France CS has undoubtedly experienced a seismic shock due to Vitality's internationalization, and with the addition of the Danish trio, for the first time in many years, the highest level of the competition has missed a pure French team. The aftershocks occurred only a few days later, and Shox traveled to North America to go international with Liquid.
An international column that needs proof
The personnel shuffle between the French CS teams has always produced iconic lineups, such as EnvyUs in 2015, G2 in 2017, and Vitality in 2018. In 2022, however, Vitality took a different path. The little bee that has switched to an international model declares that there will no longer be any pure-blood team in France today that can support Major-level events.
"When Vitality told me I wasn't going to be a part of them in 2022, I listed myself. Unfortunately, we can't deny that if I stayed in France, I would have had to be relegated. The culmination of the French CS team is Vitality, which is no longer 100% French; LDLC is next, but there is a huge gap between the two. If I want to start over in the French CS environment, I have to get up from the bottom again, and it is even more difficult to get back to the top. So from then on, I opened my doors to any possible offers. ”
In this way, the pillar of the VeyGames era followed in the footsteps of another legendary player, NBK-, to the international. King Maker joined OG after leaving Little Bee two years ago, while another old friend, ScreenM, is also turning tiles in 2020, and the destination is Liquid.
Language is about the viability of an international lineup. NBK - fluent in English allowed him to smoothly integrate into the OG roster, and later MOUZ (although it is no longer there); and this is exactly what shox needs to work on.
"So far, there has not been an international squad to establish a rule, but in terms of player selection, marketing, business, going international can open up huge possibilities. It's a situation I've never experienced before... In my opinion, learning to be bilingual is a must, but I am not bilingual now. Although my English is not bad, I sometimes feel that I speak slowly, whether listening or speaking. ”
If the language barrier can be overcome, the international squad will have great potential. But the fact that the Major was never obtained and that a dynasty was never established has drawn much doubt into the path. If you want to lash out at this voice, you can look at history, such as Boston in 2018, where the Galactico is just one step away from Major's goal. You might think that this is the ironclad evidence that the international squad is difficult to do, but from another point of view, how many unified language teams can achieve the same achievements as FaZe and even MOUZ in late 2018?
Language is not the only challenge shox has encountered, french veterans have experienced many new things in the new team and CS environment, one of which is Liquid's playing style.
"I'm not so surprised, you see them play that way. However, there is a difference between experiencing it in person and watching it. It's not surprising, but it doesn't mean it's easy to adapt. ”
"The first thing that comes to my mind is the difference between the attacking side. At Vitality, we're a connected, fast, and aggressive style where we'll hit a package point in 45 seconds; when it comes to liquid, I'll have to learn to attack a pack point in less than 30 seconds left. Each innings lasts longer, more events occur, and there are more aspects to manage and analyze – it's very different! ”
In the new environment, shox must play a new role, a role completely different from the previous habits. Just as his style of play has reshaped his offensive landscape, his position has also profoundly changed the way he plays in CT – he started to become a ct player at the main point, which is a world away from the past.
"It was something I had to re-learn, it was very interesting and seemed to take me back to my early days of playing CS, when I was very young, fifteen or sixteen years old, playing that position... Like rediscovering the past, I had to be patient. I'm very hard at this, because you've been wandering around for six years, and now all of a sudden you're going to stick to the bag, it's definitely not the same thing. ”
Similarly, shox has also brought a new perspective to Liquid's new lineup, no player in the squad has the experience and comprehensive ability of shox, he can bring new thinking and methods to the team, making them more agile and unpredictable.
It's a lot of work in the game, but if that's all, the challenge is too easy.
From international to intergenerational
The Frenchman is not only adapting to internationality, he must admit that he is already a player of the last era. Like many of his competitors, he put his goal on the tip. Shox not only wants to show that he can succeed in the international squad, but also aspires to show that he can also stand to the top at the age of 30.
Looking back at the peak of The WayGames and G2, Shox has always shown level and determination, "I'm definitely the strongest. This belief is indestructible. Even if the momentum to maintain the belief changes, it can still exist in another form as a statement of new challenges.
"I want to prove to the Counter-Strike space that even at 30 you can still succeed on the T1 team. In my impression, no one in this age group will even look up to it, whether it is a club, a player or a coach. I think that's a big mistake. At age 30, people may have different priorities, such as starting a family, settling down, and stopping walking in the north and south of the river – and their goals will change in this way. ”
"And I believe that as long as you still have the will, as long as you are still committed to being the best version of yourself, you can still go on, at least until you are 35 years old." This is one of my personal goals, and I want to change the environment's default view of the issue. ”
The veteran will soon be in the ranks of friberg, f0rest, TaZ, NEO and other players. In his old age, Shox has no interest in finding a home for the elderly, and he still takes the most difficult challenges as his goal, regardless of cost, sacrifice and effort. He had no doubt that he could push the limits.
All of these aspects add up to show us the fundamental changes in shox. However, this change is not limited to him personally.
Shox with a new chapter in French CS
Shox's career took a major turn, and the entire French CS was undoubtedly at a relatively difficult time in history. After Vitality, there are no longer T1-level pure-blood French teams. The reasons for this phenomenon are manifold.
Business considerations are undoubtedly one of the important factors. While the team is open to players from more countries, it also means matching the wider market. And CS in France, and even Belgium, has always had a certain aura, thanks to superstars like ScreenM, kennyS, apEX, and now ZywOo, and shox. The connection between players and fans from the same country allows the international team to have a larger fan base. Think about it, how many Liquid or NA CS fans occasionally go to FaZe to see the director play?
The increase in the level of competition is also an important plot. NaVi dominates CSGO in 2021, spurring teams to jump out of the box. Vitality founder Fabien Devide was blunt, and his goal, and the fundamental reason for signing Zonic, Dupreeh, magisk, was to get Vitaly on the podium and ultimately win Major. Apart from Vitality, few clubs can support such a luxurious squad. In France, second only to Vitality, only LDLC remains, and LDLC has been away from the T1 environment for a long time.
The lack of club selection is a problem for today's rookies. There is no shortage of talent in French CS, with ZywOo, Misutaaa, Kyojin in recent years, as well as HEET's afro and Djoko. What shox is worried about is the discovery and cultivation of talents, and even whether they can fully bloom in higher-level competitions.
"I am deeply concerned about the development of the French rookie. Not to say no, but I find it hard to find anything that can help these rookies grow. The final success so far has been the GenOne team, which was packaged by the LDLC. It's a lineup led by KRL, who does the livestream, finds five youngsters and trains them personally. That's it. ”
"If he doesn't, these five youngsters will still be lost in the fog of French amateur CS." Now they have a club backer and a salary, which is good... But is this what an anchor should do as an individual? ...... France is too short of a youth team."
France currently lacks a real youth team. Historically, LDLC seems to have performed this role informally, with their main team packed by EnVyUs, which also had a brief roster of youth teams, from which JACKZ rose to prominence until he joined G2.
However, EnVy closed the door to their CS more than a year ago, letting french CS directly a small number of talent pipelines. Events like the ESL National Championship can also help scout talent, but with limited use.
All in all, French CS lacks a clear professional path, and new and old players have a clear feeling about it. Liquid knows this, too, because in a way they are the beneficiaries of this change. After exiting EnVy in 2018, ScreaM lingered in the CS secondary environment for many years, eventually joining the Valorante branch of liquids and ushering in a rebirth. Similar examples can be applied to other French CS veterans, such as xms, Happy and Ex6TenZ (now akukhoS) – albeit less successfully.
ScramM's younger brother, former Vitality sixth man, Nivera, is also part of the game. He has a high opinion of french CS, but he said in an interview that French CS is not what it used to be:
"Now French CS is not like when my brother played. Vitality is half Danish and G2 has only one French. Only LDLC is left in pure France, but their results can't get into the top ten. Changes have been made, but the French CS is still very, very good. ”
Players and fans alike know that France is not bad, but the truth is that the framework of the original club and environment is collapsing.
As this trend unfolds, The French players may head to the international squad to avoid being limited by the lower ceiling of the French CS environment. Of course, they can also be signed by a foreign club, but the G2 example is familiar to everyone.
"If I were a foreign club that recruited five French players, assuming they could do as well as EnVyUs, nothing would happen; but if I started losing, I would consider a change. As a COO who didn't understand the CS environment in France, I either blindly listened to my players or went to find players I already knew to add some material to the team. That way, I'll turn my attention to players all over Europe. ”
Shox's claim hides a microcosm of the team's development in recent years, that is, the decision-making power of the team is gradually shifting from the players to the coaches and even the club's top brass.
"In the past (15, 16, 17 years), it was the players who gave the orders; 18 years later, the role of the coach was emphasized, and their voice was getting bigger and bigger. This has been the last three or four years, and decisions are no longer made by the players. While the power of the coach grows, it will still be censored by the club's top management. Ultimately, it's up to the club. G2 going international is the club's choice, we have no say in this matter, and the same is true at Vitality. ”
Now, before welcoming a new club to derive a world-class French squad, the road to T1-level CS may only be supported on an individual level. DBL PONSY is a great example of this, having struggled for a year without club support to make it to the top thirty in the world rankings. What about the other players?
This is a career remodeling of shox, and perhaps it is time for french CS to reinvent it. The path of shox may be an option for a new batch of talents in France to enter the top echelon.
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Love Marvel's hero: Deadpool
Ideal French lineup:
After thinking about it for a while, Shox picked a 2022 lineup that Vitality had considered before the change, only to swap kyojin for JACKZ. In short, it's: XTQZZZ (Coach), ZywOo, Misutaaa, shox, apEX, JACKZ.
(This article is from TeamLiquid.com)