Esports

Can moses surpass YNk as the premiere analyst-to-coach?

Published

8 months ago

August 12, 2020

Team Liquid’s revamp of their flagging squad continues with a high-profile coaching replacement, bringing in Jason “⁠moses⁠” O’Toole as a replacement for adreN shortly after their decision to remove nitr0 from the lineup. Is he the right person to lead Team Liquid forward, and can he do better than fellow ex-analyst YNk in this new role? As it turns out, the answer to this question mostly depends on how you see the role of coaches in CS:GO in the current environment.

OK, I’m the coach. What’s next?

Perhaps with the exception of “esports consultant”, no job description is more nebulous in the scene than that of a CS:GO coach. Are they your tactical mastermind, a pillar of mental and moral support under the floodlights, a general tool for team cohesion as the grim day-to-day to-do lists pile up, chief opposition scout or all of the above? What makes the players listen to your insight and how can you ensure that you won’t be the first one out the door if the side hits a rough patch?

After all, you’re not the head of the operation as in the case of a traditional sports team (not that their coaches and managers spared from the axe at the expense of the players either). Also, since your chance to provide input during a match has been drastically and arbitrarily capped by Valve’s coaching rule changes, any sort of tactical insight you can provide will inevitably be limited (though it’s worth pointing out that the coaches could actually provide input throughout the entire game in the Valve-sanctioned Road to Rio events). How can you augment your team’s in-game leader both in and outside the server and how does that hierarchy look like? No doubt each team has its own answer to this question at this point of time depending on the specific skillsets – not to mention the relationship – of these two individuals.

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With adreN’s departure, Liquid are letting go of the man who was inarguably a part of their most successful run in history, who also had a proven track record and experience as an IGL. There’s no denying the team is a shadow of its former self, even if it seemed impossible to pinpoint the kind of move they should make to put things right as each individual piece of the puzzle seemed just as pristine as it was a year and a half ago. They are clearly taking a risk here with the removal of their longest-standing player just as they bring in a greenhorn coach. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt: what is the setup where this sort of a decision makes sense, especially in the middle of the online era where everything is temporary, and what is the sort of change you want to promote by this move?

Untangling the intangibles

With no IGL experience in his professional career, the tactical breakdowns on the silver screen is most of what we can gather from moses’ preferences about the game. However, even a cursory look at Liquid’s playstyle would suggest that they aren’t looking for a chess master as their sixth, as that hasn’t been the reason why they managed to get to the top.

Liquid at their best never exhibited anything like Astralis’ boa constrictor-like grip on their opponents, resembling the best Fnatic sides of the past instead with ruthless aggression and unplayable levels of skill on display. Their grand final against ENCE at IEM Chicago last year remains the pinnacle for the team in many ways, total domination of the opponents and the stage equipment itself. When you’re in such form, CS:GO becomes a point and click adventure – and that is when Liquid are at their sterling best.

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By the same token, their blocker against Astralis in grand finals over the entirety of 2018 had nothing to do with tactics: it was purely a mental one. With their performances in disarray, wouldn’t it make sense to opt for a coach who can get them in the right headspace again? Signing The Bald Eagle to coach the premiere North American side is a perfect cultural fit in a way YNk’s first coaching stint never was.

Chemistry class

Famously reluctant to work with coaches, FalleN’s MIBR was a tough a nut to crack as you could get for your debut assignment. Becoming a sixth wheel, as it were, in a tight ship ran by a veteran IGL with a big brain (and as we’re seeing nowadays, perhaps an even bigger ego), hailing from the other side of the world and hobbled by a change to English comms, was the dictionary definition of a poisoned chalice. Seeing how rudderless the Brazilian side remained both during and after his involvement, we can conclude both that he wasn’t at fault for their failings and that he was fairly ineffectual for the reasons described above, and he’s confirmed in an interview with HLTV that he was unable to create the sort of culture he’s envisioned for the side.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, moses has also touched on a similar theme in his announcement video where he also targeted a Major title as his goal in non-equivocal terms. In his eyes, everything else would be a failure – certainly a nod to that wonderful run in the middle of 2019 but nevertheless a moonshot considering the precedent of the last seven years. The only North American Major title to date is rightly remembered as a miracle, perhaps even a mirage. Who knows? Maybe it is exactly this sort of bravado that Team Liquid need to rediscover their old selves.

CS:GO

This Team Liquid is basically peak Fnatic 2.0

CS:GO

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Looking past the standard challenges of a CS:GO coaching role, there are also the unique aspects of the current landscape to consider. How can you integrate a new player and a new coach remotely and what kind of work can you do under the current, quite challenging circumstances? Realistically, it will take a few LAN events to determine the real levels of this new-look Liquid side, which could still be quite far away. It’s pretty much an open secret at this point that there’s no way you can host such an event in Brazil considering the current state of things.

If we accept the premise that a CS:GO coach can be at its most useful by developing a good relationship with the team’s IGL and creating a unique responsibility-sharing setup, it makes sense see why YNk clearly seems much more at home at FaZe Clan and why Liquid decided to take a gamble on moses. It’s been accepted for a long while now that the superteam is basically NiKosports 2.0, and working with a compatriot with a solid understanding of the tactical side of the game has clearly eased out many of the wrinkles in the side, bringing along a marginal improvement in performances and results alike.

If it’s the mentality and the fortitude that a coach could improve in the middle of a high-stakes series, and the pursuit of individual perfection outside of it, moses’ lack of experience as an IGL and previous coaching roles matters a lot less than you would think at first glance. For a team like Liquid, the social intangibles could prove more important than any sort of tactical insight, and he clearly has existing relationships with the squad. Whether the sixth man can fix the front five in CS remains an open question – but based on his on-camera chops, moses clearly has a lot of answers to offer.

Photo credit: HLTV

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Source: https://www.rivalry.com//esports/can-moses-surpass-ynk-as-the-premiere-analyst-to-coach

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Esports

Excedrin partners with Nadeshot to battle gaming headaches

Published

46 mins ago

April 15, 2021

Republished by Plato

100 Thieves Founder Michael ‘Nadeshot’ Haag has partnered with Excedrin to educate gamers on how to prevent and treat headaches.

This is Excedrin’s first foray into esports. The partnership includes a six-step mindfulness routine designed to help reduce both physical and mental stress that can lead to painful symptoms.

Image credit: Michael ‘Nadeshot’ Haag (via Twitter) / Excedrin

In a release, Excedrin cited internal research that 71 per cent of gamers are concerned about headaches related to prolonged gaming, yet the majority of them play through the pain. Meanwhile, 92 per cent of gamers reported that they are spending more time gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposes them to more headache triggers.

The methodology for this research was not disclosed other than the fact that it was a nationwide survey. If the routine doesn’t work, the initiative recommends Excedrin Extra Strength pain reliever.

Speaking to Esports Insider, Michael ‘Nadeshot’ Haag, the Founder of 100 Thieves, said: “Headaches are not something widely discussed in the gaming world.

“Many of us just brush it off and avoid getting to the root of the issue finding ways to prevent themselves from getting future headaches. This sucks because headaches can really take you out of the game and negatively impact performance.”

Haag added that his partnership with Excedrin is important because gamers tend to ‘power through’ headaches and suffer needlessly while impeding performance. He now incorporates Excedrin’s six-step mindfulness routine into his everyday activities.

“Many people don’t realise it, but both physical and mental health are important components to being a successful gamer,” he said. “Practicing mindfulness is crucial because when we feel our best, our minds and reflexes are quicker, sharper and more focused, which helps us to play better. I’m really impressed with how Excedrin is taking the steps to help gamers embrace mindful gaming and think it’s something that should be brought up more in the gaming world.”

The former Call of Duty player added that he suffers from painful headaches if he is exposed to excessive stimulation and light.

“If the headache gets really bad, I may have to take a break for a few minutes to take something, like Excedrin, until the pain starts to go away,” said Haag. “That can be really frustrating at times because I don’t want to let anyone down.”

Rishi Mulgund, the Brand Director of Excedrin’s parent company GSK Consumer Healthcare told Esports Insider: “Connecting with gamers on a personal level is important to us as a brand.

“So much so that in addition to the [six-step mindfulness routine], we also evolved our creative content to be hyper-focused for gaming. We even developed a whole cast of characters we’re calling The Healing Academy.”

Mulgund added: “A partnership with Nadeshot felt so natural to us because he can speak authentically to both headaches and gaming and we know that having a mindful and healthy mentality is important to him and the entire team at 100 Thieves.”

Esports Insider says: Excedrin is the latest healthcare brand to step into the esports/gaming world — a trend that will likely continue as organisations take the healthcare of their players more seriously This partnership with Nadeshot could also open the door for additional sponsorship opportunities down the line. As a gamer who also suffers from ocular migraines, it’s nice to see brands try to solve a problem rather than simply cash in on the hype-filled esports market.

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Source: https://esportsinsider.com/2021/04/excedrin-nadeshot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=excedrin-nadeshot

Esports

FlaSh going to army in 3 weeks

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2021

Republished by Plato

jinjin5000

Korea (South)942 Posts

https://bj.afreecatv.com/byflash/post/71182400

+ Show Spoiler +

이사 이제 끝냈어요

몸도 너무 안좋았구 인터넷 설치하구

내일이라도 방송 킬수 있도록 하겠습니다

시간이 3주정도 남았네요…

생각보다 방송키는게 늦어져서 이렇게 남겨요..

I have finished moving
my body condition wasn’t the best and installing internet took time
I should be able to stream tomorrow
I have around 3 weeks left///
I’m streaming later than I thought so I’m leaving this

NoS-Craig

Australia2830 Posts

Thanks for the translation Jinjin. Hope his military service goes well.

Dante08

Singapore3861 Posts

Oh dam, sad to see him leave but I guess it was only a matter of time. All the best and we’ll be waiting for your return!!!

FlaShFTW

United States9275 Posts

Really sad but he’ll be back one day. Good luck in military service Flash! o7

thedeadhaji

38994 Posts

hope the time off helps his wrists.

kogeT

Poland1786 Posts

Nooo! End of an Era. (even if for 1 year)

Dark days for terran incoming. 😉

superjoppe

Sweden3629 Posts

On April 15 2021 16:26 kogeT wrote:
Dark days for terran incoming. 😉

ZvZ finals incoming until he returns :O

Timebon3s

291 Posts

On April 15 2021 15:25 thedeadhaji wrote:
hope the time off helps his wrists.

Yeah this might be a good thing. Good luck to him and let’s hope his wrists recover.

thedeadhaji

38994 Posts

On April 15 2021 16:26 kogeT wrote:
Nooo! End of an Era. (even if for 1 year)

Dark days for terran incoming. 😉

Is it only 1 year? I’ve never heard of South Korean military service being that short. Is it a special circumstance in light of his surgery/injuries?

oxKnu

592 Posts

I think mandatory service is 1 yr and 6 months now.

BigFan

TLADT24635 Posts

I always thought he was exempt for some reason. Best of luck to him. Thanks for translating jinjin.

On April 15 2021 17:11 thedeadhaji wrote:

Show nested quote +

On April 15 2021 16:26 kogeT wrote:
Nooo! End of an Era. (even if for 1 year)

Dark days for terran incoming. 😉

Is it only 1 year? I’ve never heard of South Korean military service being that short. Is it a special circumstance in light of his surgery/injuries?

It was reduced to 1 year last year if I’m not mistaken.

Dante08

Singapore3861 Posts

On April 15 2021 17:58 oxKnu wrote:
I think mandatory service is 1 yr and 6 months now.

That’s actually quite short, it’ll go by in no time.

nojok

France5854 Posts

North Korea is so screwed.

Akio

Finland1538 Posts

So it’s finally time huh? Best of luck to him. Hopefully we see him return gloriously with Terran to beat the reigning Zergs (and maybe Protosses)

M3t4PhYzX

Poland1948 Posts

bye bye to FlaShuuu.. but a super short one, so it’s no biggie.

hope when he finishes his service, he’ll be able to play at least couple more tournaments

sneakyfox

7765 Posts

Dark days for Random incoming.

2021 is such a bloodbath though.

structuralinertia

Australia1424 Posts

If only proleague still existed – what a recruit he’d be for Airforce Ace

SamirDuran

Philippines800 Posts

so BaBy and FlaSh together in military huh?

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Source: https://tl.net/forum/brood-war/571955-flash-going-to-army-in-3-weeks

Esports

One stop shop; DPC 2021 Season2 guide

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2021

Republished by Plato

Dota 2 13/04/2021 13:38 Cristy “Pandoradota2” Ramadani

DPC 2021 Season 2 is now set in motion, bringing new teams to the upper-division leagues and a whole lot of dota games over the next six weeks.

DPC 2021 Season 1 brought pro circuit competitive games back to life and came to an end crowning Invictus Gaming the champions of the first Major (and LAN).

DPC 2021 Season 2 is now getting underway as teams jockey for more points, better positions, and a place at the last Major of the season and hopefully onward to TI10.

DPC 2021 Season 2

The DPC 2021 Season 2 kicks off with the upper-division league play on Tuesday, April 13.

Season 2 league dates: April 13-May 23
Major 2: June 2-13
Season 2 upper-division prize pool: $205,000 and 1150 Pro Circuit points
Season 2 lower-division prize pool: $75,000

Major Slots

At the end of the league, the top teams from each region’s upper division will qualify to the Major. For the first major, the distribution of the 18 slots will be as follows:

EU: Top 4
China: Top 4
SEA: Top 3
CIS: Top 3
NA: Top 2
SA: Top 2

Divisions:

The bottom two teams of the Upper Division in each Region will be relegated to the Lower Division, while the top two teams of the Lower Division will be promoted. The bottom two teams of the lower division will be eliminated from the league.

At the end of Season 1, the bottom two teams of the Upper Division in each Region were relegated to the Lower Division, while the top two teams of the Lower Division were promoted. The bottom two teams of the lower division were eliminated from the league and open qualifiers decided which are the two teams that will occupy those slots.

Upper-Division teams:

China

Invictus Gaming
PSG.LGD
EHOME
ViCi Gaming
Elephant
Team Aster
Sparkling Arrow Gaming
RNG

SEA

TNC Predator
Fnatic
T1
BOOM esports
Neon Esports
Execration
Lilgun
Omega Esports

Europe

Team Liquid
OG
Team Secret
Team Nigma
Alliance
Tundra Esports
hellbear smashers
Brame

CIS

Virtus.pro
Na’Vi
Team Spirit
Live to Win
EXTREMUM
Team Unique
PuckChamp
Winstrike Team

North America

Quincy Crew
Evil Geniuses
4Zoomers
Pentace
undying
Black N Yellow
The Cut
Simply TOOBASED

South America

SG Esports
Thunder Predator
Infamous
beastcoast
No-Ping esports
Team Unknown
Infinity Esports
Hokori

Lower Division teams:

China

Team MagMa
LBZS
Phoenix Gaming
Xtreme Gaming
CDEC Gaming
Dragon
Xtreme Gaming
Aster.Aries
Demon Slayer

SEA

496 Gaming
South Built Esports
Galaxy Racer
Omega Esports
Team Mystery
Army Geniuses
Cignal Ultra
Motivate.Trust Gaming
Team SMG

Europe

Vikin.gg
High Coast Esports
Hippomaniacs
No Bounty Hunters
Level Up
Creepwave
Team Bald Reborn
Ghost Frogs

CIS

Team Empire
No Techies
B8
HellRaisers
Prosti Esli
Fantastic Five
Trident Clan
Nemiga Gaming

North America

Wind and Rain
5 Man Midas
Team DogChamp
Felt
Electronic Boys
Arkosh Gaming
D2 Hustlers
Pecado Squad Gaming

South America

Incubus Club
Crewmates
Inverse
Gorillaz-Pride
Binomistas
EgoBoys
Latam Defenders

Schedule:

Overall, the new schedule is as follows (All times Pacific Time). Be sure to keep an eye on the match-ticker and our tournament page for specific matchups each week.

Upper Division

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
12AM	China	SEA		China	SEA	China
3AM	China	SEA	SEA		SEA	China
6AM				CIS		CIS
9AM	Europe	Europe	CIS	CIS	Europe	CIS
12PM	Europe	SA	NA	SA	Europe	NA
3PM	NA	SA	NA	SA	SA	NA
6PM

Lower Division

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
12PM	China			SEA
3AM	SEA			CIS	CIS		CIS
6AM	CIS	Europe	Europe	CIS		Europe
9AM	Europe			SA	SA	SA
12PM	SA	NA	Europe	SA		NA
3PM	NA		NA			NA
6PM
9PM	China	SEA	SEA	China	SEA	China	China

Tournament Organizers

The six regional leagues will be operated by the following tournament organizers. More information on qualifiers, broadcasting, show, and talent information for each region will come from the respective organizer within the next few days.

Europe: Dreamhack
CIS: ESL
China: Perfect World
SEA: PGL
NA: BTS
SA: Dotapit

QuickPoll

Are you hyped for round 2?

Yes, of course
Thank you for voting!

Nah, I’m only interested in the Majors
Thank you for voting!

Cristy “Pandoradota2” Ramadani

Pandora is a behind the scenes Dota 2 professional Jack of All Trades. When not busy with Dota 2 work, she is out trying to save the world or baking cupcakes. Follow her on Twitter @pandoradota2

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Source: https://www.gosugamers.net/dota2/features/54223-one-stop-shop-dpc-2021-season2-guide

Esports

GNC Names GHOST Gamer its Official Esports Partner

Published

5 hours ago

April 15, 2021

Republished by Plato

Nevada-based sports and esports nutrition company GHOST announced Thursday that it has signed a multiyear partnership with global health and wellness brand GNC.

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the new deal, GHOST Gamer has been named “official esports partner of GNC,” making it the exclusive vendor of esports lifestyle products for the company. GHOST Gamer products featuring flavors from partner brands such as Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and Sonic Drive-In fast food chains will also be sold at GNC retail locations.

“Authenticity as you know is super important in this category,” GHOST CEO Daniel Lourenco told The Esports Observer. “GNC doesn’t know anything about gaming, so they’re exclusively leaning on GHOST to bring them into the world of esports. I think the timing is right as gamers are not only looking for products like GHOST Gamer and Energy, but many are starting to care about overall health/fitness and looking for proteins (Ctrl good example), vitamins, etc. GNC carries the full Ghost range and has since launch in 2016.”

Lourenco added that GHOST Gamer is working with GNC on some activations such as contests and giveaways, as well as planning some future events.

GHOST signed a two-year partnership with gaming lifestyle company XSET in August of last year, which included jersey sponsorship, a limited edition XSET flavor, a merchandise line, and a content collaboration. It also sponsors several content creators and streamers. GNC has dabbled in esports in the past; in December of 2018 it partnered with U.S.-based World of Warcraft raiding guild Limit for a one-off sponsorship deal.

GNC, a brand of Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, claims more than 4,800 retail locations throughout the United States (including franchises and store-in-store operations with partners) as well as franchise operations in 46 international markets.

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Source: https://esportsobserver.com/gnc-ghost-esports-partner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gnc-ghost-esports-partner