MiBr announced the addition of YNk to their team as the coach. This addition marks the end of a period highlighted by the lack of a coach. MiBr, formerly SK Gaming was able to dominate the world rankings without a coach.

Janko “YNk” Paunovic has worn many hats across his career, starting as a Counter-Strike player in 1.6 and Global Offensive. He transitioned to an observer role with ESL in 2015, and later became one of the most popular analysts on the current tournament circuit. -MiBR

I’m incredibly excited to be a part of MIBR as their new coach! I have a lot of respect for the organisation and the way they do things. The opportunity to work with some of the best… https://t.co/rW1C23t4La — Janko Paunovic (@YNk) August 1, 2018

SK Gaming remained almost two years without a coach, during which they had several ups and downs. But after months of repeated failures, which even a roster change could not solve, they have now decided to add Janko to their team as a coach.

YNk has the right analytical mindset

Janko “YNk “ Paunović is a former Professional CS GO player and analyst. While his playing career was short-lived, his time an analyst earned him fame and recognition. He has a unique style of analysis which was always on display in several big tournaments. His weatherman segment was a runaway success. However, despite the excellent analysis and a demand for the same, tournament organizers have not really warmed up to providing more time on stream.

YNk’s analysis is usually about the intricacies of a round. A single smoke/flash, a movement around the map in sync with the rest of the team is what captures his eye. Being a professional player earlier with a fairly heavy focus on strategies, YNK can explain with clarity certain playstyles. As a coach, this is invaluable to a team. MiBR is one of the strongest teams on paper, but their lack of results and loss of confidence has resulted in them probably being one of the weakest Tier one team.

YNk’s addition to the team is advantageous on multiple fronts. While he will definitely help in solving the MiBR problems, his presence will also relieve pressure from Fallen. But whether YNk can actually handle and compose 5 Major winning players to play together & according to his plan is always going to be a challenge.

Problems with MiBr

The MIBR roster despite being how good it is plagued with problems. It is difficult to pinpoint the origins of these problems without knowing what went on behind the scenes. However, we do have a list of some of the problems plaguing the team. YNk does have the task set out for him as he starts a new chapter in his career.

Creating a synergy among the players

The latest version of the team includes two members from Cloud9. The roster is filled with 3 former SK Gaming players and two Cloud9 players. Each player is a Major winner and definitely are some of the most talented players in the scene. But these players come from two different teams, speaking different languages. While the Cloud9 players are used to communicating in English, the same is not true for the Brazilian players. The players are conversing in English right now. But since it is not their primary language, we can be sure that there is always a slight delay.

Lack of a strong map pool

Mibr’s current map pool is woefully inadequate for a top level team. If we are to consider them a Tier one team, they hardly have proficiency on more than 3-4 maps. Even on these maps, the Made in Brazil roster us unable to exert their dominance at all. As a team, Fallen used to have a very wide and deep map pool. While they did have some unique strategies, teams figured them out very fast. In the end, this was accompanied by a loss in form for many of their players. We have not seen any improvement in their form even after the roster changes. This is where their weak map pool becomes very apparent.

Uma das mudanças mais esperadas chegou, hoje damos as boas vindas ao nosso novo coach, @YNk ! One of the most anticipated additions is finally here, please welcome our new Head Coach, @YNk !#SomosMIBR🇧🇷 📖 https://t.co/6xIDo8i52R pic.twitter.com/eR67kNjhvH — MIBR (@mibr) August 1, 2018

With YNk on the staff, this has to be one of the focal points for him. Improving the map pool is essential if you want the team to reach the top. The top few teams in CS GO, Na’Vi, Astralis as well as Faze Clan have all very deep map pools coupled with exceptional skill. Without a deep map pool, it is not possible for MiBr to become a top tier team.

Inspiring confidence

One more segment where the team needs a lot of improvement in their self-confidence. The team has been on a losing streak for quite some time. Their confidence is at an all-time low with several months of poor performances. Even with the new roster, their losses have been with huge margins, which does not inspire confidence in the new team. Ofcourse with YNk added as their coach, it brings on a new perspective to their tactics. It is basically a reset for the team as they aspire to become a top-tier team once again.



So when can we expect to see Mibr amongst the top three again? It won’t be soon and quite possibly after several months that the team can become a top team again. With the London Major almost upon us, MiBR will be looking to prepare their best form for the events post the Major.

YNk might be the right choice for MiBR



Janko is a very calm and composed guy. His explanation and the way he handles the round-breakup on stream is quite interesting. It will, however, be a tough challenge for him to coach a top-level CS GO team. As far as we know, he does not have much experience, especially in coaching top level teams. Analysing rounds and matches is quite different from actually coaching a team.

YNk’s experience as a top-tier analyst will come in handy on the team. There are different aspects to coaching a team which includes inspiring them and ensuring their confidence is optimum. While YNk might not be the best suited for each individual role of a coach, he is the right choice. Along with Fallen, the two of them can rejuvenate the current roster, ensure a better performance. There is little doubt that YNk’s work ethic is one of the best in the scene. Putting in several hours in studying an understanding the opponents, he can provide Mibr with enough ammunition to go into the match. The rest depends on the players themselves.

The ‘Made in Brazil‘ Roster is as follows:

Gabriel “ FalleN ” Toledo

” Toledo Fernando “fer” Alvarenga

Alvarenga Marcelo “coldzera” David

David Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip

Yip Tarik “tarik” Celik

Celik Janko “YNk” Paunovic (Coach)

Prior to attending the FaceIT London Major, Mibr has a few other tournaments on the schedule. They will be seen at the ZOTAC Cup Masters ( August 24-26 ) and Dreamhack Stockholm at the end of August. It’s still too early to see any potential improvement, but we know everyone will be watching. Their aim for the London FaceIT Major has to be to qualify for the Playoffs and secure the Legends status. We wish him the best of luck in the next step of his career.