How CIS is bolstering a new generation of talent in CS:GO

If you have watched IEM Katowice 2021, you must have also been amazed by how strongly the CIS region was represented. Is the balance of power shifting?

Gambit taking the victory in a tournament that hosted three CIS teams within the final four is something you could normally only imagine at a Russian LAN, yet it has now truly happened at one of the biggest events of the year with quite the international field of teams. Natus Vincere did not live up to their ranking, yet still managed to get in 5th/6th place to make sure no CIS team ranked lower than that despite the incredibly competitive field. Some would argue though, that this rise to the top was a long time coming.

Betting on Youngsters

In 2019, a journey started for some young and relatively inexperienced players. With Gambit already being quite the legendary organisation due to their long term commitment to the game and winning a Major, they brought in this team as Gambit Youngsters. During this initial year, some roster changes occurred but also some titles were won. The CIS Esports Pro Championship and the MSI Gaming Arena 2019 were both theirs for the taking, showing the quick growth within the team. 

Towards the second half of 2020, the team picked up a more experienced player to bring more stability and knowledge. With Abay ‘Hobbit’ Khassenov, a former Major winner with Gambit Esports, the team quickly started winning more and people started to question why the team was still a Youngsters team, with them rising in the World Rankings quickly as well.

Gambit would eventually transition them into the main team which was once more rewarded with more titles and the eventual S-tier win at IEM Katowice 2021. The organisation showed that with the right guidance and scouting, new players can be grown to become some of the best in the world, bringing this relatively young roster to a current fourth place in the HLTV World Ranking.

Virtus.Pro as a top-tier contender

Gambit isn’t alone at the top, as Virtus Pro currently holds the third place in the rankings after also doing well over an extended period of time, just losing out against Gambit at the Katowice finals. The team has reached the top before but after a big slump, some roster changes came through. Mareks ‘Yekindar’ Galinskis was the latest pick-up halfway through 2020. The team rushed through the rankings later on in the year, once more showing that a strong and able core can grow once more with just a slight tweak. Them reaching this third place is actually an equivalent of where they were late 2019.

Of course their late 2020 performance was incredible and really already showed the world what the team had to offer. CIS CounterStrike was rising again to be dominating the scene and to sit at the top of the rankings with more than just one team.

Old but gold?

Peaking as the number one for just one week, Natus Vincere still should be the strongest team of the region. With them winning the BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020 they took the first big win of the year for the region, but it has to be said that some inconsistency is often nearby for the team. With them not doing all too well at IEM Katowice there might be a chance that they could be overtaken by the teams mentioned above.

One thing we have seen in the past though is that Natus Vincere is not afraid to change around players if necessary to stay at the top, sometimes buying out players from challenging teams. Yet the line-up has been quite strong together already and is now slightly slumping. With the right guidance they should be able to get back on their feet quite quickly, especially if the star players they rely on so heavily get those necessary frags in. 

It is a scary time for the team however, especially with teams from their region this close at their heels. For being one of the biggest organisations in the world, it would be a hard pill to swallow to lose out to smaller teams. The pressure is on Natus Vincere to perform at the ESL Pro League Season 13, which will start on the 8th of March, as they will be in the group with Gambit.

Do you think Natus Vincere can stay on top, or will the new generation live up to their potential? Join the discussion on social media or our Discord!

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Image Credit: Virtus.Pro

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