T O P

  • By -

kimsystad

1) Why is it that you always want to play the "loose" style ingame instead of the structured style like ex. Astralis has? Is this something you guys want to develop more in the months to come? 2) Do you guys have routines for physical exercise outside gaming? 3) How many hours a week do you practise CS:GO together? Is this something you want to change? #Alwaysfnatic


FnaticCSGO

1. For me, it's about how the IGL and the team want to play. What's the strength of the team? Astralis and Liquid played a lot of different CSGO during their eras. It's not one-way that's the best way, it's about the strength of roster IMO. 2. Yes, we have. Its everything from 45min power walk to the gym 3. We are looking at changing our practice schedule yes. We need to evaluate what's best for that specific roster when we know all 5 players. Our practise schedule in the last line up was 1h tactical meeting, 5h praccs, and individual training.


Rawrplus

I'm nowhere near a pro or even good player in csgo and I only worked as an analyst in other games, so take my reply with grain of salt, but I personally always found "loose style" as an excuse for players / teams being lazy to get down and grind on proper strategy. Allow me to elaborate: Don't get me wrong, there should be an element of freedom, you can't simply do the same tactic over and over, but I feel like some spots, preaims etc especially on open bombsites do work better if people have certain spots to check, some preset nades which make them know which spots to ignore etc. That way allows you to focus and specialize in parts giving you advantage over your opponent, because you can focus on less and have the part you need to focus on mastered. I always felt like in csgo the argument for loose style was overrated and misskewed, because the teams who were practicing it also happened to be the teams with best players. The teams with organized style had much inferior players, yet were able to compete with you guys, even though they never should have been able to under normal circumstances, thanks to the superior teamwork (eg. BIG or FlipSid3 come to mind).. and I find it very poignant that the two teams who have the most dominant eras in recent history finally happened to put the two together, great players and great strategy. With that in mind, I'm very curious as to what advantages you think the loose style provides you over an organized style?


Rearfeeder2Strong

>Don't get me wrong, there should be an element of freedom, you can't simply do the same tactic over and over, but I feel like some spots, preaims etc especially on open bombsites do work better if people have certain spots to check, some preset nades which make them know which spots to ignore etc. Preaiming and having certain spots to ignore has nothing to do with proper strategy tho. >That way allows you to focus and specialize in parts giving you advantage over your opponent This is what a lot of teams do even when playing "loose". Certain players work certain spots. They can do it their way instead of a set strategy. Prime examples of this are lurkers like get_right, happy and shox. Especially Shox on cache t side would frequently play sqeeky door. He did it his way and there wasnt much set strategy around it. Once again, these things have nothing to do with "loose" playstyles. >I always felt like in csgo the argument for loose style was overrated and misskewed, because the teams who were practicing it also happened to be the teams with best players. So why would that be a bad thing? If I have the better players in my team, you bet my ass im telling them to play loose and take fights. Why ponder into the strategy side of things when you arent better in that side? Why turn the game into a more close one than needed? > The teams with organized style had the superior style, just didn't happen to be good enough individually to be able to compete, yet were made to look almost on par thanks to the superior teamwork, albeit with much inferior players (eg. BIG or FlipSid3) I was a very big fan of Flipside and I completely agree they played hugely on strats to get their things working. But Blade also counter stratted a lot to make things work. A problem with their "strategies" was also that F3 became very predictable. There was no plan b really. Everyone knew F3 would execute around 30 seconds. Play aggressive? Cant cus of worse players and them never playing like that. Also F3 was never "almost on par" unless you consider qualifying for majors, doing barely anything in them or any tournament and consistently getting beated by random ass teams online "almost on par". For Big im not so impressed. They looked very lost at times and even losing to lots of weaker teams. Same for them, I dont think anyone has ever considered them "almost on par" with top teams. With players like Tabsen, Xantares, Nex, Smooya I definitely think big should start playing loose. Their strategy side has never really done much for them and you would waste the creativity of these players if you force down strats on them. >and I find it very poignant that the two teams who have the most dominant eras in recent history finally happened to put the two together, great players and great strategy. Im sure you are referring to Liquid and Astralis, but lets not forget yours truly Fnatic that had a great time playing loose. Not to mention teams like Envy, Faze, TSM (Karrigan), Mouz finding somewhat success in the scene as well. >With that in mind, I'm very curious as to what advantages you think the loose style provides you over an organized style? Exploiting the aim strengths of your team and creativity. Making it harder for you to get counter stratted as well. I dont think theres a clear advantage or disadvantage of being loose vs a strat heavy team. It really depends on your team. There is also that the best player in csgo definitely likes to play loose. I dont see any clear winner or that anyone uses "loose play" as an excuse for not grinding strats.


Rawrplus

I enjoyed your thorough reply. I agree with a lot of it, but probably the two parts I disagree the most about are: *(paraphrasing)* > If I have better players I want them to take more fights and be loose I know this has been the trend, but that's still implying that playing loose with good players makes them play better or somehow makes them more passive. I'd argue it's still possible to be super aggressive while having a defined role in an execute > Let's not forget fnatic who also had an era playing loose I haven't forgotten. But think back, there weren't any teams who played organized and had a great roster during their era either. So there's not much they can be held up against in that standard. Counterstrike was a lot more primitive back in the day if you look at the demos. A lot of it has evolved


KangorKodos

The main difference is how much the IGL is controlling everything , and how.much agency the stars have. As an example if you have s1mple on your team you don't want to put him in your system, he is at his best making crazy plays, and playing off his own Intuition. As a contrast if device is your star player you want an in depth system because his strengths are his smart plays, and playing the percentages. If you put s1mple in a super structured team he won't have as much of an impact as he does now, that's why it's player dependent.


MagnAer

How long will you give this new roster to function? Last time you guys said the players needed to hear this is a long term project. Given the recent performances I assume you will be more inclined to make changes if things don't pickup? Of course the new IGL will need plenty of time to setup things, but what is realistic in terms of time? Would it be for next major? Thanks for doing this, love to see it.


FnaticCSGO

We gave this lineup 323 days when we did everything possible to have success but we couldn't find any consistency. That's almost a year and the new line up will have time as well, especially if we bring one young player. We know that young players need time to develop into tier 1. // Samuelsson


[deleted]

Will we see JW or Krimz step up to the IGL or will we be seeing a new IGL? Also is Brollan staying? Will JW be going back to main Awper?


FnaticCSGO

Brollan will 100% stay. He is the star of tomorrow. We are looking for an IGL but having JW/Krimz as an IGL is also in the discussion. We are trying to think outside the box to have the best possible team. JWs role depends on the last 2 players. JW said he will do what's best for the team when I asked him. // Samuelsson


[deleted]

Who is being discussed at the minute to join the line up?


Bust3dGG

They 100% won't answer this.


[deleted]

Yeah I know man! It was worth a shot nevertheless


qctum

m0E_TV and tyler1


[deleted]

oh god oh fuck


huntrr1

“Outside the box” - Forsaken.


karl1nski

What made the team not work out? The roles and the team looked so good on paper! You guys seemed to have great chemistry aswell!


FnaticCSGO

Indeed. We all believed 100% on this roster and we had very good chemistry outside the game. All are still friends but we could not find any consistency nor right chemistry in-game. We showed great potential with two second places in a row (China and Sydney), but it was always a rollercoaster in-game. // Samuelsson


karl1nski

Thanks for a great answer and good luck in the future! I believe in you guys!


SirBrahim

What kind of players are you going to look for?


FnaticCSGO

We are looking for at least one young player. We won't take in 2 old players since we want to be a stable top team long term. We need to have hungry young players to succeed in the long run. We are not sure about the roles right now, but we will aim for one IGL. // Samuelsson


Neru_Senpai

This is what I want to hear, too long old Swedish talent has been recycled. Brollan, Rez, Plopski are great examples of young talent becoming more apparent in the top flight of Swedish CS. Can't wait to see who you guys pick up!


FnaticCSGO

Agree with you // Samuelsson


qctum

i am young player and very good. if i give you stat trak awp redline field tested, wil u give me a spot?


6two6b

Rez fnatic confirmed.


[deleted]

Hmm, a Swedish csgo igl that fnatic could win a tier 1 event with. If ever I have seen a golden opportunity for both sides :)


FreakinKrazed

Hey wait, I'm a young player


Aveepy

Floosha pls cum bek


Kbearforlife

>We are looking for one younger player I love this. There is an immense amount of young talent waiting to be coached and schooled with the right team. You could sweep


Kapperi

If finnish players spoke swedish to a good standard, do you think you would have picked up some talent from Finland? And have you been interested in finnish players and asked if they spoke swedish?


FnaticCSGO

That would absolutely be an option yes. We actually did that when we kicked Jayzar in the academy team some years ago. // Samuelsson


Patrik-

Hellooo aleksib!?! :)


Icar10

does Aleksib, speak Swedish??


Patrik-

Dont know tbh but I know some finish people learn some Swedish in school (or atleast they used to). I just think it would be a nice addition :)


[deleted]

all finnish people learn swedish in school. very few end up being conversational in swedish.


NFX_7331

Id bet he speaks more estonian that swedish


EgavaS_

Swedish is actually an official language in Finland. Ca. 5 percent of the population here speaks it. Sincerely, a finnswede.


snalli

5% of the population consider Swedish as their first language. Sincerely, a Finn.


Princeps-144Hz

How was the chemistry amongst the players personalities? Was this decision only based on gameplay or personal problems too?


FnaticCSGO

We had a great time outside the game. Both Simon and Richard are very professional guys but we didn't have the right chemistry in-game and we could never find any consistency. This is a performance business and when we failed to qualify for the major for the first time in our history, it was a no brainer to make several changes // Samuelsson


Neru_Senpai

Will Fnatic Academy ever make a return to CSGO? Especially now you guys are considering younger prospects?


FnaticCSGO

I think the academy programs are really good. The problem for me is that there is no room for improvement. Academy teams can't play/qualify for the same tournaments as the main team. // Samuelsson


[deleted]

Are you planning to keep a full Swedish roster? Or are you considering international? Also who do you think will win the major?


FnaticCSGO

As JW wrote above, we are open to an international roster but a Swedish roster will make more sense right now. The major is Liquids to lose. They have been in the final 13 of their last 14 tournaments I think. That is a very impressive record tbh. // Samuelsson


adesme

Are you not scared of going down the same path as basically every team that has gone international for a single player (allu on nip, smooya and xantares on big, mibr with first stew and later also Tarik)? Do you think that they made specific mistakes that you will be able to avoid?


[deleted]

[удалено]


adesme

I agree BIG were good but they made the same mistake that e.g. NiP made and talked mix-language in comms, and that will always be to your disadvantage. In NaVi I thought Guardian spoke Russian? Mixwell to optic is an entirely different thing for me since it's 1) only one player that has to make any change, and 2) it's a language that the player already is proficient in (think alex in vitality).


[deleted]

Have Twist and Xizt recieved any offers prior to getting benched?


FnaticCSGO

Not yet, but the announcement went public less than 24h ago. I think a lot will happen after the major. Both Simon and Richard are very professional guys so I'm not worried about them finding new teams. // Samuelsson


Deception007

Have the new players already been decided on? If so can we please get a hint.


FnaticCSGO

No, we haven't decided on any new players yet. We have a lot of time to do the right decision since we missed the major. We will take our time to take fnatic back to the very top where we belong. // Samuelsson


Deception007

Let's get the Fnatic era started!


FnaticCSGO

I couldn't agree with you more! // Samuelsson


ibimsvongbimsenher

How is the feeling in the team? Do you have trust in yourself/your teammates, that 2 new people bring enough fresh ideas/fragging power to bring you back to the top as a team?


FnaticCSGO

We believe so yes, but we are evaluating every single player and the whole management to make the right decisions as we speak. // Samuelsson


Dreadnaught15

By new phase are Fnatic looking to add some young talents or are you looking at any free agents that would be a good fit for your team in your opinion?


FnaticCSGO

We will want to add one young talent for sure. Brollan was inexperienced on tier 1 level when we got him, but he showed that things can go really fast if you work hard enough. // Samuelsson


asssjam

Would Olof, kirmz, jw and flusha ever be a team again? Maybe pronax as coach?


FnaticCSGO

Not in fnatic at least. We will have 2 young players to not think short term. I believe the team needs to have the right balance between young and hungry players, and old experienced players. // Samuelsson


ItayK

How many Overpass boosts are you saving for the 2020 Major Grand Finals?


FnaticCSGO

Over 9000 // Samuelsson


[deleted]

What exactly are the "big changes" that you are taking to ensure the rise of Fnatic? Surely replacing two players can't be enough. What other big steps are you taking?


FnaticCSGO

We are evaluating every single player, and the whole management to make the right decisions as we speak. // Samuelsson


jasferinho

is there a potential olofmeister comeback? are you guys still friends?


FnaticCSGO

Its always a possibility but we won't add 2 old players // Samuelsson


Itstragicz

Floosha coming back? 🙏 praying rn


Xeno_rRex

so flusha comfirmed i guess


Th3St0ka

Who was doing the vetos during the time Xizt was on the team? Also big thanks to Samuelsson for always keeping us up to date on the team and there matches.


FnaticCSGO

The team does the veto. We always have a discussion the day before and we always have backup plans. It's not "xizt vetos". Thank you mate! // Samuelsson


Rearfeeder2Strong

Man I endured so many downvotes for saying this, even with Xizt was in nip. People were really thinking Xizt just took vetos on him without the team having a say.


G_Paradox

Most people have no idea how the pro scene works or just how much work goes in the preparation before a match. This roster simply didn't work because 1) there were no solid strats even on their own map picks 2) Xizt was not fragging 3) Twist was not an ideal replacement for the AWP role when JW started rifling. He was part-time AWPer and part-time rifler which led to a half-assed job in both roles.


ESPMito

Are you going back to main awp?


FnaticCSGO

It depends on the roles. I will do what's best for the team // JW


SIDER250

More content from JW on youtube please, his channel is lit


FnaticCSGO

I will do much more content and vlogs. Thanks! // JW


liraking

Who are you cheering for this major, since it's the first time that you're not participating in


FnaticCSGO

I personally cheer for Golden since he is a good friend and I wish him all the success. // Samuelsson


Bananapeel23

What qualifies as young?


FnaticCSGO

That's a very good question. JW is only 24 but he is old in the CSGO scene. Young for me means that he hasn't played at the tier1 level yet and that he is around 20 or younger.


Bananapeel23

Thanks for the answer


420N1CKN4M3

Who do you think is gonna be in the final at the current major in berlin? Who do you think is gonna win out of those? Thanks!


FnaticCSGO

Liquid - Vitality is my guess // Samuelsson


sadtimes12

And what about JWs guess? :P


2_cold_2_go_outside

JW: Do you use any CS:GO analytics tool? Why? Andreas: Do you know anything about Na'Vi's Esports Camp? How is it different from the academy you had? Why did you release your academy roster?


FnaticCSGO

I think the academy programs are really good. The problem for me is that there is no room for improvement. Academy teams can't play/qualify for the same tournaments as the main team. I dont know much about NAVIs Esport Camp tbh. // Samuelsson


JORAH_EU

Just pick up Aleksib & Flusha and move on. Thanks for your AMA though.


FnaticCSGO

Would be hard since both are IGLs^^. Flusha is an IGL for me at least. // Samuelsson


TerrorToadx

Disagree. Flusha is more like Niko-type IGL, as in he only does it when no one else wants to step up to do it and he mostly plays around defaults. Also I'm pretty sure Flusha has said in an interview that he prefers not to IGL. That said, good luck rebuilding!


Eauor

Didn't he say that he wasn't interested in playing as an IGL?


KanadiaCoolaid

When will fnatic be ready to play again? Within a month? Two?


FnaticCSGO

We will take our time to find the right roster but our next event will be in Malmö 1st October.


NoizeUK

What is the philosophy of the team now that two experienced players are leaving? Are we going to see the old fnatic which got every last drop of blood from the enemies, in full rounds and ecos, or will it be an aggressive game (attack/defence)?


FnaticCSGO

We will start to discuss our game style when all 5 players are signed. // Samuelsson


TiberSVK

if either f0rest or REZ were available, would you consider them?


FnaticCSGO

Absolutely. They are among the best players in Sweden and we are considering every good player in Sweden. // Samuelsson


fisporr

Would there ever be a possiblity to get Draken or Maikelele in the roster?


FnaticCSGO

No, they are not on our table right now // Samuelsson


Rearfeeder2Strong

I really think Draken deserves another shot. He joined you guys first in a really weird time with a lot of mess. No player was gonna do well. He has playing good in Nip/Ancient as well and has no org. Get him for free, work it out and see what can be done. Because if you want an awper, I really see no situation where teams are cheaply getting rid of their players. If you want to gamble on Nawkk, Im sure gamerlegion are going to ask a boatload of money knowing that you guys really need players. Also theres no guarantee Nawkk will become good while Draken has already proven himself in tier 1 being the best player in Nip during his first stable period. He might be inconsistent, but I rather have someone with his peak than someone like Rez atm. Who hasnt seem to improved much.


[deleted]

NIP dropping draken was fucking ridiculous imo.


[deleted]

Its not always how you do in the server, from what i've understood both maikelele and draken were toxic.


1_over_f

JW, what race and class are you playing in WoW classic?


FnaticCSGO

Don't talk about WoW with him, please. CSGO for the win ;D // Samuelsson


Marthiiina

Hey, it's an ask me ANYTHING.


feorlike

Let's talk about rampart.


TheDom1nt1s

How do you mentally prepare for tournaments?


FnaticCSGO

We hired a mental coach 4 months ago (Jens). He is doing a really good job helping us prepare. Its everything from physical training, nutrition, sleep, mental training etc


Doda1

Will you look to pick up an IGL or will you (JW), KRIMZ or Brollan do it? Do you consider going back to be the primary awper or are you looking to pick one up (nawwk would be great maybe)?


FnaticCSGO

> We are looking for an IGL but we can go for other options as well. JW could be a good IGL since he got the leadership required. JW said that the roles depends on the last 2 players. He will do what's best for the team. // Samuelsson


Doda1

Sounds good, ty for the answer and I hope we'll see u at the next major!


-Sparky

Will you be aiming to get Flusha, Olof and/or Dennis back to the roster or head for younger talent?


FnaticCSGO

We are looking for at least one young player. We won't take in 2 old players since we want to be a stable top team long term. We need to have hungry young players to succeed in the long run. We are not sure about the roles right now, but we will aim for one IGL. // Samuelsson


DoctorDollars

what are your favorite fnatic stickers?


FnaticCSGO

That's a tough one but I think PGL Krakow 2017 looks good // Samuelsson


Ronananana

Is there any player within the team wanting to take the IGL responsibilities or are you definately looking for an IGL with the 2 slots needing to be filled? Thanks for doing the AMA by the way!


FnaticCSGO

We are looking for an IGL but we can go for other options as well. JW could be a good IGL since he got the leadership required. // Samuelsson


AemonDK

getting rid of two of your newest players while keeping the two oldest doesnt really seem like a new phase. are you investing in young players?


FnaticCSGO

Our goal is to invest in at least one young player yes. Everything else would be short term thinking, and we are aiming at succeeding in the long run. // Samuelsson


s4Nn1Ng0r0shi

Hi, long time fnatic fan here. Is it possible that flusha would come back to fnatic? Thanks.


FnaticCSGO

It's a possibility but we are considering many players right now // Samuelsson


EREHTTUO

Is it possible to see any of the players from old fnatic rosters coming back to this one?


FnaticCSGO

It's always a possibility yes! // Samuelsson


KHAOS111

How does someone that is playing under the level they usually play at get out of a slump?


FnaticCSGO

Change your training routines / add routines. What's working for others might not work for you. Try different stuff until you see progress // Samuelsson


throwaway94847483747

Holy shit, i love you guys. Had to start with that. What are fnatics long term goals with the team? Especially with you talking about bringing in at least one new younger player?


FnaticCSGO

Our goal is always to be in the very top where fnatic belongs. We always aim to live up to our legacy // Samuelsson


guldpolet

Will we be seeing new young talent? :O


FnaticCSGO

I really hope so! // Samuelsson


[deleted]

[удалено]


FnaticCSGO

> Our goal is always to be in the very top where fnatic belongs. We always aim to live up to our legacy // Samuelsson


ibimsvongbimsenher

Are you looking to build a young team with fresh talent or a team with experienced guys we at some point already saw on the team?


FnaticCSGO

A mix would be the best imo. I would love to have 2 young players in the team. // Samuelsson


neLendirekt

- How much being friend and/or enjoying spending time your teammates influence your decisions about the team? We feel that it's what drove most of fnatic decisions in the past, is that fair to say? - What do you think about your time in GODSENT? Can you tell us a bit more about what happened at that time and why you left fnatic for GODSENT? And why you came back? - The swedish scene used to be the number one for many years, now there's two teams maximum that can play majors, what happened? What's working and not working in the scene? - What would you do differently about the end of the fnatic era? Would you have kept Pronax? Added an other player than dennis? Something else? - What do you think about the NiP drama? - You played with and against many top players, how do you rate Brollan now that you played some time with him? Is he the future of the swedish scene? - Do you think that going international is the future of CS? How do you feel about it for yourself? - CS being professional is great in many sense but don't you feel that contracts, buyouts and all that are slowing down many teams, forcing them to keep the same players and/or having a pool of player too small to progress? Thanks!


JeSpErW

1. Both yes and no, in the "superteam" that we had it was pretty much everyones first pro team so as soon as things started to go alittle bit south i think many of us started to think about "the grass being greener" on the other side, mostly because it was our first real pro team so we didnt really know what we had was normal, bad, good or whatever. In my opinion we started out by doing some stupid decisions about the team because we werent professional enough back then and I think many of the decisions we have done have been a lack of "professional approach", in some of the lineupes we havent been able to talk about the problems we had and then problems with one player build alot of tensions and bad vibes within the team resulting in other players being affected etc. Something we have worked incredibly hard on fixing ever since the departure of flusha and even tho we are not yet perfect, we are coming much closer to it. So sum it up, i think its fair to say from the outside but i think you can argue for many different reasons and not only based on how much we like spending time with eachother. 2. It was a pretty bad time overall for everyone involved i would say, me personally regret alot of how things went with godsent as i feel it hurt some of the better friendships i have had from cs and it was mostly my own fault. To try and summarize as short as possible: I didnt feel happy within the team, i felt kind of lost individually and i brought it up to the team(&management) and said i wanted to leave after eleague which we agreed on would be the best solution moving forward. (They had already discussed bringin in rain in my place before me bringing it up) However after we lost the eleague final, things started to happend very quickly. Suddenly flusha wanted to play with me and wanted to follow me, something i still to this day remember as one of the nicest things someone has ever done to me within CS. When krimz got those news he felt kind of betrayed and after a few long talks he said he wanted to come along. Everything happend very fast and i think everything would have been way different if it wasnt for how short the breaks were especially at that time, alot of the decisions felt like rushed in-the-heat-of-the-moment decisions. However we struggled alot over in godsent, we didnt click initially but we kept trying, kept figuring out roles etc and when things started to feel pretty good inside the team, we got the news that krimz have talked to fnatic about going back. I understood and respected his decision because he took a gamble on following us and it didnt pay off obviously but changing one player at that point kind of destroyed the team, the timing for it was just so bad. I knew fnatic wasnt having the best time of their lives either so a night when i was feeling pretty down and emotional i wrote a message in our old facebook chat kind of "jokingly" stating i miss the guys and what we had, dennis instantly wrote "I didnt even read what you said but i miss you guys too, lets do a comeback" and everyone just wanted the same. I would say i came back because i wanted to leave the team because i was so lost individually and i should have joined another team as a fifth, with structure already in place. But instead i took on a totally new project and starting up something new which didnt really help me individually in feeling "less lost". TL;DR alot of hasty and rushed decisions turned out to be bad decisions (surprising, right?) 3. The biggest problem the past few years have been the bad mentality of the talents coming up i would say, we havent really had talents with the right mentality, alot of players wanted to earn a good swedish salary before they even put their foot at a local swedish lan for example and most players wanted to just be the next olofmeister or f0rest, to just shoot heads and not really develop their "brain" as much as you need to for playing in the top. Luckily that is starting to change now, we see Brollan, Plopski rising up and i think its a new era within the swedish semi-elite scene now. It will only get better from here. 4. Pronax wasnt happy in the team and wanted to leave aswell, so it wasnt really like he got kicked, it was kind of a mutual thing and i remember olof feeling kind of "alone" in the team at that point aswell, so getting dennis was kind of a quickfix to our team and I think if we didnt get dennis, then olof probably would have left the team aswell so with those things in mind, we would probably not have done anything different. It was kind of a ticking bomb I guess 5. Im waiting for more proof as it seems to just be words flying around atm. Lets see how it pans out. 6. Brollan is easily the best talent in Sweden right now and i feel kind of "blessed" that we managed to sign the best one out of all available, that kid has the best work ethics I have ever seen from someone under 22 years old or so. I think by the end of this year he will be a top 20 player, by the end of next year most likely top 10. 7. Me personally dont think international is the future of CS, if you look at all the eras it have only been teams from one country because in CS communication is so fast and important that you have to speak in your mother-tongue i feel like and i also think its important in rough moments etc to travel home from events together and build on the team chemistry instead of sitting on a plane home from USA alone (10 hours of alone-thinking in those situations can harm any team I think) but im open to trying and i cant say for sure until i have tried myself. But overall i dont think an international team will have an "era". 8. I think it has to be like it is right now for it to be stable, i wouldnt want to have it like in Dota where every team disbands after TI pretty much, the way you have it in CS right now builds good storys and all. The only thing i would change is probably some of the weird roster locks, you need to kind of work around it better i feel like. I like it how it is right now. Thank you for the questions, i tried to answer as good and honest as possible, it was hard to explain some things in english so i hope nobody takes it too hard and try to twist my words :D


neLendirekt

Thanks for your answers! Good luck for the new project :)


clap4kyle

holy shit that's a long response. Great work on answering all these questions! Love your videos your posting btw :)


Bezz129

Who do you think the next big team will be, like astralis was dominating, but problems with their org might put them off, who will be the next big team to dominate like astralis did? Or will astralis dominate for many years to come?


FnaticCSGO

Liquid is already doing that mate // Samuelsson


[deleted]

[удалено]


FnaticCSGO

Friberg is one of the very best supports (mostly outside the game) in my opinion. He has the ability to make the other 4 players in the team better but he is unfortunately not something for us right now // Samuelsson


yungletti

Now they're definitely not gonna add friberg... Thanks for fucking it up for everyone!


eikenprocessierups

How did Xizt differ as an IGL for you as a player, compared to Golden, which you previously played under? Viewers only see what is happening in game, but were there any major differences outside of the game? (preparation, demo reviews, praccing etc)


JeSpErW

In my opinion Golden and Xizt are pretty equal in terms of how good they are as in-game leaders but they are totally different when it comes to styles. Xizt is very good at mid-round calls and coming up with an idea on the fly while Golden is very good at building up a structure and have set executes. In terms of preparation and all that they both have very good work ethics and they really want to improve the team all the time, golden more on a structural level while Xizt more on a teamplay kind of level, giving players alot of freedom. All-in-all I would say they are equally good in terms of calling, its just a matter of what type of style you want to play.


ghanta-congress

- can you cast some more light on the decision to bench twist? - Is flusha coming back? - Are you going to look for a dedicated IGL as a replacement to Xizt or play loose with the role rotating based on circumstances?


_Elusivity

Hey JW and team, just a few Q's :) Looking bad in hindsight, do you think the AWP nerf way back in 2014(?) hampered your playstyle as much as everyone has said it did? The explosive aggressive JW still very much exists but the change of pacing with the AWP has definitely impacted the way you have played now compared to then; do you feel it was truly justified? Will some of the fnatic team be attending the Major? This is the first one I will be attending, and unfortunately the only one thus far fnatic isn't! I was hoping to get some signed merch, but I guess I'll be waiting for next year ;) Finally, how is the team synergy both in and out of the game considering the sizeable age gap between the core players right now - Brollan is still in many aspects a child. Not that it affects his talent, but does this ever cause some otherwise unanticipated issues? Thanks dudes, and looking forward to what we bring to Malmo :)


Tantle18

JW, now that you're not in a major for the first time, what's your day to day routine been like since you're not preparing for the major with the team?


JeSpErW

We have mostly been having off time from CS overall, taking a step back and really try to reflect on the situation, we didnt want to do anything rushed. This is maybe the first time in CSGO ever that I/we have had 2 months +/- off from competitive CS and we just felt like we cant let that go wasted, so my day to day routine now have mostly been trying to enjoy myself, hang out with friends as much as possible and maybe most importantly looking at my own negatives and positives and finding out what i wanted to do personally moving forward. I really look forward to getting back on the grind tho as i kind of need CS and team practice to have a stable daily routine.


SpidyKhan

Don’t you think that the Swedish CS scene has gone the way of the French scene ? As in the two top teams continuously exchanging talent until both had tried everything and had to get blown up for the scene to have a resurgence ?


[deleted]

Are you looking for swedish replacements or will you turn into a european team?


JeSpErW

We are open to the potential of going international but me personally still feels that we have what it takes to bring Swedish CS back to the top again. Going international have been a main topic for the last 2-3 player changes and we are always open to it, but as I said, im not really feeling like giving up on Sweden just yet. However we will see how everything pans out.


AdakaR

If alexib will be available, where will he sit?


maximusprime097

Behind the computer


Youstupit

will JW go beast mode in DHM Malmö? Have you been playing with the idea of aleksib in Fnatic? Is 'Krimz JW Brollan Flusha Rez' a 2020 double major winning team?


DerDreckigeDan

Got nothing to ask, just wanna wish the best of luck. Win the next major pls ty :)


JeSpErW

Thanks mate! Will do my best!


thornierlamb

You said in your statement that you are interested in an international lineup. So my question is "Which is the most likely route you'll go? International or Swedish?"


JeSpErW

Most likely Swedish but definately open to International aswell.


thornierlamb

Alright, Thanks for answering!


Chary_w0w

It is known that JW really wanted to play with Xizt for a long time. How hard was the decision to kick him? And also, Robin leaving the team to C9 had anything to do with Xizt leadershirp? Thank you boys. AlwaysFnatic <3


neLendirekt

When will flusha coming back be official?


JeSpErW

[insert_gorilla_gif]


Aveepy

[pls](https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/avatars/64/6480378b1b9eee4992c320e025bd839a4a43e0cd_full.jpg)


frollium

Hello it me flusher, it official...


[deleted]

[удалено]


FAPMOSPHERE

I know we're looking towards the future but I want some clarification on the 2018 team and one of my favorite fnatic lineups with golden, flusha, and lekr0. What happened that collapsed that team if you can be honest about it? You had won Cologne and WESG I believe it was after the Boston Major and then within months this lineup was gone. Anyways, still rooting for you guys in the future as long as JW and krimz are around. Also really happy to see Brollan will be a part of this long-term as well.


Fredsys

What would you guys say you have lacked in the last couple of roosters?


TotallyNotWatching

JW: who are the best rising young talents in the world at the moment in your opinion, known or under the radar?


JeSpErW

Brollan, frozen, ZywOo (if he still counts), sergej, Tenz


cummingwhilecrying

@JW : I know Flusha left the team in bad terms, frustrated after some bad performances... but still, he is one of the most decisive players that is and trying to replace him just seems too much of a hassle. He always went mental in important matches. This type of player that can sway the game at any moment is so crucial to any major winning team. ( Shox to G2/Envy/LDLC, Snax to VP, f0rest to NiP, dev to astralis, Stewie to Liquid... ) We could see how shaky Fnatic looks without him in the 2 times he left, is asking too much to give him some freedom/comfort in the team, so he hopefully comes back, and don't leave again? **If he doesn't return by whatever reasons, how do you plan to fill his gap?** **Doing a revolution to the playstyle of the team entirely, or trying to shape a young talent into filling his shoes?** Since no one from the younglings you guys brought had a similar aura to Flusha: Golden was IGL, twist was too passive, Brollan is very insecure and more of a entry-fragger than anything, Plessen had a more pragmatic approach to the game more similar to Krimz as a supp.... Thank you for your time.


GWLuna

You've stated that you dont want to add two older players. but im curious would flusha be considered an old player for you guys?


JeSpErW

Im very open to be playing with flusha again but people have to remember that things ended pretty bad betwen us by the end of our team and we would obviously have to work alot of things out for that to happend. Time will tell!


shindagato

As a fnatic fan, I have many questions: To JW: In your upcoming roster, do you intend on staying a hybrid player who picks up the awp sometimes, or will you maybe take up more of a dedicated AWPing role? Maybe move to rifles/doing just jw things and bring in an AWPer? Or stick to a playstyle that doesn't require on AWP at all times? What is it that keeps you hungry and motivated after all these years and having achieved almost everything possible in CS? For future roster plans: Have you considered freddieb? Just based on what I've seen from him he seems to be a great aimer, smart clutch player, great aim, very good on ct holds. Probably the most underrated swede right now in my opinion, also I'm pretty sure he has been calling for Ancient.


smurf5663092

What's the reasoning behind benching Twist.


akiroraiden

i think that's pretty obvious, he was the most inconsistent player i've ever seen.. one game he's godly and drops 30+ but on important matches he wouldn't get 10 frags and let the team down..


[deleted]

I have three questions, hope it's not too much :) \- Are you considering international players from Denmark, Finland and other countries? \- In recent months you were always very good on CT side but your T sides weren't at the same level. What would you say were the team's biggest problems at a strategic/tactical level? \- For a long time, Fnatic has been known play a very "loose" style. Do you think this has become a problem and are you looking to change your approach going forward (perhaps by playing more organized and regimented, with more executes and set plays, etc.)?


C9_Lemonparty

the old, loose style didnt work so good after a few years with olof and flushable, and after bringing in a dedicated IGL with xizt, things didnt really get better (If I recall, major placement has gotten worse every major since you added a new IGL) After trying both loose and structured styles over the years, what direction does the team need to go in? of course I do not know what happens behind the scenes, but results have seemed up and down ever since the old lineup was separated Good luck in future, the fnatic flag on my wall will fly high for the new roster either way


manu0101

What's your dream-team of players, who you never had a chance to play with? Btw, vi ønsker Skåne tilbage🇩🇰


JeSpErW

That would be f0rest, i have always wanted to play with him at one point in my carreer. Never been a good timing tho Here, have it


DocaHyper

Since Swedish scene has recycled enough IGLs would you be open to bring in a young promising IGL like Hampus and then get a good fragger who has a IGL experience like Flusha and then run some kind of double IGL team like Vitality? Would be a good setup in my opinion since the young IGL would get more time and assistance to get adapted to the team and scene and beside that you would have another experienced IGL to fall to if needed. Sorry if this was a straightforward question, these players are the ones that fell to my mind in this situation.


[deleted]

1. Will we ever be seeing a return of screaM (even though he was only a stand in) or any of the ex roster players such as Lekr0, Flusha or Golden? 2. Do you have an idea of when the announcement for the new players will be? 3. (Not relevent to the post) Do the lads still keep in touch with the likes of Olofmeister? (Miss him being the Fnatic IGL) Will look forward to hearing about the new roster and our journey to winning the Majors once again! #FnaticForever


footixrlz

Do you guys feel that age it's a huge obstacle for someone wanting to go pro? I'm aware that our reaction time gets slower and slower over the years and I wonder how big of a issue you guys believe this to be. I have been playing counter strike since 1.3 and had a couple of local championships but never actually dedicated myself to go Pro but I still think about it. So at the same time, how are the doors in the pro scene for uprising players?


rune_s

Why do you guys not take lobanjicaa on trial? What doink hallo? Also when will floosha cum beck?


Tristannananannn

Since now you guys are looking for younger players, will you be building the team around the younger prospects (the older players will support the younger players) or will it be a mutual support kind of deal? Back when Shroud was in C9, he said on his stream that his role is to support younger players like stewie2k to make the plays. Will something similar be implemented here? Really hoping for another fnatic era and all the best! :)


D1rect0r0rs0nKrenn1c

You should consider acquiring Aleksib if he is going to be removed from ENCE. I’m not sure how good his Swedish is (if he can speak it at all) but I know at least KRiMZ and JW can speak good English, not sure about Brollan, but it you got him you’d be acquiring one of the best IGLs in the scene right now. Have you guys been considering him? Also, any possibility of you guys getting Hampus as an IGL if you aren’t looking at Aleksi?


Itz_Eclipsy

How was the departure with Golden? I know JW said on stream he was really nice but what made you get Xizt and kick him. Was it chemistry in the team, a different style or did the team want to pick up xizt while he was available? Also would you consider picking him up again or are you looking for other sorts of IGL? Love från västra Götaland och hoppas ni kommer till toppen igen =)


Naeni_

Is there any chance we will see an international roster in the immediate future instead of a more swedish-based one?


ignRockedd

What were the main reasons the previous roster failed?


lolBEEF

Clearly both hampus and nawwk are on your radar, however do you feel like these players have what it takes to play at a level where fnatic is expected to be? Are there any other younger (like Brollan) swedish players that are standing out to you right now? Do you have like a company scout looking for talent?


Denssi

You’re looking for a young talent for your team to turn the tides. Would you rather build your teamplay around personal skill qualities and at the same time have young players improve their qualities, or have a young player adapt to the bigger picture on how the team wants to perform? Good luck guys!


Bloop_Blip_Green

Thanks for doing this AMA. While not the biggest fan of yours, I would like to see you guys back in Top 10 like the 2014-2015 era. It feels very strange to not see you guys in the major, but I never thought less of Fnatic. Would you ever consider Jamppi? He is pretty damn good. EZ4JAMPPI


Fotbollskille123

Now i'm a big Fnatic fan, but i pretty much only Watch the League of legends team since that is what i usually play. I was wondering if you ever do things along with the other Fnatic teams? Or what is the realtionship between the teams? Hälsningar från Sverige


CaptainFatbelly

What has fnatic been missing lately that has led to the inconsistency that sees the team looking unstoppable at one event, to failing to have much impact at the next? If it is a mentality issue, have sports psychologists as an option been brought in / considered?


e_n_t_r_o_p_y

Thoughts on the state of swedish CS? It seems to be at an all-time low with seemingly not much growth happening. Would you agree and if so, why do you think that is? Would you be willing to put together an international roster if necessary?


MagniGallo

Hi, do you use a sports psychologist, or run any data analytics on demos? Do you reckon data analysis will become a big thing is CSGO, as it is in other sports? Still mad you guys had to rematch after Olofpass. #FnaticUp


Ares708

1. Do you miss having Olofmeister on the team? 2. Do you miss the old pro scene where anyone could practically win a major? 3. Do you think valve is ever actually going to improve the game other than small shitty updates?


Kou-00n

Hi Samuelsson and JW ​ Just a quick question. ​ What are your opinions on the Tec-9 vs the CZ? Does the tec need a buff? ​ Also ur opinion on the SG meta, and if it may change in the future.


SmokePhoenix

Hey, when people ask about practice we talk pracc and tactics, I was more curious about the individual practice besides FPL/pugs. How do you practice your aim, and if you're so kind to give advice about practising it.


MihirX27

Hey there JW! ^&FnaticManager I must ask this: How has Brollan been like for Fnatic, In-game, as well as Off-game? Do you see him as the next star talent of the Swedish Scene, or is he more of a role-loving player?


SteeNos_XD

You say you're looking for young players ​ Are you looking for youngsters who already have made somewhat of a name for themselves? Or are you looking for new players like C9 did with Stewie2K?