Community writer Kajetan ‘CMG’ Jordan gives us his thoughts on a thrilling ESL One event...
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ESL One was one of the biggest CS:GO events this year, and even though the event didn’t gather as much people in the arena itself as some other events, it still broke viewership records. In fact this record had been beaten on the first day! The game between Americans C9 and French organisation Titan surpassed 250k viewers. But what was truly astounding was that over 409k people tuned in for the final! ESL One Cologne was officially the most viewed CS:GO tournament in history and it certainly delivered in terms of excitement.
NiP Have Still Got It Swedish superstars NiP went into the event without any huge expectations from fans after some disappointing recent results, however it was obvious they felt that they had a lot to prove. They haven’t managed to win a major tournament since Dreamhack Summer 2014 at Jönköping and they will have been disappointed with their performance at G3. Some people began doubting if they still have ‘it’. Star players Christopher ‘GeT_RiGhT’ Alesund and Patrik ‘f0rest’ Lindberg had been quiet in those tournaments. This time it all changed and Christopher was one of the players of the tournament. Adam ‘friberg’ Friberg also produced solid performances. He clutched a lot of rounds and had an important part in their overall victory in Germany.
Titans Fall Titan are most definitely one of the top CS:GO teams however they failed to really make a mark during the majors this year and with no victories in big tournaments Titan could be in a worrying position. They have omitted Richard ‘shox’ Papillon from their squad in favour of one of the best snipers in the world in Kenny ‘KennyS’ Schrub. This swap looked to be a real coup for Titan but somehow the switch didn’t pay off and they are still to win their first CS:GO major this year. In my opinion something needs to change, and fast. Titan have very good players that work extremely well together, but something seems to be missing as they just cannot seem to clinch those victories.
ESL One was a great event with NiP once again showing their ability in front of a huge audience. Could this be the start of a revival for the once dominant team?
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Author: Kajetan ‘CMG’ Jordan (@CMGvirtual)
About the author: "I was born in Poland and a few years ago I moved to the UK. I'm currently studying ICT, Maths, English and Film Studies. I've been interested in e-sports ever since I've heard about 'Golden Five' winning the WCG in 2006. It's been my passion ever since. I have played Counter-Strike with my friends but with no luck on LAN tournaments. Right now I watch professional games every day and I have even tried to cast some. My biggest passion is still writing about it and sharing my views with other fellow gamers"