game away from playoffs still but with ATL/AG left it is certainly a possibility. They could be a scary first round matchup in playoffs for a higher seeded team.

Pander: UPS took advantage of a light week, scraping by TEE and casting down WIZ. 5 wins likely makes the playoffs, but it’d be nice to get one here against tough ATO and BOA teams to get mid-pack seeding instead of bottom-rung. TBF UPS kinda belongs in the bottom rung though, with a 48% RWP on a 42% SOS. If you can’t break .500 against the second lightest schedule, is it a playoff worthy team?

Krypt1c: UPS put together a crucial 2-0 week to move themselves up. Finishing out against ATO/BOA still gives a scare for their playoff hopes though. Win 1 and they almost certainly should be in, lose both and they will most likely be at the mercy of a multi team tie.

Pander: I keep thinking it’s time to write off COW and they keep not acquiescing. Beating 6-3 GF and HG teams in a convincing fashion has all but guaranteed this surprising COW team a playoff berth. Still, with a pretty rough -8 RD, they better win at least one more to avoid losing RWP tie-breakers if the bottleneck at 5 wins grows. Big ups to Aquath for a 41-18 week, and to kiwi for four straight 1.20+ games.

Krypt1c: Similar to UPS COW finds a crucial 2-0 week to put them in a pretty good position to make playoffs.

Pander: This is a tough slate, and both games were close, but still, taking ATO and BOA to 23 and 24 rounds respectively without getting a win has got to sting. This team still doesn’t have a marquee win, just AVI before I joined and COW before they started putting things together, along with DRG, TEE, and WIZ. It suggests this team has a pretty firm ceiling, it can keep games close against good teams, but just can’t put them away for some reason. This is probably a playoff team, but how they’re viewed depends on if they can beat NAN or FRG or end up 5-7.

Krypt1c: FNL have cooled off a bit after winning 5 in a row they lost 2 close games to ATO & BOA respectively. Depending on how things shake out these next 2 games are crucial for seeding for FNL vs FRG/NAN. With how close things are standings wise the range could be anywhere from 3rd-maybe barely in playoffs if they lose both.

Pander: Probably the best single week of the season for any team in Prospect, going 2-0 against opponents with a combined 12-5 record, and posting a +13 RD in the process. This team went from dead at 0-5 to a team nobody wants to face in the first round of the playoffs. Octagon’s been playing at an allstar level the past couple weeks, but I wanted to give Jonezy props for dropping crucial 1.11+ games this week after a season stuck under 1.0.

Krypt1c: 4 out of the last 5 have been wins for AVI and they haven’t had an easy schedule either. I am a believer in AVI not only making playoffs, they may even be able to climb to the 8-12 range if they win both matches this week vs AG/ATL.

Pander: Not sure how to judge this team since the make-up game won’t happen until after this is written. If OS wins the makeup against ATL (as I would predict), they’re basically a lock. Even if they don’t, still basically a lock given a JDM/BCH week. I mean, if they lose all three, they’re out. Otherwise, bet on in. Demone is getting scary btw, which should freeze the blood of any opponents who remember what he did S18.

Krypt1c: OS have 2 of the highest celiing level players in joe/drunk deMone. The name of the game has been concsitency though and unfortunately OS have a lot of close losses that is still leaving some doubt to their playoff picture. I think they are a really strong team at their peak though and will find a way in.

Pander: Beating BCH in OT helped pull JDM into the playoff shuffle, and beating H4K 13-3 gave them some aura along the way. 3 different players averaged about 100 ADR this week for the Touge, which is pretty bonkers. Top-heavy rosters usually aren’t ideal, but if they’re averaging 100 ADR who cares what the other two players are doing, let them go practice skill jumps or something. With 5 wins and a +13 RD, they’re in a good place playoff-wise, but a tricky week vs OS and HR looms. Don’t embarrass yourself and you’re in.

Krypt1c: Valorant & soapkitchen alone make JDM contenders. My question lies in if they continue to find enough consistency outside of their superstars to keep their recent form going. (They have won 4 out of their last 5)

Pander: Win Tuesday, Lose Thursday: The Team. All season Perspective or ap0c have dropped big games to put the robots on their backs, and that just didn’t happen against NAN Thursday after ap0c’s 1.61 basically beat FNL singlehandedly Tuesday. With a +6 RD, I don’t think that ATO is at a huge risk of missing the playoffs, but it’s a tough final week against UPS and BOO. UPS especially will be desperate to punch their ticket, so stay frosty.

Krypt1c: ATO have the firepower to compete with anyone but haven’t been able to find a consistent winning recipe yet.

Pander: Would have preferred to see you beat COW to really earn that top 10 ranking. Instead, HG hangs around by default because every team besides BOA in the top 12 lost at least one game this week. Beating DRG big is nice, really helps the RWP, but it’s hard to get excited about. While wins over OS, AVI, and HR look better now that those teams are heating up, this team really lacks a marquee win this season, and it’ll have to wait until the playoffs to get one with lowly TEE and WIZ left on the schedule.

Krypt1c: I think we have a strong week ahead of us and I’m hoping we can head into playoffs with some momentum.

Pander: Nice parity, a week with a blowout in each direction. Beating DRG big is okay, but losing to TEE 3-13 is baffling. TJ just has your number I guess. The upcoming WIZ and ATO week doesn’t look bad, so just avoid tripping over your own shoelaces and you’re set. Good time to try expanding the map pool, perhaps?

Krypt1c: BOO started off the week with a commanding win vs DRG then got blown out by TEE. I’m willing to write off the TEE loss a bit as many of the top half in prospect didn’t have a great week so ultimately it didn’t shake up the standings too much.

Pander: Worst week of the season for the Piranhas, starting with a failed comeback against AVI that ended closer than it felt (it was 6-12 at one point) and an Inferno loss in which COW nabbed too many T rounds against a GF team sporting two subs. These aren’t terrible losses, but it’s getting hard to claim this team is ready to challenge BOA for the title. DRG and TEE remain, so a decent return to form should keep this team a top 4 seed.

Krypt1c: GF are about as confusing as it gets, they have quality wins in H4K & FLT but can also lose to anyone.

Pander: A narrow loss to HR isn’t great. A complete gutting by AVI is worse. Not much went right in that game, and it’s hard to say Zekroming’s absence was the sole culprit, it just looked like a team that didn’t look comfortable on T side Mirage. Still, 6 wins in the bank, which should be enough to make the playoffs even after a bad week. COW and DRG are both winnable games, good chances to restart a winning streak.

Krypt1c: FLT didn’t have a good week but also played with multiple subs. Therefore I’m not bringing them down too much as I think they will be able to settle back in vs COW/DRG heading into playoffs.

Pander: H4K did the bare minimum to stay in my top 5 this week, beating a scuffling ATL team to offset the 3-13 steamrolling delivered by JDM. JDM’s been on a heater lately, so it’s not THAT bad a loss, but still, yikes? H4K is 2-3 in their last five after starting 5-0, so either they’re catching hot teams more frequently or they’ve been figured out. Facing BCH and FRG should help H4K get the #2 overall seed barring a collapse.

Krypt1c: H4K have taken care of business for the most part and find themselves with a strong chance of securing #2 even if they split this week vs ATL/FRG.

Pander: It’s weird to bump this team up so much after a loss, but it’s an OT loss to BOA, and I’m going to go ahead and bet FRG can take care of BCH. The ranking is also partially given with the acknowledgement of the 0-13 forfeit making their numbers look worse than this team is. I don’t think they’ll finish in the top 4 unless they put in some work against FNL and H4K, but that’s not impossible. All-star Richie put in some work in that OT game, with 34 kills keeping FRG alive in it.

Krypt1c: The middle of the pack in prospect has been very confusing. FRG at their peak are a team that can compete for the title and I am keeping them fairly high as I believe we will see more of that level coming into playoffs.

Pander: Somehow NAN has the second best RWP in the league. That doesn’t quite feel right, as they’ve lost to DRG and WIZ the past two weeks, but their wins tend to be stomps to boost the numbers. That puts them in a good position to snag the #2 overall seed if they can do the impossible and go 2-0 against BOA and FNL and H4K drops one to FRG or BCH. Nice job to dorga against ATO, dropped a 1.50 after scuffling this season.

Krypt1c: Outside of BOA/H4K Prospect feels pretty wide open this season at the top. At the moment I think NAN have been strong enough at their peek to get #3 this week but losses to DRG/WIZ are something that at least looking at the W/L column is a missed opportunity for this team. A final week having to play BOA/FNL will challenge this teams seeding as well.

Pander: This team seems allergic to easy wins. FRG and FNL are decent teams, but an undefeated consensus #1 overall team shouldn’t make it look so laborious to get a win. Still, they’ve locked up the #1 playoff seed already, and I expect them to be the favorite of the championship until the very second they lose a game, at which point they’ve always been bums just like I said.

Krypt1c: They just keep winning. AND ITS BEEN ON 6 DIFFERENT MAPS. What’s the angle in playoffs, how do you pick/ban a BO3 against this team?

Aero: BOA Over NAN: This one is a bit self indulgent since I want us to play against an undefeated BOA on the last day so we have a chance to end that streak. I could definitely be wrong here though as NAN is a tough ask for anyone.

Pander: BOA Over NAN: I don’t have anything novel to say here. BOA has won every game this season. I don’t know the last time Prospect had an undefeated season, if ever, but we are getting scarily close. NAN is a very hot and cold team, but definitely in the top five, so I wouldn’t say they can’t be the ones to put a stop to BOA. I’m just not gonna bet on it.

Redbull: NAN Over BOA: All the pressure is on BOA to have a perfect season. BOAs schedule has been questionable at best. BUT they way I would have dog pilled them for losing a easy win I have to give them credit for being perfect. NAN we need yall to step up and SMACK BOA.

Krypt1c: BOA Over NAN: BOA already have #1 locked and loaded but I just can’t pick against them anymore... This week is important for NAN for seeding so they could be the ones to make it happen.

Aero: BOO Over WIZ: Nothing against WIZ here. I just think BOO is the better team and will show that here.

Pander: BOO Over WIZ: BOO had a weird, bad loss to TEE on Thursday. But since WIZ had an even worse loss to UPS, I’ll stick with BOO.

Redbull: BOO Over WIZ: I will not make any excuses and talk down TEE after they put BTA on us. We need to play better team CS. I expect us to bounce back today.

Krypt1c: BOO Over WIZ: WIZ were able to upset NAN last week but then got blown out by UPS. I think BOO picks up a win in this one.

Aero: COW Over FLT: My first upset pick of the week. I think COW has consistently shown that the beginning of the season is not what we should be judging them off of, and that they are truly starting to become a threat going into playoffs potentially.

Pander: FLT Over COW: I think COW is the trendier pick here given how last week went, but I’m going to stick with my guns that FLT is not as their results last week. They’ll need to find some chemistry, fast, though.

Redbull: COW Over FLT: FLT rough showing but they had subs in their matches. COW is heating up and I think this is a great test for them.

Krypt1c: FLT Over COW: FLT had a tough week for their last 2 matches but also were cycling subs for those games. I think they get back on track here.

Aero: AVI Over AG: This AVI team is another one that is looking better come the latter half of the season. Having started off extremely poorly they’ve really put it together and are looking to make that push to secure playoffs. I think that motivation will be enough to get them over the line here.

Pander: AVI Over AG: Gotta bet on me. I’ve never had to play against a former team in the same season before, feels weird. Regardless, my team has definitely found a groove, winning 4 of 5, while AG has lost 4 of 5, of which the losses were all by 8 rounds or more. Winner has a good shot of making playoffs, loser has an uphill climb.

Redbull: AVI Over AG: Two teams that are having opposite seasons right now. AG started hot and are falling back down to earth. AVI has come back from being in last place to looking like a real threat to a lot of teams. I want to choose AG but I lack faith in the support system. 1-5 I’m taking AVI.

Krypt1c: AVI Over AG: These two teams have been moving in completely different directions, AVI have won 4 of their last 5 and AG have lost 4 of their last 5. I think AVI picks this one up to find their way into playoffs while AG lose and find themselves in serious danger of missing playoffs.

Aero: H4K Over BCH: H4K may have had a bit of a stumble last week with a big loss to JDM, but I think that is going to have lit a bit of a fire under them to show that it was just a fluke and that they’re still to be feared going into playoffs. And a weaker BCH team should be the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. They need a big win here.

Pander: H4K Over BCH: BCH fared better against JDM than H4K, but I don’t think that speaks to the results of this game.

Redbull: H4K Over BCH: H4K is the stronger team. Should be a easy W.

Krypt1c: H4K Over BCH: H4K have a good chance here to try and build some separation for themselves in 2nd place.

Aero: UPS Over ATO: Toast to drop 30 and we win 13-0. Mark it down here.

Pander: ATO Over UPS: ATO wins on Tuesdays. In a vacuum I’d bet on UPS, but you have to go with weird coincidences as they appear.

Redbull: ATO Over UPS: ATO have been flying under the radar of the league the entire season. They will finish the season strong heading into playoffs.

Krypt1c: UPS Over ATO: Some reason I’m leaning UPS, I think they will be fired up and will want to secure playoffs.

Aero: OS Over JDM: OS is a bit of a mixed bag for me. They’re a scary team when they have all their guns firing, but that isnt always the case. I also think that JDM could come in overconfident. A potential trap game here for them.

Pander: OS Over JDM: Really good matchup here. Shooters galore on both squads, both on the rise.

Redbull: JDM Over OS: JDM is so hot right now.

Krypt1c: JDM Over OS: JDM have won 4 of their last 5 and seem to be peaking at just the right time.

Aero: FRG Over FNL: FRG is still IMO despite their record one of the strongest teams in the division on paper. This could either be a really close game or a roll, but I think they get it handled either way.

Pander: FRG Over FNL: FNL is a fine team, but I think FRG has a leg up on them.

Redbull: FNL Over FRG: What are you talking about.... what game happened already.... freebie

Krypt1c: FNL Over FRG: I think FNL are gonna have a big week building into playoffs, but it would not surprise me at all to see FRG get back on track as well.

Aero: ATL Over HR: I believe in my boy Levi.

Pander: HR Over ATL: HR looked great last week and will be desperate to stay in the playoff hunt. I don’t think ATL will have that same intensity.

Redbull: HR Over ATL: HR are looking sharp and on a tear. ATL still need some work done but I’m hoping they show up.

Krypt1c: ATL Over HR: This is the toughest pick for me this week I genuinely have no idea what to expect from either team but I think if ATL have saNdy and or Sweet Meat pop off this is a win for them.

Aero: HG Over TEE: I just don’t think TEE are going to put it together this late into the season. They’re just about on the line for playoff contention, but I think that may be a slight bit too far for them here. Especially against a solid team in HG.

Pander: HG Over TEE: TEE had a pretty good week, but it’s hard to predict against HG from what I saw of them.

Redbull: HG Over TEE: TEE gotta drop one after putting the smackdown on BOO. I dont see them putting back to back great games.

Aero: GF Over DRG: I’ll say the same thing that I did for TEE here. Not to even mention the fact that GF is a solid team in their own right as well. This should be an easy enough win for GF.

Pander: GF Over DRG: Both teams lost their games last week, but GF’s were close. DRG’s were not. I think GF’s a class above DRG.

Redbull: DRG Over GF: DRG will take care of GF. GF cant let this one slip by but I think on paper DRG actually might be the better team.

Krypt1c: GF Over DRG: GF could use a win to get some momentum back heading into playoffs, as long as this doesn’t go to Nuke I think GF will get back on track.

Aero: NAN Over FNL: I think NAN is just a SLIGHTLY stronger team here in this game. It could def go either way though and I’ll be the first one to say this was a crap shoot for me.

Pander: FNL Over NAN: I think FNL has enough in the tank to snag this. They’ll be a litlte desperate to keep at .500 after losing to FRG.

Redbull: NAN Over FNL: Its been a long week... Im just choosing the favorite here.

Krypt1c: FNL Over NAN: I don’t know if this is being played before or after NAN takes on BOA but I think FNL will have a good week and make the most of this week.

Gabe: I think it’s night night for the moo moo cows with a RD of -34, a 3-7 record and almost no H2H advantages the dream looks less and less likely.

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you don’t know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: Fadda almighty COW lookin’ like a snack for the opps.

Gabe: I saw glimmers of hope for H4K with a win over GF but it might be too little too late. If this team makes it to playoffs I’ll be extremely impressed!

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you don’t know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: FRG is a scary proposition for Tuesday so again, the match vs FNL on Thursday will likely decide playoffs for both of us.

Gabe: Losing to COW was the final nail in the coffin for this squad and I’m not really seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you dont know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: If this team had wheels they would be a bicycle.

Gabe: Eh? Maybe they could make it to playoffs! Krazed + Bibleclinger carry should be intresting to watch!

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you don’t know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: Golf isn’t real but Arnold Palmer made a mean-ass drink.

Gabe: As much hate as Glizzyqueen gives me she is still my goat. A very winnable week for FNL as they face NAN and H4K. A win over H4K might be what makes their season as with 7 teams at a 3-7 record all of them are fighting for playoffs.

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you don’t know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: We’ve played about a third of our games with a full roster this season.... maybe we’ll get two in a row this week? H4K on Thursday is absolutely make or break for either teams season.

Gabe: THEY BEAT AVI???? WHAT??? Okay BOO we are so back lets get this shit. Final playoffs push is here!

toob: This is the only lower seeded team that looks to be keeping any of the games close consistently. Shoutout to this BOO squad for taking down, or pushing a lot of these high seeded teams to the brink. Id love to see these guys make it to playoffs, cause imo, they can bounce out your favorite team RD1.

GlizzyQueen: I was NOT saying “boo-urns.”

Gabe: Not having their full five has ruined an otherwise promising team. GG go next </3

toob: Not sure what to say about the rest of the teams. Hate to be boring again, but it feels wrong to hate on a team when you don’t know the core of their issues. Hopefully we can see some upsets this week to shake up the bottom side of the seeding going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: Is it All Good? Is it really?

Gabe: 2 wins or 2 losses is all that ATO will give you on a week to week basis. Time to flip the coin for this week and see what’s up!

toob: A rough go at last week, but I still think this squad can squeak out another win or two to secure their spot.

GlizzyQueen: Tough circumstances that you really hate to see. Hopefully it doesn’t derail their momentum and they can finish strong.

Gabe: Sorry WIZ I didn’t know you had ball knowledge like that. Solid 2-0 week over two decent opponents revives my hopes for this squad!

toob: Another team with a solid turn around to take both games in a week. Hopefully looking to stack at least one more to put their names in the playoff hat.

GlizzyQueen: Wizards are very freaking real.

Gabe: They have a good chance to heat up into playoffs and become a dark horse team!

toob: Solid turn around from this team to go 2-0 on the week. Hopefully they keep it up to secure their place in playoffs.

GlizzyQueen: Looking at this teams ratings individually, the record makes no sense. If they finish strong they’re my dark horse for playoffs.

Gabe: 5-5 record but they have slowed down a lot towards the end of this season.

toob: saken is frying. respectfully, get this man some help.

GlizzyQueen: I’m so paid, you know I keep a pocket full (Ha-ha) And that’s before the taxes Took my whole gross net and hid it under my mattress (Damn) I used to get bored and count twenties for practice (What?) Paper therapy, we let that money relax us (Yeah)

Gabe: 4-2 since the incident isn’t bad at all! This squad should be able to slip into playoffs and maybe score an upset!

toob: This teams record does not show how good they actually are. #CryptoAJ In all reality they are going to be a solid contender going into playoffs.

GlizzyQueen: Scaling back the U.S. fleet of 14 nuclear-armed submarines to eight would maintain a robust deterrent at sea while generating billions in savings and easing pressure on the Navy’s shipbuilding budget.

Gabe: Beating teams they should beat and then losing to the same group of teams is the BOA style. I fuck with them heavy!

toob: Solid 1-1 on the week. I am betting this squad is looking to close out some more wins to secure the seed they want going into playoffs!

GlizzyQueen: The Starlene’s are all aligning for BOA.

Gabe: Colin has lost his mind!

toob: Lets see if they can break the 1-1 curse!!

GlizzyQueen: Driving at a reasonable speed in the travel lane into playoffs.

Gabe: Sad 0-2 week but hey it was just cause it was against the 2nd and 3rd teams in the standings. No worry’s for the DRG squad as they heat up towards playoffs.

toob: I was watching the end of this game HOPING they could take down BCH. Not the week you wanted, but that game shows a lot of promise going into playoffs.

GlizzyQueen: DRGivative.

Gabe: I like this squad but idk I’m not super excited about them. Gonna be a good match against ATL and they should be able to take down a struggling AG later in the week.

toob: This team is looking pretty sharp all season. Just don’t let them take you to OT.

GlizzyQueen: Maybe 5 players on the other team will present a bit more of a challenge to these mercs.

Gabe: They are surely just testing out maps right?? Losing 13-4 vs H4K is certainly a far cry from what I expect out of this team.

toob: Turns out fishing with Nades is easier! #Sprite

GlizzyQueen: Fish DEFINITELY are not real.

Gabe: NAN good team!!! I think anyways!

toob: Charlie work is, like, you know, like, basement stuff, cleaning urinals, uh, blood stuff, your basic slimes, your sludges. Anything dead, or decay, you know, I’m on it, I’m dealing with it.

GlizzyQueen: With the downfall of the US Men’s National Turtles will NAN be the savior of North America once again? Probably idk.

Gabe: Having to play against FRG was certainly a slap in the face for this team but they came back strong and put belt to ass against FNL the next MD winning 13-4.

toob: Decent 1-1 week for ATL, but I expected this squad of CIA agents to take FRG to the limit.

GlizzyQueen: I’ve never been to Atlanta but I’ve heard it’s a cool place.

Gabe: AVI stumbled against a lackluster BOO squad but I still think they are a scary team. BOO has been punching above their weight the entire season and they finally took a big name. Overall AVI should be able to lock in the third seed this week and they get back on their feet and correct their mistakes.

toob: The birds of war finally took their second L of the season. Shoutout Eroy for hard carrying this season.

GlizzyQueen: Birds aren’t real except for these ones.

Gabe: Two more games this season for FRG to lock in a first seed. One slip up could send us to the second seed since BCH is hot on our tails with a 9-1 record.

toob: DOCTAH ALBERT ZIMMERMAN! He’ll know where Froggy is! I’ll find him...Yeah...I’ll find the frog kid!

GlizzyQueen: Chudfrog chudfrog chudfrog chudfrog, chudfrog Chudfrog chudfrog chudfrog chudfrog. Like the buffalo sentence, but it makes more sense.

Gabe: BCH might just be straight up killing people this season. 7 out of 10 games they have kept their opponents to single digits.

toob: Top 2 and they shouldn’t be 2.

GlizzyQueen: June may be over, but James is still a proud MF. BCH to take the regular season chip tbh.

SilkyJ: Poor AVI man. Pretty much all of their games have been decided by a handful of rounds. I suppose there is still a path to playoffs, but it would require winning out. Let’s see if the Falcons can get some wind under their wings this last stretch to soar into playoffs.

Pulse: Blow the team up

Doodyl: Also another team low because they cannot make playoffs (I think). They haven’t had a win in 4 match days.

SilkyJ: Knife to the heart on this ranking, but 6 straight losses forces my hand. Half of those are not particularly close either. I’m not really sure what to say, I had such high hopes for this roster in the pre-season build up and even early on.

Pulse: I miss spence

Doodyl: Talking about losing streaks, 6 L’s in a row for OS. This is just so tough to see.

SilkyJ: A win is a win, albeit against the bleeding out Samurai squad. I don’t care how this season ends up finishing out, I’m still throwing up the set. beach_time

Pulse: Wari dragging this team along I respect it tho

Doodyl: They got a win versus a very down bad OS this past week. Only reason I have them lower is because to my knowledge this team cannot make playoffs.

SilkyJ: They “lost” the trade by losing to WIZ, I don’t make the rules. Jokes aside, it is rather puzzeling how they managed to beat BOA, even if Ronobos aura farmed too close to the sun, but other than that have just been having games slip through their fingers. The team looks great on paper, so maybe they just aren’t clicking in the server? I’m not sure but that is just how it crumbles sometimes. LW has been showing out though with a 1.1 on the season so far. I have faith in this team, just hopefully not on MD11 against us :)

Pulse: chat chalk it up change up something

Doodyl: I still want this team to be good, but no wins this week hurts. I really need my boys to lock in here.

SilkyJ: Ghost of Fortune, they got to play the AG on the week their curse flipped. This is a sign, BOO is back baby. Burby posting a 1.22 in the win, with tbonelul not too far behind at a 1.18.

Pulse: Beating JDM and AG was massive I could see some sparks

Doodyl: Good win over AG guys! TIme to lock in the last 3 games and make a push.

SilkyJ: Rough stretch for the Card Counters since the roster changes. Promo a player to the chally team from their tendy team, cut them, then two subs against BOA with one of them being a Contender player. Does the House always win? There are 3 games left to see.

Pulse: I’m sorry barry

Doodyl: HR just looks down in the dumps. No wins this past week really means they have to lock in here.

SilkyJ: Triple OT thriller against OS for a dub, then a close loss to a great H4K team. This team, like many others, are sooooo close to having more wins but they just slip out of their grasp. There are still 3 games left, which gives them plenty of chances to not only further cement a playoff spot, but to also improve their standing.

Pulse: BOBFINNAROB

Doodyl: Do or die! Tough schedule! Great OT win over OS to keep your hopes alive!

SilkyJ: They “won” the trade beating HG, I once again don’t make the rules. I have been a big WIZ believer for a while now. Despite having not beating a top ranked team, ranks 1-9, they have definitely been on an upward trend since the trade. A couple rounds here or there against TEE or FLT and we are talking about another story. Tail end of the season is coming up, lets see what spells the Mages have up their sleeves.

Pulse: Dawg my goat I could see WIZ being a huge underdog in playoffs

Doodyl: Another team that has to lock in! I think they have the easiest end of season schedule so this is really possible.

SilkyJ: Even week for the Commodores. Shooters galore man. What a tough game against us and WIZ this week. This team is scrappy and I love that fr. A not particularly hard schedule for the rest of the season, lets see where the fleet docks after this final stretch of the season.

Pulse: I loved this team getting Clanke but idk you guys just seem off idk what’s happening you guys should be so much better

Doodyl: This is a fighter team man. I love the grit here. Last two games have both gone to 24 rounds.

SilkyJ: The curse wasn’t broken, more like flipped. The loss to the struggling Wraiths has to hurt, but the curse is what it is. Fullcap has steadily been gaining power all season, sitting at a 1.18 overall right now, but with a 1.63 vs HG then a 1.31 against BOO despite the loss. Lets see how this squad finishes out the season now with only 3 games left.

Pulse: losing to BOO gulp Fullcap having a hell of a season tho might save you guys

Doodyl: Tough loss to BOO guys.

SilkyJ: They fall exactly where they are in the official rankings for me. Beating a good ATL squad, then blown out by H4K. Everyone is due for getting blown out at some point, I wouldn’t have my head down if I were them. While exit leads the way overall with a 1.1, the past few games have been anyone’s game with a different top fragger over the last 4 games.

Pulse: Exit buff.

Doodyl: They play FNL this week??? GGs! I like this team a lot, they have been getting stuff done after a rough start to the season.

SilkyJ: While this is still a great rank for them, their competition this week wasn’t exactly stiff and they played it close. Like I say with others, not to discount their skill because they have earned one of the top spots in our tier. Bungus is leading the pack with a 1.18 overall, damn son. Let’s see what this squad can make work this coming week against some tougher competition.

Pulse: Barley beating HR and Falcons and losing to BOO AND OT TO HG holy schmolly I don’t trust it

Doodyl: 2-0 last week! Going to be a little bit tougher teams, can’t wait to see how this plays out.

SilkyJ: I will continue to rate this team highly until the rest of the league agrees. I think overall they are a solid, well-rounded team based on stats

Pulse: I still don’t fuck with y’all

Doodyl: I just played this team on Thursday and despite us losing, I feel like we made a lot of silly mistakes that if we cleaned up, we could’ve ripped them apart.

SilkyJ: We got checked this week against TEE. I’m sure I could come up with excuses if I wanted to but I wont cope quite yet. We are still in a good spot and still getting Twinkle implemented so lets see what we can shake out with this final stretch of the season.

Pulse: Scaring me with that FLT game should of been a blow out but ill chalk it up to getting used to twinkle

Doodyl: Tough lose to TEE but this team has an easier schedule to end the season.

SilkyJ: The Slashers have been on a bit of a hot streak this back half of the season, winning 4 of their last 5 only dropping one to ATL on MD10. Dire leading the pack with a 1.14 overall, that hunk of a man Shashlik- at a 1.06, then the top freak Doodyl at a 1.04. If the trends continue, they are in a fantastic place going into playoffs.

Pulse: if they didnt lose to ATL lowkey might of put top 3 but I still like FNL grandpa RA and Dire AND DOODYL I LOVE DOODYL

Doodyl: RA CALL HARDER OR SOMETHING.

SilkyJ: Dada demanded aura as tribute this week. Ronobos’ reign with an iron fist continues. 5 weeks in and still by far the best player in Chally with a 1.3. Check him PC this not normally. Dominant wins from the Rattlers this week. Lunacy’s absurd 1.64 against HR can’t be discounted. 22-10 with 130 adr? Cmon now, as if this squad needs someone else that can pop off. I STILL LOVE PULSE!!!!!!

Pulse: dada Rono dada dada

Doodyl: I love you Pulse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this team right now. Ronobos still going crazy and everyone else holding their ground.

SilkyJ: Close game against UPS then beating DRG in dominant fashion this week, each with a sub that carried. I don’t think that diminishes the skill on this team. If the subs didnt fry, one of Jordanwhattt, Yes!- x2 or Parrish likely would have just stepped to the plate as they are the teams highest rated players if the full roster was together.

Pulse: PARRISHGOAT

Doodyl: H4K looks unstoppable right now. BUT THEY PLAY FNL THIS WEEK SO THAT WILL CHANGE!!!!!!!

SilkyJ: The top 3 in the rankings made it easy this week. 5 game win streak for the Floppers. Having a sub didnt throw them off any against us at NAN, then a nice clean win against BCH. wpnBlur still leading the way with a 1.16, but overall ratings dont tell the whole story with this team. They are a complete team with no holes despite what ratings may tell you.

Pulse: Beating BOA and NAN while being number one seed just makes it easy for me they jus too good smh

Doodyl: I just unfortunately can’t deny this team the respect they deserve. They guys are hooping in big games.

Silky: NAN Over HG: Hitmen? More like Missmen, gottem

Doodyl: NAN Over HG: I got NAN going crazy here. avisual and Silky Johnson both coming in last game at a 1.2 and 1.18 respectively. Twinkle twinkle little star, don’t you dare drop 68 dar. I’m waiting for my star to shine like I know he can!

Pulse: NAN Over HG: PENGUIN IS SO HOT

Silky: WIZ Over BOO: They won the trade, and they’ll win this one too

Doodyl: WIZ Over BOO: Both teams coming off dubs last Thursday, however I got WIZ keeping the streak alive. I can see this going either way though. Both of these teams have been finding their groove towards the end of this season.

Pulse: WIZ Over BOO: Dawg takes them out I trust

Silky: TEE Over UPS: Spaghetti cant play golf, and TEE are playing golf very well, shooting well under par (Idk if that’s the right term)

Doodyl: TEE Over UPS: I mean I hope UPS wins, however I just don’t see them pulling this off. Floppers look really good right now.

Pulse: UPS Over TEE: BOB GIVE ME THE UPSET PLEASE GO BDVONG just kill them guys

Silky: BOA Over AVI: The Falcons might swoop in for the kill, but BOA’s poison (Dada’s aura) is too strong

Doodyl: BOA Over AVI: I don’t believe it is possible for AVI to make playoffs anymore :wilted_rose: You have on of the top seeds up against a struggling AVI. Shoutout Char with a 1.54 in AVI’s last game against JDM.

Pulse: BOA Over AVI: dada give me another 1.3+

Silky: FNL Over DRG: Gonna be a good game, but FNL has been stronger at this point in the season so I gotta roll with them

Doodyl: FNL Over DRG: FNL FNL FNL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE DIALED. WE COMING OFF A LOSS BUT I YELLED AT EVERYONE AND ITS OK NOW.

Pulse: FNL Over DRG: I think this game could be close but I think FNL with Doodyl’s FINE AHH takes out Exit

Silky: JDM Over ATL: Another game I think will be good and close. I think JDM has been a little more consistent recently so I’m rolling with them.

Doodyl: JDM Over ATL: I CAN ALSO SEE THIS GOING EITHER WAY!!!!! I think JDM though will prevail. bungus is going to carry them thru with that 1.18 rating on the season.

Pulse: ATL Over JDM: unless JDM figures it out ATL should win this I think ATL is a bit better overall than JDM

Silky: H4K Over OS: I fear a blade cannot cut digital things

Doodyl: H4K Over OS: Not much to say here. H4K is just one of those teams at the moment while OS is not.

Pulse: H4K Over OS: JV team vs 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Silky: FTL Over BCH: The sand and water is no match for the powers of the force

Doodyl: FTL Over BCH: This one also seems like another obvious one. I’m going to take FTL. They have seemed pretty consistent on the season.

Pulse: BCH Over FTL: I believe IN CAGEY GIVE IT TO ME

Silky: AG Over HR: The curse is swapped, it is Tuesday, AG wins on Tuesdays

Doodyl: AG Over HR: Another game that could go either way. AG just sems to have the better record as of recent, give me Fullcap and company.

Pulse: HR Over AG: Barricade wins this one for me or im beating him

Mxgabyte: HG falls to fourteen because the results and the overall feel just are not there right now. L E G S and kupo give them a usable top end, and there are pieces that can make games annoying, but they have not been able to consistently close anything out. Too many matches feel like they are right there and then the game slips away anyway. There is enough talent to climb, but right now HG has to prove it before they move up.

Slik: Here we have HG, at the bottom of the tier. It has been a rough season for the HG boys, and one that was a little hard to predict, but at the end of the day, they just couldn’t get it done and someone has to be last. Funnily enough they are not that far from contention since the whole league is mid, but still a long way to climb if they want to not finish outside of the playoff hunt. With a team rating of 0.98, you would’ve hoped to see more from the team, or even from the franchise in roster moves. L E G S and kupo seem to be holding thier own, but aren’t getting much help elsewhere. They would need an incredible week to get back into the race, but possible however unlikely. HG have the chance to finish as high as 4th seed, and as low as last in the tier. Their highest likelyhood seed to finish as is 14th (dead last), and their playoff odds sit at 25%.

Mxgabyte: TEE has pieces, but the results have not been there. ExNinja has been a bright spot, Lawzz has been playable, and Yuh has looked good in limited time, so this is not a roster with nothing going for it. The problem is that the team has not found a way to turn those individual flashes into consistent wins. Until that changes, TEE is stuck near the bottom no matter how much potential is sitting on the roster.

Slik: TEE sits at 12 for me mostly because of last week and the season to date. They seem to have been on the brink of breakout for the whole season so far. They had two losses all season where they had single digit round wins. Unfortunately, they are in a really bad position to make playoffs. It is not impossible, but they will also need some help. Their team rating is at a 1.0 which isn’t bad, but it isn’t great. No one on the roster has really shined as a star, but also their floor is really high. Too bad they can’t have a high ceiling to pair with that. Now TEE can actually still finish as high as the 4th seed, but as low as the last in the tier. Their most likely ending seed is 14th (dead last), and their playoff odds sit at 17.5%. Pour one out for the TEE boys.

Mxgabyte: This is the moment I have been talking about. NAN is not out of it. We are not dead, we are not rolling over, and we are not going to be some free win people circle on the schedule. HG found that out the hard way. Down 11-3, most teams fold and start thinking about the next match day, but we clawed all the way back and won 13-11. That is the kind of win that can flip a season around. One comeback does not magically fix everything, and we still put ourselves in this hole, but if people want to keep doubting us, ranking us low, and acting like our season is already over, that is fine with me. Every good story needs a villain, and if NAN has to be the team that ruins someone else’s playoff hopes while making our own comeback, then so be it. The comeback starts now.

Slik: NAN is still on the come up, and sit at 13 for me. This team definitely felt like a “what could have” kind of team for me, but such is life. They seem to be making some good adjustments, but there is a chance it was just too late to finally figure it out. A team rating of 1.01 is nice, but has to be noted that some of that rating is coming from players playing on other teams for some games (one of the gripes I have with the way CSC takes team data, but oh well). Mxgabyte still trying to carry this team to the promised land, and he is finally getting some help by the likes of tkaya and Dir7y. NAN does have a shot of finishing as high as 4th seed, but also might finish as low as last in the tier. Their most likely finishing seed is 14th (dead last), and their playoff odds sit at 31.6%.

Mxgabyte: ATL feels like a team with half the puzzle built and the other half still under the couch. There are pieces to like. sponce has been solid, Ryzu can contribute, and pig has had his moments, but the team still feels like it is missing a clear identity. They need to figure out what kind of team they are, stick to it, and push it all the way through if they want to make playoffs.

The funny thing is, this feels like ATL every season I have played. They look mediocre for most of the season, hang around the playoff line, and then somehow turn into Custer’s last stand when their backs are against the wall. They sneak in, make one huge push, and suddenly they are making a deeper playoff run than anyone expected. Until ATL shows me something, I am going to keep ranking them at 11, but knowing how this franchise works, they will probably find a way to turn it around and make playoffs anyway.

Slik: Coming in a 10 I have ATL. While still struggling, ATL had a pretty solid week last week. They are still in a tough place to recover from their midseason tailspin, but it isn’t over. The team rating is still sitting at a dismal 0.96 rating, which is not something you want to see from a playoff hopeful, but the season is not over. They still have time to recover, and really need these next 3 matches to go well. sponce is trying to drag this squad kicking and screaming over the line. Continued issues of not having a star on the team seems to be plaguing this team, but we will see if they can still recover. ATL still have a shot to finish as the 3rd seed, but also can finish as low as last in the tier. The most likely seed to finish as is 12th (which would miss playoffs), but they do have a 56% chance of making playoffs.

Mxgabyte: AVI, oh my dear dear friends. This team has all the potential in the world, but it feels like they always fall short when it comes to stacking consistent wins. The pieces are there. If Crayz, Semaj, and GregJ are all playing their game the way we know they can, this team has tier breaker potential. Sadly, the reality right now is that GregJ is doing GregJ things while everyone else feels like they are just showing up and playing it like a midnight Office comp. This team gives off the vibe that they all join the Discord call 15 seconds before the scrim starts, play the scrim, play the match, then say nothing to each other until 15 seconds before the next one. The potential is crazy, but it does not feel fully utilized. AVI could honestly be ranked lower based on results, but because of the ceiling and the players on this roster, I am keeping them in the single digits for now.

Slik: I have AVI at 11. AVI had a tough week last week, and after their rough start to the season, it has just been hard for them to recover. A roster chance definitely looked promising, and I think still has plenty of ability to find some success, I am not sure if it is enough. The team rating sits around a 1.0 on the season which definitely could be worse. They definitely need a big week from GregJ, with help from Pizza and CrayZ to put them in a good position after this week. AVI have a chance to finish as the 3rd see in the tier, while also have a chance to finish last in the tier. The highest probability to finish for placement is 11th seed (which would miss playoffs), but their total playoff odds are 61.6%.

Mxgabyte: FNL is the team I keep wanting to defend, but the record keeps throwing a chair at me. THG and Ry give them enough firepower that they should not feel this low, and there are games where they look like they are about to turn the corner and prove they can actually contend with the big dogs. Then the scoreboard hits them with a “lol no” and we are right back where we started. Like, how do you beat H4K and BOO convincingly, then turn around and lose to UPS? That is the most frustrating part with this team. The flashes are absolutely there, but the consistency is not. I still think FNL is better than 4-6, but that sentence has an expiration date. At some point, being better than your record has to turn into actually winning. And I do not just mean winning one big game, or beating two good teams convincingly, then dropping a close one right after. I mean stacking match days together. I mean closing the season strong with multiple wins in a row and proving this is not just a team that can randomly upset people, but a team that can actually make a run.

Slik: Now we have reached the tough part of the list, because these teams here at the bottom still have a decent shot of making playoffs, but they have tough roads ahead of them. FNL is at 9 mostly due to their potential. They had a pretty great week last week, and continue to give themselves a decent shot at making playoffs. THG and Ry are continuing to put up great numbers for this squad, and are trying to pull their team into playoffs. If they can keep it up, and get a little more help from the rest of the squad, they will make playoffs. Right now, it is still possible for FNL to finish as high as 3rd seed, while as low as last in the tier. Their most likely seed to finish in is 11th seed (which would miss playoffs), but they do have a 56.4% chance of making playoffs.

Mxgabyte: UPS is the most “solid but I need more” team in this entire list. They are not bad. They are not fake. They are not some team being held together with duct tape and one life game. bobob14831, Flo, and pep1 give them a good enough core to beat people, and the roster feels pretty balanced overall. The problem is they do not have that same fear factor as the teams above them. UPS is good enough to punish sloppy teams, but I need to see them punch up before I fully buy in.

Slik: This team is the definition of mid right now. UPS sits at the 7 spot on my list, mainly because they haven’t done anything special this season, but also haven’t looked garbage at any point for the most part. The team is sitting at a rating of 1.00 right now, the perfect rating for a mid team. Luckily for them, there is still time to improve and get hot for playoffs. No one on the team has really been the star of the show, of course bobob is at the top of the team, but I would epect a little more out of a star player. Again, with the last 3 matches of the season coming up, all it takes is getting hot at the right time to put this team in a perfect spot for a deep playoffs run. UPS is the only 5 and 5 team that cannot finish as the 2nd seed. They can only finish as high as 3rd seed, and as low as last in the tier. Their highest chance is to finish as the 4th seed, and their playoffs odds sit at 88.5%.

Mxgabyte: JDM is weird in a way I kind of like. They have stretches where they look way better than a 5-5 team, then they have stretches where you start wondering if someone changed the strat book to Wingdings. The talent is there. Pizza, DTTHR33, and HirotoX have all shown enough to make this team more than just mid pack filler. The issue is they still have too many “why is this close” moments. If they clean that up, JDM could jump fast.

Slik: My initial thoughts about this team losing Taco and Pizza were dead wrong and I am happy about that. I thought this team was going to fade out of relevancy, and again, I was wrong. They have certainly had a great week this last week, and kept themselves in solid position for playoffs. The team has a season 1.02 rating which is solid, and something you would expect from a team you would think is hovering around the top. We need to continue to see some good matches this week from the bottom of the pack, as the team seems to have a relatively high floor currently. They just need a little more help at the top end. JDM can finish as high as 2nd seed, or as low as last place. Their best chance is to finish as the 4th seed, while their total playoff odds are 90%.

Mxgabyte: H4K being 5-5 is hilarious because this team feels way more terrifying than .500. adn and dark have been frying people, and kriz gives them a strong third piece, so the talent is clearly there. The problem is the record says they have not fully turned that firepower into consistency yet. This is one of those teams where the ranking is more about ceiling than record. If they figure it out, they can beat almost anybody. If they do not, they are going to keep being the scariest .500 team in the room.

Slik: While it is not over, it has been a brutal two weeks for H4K. Loss after loss has been compounding their issues and right now sit at 8 on my list. I know this team is better than what they have been showing, but they are running out of time to show that. You never want to be on a losing streak going into playoffs. They still have a pretty solid chance of bouncing back, but it has to start soon. dark and and have been struggling a little bit this past week, with the team rating sinking to 1.01 on the season. Just over average. It would be interesting to have seen any sort of last minute moves from this roster, but at this point we can probably rule that out. Either way, H4K still has a shot for playoffs. Their highest possible placement can be 2nd seed, and their lowest possible seed could be dead last in the tier. Their highest chance of placing is 4th seed, while their total playoff odds sit at 89%

Mxgabyte: HR is also 5-5, but they feel a little steadier than some of the other teams in the middle pile. h25418o and jKb give them a reliable top two, and the rest of the roster has enough playable pieces to keep them competitive most nights. The issue is they still need that extra pop if they want to climb into the real contender group. Right now, HR feels good enough to beat a lot of teams, but not quite loud enough to scare the top few.

Slik: HR, my consistency concern, sit at 6 in the tier. They did have a pretty solid week, with a close win and a close loss, but as every other team right now, stats are showing kinda mid. The team right now is sitting at a 1.03 rating which you would think is good, but it does seem to be like an all or nothing performance at times. Obviously not all the time, but it does seem like they are either shooting really hard, or not at all. Hyrdo still at the top of the team in terms of rating, and could use a little assistance to get the team to good standing in playoffs. This week is absolutely critical to their standings, and as of right now can finish as high as 2nd seed, and as low as last in the tier. The highest chance HR have of finishing is 5th seed, with their playoff odds sitting at 91.7%

Mxgabyte: BOO at 6 feels right because this team is the definition of “please do not make this harder than it needs to be.” They can win games. They have players. blink has been good, Jt5 can give them impact, and TacosBrick is a great new pickup that has been steady enough to keep them alive. But with BOO, every game feels like it comes with a jump scare. Even when they are in control, you are never fully relaxed. The upside is there, but so is the random nonsense.

Slik: At 4 we have BOO, who have BOO who have finally started to look like a team with TacosBrick on there. With Cayd starting to find form, and solid players of blink and Jt5, this team can reallly hit stride right when it matters. Team rating is hovering around a 1.0, but that is considering the start to their season was not good. I thought this team had the most promise going into the season, but since then have at least been happily surprised by their adjustments as a team considering they were on course to being just completely irrelevant to the tier. BOO has a small chance of finishing as high as 2nd seed in playoffs, but as low as last. Their highest chance is to finish as the 6th seed, with a total 93.3% chance of making playoffs.

Mxgabyte: DRG is 6-4 and sitting in that spot where they are not quite with OS and WIZ, but they feel like the next team you actually have to worry about. Trut3 and EyeZ are still a nasty duo, and Soybean gives them enough behind that to avoid feeling like a two man prayer circle. The record is not perfect, but DRG has the kind of firepower that makes them dangerous in any matchup. They may not be running the tier, but nobody should be excited to see them on the schedule.

Slik: At 3 we have DRG, who have looked good for most of the season, with the only real hiccup being last week where they took two losses on the same day. This roster is really solid, and have a 1.02 rating on the season. That isn’t incredible, but definitely where you would want it to be to be in the upper echelon of the tier. I was honestly a fan of this roster since day one, there was a small moment at the beginning of the season where I thought they were going to struggle, but since then they have looked great for the most part. Now this team is still really solid and I think a top team in the league, but they are not locked into playoffs thanks to the fact that the most of the teams in the league are all hovering around the same record. DRG have a change to finish as high as 2nd seed for playoffs, and have a chance to finish as low as 12th in the league and miss playoffs. Most likely scenario is they finish as the 3rd seed, and they have a 99.5% chance of making playoffs at all.

Mxgabyte: WIZ at number two makes way more sense with the current standings than it did in previous weeks. They are 8-2 and have separated themselves from the giant 5-5 traffic jam underneath them. Mono and Hayvo give them a scary top end, but what really matters is they keep finding ways to win even when it is not always pretty. This team has had some weird moments, sure, but 8-2 is 8-2. At some point the “are they actually this good” question turns into “yea, they probably are.”

Slik: Bumping up to number 2 this week is going to be WIZ. This team has shot up all the way to the top of the league after a small falter at the beginning of the season. Certainly have looked near unbeatable in the last couple weeks, continuing to dominate in the league. A couple close matches last week, but wins are wins, and they seem hard to come by in elite for a lot of teams. This roster of Hayvo, Mono, vexxey, TryHardKyle, and s3ryn was always going to be a solid roster. I don’t know that I would’ve thought top two at the beginning of the season, but damn have they really showed up this season. With an 8 and 2 record, the WIZ boys are sitting with the best shot of getting the second seed in playoffs, and are the only other team in the league as of writing this that are locked into playoffs. They have the ability to finish anywhere between 1st seed and 5th seed.

Mxgabyte: OS stays at number one because nobody has given us a real reason to move them yet. They are undefeated, they have the best round diff in the tier, and the roster does not really have that one obvious weak link you can point at and say “attack this guy.” spliced and Matt have been leading the way, but the scary part is that the rest of the team is still doing their job. Until someone actually beats OS, this is their throne.

Slik: Sitting at number 1 (still) and only 1 of 2 teams locked into playoffs right now is OS. I am just really happy with my boys continuing to step it up, through the rough patches that we may go through. We had a tough scrim right before MD10, I told the boys to take a mental reset and come back ready to game, and they did exactly that. Our adjustments continue to seem right on the money. Having a rifling core of Matt, spliced, and Jxmes is as solid of a core as you can have in csc right now, with Spence finding impact on the awp as well, you can’t ask for more. We are locked into playoffs that this point, with the only possibility either being the first seed or the second seed. If we can just continue doing what we are doing, I am going to be happy either way.

Mxgabyte: NAN Over ATL: This is the NAN agenda game and I will not be silenced. ATL has some pieces and can make this annoying, as HG found out this new NAN lineup is not going to lay down and take the L. We are a team that has grit and determination and one round is all it takes for us to steal the momentum and take the win. The whole team has been producing, and if the T side can look even slightly normal, this is very winnable. Give me NAN to get it done and keep the comeback propaganda alive.

Semaj: NAN Over ATL: NAN looking HOT HOT HOT right now and I think they’ll easily take down ATL this week. ATL might have the better record but if Mega is online there’s no way they lose.

Mxgabyte: H4K Over TEE: TEE has some bright spots, but H4K is just a terrible matchup for a team still trying to figure things out. adn and dark can take over a map way too quickly, and H4K has enough firepower that one bad half can turn into a blowout fast. TEE needs a monster game from ExNinja to make this interesting, but H4K should handle business.

Semaj: TEE Over H4K: Now you might say “Semaj you’re insane there’s no way TEE win?!?!”. I will tell you that H4K have not looked hot at all losing the last 3 of their 4 with one bad loss, an OT, and a 13-9. It’s not looking good and I think TEE can capitalize on H4K right now. YUH UP

Mxgabyte: OS Over BOO: OS is still the king until someone actually knocks them down. They are balanced, consistent, and do not really give you an obvious weak point to attack. BOO can win rounds and make things weird, but OS feels like the team that will punish every mistake. Unless BOO gets a life game from blink, this should be OS staying on top.

Semaj: BOO Over OS: Blink and co will win in a 19-16 overtime game mark my words. I know all the other predictors are going to look at me crazy but I believe.

Mxgabyte: AVI Over JDM: JDM is probably the safer team overall, but AVI has GregJ, and sometimes that is enough to throw all logic out the window. If he gets even a little help from CrayZ or Semaj, AVI can absolutely steal this. JDM has the balance, but AVI has the player who can make the whole server revolve around him. Give me AVI in the upset.

Semaj: AVI Over JDM: This is it, this is the one where we start the comeback trend. There is no cope only hope.

Mxgabyte: HG Over DRG: DRG is the scarier team on paper, but I like HG as the weird upset pick here. L E G S and kupo give HG enough punch to make this uncomfortable, and if they can slow down Trut3 and EyeZ, this game gets very interesting. DRG can absolutely win if their stars take over, but I am going HG to pull off the surprise.

Semaj: DRG Over HG: There’s not a whole lot to say about this one unfortunately. HG haven’t had a good season and DRG are on track to easily make playoffs.

Mxgabyte: HR Over UPS: UPS is solid and balanced, but HR feels like they have a little more bite in this matchup. h25418o and jKb give them a strong top end, and if one of the other three joins the party, HR becomes hard to deal with. UPS can win ugly if they keep it controlled, but I like HR to have enough firepower to edge it out.

Semaj: HR Over UPS: Another 16-14 overtime win for HR here. Seems like that’s their current sweet spot.

Mxgabyte: FNL Over WIZ: WIZ has the scarier top duo with Mono and Hayvo, but FNL feels like the team due for a game where the scoreboard finally matches the talent. THG and Ry give them enough firepower to fight back, and this feels like a good spot for FNL to turn the “better than their record” talk into an actual win. Give me FNL in a close one.

Semaj: FNL Over WIZ: Hear me out. FNL will win tonight. I don’t know what it is but it’s a gut feeling. I don’t use my brain to make predictions (don’t make fun of me).

Eric: ah hell nah son I’m ride or die with atlmeloncat but this is too far even for me...... These boys are floundering!!!!

quack: Scott atlmeloncat vs CSC, this teams like WIZ but without the wins. more like. Liz zo ... ok let me run that back that didn’t feel good. Scott vs the world DRG BEAT. UPS NEXT. Scotts got to have a generational Monday for this team to even sniff playoffs, I think with tie breakers, a 2-0 week might be necessary.

Eric: #FreeYugoslavia spence trade this guy so he can go win somethin this season, he not doin it here!!!

quack: Id like to throw a stat at you. In a 12-16 overtime loss, OS’s opening duels are in total, of 6 of 22 attempts as a team. 6 of 22. 18 times they lose the opening duel, and still won 12 rounds. Ill throw another couple stats at you, Inferno (43%), Ancient (28%), Dust2 (38%). All three precents are the RWP for each map. Not saying that stats are everything. But somethings got to give on this team.

Yugoslavia: were gonna make playoffs trust

Eric: This a three man roster at this point son... if p_mot (mentioned) ashamed and zim played apex they might actually be nice or somethin.

quack: Idk man. 13-4 to DRG, right after righting the ship last week? Man... Beating UPS makes this positioning hard, on one hand, you have a team that can handle a team like UPS, albeit a close 13-10 as well as Jason dropping under a 1.2. But a win is a win. But 13-4!!! 13-4!!! 1 person above a 1.0... Dude can you guys just lose twice or win twice so I can not have to sit here with a bubble pipe and a warm glass of milk stressing over if I should boot you guys to 8 or put you guys at 4. Please. Thanks in advance. P_moT wake up dude. WAKE UP!!!

Eric: mah gawd... comrad 1.3 this guy is going nuclear, how da hell there only one other chud on the roster above a 1.0?!?!?! Somebody give out some refrag codes to these fellas they need to lock back in.

quack: ComradSniper vs Sisyphus, who deals with more pain and suffering... hmmmm... its lowkey a tie at this point. I fear beating OS does not move me at all, and a somewhat quiet loss to UPS continues to push the agenda of if Comrad drops a 1.4 they win, if not GLHF. Swaggy above a 1.05 tho... MIP award coming soon? JOOVE. PLEASE STOP IGNORING MY PLEAS. SAVE WIZ!!!

Eric: DRG stocks are hittin an all-time low son.... ceethree lock in son.... save hedge get this guy some more help.

quack: HedgeClippers. Also stop losing to teams you REALLY shouldn’t. Ok bye.

Eric: sharp nice or whateva.... packy pregnant or whateva.....

quack: Putting me on Nuke is a good decision if you are playing against BOO, I am a TROLL!!! But regardless Kiri had a nice game and HR stunted what could have been a run away CT side, and just shut down any thoughts of a productive T side from us here at BOO INC. Still, Nuke diff, I will be getting my get back on literally any other map. I fear however that I see a difficult week coming up here, the Giant Killers in DRG and then AVI coming off a loss to BOO at 9pm. Steel sharpens Steel.

Eric: Shorty kinda him who coulda guessed, but y’all almost got 13-0’d by quack ah hell nah man... proving our month long NAN hatred correct all I’m sayin....

quack: OK. So. We don’t HAVE to talk about that CT side, but we might have to in the end. Beating AVI was great, but they were minus Void so I do have to call it a frauded win so Void doesn’t blow up my DMs. I liked what I saw from the CT side of Mirage but I also want to restate that I did mention to ban Mirage and its free eats. So, on the other side of the teams that they played on Monday, NOT on Mirage, it didn’t go so well... 19-2 by me on CT side was what I will admit was more of a over performance then I usually have, I wasn’t much contested or challenged by the reads or calls that I saw from the T Side, of course it is overpass the most CT sided map, but even then it felt like it was 5 lurks walking around trying to find picks that were just not there. Wiz and HG are both teams that are Hot or Cold, so a two win week here can do wonders for their playoff matchups, but I need to see more from Shorty. My sources say that he has been sick recently, but I want to see the Shorty of md3-4 before I put NaN any higher.

Eric: Still think this team is the cream of the crop of the 4-3 rosters, but can always be subject to change... (fuck you keagoo lemme sub)

quack: Who remembers when Keagoo used to write for these. LOL. Ban ancient, force them to play off map pool, and win the game. If jason pops off, well, whatever. You did what you could.

Eric: This quack guy is so mid soma if you wanna take number one in the rankings cut him and its yours.

quack: Yep. This happened. I mean whoever their carry is, is doing one HELL of a job. Like a 1.36 rating? Holy moly, those are Comrad numbers, but better! Wait... I know that guy... its capital on his alt account! wtf... secrets out guys... me and capital swapped accounts last week... I hate to say it too... im dropping the ego... Seriously tho, we might be some overpass demons, a 12-0 CT half? ZAMN! Ill admitt banning to Nuke was a choice of all time, but we made a game of it, despite the lack of reps I have on Nuke in my life. Cap is due for his comeback to the server tomorrow, and Ruru Soma and Acky are all still some of the highest punching MMR players prem has at the moment. Good luck Bot Swan, you will need it.

Eric: Same record as BOO but double their round differential.... the numbers are numbering here into their favor.

quack: #FUCKTHEFOPE #FUCKVOIDSWAN #NOREALLYFUCKTHEFOPE:MIDDLEFINGER::MIDDLEFINGER:

Quack: BOO Over AVI: The greatest CSC matchup of all time. Capital vs Waddill. Void Swan vs Quack. TheFuckMyFriendsIHatePlayingWithMyFriends vs Aruru. Soma vs toddii. Akuryo vs MajesticV. Cinema. See you at the finish line. 16-14.

Quack: DRG Over HR: HedgeClippers vs Sharp. To me, DRG stacks up very well against HR, I believe that generally, DRGs map pool is slightly larger than HRs, which is where this matchup is decided. Score: 13-9

Quack: UPS Over ATL: Ok. Maybe its ATL. Maybe they haven’t looked so good. Maybe it might be a chopped cheddar season. But god damn it. We gotta go out there and try! Score:13-2

Quack: HG Over OS: Battle of the MIDway. OS and HG throw light slaps at each other until one of them taps out, which is quite quickly. Score: 13-5

Quack: NAN Over WIZ: Comrad vs Shiddy250. Wow. Now here’s a match up of all time. The age old debate of which is better, an awper with a 1.36 but with very little support, or a rifler who has significantly more support, but hasn’t been as great recently. I think WIZ struggles to find a footing against a faster shifting NAN who out maneuvers Comrad before he can save the day. Score: 13-7

Quack: BOO Over WIZ: Comrad vs Capital. Similar to the NAN matchup, the gameplan? Break the econ early, and when comrad gets dropped an awp, go the other way. Capital once again realizes that he is infact, actually really good, and decides that instead of Cali playing for him the past week, that he will finally take the wheel again. Score: 13-6

Quack: UPS Over DRG: JasonClippers. Score: 13-5

Quack: ATL Over OS: WOW. WOW. WOW. My belief and its what I hope happens, is that this game turns into an absolute HEATER of a game, I’m talking 3x OT, I’m talking 40 bombs on both sides, I’m talking 1v5 clutches. Gosh darn it, WE NEED THAT!!! Score: 22-20

Quack: AVI Over HR: AVI takes care of a staggered HR after losing to a surging DRG, and AVI strikes early and strikes hard. Score: 13-6

Quack: HG Over NAN: :v::crying: No idea why this gets pushed to thursday, but it ends up being the quiet end to the NAN season, despite having all 5 back together for the game, they just cant seem to get it clicking early against Zim Jung Un and Ashamed of his recent rating. Score 13:5

Pander: NAN Over ATO: Over the last two weeks, ATO’s been in a pattern of winning Tuesday and losing Thursday. Given how relatively even these teams seem to be, I’ll use that as my tiebreaking mechanism.

Redbull: NAN Over ATO: ATO had the stronger showing on tuesday beating a very good FNL team, while NaN failed to jump on their chance to beat a very low rated WIZ team. Im expecting NaN to try and bounceback and gain some control of their destiny tonight. Its not going to be easy I think its about 55-45 in favor of ATO.

Krypt1c: NAN Over ATO: This is a tough pick for me, I have a little more faith in NAN’s consistency as ATO can just be a bit streaky but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if ATO were to win this one.

Pander: BOA Over FNL: BOA BOA BOA

Redbull: BOA Over FNL: BOA all but have the #1 seed locked up unless they have a tragic falloff. FNL need to bounce back but BOA is going to prove to be a tough task. FNL help out the rest of the league(including me) and humble BOA please!!!

Krypt1c: BOA Over FNL: I’ve picked against BOA too many times and I’m not going to make the same mistake again. I think FNL have what it takes but BOA have scrapped out even the close ones with 3 OT wins so we’ll see.

Pander: HR Over AG: This poor HR team is a victim of a ridiculous schedule. I think they’re stronger than their record suggests, and pair up reasonably well against AG.

Redbull: HR Over AG: Will AG even play this game or will they tactically “find” another reason to delay a HR win... treeko and company yall have my support again. Sorry if I curse you.

Krypt1c: AG Over HR: HR put themselves back into the playoff picture for now with a win against FLT earlier in the week. (And have played an absoletely brutal schedule) But I think AG will find a win here through the solid play of Mel & Aggroze.

Pander: HG Over DRG: HG stumbled against COW, but I think they’re still the favorite here. The Wryms just got plastered by BOO as well, so maybe their little surge is dwindling?

Redbull: HG Over DRG: HG should be able to pick up a win here. DRG didnt look as strong as I thought they were on Tuesday. HG are solid and I dont expect them to let this one slip by.

Krypt1c: HG Over DRG: We got humbled by COW on Tuesday but I like our chances to bounce back.

Pander: H4K Over JDM: Really good matchup here. I think JDM has the firepower to match H4K, but I’ll side with the more consistent team.

Redbull: JDM Over H4K: JDM is back baby. 9 times out of 10 I think H4K comes in and knocks JDM around but Im putting my faith in soap and stampy to make me proud. SO iwuvvalorant.

Krypt1c: H4K Over JDM: I was off the mark picking BCH to beat JDM on tuesday as they were able to beat BCH on thier best map Anubis. Fair play JDM with solid performances from soapkitchen, IwuvValorant, & Valorant. Sorry though i’m picking against you again in this one, H4K have a very high floor and have only lost to 2 top 5 teams in GF & FLT.

Pander: AVI Over FLT: Betting on me again. We just took down the 6-2 fishies, the second time I saw them this season. And this is the second time I see FLT, so maybe I’ll use some zany mind games to turn my last narrow loss into another narrow win?

Redbull: AVI Over FLT: AVI just decided that they want to win only against the best teams in the league. BOO ✅ GF ✅ FLT 🔜.

Krypt1c: AVI Over FLT: I’m not sure if FLT will need subs for this one or not but I believe in the AVI playoff run, give me the Cardinals.

Pander: GF Over COW: COW had a very nice win over HG to keep them stable in the playoff hunt, but I don’t think they sweep the week against a GF team hungry to stay in the top 5.

Redbull: COW Over GF: Ive been down on GF most of the season so theres not much to say before it borders on bullying. Instead lets celebrate how well COW is doing and how they showed up and beat HG. COW can come back into the middle of the table with a win here. DONT TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS BOYS.

Krypt1c: GF Over COW: GF is a solid team that have only lost a few close games, I think they find a way to go 1-1 on the week here.

Pander: WIZ Over UPS: This is a fight between two teams that just scored a badly needed win after a long period of scuffling. WIZ’s wins over NAN and ATO make me feel they’re a bit higher level than UPS, who have only taken down TEE of late.

Krypt1c: WIZ Over UPS: WIZ beat NAN Tuesday and find a good opportunity to make a playoff run if they can beat UPS which I think will bring a sense of urgency to drive them to a win here.

Pander: BOO Over TEE: TEE did nice to keep it close against UPS, shouting TinyJesus for a great couple games, but BOO is a much better team than UPS and I don’t see Redbull (who just dropped a 1.85) letting this one slip away.

Redbull: BOO Over TEE: We have to take care of business. Everywin matters when it comes to seeding we cant afford to give up wins this late into the season.

Krypt1c: BOO Over TEE: BOO have been a strong team all season and TEE have had a rough go after a strong start, give me BOO.

Pander: FRG Over BCH: A top 10 team versus a bottom 5 team. I don’t want to say this is a foregone conclusion, but I won’t bet on the uspet either. I am happy to see ceedubbleu coming online with a few consistently nice games, and taking the Touge to OT was nice, but BCH just isn’t showing they can replicate magic they displayed when they beat GF on Anubis.

Redbull: FRG Over BCH: FRG will close out the week 1-1 after falling to BOA in a tough OT loss. Time to bounce back and prepare for playoffs.

Krypt1c: FRG Over BCH: FRG took BOA the distance in OT and should have a good chance to get back on track here versus a struggling BCH squad.

Pander: OS Over ATL: I know I said FRG and BCH was a lopsided matchup, but this might outdo that one. I know Ronin’s record is 3-5, but their SOS is the highest in the league, their RD is vastly better than ATL, and they have the aura of a 4v5 victory. OS can lose this if their big guns go cold, but you just gotta bank on the stars being stars.

Redbull: ATL Over OS: ATL’s season might come to down to this game. They really need a win and OS will be playing a doubleheader. If there was any time to have some magic it has to be tonight.

Krypt1c: OS Over ATL: This one might as well be a coinflip for me but OS have been together all season so I’m going with them as I’m still not completely sure what to make of new look ATL yet.

Mxgabyte: NAN Over HG: It is make it or break it time. No more losing in OT. No more keeping it close just to still end up losing. We have to turn this season around, win out, and make our playoff dreams come true. HG is a good team, so this is not going to be easy, but honestly that is exactly the type of win we need to get the run started. No more moral victories. No more “almost had it.” It is time to lock in, take care of business, and make my dreams come true with a playoff appearance.

Slik: NAN Over HG: NAN has been trending in the right direction with the changes they have made. I like what Mxgabyte has been doing, and it is clear that the changes so far have been working. HG seems to have stalled out so far this season, and has clearly been struggling as of late. Not a bad team clearly, as they were able to beat JDM recently, I am just not sure quite yet if their changes are going to help them with some longer term success or not. Interested to see how this matchup goes, but I have NAN taking the dub.

Mxgabyte: OS Over AVI: AVI can make this annoying, but OS is OS for a reason. They are one of those teams where even when you think you have them figured out, they find a way to drag the game back into their favor. AVI has enough talent to keep it close, but I trust OS more when the rounds start getting ugly and the pressure kicks in. Give me OS to handle business.

Slik: OS Over AVI: Shame on me for picking my boys again, but damn are we rolling right now. Hot after beating the second best team in the league, my boys seem to be keeping stride. Spence somehow got his rating over 1.0 (and now I owe him 2 gifted subs, shame on me for making that deal, I didn’t think it was possible) and so has everyone else on the team. I think the best part is that we are all just getting along right now. Vibes are vibing, team is communicating really well, and we just like gaming together. I think that goes a long way in making a solid team. AVI has seemed to remain right around the middle of the pack for now. GregJ clearly is a demon, but his supporting cast has been struggling. I have heard whispers of some things changing in the future, might we see it for the match on Thursday? I guess we will find out. OS on top, #fuckspence.

Mxgabyte: FNL Over UPS: This feels like one of those games where FNL just finds a way to make it work. UPS is not a team you can disrespect, and they absolutely have the pieces to win this, but I like FNL here. They feel a little more stable, and in a close matchup that matters. I think this one is scrappy, but FNL pulls it out when it counts.

Slik: FNL Over UPS: FNL! FNL! FNL! BONKED. FNL has certainly impressed as of late, as I expected they would. They have started to catch fire, and have certainly been filling in their team comp a bit better. THG is continuing to be the badest man on the playground, and bonk seems pulling the troops in the right direction. Stats have been on the rise, and as I expected this team is finding form right when it matters. Regular season doesn’t matter beyond making playoffs. CSC has proved that being the 1 seed doesn’t mean shit. You either make the playoffs or you don’t and the rest is just if you can perform when the lights are the brightest. We will see if this team can stay true. UPS on the other hand have been trending in the wrong direction. It is clear that there has been some issues of consistency here from this team, caused by god knows what. Two players over a 1.0 is not the best way to create a competative roster, but this isn’t the end all be all. With 4 matches left on the season for UPS, they still have time to right the ship. The last 3 games being losses sucks, but they have time to make a comeback, and that would need to start with AT LEAST a competative game here against FNL. FNL on top.

Mxgabyte: BOO Over TEE: TEE can be dangerous, but I am going with BOO. They have enough firepower to make any game uncomfortable, and when they are clicking they can run away with rounds fast. TEE will probably have their moments, but I think BOO has the higher ceiling in this matchup and enough pop-off potential to close it out.

Slik: BOO Over TEE: BOO HAS FINALLY (aside from getting shit on by FNL) STARTED TO TREND IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. The addition of Taco here is actually a crazy good move. I think that is EXACTLY what they have been looking for. I know Taco has been wanting to put in the work, and I know this BOO squad has just not been meshing well before, but here we are now, and I really do think this team is going to start to really find form. Taco, Jt5, and blink should be a devestating trio to deal with for any team, and I am not sure TEE has the firepower to punch back. Not to say that they CAN’T, but it is going to be quite the uphill battle for them. While TEE has struggled all season, their last two matches were actually really good, really close matches to solid teams. But time is running out for TEE to just keep getting close enough. TEE MAY be able to take advantage of the fact that BOO and Taco are still relatively fresh with their changes, but I don’t know that it will be enough. BOO take this one.

Mxgabyte: WIZ Over ATL: WIZ gets the nod here. ATL is always capable of making a matchup weird, but WIZ feels like the better team right now. They have been easier to trust and they have enough pieces to punish ATL if they start giving away free openings. I do not think it is a free win, but I think WIZ gets it done.

Slik: WIZ Over ATL: DIAL UP THE VEXXEY MASTERCLASS. WIZ been on a heater, and their only two losses so far this season have been to the two teams that I put above them in the power rankings this week. I have been very clear that my top three in the league are really in a league of their own right now, and WIZ continues to show that. The roster is absolutely dialed, with Hayvo and Mono switching off carry performances. Vexxey also finally getting his rating over a 1.0 is a big dub. But honestly, this team is right where they want to be, and playoffs is coming up shortly. They are in a great position to have a good run through playoffs. ATL has been making some noise again since their solid start. House figured out how to shoot the enemy back which is a big problem for teams if he can continue to do so. This would be a major uphill battle for the ATL squad, but if they could pull off a solid win vs a great team, that might slingshot them right back into playoff contention. WIZ UP.

Mxgabyte: H4K Over HR: This is probably the banger of the week. HR is scary, and I would not be shocked at all if they take this, but I am riding with H4K. When H4K is on, they look like a team that can beat anyone in the tier. The firepower is there, the confidence is there, and this feels like the type of matchup where they can make a real statement that brings them the confidence they had early in the season. Give me H4K in a close one.

Slik: HR Over H4K: HR have been struggling as of late, but there is a little asterik there in that they have played some solid teams. Right now though, it just seems to be the hydro show. My biggest gripe with the team from the beginning of the season was the lack of consistency that I feared for this roster, and it seems to continue to rear its ugly head. The struggle continues, but fear not because playoffs are right around the corner. If this team can figure it out by then, that is all that matters. I think they should have more firepower than H4K though for this matchup. Speaking of which, what has happened to this roster. Such a hot start, to such a brutal fall. Brutal match after brutal match, and the team’s rating has almost fallen below 1.0. Almost unrecognizable from the start of the season. Not sure exactly what happened, but they better figure it out quick and fix the issues before they run out of time in the season.

Silky: NAN Over FLT: We will not fall to the forces of the dark side

Doodyl: NAN Over FLT: Twinkle isn’t coming off a crazy travel day, I believe NAN dials in.

Silky: FNL Over ATL: The Slashers live by the sea, so they arent afraid of a little water.

Doodyl: FNL Over ATL: RA for challenger IGL of the season?

Silky: H4K Over DRG: I fear the Hackers are too technologically advanced for the Dragons. The future is now old man

Doodyl: H4K Over DRG: H4K just looks hot.

Silky: JDM Over AVI: Falcons are fast, but they cant drift.

Doodyl: JDM Over AVI: I just don’t see AVI pulling this off.

Silky: TEE Over BCH: This TEE team is stacked. We gave them a run for their money but it wasnt enough. I have TEE in decently dominant fashion

Doodyl: TEE Over BCH: Yeah, I don’t think there’s much to say here. COUGHING BABY VS HYDROGEN BOMB

Silky: WIZ Over HG: Finally, the after-trade showdown is here for us. Lets see which team proves to us the trade worked out

Doodyl: HG Over WIZ: HG in my head is just the better team.

Silky: UPS Over OS: I pick OS, they lose, so maybe if I pick against them they win? Maybe I really do want UPS to win. Do you know? Do I know? Idk, but I am picking UPS in this one

Doodyl: UPS Over OS: OS is just in a bad slump.

Silky: BOA Over HR: Dada requires more wins, and he is gonna out gamble the gamblers. Man I love Pulse too

Doodyl: BOA Over HR: I LOVE YOU PULSE

Silky: AG Over BOO: The curse is broken. AG is free from the bonds ofonly winning on Thursdays

Doodyl: AG Over BOO: Another one where there’s not much to say.

HELLO COMMUNITY! It is your favorite writer in the whole world, finally back from my small hiatus. It has been a combination of being really busy and just not having a lot of motivation to write. This is kind of why I started a couple different projects, so that way if inspiration for one would strike then I would be able to write about it. I hope to sit down and pump out some more material for you soon, so please just bear with me until I can get a couple rolling. Trust me, I can’t wait to overwhelm my editors <3.

OK, so this little column is going to focus on answering community questions. Anything CS or CSC related, I will try to have answers for, and if I don’t have an answer for you then I will point you in the right direction of where to find the information you seek. Don’t take this as I am some all-knowing genius, because as much as I may act like it, I am not. This is simply an outlet where I would love to help the people who want to get better at cs and teach them what I know. If you don’t care for what I know, then this article is not for you. Let’s hop right into it, I am going to select a few questions from my last batch (some real questions, some silly questions), answer them, then ask for more questions for the next iteration of this column and so forth. I hope you like it, and if you have any feedback please let me know.

What is the best way for someone to learn better positioning?

There are two main ways to learn better positioning: watch Pro CS, and play more. I know it sounds like a stupid answer, but first you have to watch more Pro CS. Watch what the Pros are doing, where they are positioning themselves based on the role they are playing and based on the information that they have. What do they know? Why is that influencing what they are doing? And play more. Again, an obvious answer but there is a reason. The only way you will get better game sense is you have to play the game. You have to learn how other players react to certain situations, and what would be the best course of action to react to those plays they will make. In-game, you will learn because either you are in the right position and you catch the enemy off, or you don’t. It’s a game of learning, so give yourself the best opportunity to learn. Play with good teammates, try and understand what they are doing to read the game, and how they are reacting to that information.

Hey! I think it’s safe to say that we are all due for a game where our aim just isn’t there at some point. What do you think are some other ways someone could contribute to their team’s success other than fragging when we run into that wall?

The beautiful thing about CS is that there are so many ways you can positively affect your team even if you are not shooting hard. Premier players will say “just shoot better 4head”, but there is a lot of nuance to the “team” aspect of the game. So here are a few of the options you can take:

Utilize positioning - If your aim is not great, then your positioning will need to improve. You don’t need to have perfect aim to catch a player off guard. If you are able to catch them off guard, you have a much better chance to have time to adjust your aim and take care of the player, unless you are Niko and have a deagle.

Utility - THIS IS A GREAT OPTION, especially if you are a player that struggles with aim often. You can certainly adjust your role to fit more of a support player. Throw smokes, throw GOOD flashes, and set your team up for success. Even if you can’t see it on the scoreboard, if you are throwing good util at good points in the match, you WILL be helping your team get kills, and that is just as impactful.

Human Flashbang, Human UAV - Hey man, sometimes you just can’t hit water if you fell out of a boat. Shit happens. The thing you can ALWAYS fall back on that takes little to no work out of the server? Entry. Now this isn’t to say that you are just throwing your life away for nothing, and you can’t just do it without communicating. It is important that your teammates are right behind you ready to trade you, on good timings of course. People like to shit talk baiting others, but if you are not playing well, then it makes perfect sense to bait yourself for your teammates to get some kills. Also, make sure you are communicating all information that you get when entrying.

How often do you get called SilkNinja? I read it that way 100% of the time for some reason.

ALL. THE. FREAKING. TIME. There is actually a scientific reason behind this if you care, and it has to do with how our brains process reading words. Our eyes see a word, and our brain begins to process the shape of the word and first letter first. Because I have it formatted Slik Ninja Z, your brain sees 3 words. The first word is a four letter word that begins with an S, ends with a k, and has an i and l in it. Your brain doesn’t see the exact order, it assumes that the word is the only word you know like that, which is silk. I actually think this phenomena is really cool, but it does get a little irritating. I’ve certainly got used to it at this point, and I know some just say it to fuck with me, but the initial read of the word actually makes a lot of sense why I get called silk all the time.

Which bomb site in active duty would best smoke spot to vibe out and light one up?

It would have to be inferno or ancient. I am leaning towards inferno B site. I just like the water fountain, and the scenery there. I think it would be a nice place to just kick back and light one up with the homies, listening to the pitter patter of the water in the fountain, and the distant Italian music in the background.

How do I correctly blame my teammates when we are losing the game but I am bottom fragging, how do I convey to them it’s their fault we are losing and not mine?

First of all, nothing is ever completely not your fault. 99% of the time, even if you are doing your job right, and completing all the tasks of your role, there are still things you could be doing to help your team win rounds. That said, if you are struggling impact wise, but you are doing your job and there are bigger issues that are costing you rounds, it is important to address what you are seeing. Understand, this needs to be completely ego free, because if you are acting like your shit doesn’t stink, you are not going to get a good response. I suggest talking about these issues out of the server after the match, but if you think these issues are easy fixes and can be implemented quickly, then that can be brought up in a tac timeout. It is important to have solutions if this is the case. No one wants you calling a timeout just to say “hey this B site hold sucks” and then leave it there. Either have a solution or ask how the team can help. After the game, give your team some time to breathe. Especially me for instance, a tough loss can be very upsetting and I won’t really want to address anything right away. I need time to cool down, reanalyze the game, then approach for addressing issues. My best advice would be to have a good conversation the next day, addressing the issues and holes you think there were. And again, as long as there is no ego involved, you don’t have to act like you were the best player. You don’t have to be the best player to talk about the issues, if you see something, say something, and talk with your team to see how it can get fixed. If you need help, seek out other players who have more experience maybe to help the conversation along, like a player who the team trusts to mitigate the conversation, like an agm or a gm. Spence and I have had many talks like this, and usually when we step in, we are helping the team have a forum to share what they really think without feeling like they are blaming anyone in particular, and without having the feeling like they are bringing it up because they aren’t the problem. ANOTHER GREAT THING IS TO ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES TOO. I can always respect a player that has constructive criticism for myself, as well as themselves. It goes a long way to say “hey team, I know I struggled with THIS, and I feel like the team in general struggled with THIS.” It feels a lot more like a conversation than you just being like hey, stop sucking.

How long until #fuckspence causes Spence to crash out and bomb the elite team off the map?

I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think the #fuckspence movement will make him nuke the elite roster. It may make him boot me off the team or out of the franchise, which will make me sadge, but then he will just run OS into the ground so there is that to hope for.

Who do you think is a dark horse to make a playoffs run for each tier?

This is really tough because I am not super familiar with every tier. Best I can do is look at teams that are trending up from the bottom and provide you that. Other than elite, which I can go a little deeper in detail.

Recruit - AG looks like a good candidate for this. They seem to have a solid team rating, a solid spread on players going off. They have had some good wins, and some close losses. I would say if this team can find a little more success on T-side, they could make a good case to go through playoffs.

Prospect - Call me a homer but I really think OS can make a good case for this. They have been missing their IGL for a couple games, and have been still trying to put everything together. I think if they can get more time together as a team, and get all 5 back in the server, they will be a problem in playoffs.

Contender - Seems like an easy answer to pick FLT. Now I don’t want to address the obviously elephant here, but that is in the past. Looking at this team since then, they still look great. Team seems really evenly balanced, and they have been able to put together some great games.

Challenger - WIZ is going to be my pick in Chally. I see a really close round differential, and really good improvement over the last two weeks, with the only loss coming to a good team. I would like to see a slight increase in T-side rounds, but if things continue to trend upwards for this chally team then we might see WIZ make a run.

Elite - My pick for elite is going to be FNL. I think this team has the right pieces, and has been trending better every week since the start. THG has been playing lights out cs, and bonk has been leading his troops in the right direction. They might need a shade more firepower from somewhere, but other than that I like this squad and think they can be sneaky competitors in playoffs.

Premier - Premier is hard for me to read, but my pick here is DRG. I think this roster has a lot to give and seeing their games, they have had some close losses and some good wins. I think CeeThree and the gang can pull it together for a competitive playoff run.

Slik why are you so freaking cute ;)?

STAWP **Blushes** Idk I guess I just am :).

Why am I bad?

You are not a bad player. Honestly, there really isn’t such a thing as a bad player. There is such a thing as being inexperienced, there is such a thing as being a tough learner, or someone who has picked up bad habits, but there really isn’t such a thing as someone who is completely incapable of playing this game, unless you are Spence. So now that that is addressed, we have to figure out what makes you think you are bad. Are you struggling with aim? Start working with an aim trainer, get some consistent work that, and you will find more consistency with your aim. Are you in bad positions? Work on your game sense by watching Pro CS and playing more. Are you not working well with your teammates? Work on communication, more often than not better communication is the answer. Sometimes you guys don’t see eye to eye on the way a round should progress, and for that there really isn’t a solution other than the fact that you probably shouldn’t be playing together. Keep your head up, keep the vibes good, it will get better if you put in effort, I promise. Surround yourself with friends and teammates that want to help you succeed. You won’t go far if you are surrounded by asshats who just bring you down.

What are some of the best strategies for not tilting due to poor personal performance?

This is a tough one, because it is super easy to get down on yourself after a poor performance, especially if it happens on multiple occasions. Luckily for you, I fucking suck so I am a good player to ask this. For me, it is important to remember that I am trying my best. And genuinely, that is the most important thing. If you feel like you weren’t trying your best, then you really aren’t doing anyone any favors. It is important to recognize factors that may affect your ability. For example, while it isn’t a complete excuse for poor play, if I get home 10 minutes before my match and I don’t have much time to warm up, then it is a valid explanation. You don’t want the reason to be because you chose not to warm up, because then you are electing to not put in the work to get better. If you are trying, and putting in effort to be a good player and a good teammate, then you are contributing to a good culture, and you can be proud of that. Mid game, make sure to focus on resetting after a bad play, or a whiff, or something of that nature. Shit happens, move on to the next. That is literally all you can do, so if you can put it past you and reflect later, then you will be just fine. CONFIDENCE IS KEY. This doesn’t mean be arrogant about it, but believe in yourself, and believe that you will have a good game. I promise, this will go a long way.

Goodness, that was a bit, but I am glad I was able to get to most of it. I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you learned something, and most of all I hope you are able to enjoy your games and your experience here at CSC. There is nothing I hope for more than making this community one that is fun to be a part of, and one that is like a big family. We can all be successful if we help each other out, and I always want to try and do my part for that. I joke around a lot, but that is because I love this community. I hope you do too. Kisses, chao.

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