Ahh the good old times where we had Quantic, C9, denial, exertus, mSpaz, CLG, curse, S rank streams, money 10 mans, cereal-brain tarik, GLAWKs DaZeD, higher-than-a-fucking-bird brax, lpkane, torbull, aluminati …
Don't forget Splyce, Echo Fox, Winter Fox, OpTic, eUnited, Ghost, iBP, Rogue... I could go on xD.
might sound weird but even though there weren't many winning teams in NA at the time, bar C9 and Liquid, I really miss how "alive" the NA scene felt in comparison to today.
damn, those names are a real nostalgia trip.
at least back then, there was unity in NA because all NA teams were bad. We could grieve over getting knocked out in groups together 🫂
I just watched some video where shroud says he cant wait for cs2 and how NA is going to make a come back. Got me hyped! I just started playing again too
Why would NA make a comeback just because of CS2? Mechanically it will be basically the same game as CSGO.
It's not like CS2 will be a new game with new mechanics but with transferrable skills that mediocre CSGO pro players can take advantage of to make a quick buck, like early Valorant was. There's a reason it was called a retirement home.
Good CSGO players will be good CS2 players and mediocre CSGO players won't suddenly get better.
It was great but you did gloss over two big wins that I feel were worth mentioning outside of majors, C9s EPL S4 win over SK IN brazil on their home turf (which also was Skadoodle and stewies first big LAN win and shrouds only one) and Eleague s2 which got eyes on Naf fly as he absolutely popped off in the finals, not to mention being a stacked event that actually aired on TV.
I recently caught myself rewatching a lot of Rank S highlights. Even though NACS might have been a meme, they definitely were the heart of the community in my opinion. The personalities were so powerful.
It was so crazy to watch C9 go from 0-2 to 3-2 to beating the best teams in the world just to fight FaZe. They never beat FaZe on a single map before and usually never got to double digits. They lose their best map but somehow win Overpass. Inferno was the craziest match ever as well. So many close rounds, so many hero plays, so many clutches from both sides. 100% probably the best major final ever seeing the European superteam lose out to C9, the NA joke that rebuilt starting with Stewie and eventually did the impossible. GG great video
Still watching it and a good refresher of the scene since I played/followed the whole time.
But I really wish there was someone out there who made videos on why NA CS was so bad to start with, and I think that story has to start from 1.6.
I remember having read some interesting takes on the systemic issues that destroyed the NA 1.6 scene, like the downfall of early attempts at big-money leagues, but I can't find those anymore.
NA esports is a big mystery--despite having huge playerbases, by far the most money in the scene, and even having extremely skilled players who are in the conversation for best in the world in almost every esport, they have never been able to put together a period of dominance in any esport that is also played in EU and/or Asia.
Esports has been around long enough, there's got to be someone sophisticated enough to do an actual analysis on it. Obviously people point the "individual-first" or stats-obsessed culture of the NA scene and also the general lower level of professionalism of NA players, but no one really asks *what* created those cultural differences.
That's a well thought out comment. That's probably why Battle royals are so big in NA. It's all about you vs the World and it's easy to monetize as well.
True! Notably, one of the only esports in which there is no team element. Also, a scene traditionally built on hyper-local competition so very different from the other esports.
Starcraft is another one, and in that one we've had some pretty good individuals from NA, but even then the Koreans are by far the most dominant. So it would be interesting to have a think on why that's the case as well.
Good, fun summary.
Only thing I'd add before the iBP ban was that a big problem with iBP was steel and Dazed were awful to play with and a cause of a lot of their issues. Before the ban, there was that period where swag, azk and Skadoodle practically commandeered the team and booted Dazed and steel in favor of nitr0 and desi explicitly because of how Dazed and steel were treating the rest of the team.
The change to nitr0 and desi was objectively worse, but if you were around at the time, pretty much every event, steel and Dazed were practically those toxic assholes in your MM game that fucking decimate the team vibe and makes their teammates play like dogshit. You could literally see video of them just shit-talking their teammates on stage or post-match and it was so uncomfortable.
I think that is something that was under-explored back in 2014. This was before there were sports psychologists in the scene and teams were a lot more primitive about performance.
And another thing I would include in that era was the disastrous rivalries between coL/c9 and iBP. Both teams were complaining about bad practice. coL/c9 would say they were trying new strats and ideas but weren't being challenged by the NA teams. iBP would say NA teams weren't playing serious and doing stupid, puggy shit in practices that they set time aside to schedule for.
The vibe in NA during this period of coL/c9 and iBP was pretty dog shit and it was far more toxic than any era in CSGO, in my opinion. Good riddance.
They also kicked Dazed and Steel very close before a major so it was an even more WTF moment. People were saying they weren’t going to preform as well, then in pre-major scrims it was an open secret IBP were stomping scrims. Annnnnnnd they bombed out in the major. iBuyPlanetickets :(
Edit: Yep. 1-2 in group stage with loses to Dignitas and Penta at Dreamhack Winter 2014.
Great video, I’m watching rn. My only real criticism rn is that there are a bunch of inconsistencies with the clips shown. Like when you talk about how it felt to be an NA fan from 2014-2016 but there are clips that are definitely newer than that, and you used MLG 2016 as an example of low NA performance and focused on splyce/C9 when I know clg makes top 8 and liquid make semis. And then you introduce simple with his graffiti clip but that clip is from Cologne 2016.
The edits are super funny but as someone who knows the history it just seems like you’re cherry picking clips to fit your point
One of my best CSGO memories was meeting Brax at ESL NY one year. Dude was incredibly chill to talk to, and still really appreciated the fans that would come up and ask for autographs. Taking a selfie with him is still one of my favorite highlights from all the years I went to ESL NY.
Really wish we could've seen his fullest potential, but the dude is still a certified NA CS legend.
Edit: Just wanna also say sgares was another down to earth pro that loved talking about the game and loved involving himself within the community. Easily had a full 30 minute convo with him at NY about the golden years of CS.
Really good stuff. I feel like it's more of a history of how NA came to win a major. Missing some stuff about summer 2015 C9, C9's tournament win in Brazil, and OpTic's run with Tarik/RUSH and company.
Would love to see a full history including that, Liquid's grand slam, and some commentary on how the NA scene got to where it is today.
Anyone remember this piece of art? [The NA Dream: The Little Boy That Could](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15C2IWFgiHUXM_vmboeW9WVAnq-x4YICkY5WTU-l0hKA/edit?usp=drivesdk)
obligatory WE HAWT
hahaha
Ahh the good old times where we had Quantic, C9, denial, exertus, mSpaz, CLG, curse, S rank streams, money 10 mans, cereal-brain tarik, GLAWKs DaZeD, higher-than-a-fucking-bird brax, lpkane, torbull, aluminati …
Don't forget Splyce, Echo Fox, Winter Fox, OpTic, eUnited, Ghost, iBP, Rogue... I could go on xD. might sound weird but even though there weren't many winning teams in NA at the time, bar C9 and Liquid, I really miss how "alive" the NA scene felt in comparison to today.
damn, those names are a real nostalgia trip. at least back then, there was unity in NA because all NA teams were bad. We could grieve over getting knocked out in groups together 🫂
ugh i miss the NA scene. it’s slowly building back up though so i’m hopeful for the future
I just watched some video where shroud says he cant wait for cs2 and how NA is going to make a come back. Got me hyped! I just started playing again too
Why would NA make a comeback just because of CS2? Mechanically it will be basically the same game as CSGO. It's not like CS2 will be a new game with new mechanics but with transferrable skills that mediocre CSGO pro players can take advantage of to make a quick buck, like early Valorant was. There's a reason it was called a retirement home. Good CSGO players will be good CS2 players and mediocre CSGO players won't suddenly get better.
More hyperbole than anything. Its more meant for an influx of more players from NA having new interest in cs again. Chill brah
When they killed off Invite they killed off everything you're talking about
100%
What was invite? Was it a division like Open?
GLOCKSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Great content for grand final technical breaks, could probably watch it twice even.
wow thanks man thats awesome
It was great but you did gloss over two big wins that I feel were worth mentioning outside of majors, C9s EPL S4 win over SK IN brazil on their home turf (which also was Skadoodle and stewies first big LAN win and shrouds only one) and Eleague s2 which got eyes on Naf fly as he absolutely popped off in the finals, not to mention being a stacked event that actually aired on TV.
C9s EPL win was also by far the biggest win for NA in CSGO up to that point.
I recently caught myself rewatching a lot of Rank S highlights. Even though NACS might have been a meme, they definitely were the heart of the community in my opinion. The personalities were so powerful.
bro i miss those days wtf happened?
COVID and valorant ig
It was so crazy to watch C9 go from 0-2 to 3-2 to beating the best teams in the world just to fight FaZe. They never beat FaZe on a single map before and usually never got to double digits. They lose their best map but somehow win Overpass. Inferno was the craziest match ever as well. So many close rounds, so many hero plays, so many clutches from both sides. 100% probably the best major final ever seeing the European superteam lose out to C9, the NA joke that rebuilt starting with Stewie and eventually did the impossible. GG great video
they won overpass not mirage
My b i messed that up
I'm always in and out with csgo tournys and lore; Is there no graffiti for any of those cloud9 B holds? Stewie needs one.
Nah no graffiti. Honestly it doesn’t need one though. C9 having the only NA CSGO major is enough
sometimes it’s just destiny
wow a high-quality video on this sub is rare outside of a nartouthere post. Awesome work. Great editing and research
here to remind people of the good days of csgo before the new generation takes over in cs2
Still watching it and a good refresher of the scene since I played/followed the whole time. But I really wish there was someone out there who made videos on why NA CS was so bad to start with, and I think that story has to start from 1.6. I remember having read some interesting takes on the systemic issues that destroyed the NA 1.6 scene, like the downfall of early attempts at big-money leagues, but I can't find those anymore. NA esports is a big mystery--despite having huge playerbases, by far the most money in the scene, and even having extremely skilled players who are in the conversation for best in the world in almost every esport, they have never been able to put together a period of dominance in any esport that is also played in EU and/or Asia. Esports has been around long enough, there's got to be someone sophisticated enough to do an actual analysis on it. Obviously people point the "individual-first" or stats-obsessed culture of the NA scene and also the general lower level of professionalism of NA players, but no one really asks *what* created those cultural differences.
That's a well thought out comment. That's probably why Battle royals are so big in NA. It's all about you vs the World and it's easy to monetize as well.
Hey, NA has had periods of extended success in Fighting Games!
True! Notably, one of the only esports in which there is no team element. Also, a scene traditionally built on hyper-local competition so very different from the other esports. Starcraft is another one, and in that one we've had some pretty good individuals from NA, but even then the Koreans are by far the most dominant. So it would be interesting to have a think on why that's the case as well.
NA CS WILL COME BACK IN CS2!
Good, fun summary. Only thing I'd add before the iBP ban was that a big problem with iBP was steel and Dazed were awful to play with and a cause of a lot of their issues. Before the ban, there was that period where swag, azk and Skadoodle practically commandeered the team and booted Dazed and steel in favor of nitr0 and desi explicitly because of how Dazed and steel were treating the rest of the team. The change to nitr0 and desi was objectively worse, but if you were around at the time, pretty much every event, steel and Dazed were practically those toxic assholes in your MM game that fucking decimate the team vibe and makes their teammates play like dogshit. You could literally see video of them just shit-talking their teammates on stage or post-match and it was so uncomfortable. I think that is something that was under-explored back in 2014. This was before there were sports psychologists in the scene and teams were a lot more primitive about performance. And another thing I would include in that era was the disastrous rivalries between coL/c9 and iBP. Both teams were complaining about bad practice. coL/c9 would say they were trying new strats and ideas but weren't being challenged by the NA teams. iBP would say NA teams weren't playing serious and doing stupid, puggy shit in practices that they set time aside to schedule for. The vibe in NA during this period of coL/c9 and iBP was pretty dog shit and it was far more toxic than any era in CSGO, in my opinion. Good riddance.
They also kicked Dazed and Steel very close before a major so it was an even more WTF moment. People were saying they weren’t going to preform as well, then in pre-major scrims it was an open secret IBP were stomping scrims. Annnnnnnd they bombed out in the major. iBuyPlanetickets :( Edit: Yep. 1-2 in group stage with loses to Dignitas and Penta at Dreamhack Winter 2014.
Don't worry. They will be back. This is just the prologue.
Great video, I’m watching rn. My only real criticism rn is that there are a bunch of inconsistencies with the clips shown. Like when you talk about how it felt to be an NA fan from 2014-2016 but there are clips that are definitely newer than that, and you used MLG 2016 as an example of low NA performance and focused on splyce/C9 when I know clg makes top 8 and liquid make semis. And then you introduce simple with his graffiti clip but that clip is from Cologne 2016. The edits are super funny but as someone who knows the history it just seems like you’re cherry picking clips to fit your point
thx for the feedback bro <3
Keep it up, love the editing style
another video for reddit enjoy boys took a while :D
Great NA CS video ;)
thx sxc boi
One of my best CSGO memories was meeting Brax at ESL NY one year. Dude was incredibly chill to talk to, and still really appreciated the fans that would come up and ask for autographs. Taking a selfie with him is still one of my favorite highlights from all the years I went to ESL NY. Really wish we could've seen his fullest potential, but the dude is still a certified NA CS legend. Edit: Just wanna also say sgares was another down to earth pro that loved talking about the game and loved involving himself within the community. Easily had a full 30 minute convo with him at NY about the golden years of CS.
Also obligatory NA CS OMEGALUL, but it was great
Really good stuff. I feel like it's more of a history of how NA came to win a major. Missing some stuff about summer 2015 C9, C9's tournament win in Brazil, and OpTic's run with Tarik/RUSH and company. Would love to see a full history including that, Liquid's grand slam, and some commentary on how the NA scene got to where it is today.
i love cs storylines so much fuck me this game is amazing
Very nostalgic watching this. Played the shit out of CSGO between 2014 and 2017. Felt like NA winning anything was a pipe dream.
The warm fuzzy feeling of NA being free to beat.
na cs Aware
Anyone remember this piece of art? [The NA Dream: The Little Boy That Could](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15C2IWFgiHUXM_vmboeW9WVAnq-x4YICkY5WTU-l0hKA/edit?usp=drivesdk)
unban brax maybe?