Mousesports has been one of the most interesting teams in Counter-Strike Global Offensive. The earliest iterations of their team always featured International rosters although they did not always have a high level of success in the past. The team has had one constant throughout several versions of their past and that has been Chris “chrisJ” de Jong. He has donned several roles on the team and has always adapted his gameplay to suit that of the larger interest.

In 2018, Mousesports was already a strong force. They would reach the playoffs of the biggest tournaments with regularity. However, they always ran into a roadblock when it came to their performance against the bigger teams. In order to address this situation, the organization decided to replace Styko with Snax.

Mousesports with Snax

Mousesports surprised many in the CS: GO community when they decided to make a change to their successful roster. Replacing Styko with Snax seems good on paper. But esports teams often have several variables which can affect the performance of the players and impact the team’s results.

The initial period post the Snax addition was disastrous for the Mousesports lineup. They already had a roster which had good placements in several big tournaments and would reach the playoffs consistently. However, with the latest changes, the entire Mousesports team had to make adjustments not only to their playstyle but also their communication and map pool. There is no doubt that Snax is considered to be a better individual player than Styko. After all, he has years of experience playing on Virtus Pro. Despite their recent slump, Virtus Pro has been one of the better teams over the past several years. They might not always be the best team, but they were always a team that would consistently challenge and defeat the top teams. And Snax had a huge role to play in their performance.

Snax was one of the best players in 2016, his performance in late 2017 and 2018 was hardly noticeable. He did not have the same impact even in clutch situations. Snax would be unable to win crucial rounds for the team and that resulted in Virtus Pro witnessing a steep decline in form.

With the addition of Snax, Mousesports has never been able to reach the same level of performance as before. Apart from ESL One New York victory, Mousesports has had a forgettable experience. With the new season coming up soon, they will look forward to achieving better results and winning more tournaments.

Mousesports’ performance at the FaceIT London Major 2018

Mousesports was not able to win a single match in the FaceIT London Major New Legends stage. They faced Ninjas in Pyjamas, MiBr and Faze Clan. Losing all three matches with a total -22 KDA definitely does not bode well for Mousesports as a team. After all, many fans and analysts would consider Mousesports to be slightly better than NIP, maybe even MiBr and Faze Clan [ during the FaceIT London Major].

Mousesports was unable to make it double digits in their matches against Faze Clan and MiBr. Despite having talented players on their roster, the Mousesports team simply lacked the team synergy required to make it past the tactic-heavy opponents. They had a heavy focus on individual play and there was a lack of a broad strategy on the roster.

However, this team has not had much time together. With the FaceIT London Major coming to a conclusion, Mousesports will look forward to building their team synergy. Their win at ESL One New York is a huge step forward for this roster.

Mousesports Win ESL One New York 2018

Mousesports won ESL One New York after defeating Team Liquid in a very intense BO5 Grand Finals. The Mousesports roster was able to mount a comeback after trailing Liquid in the Grand finals. Their resolve and determination are what made this comeback possible.

What is important in their win at ESL One New York is the distribution of performances across the roster. While Team liquid was definitely carried by Twistzz who had +39 KDA in the Grand finals, Mousesports players had a more even spread of kills. The even distribution of this performance for the roster speaks of a collaborative effort. Mousesports definitely needed this win to regain confidence in themselves. After a disappointing FaceiT London Major, Mousesports can hopefully bounce back to reclaim some of their old form after ESL one New York.

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Biggest Factors for Mousesports’ results

The Mousesports roster is made up of several different types of players. Each player brings with him a unique version of the game. However, for Mousesports to succeed, it is necessary to focus on certain players who make or break this roster. Amongst them, Snax, Oskar and ChrisJ stand out for their intense performances and their role on this team.

Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski

Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski has to be the biggest factor to affect Mousesports’ results. Regardless of his exceptional individual talent, Snax has still not integrated smoothly with the rest of the team. His ability to play much better than the others in CS: GO is what makes him one of the best clutch players. However, CS: GO is much more than just clutch players and individual skill. As we approach the top of the Counterstrike scene, we witness team chemistry, Synergy and communication take over significance in deciding a team’s performance.

Snax will need to ensure a smooth transition for himself. As a veteran, there is a lot riding on his shoulders to ensure the smooth running of the team. Despite being just 23 years old, Snax is definitely a veteran in the CS: GO industry. On an individual level, Snax has not really been as impressive for the past year. Snax’s performance will remain crucial to taking Mousesports near the Grand finals and playoffs of premier tournaments. But his average performance is what will determine how strong the team remains in times of despair.

Janusz is crucial to the team’s synergy and their coordination. We have had multiple Mousesports players talk about the lack of communication on this new roster. However, given time and a few wins [ like ESL One New York] we can see this roster make inroads via bigger tournament wins and placements.

Tomáš “oskar” Šťastný

Oskar has been one of the most consistent players for Mousepsorts over the years. He has a great performance with the AWP and his consistency is his USP. He is always reliable even in matches where Mouseports take a beating. This is why he is crucial to any Mouseports performance.

Coming off as the backbone of the organization, Oskar has found a home where his ‘somewhat different personality’ will not result in a clash. He can concentrate on his gameplay and adjust based on his teammates. Oskar is never the star on this new roster, but he has his moments in crucial rounds. Most of his frags are impact frags which can alter the course of the round and subsequently the match.

Chris “chrisJ” de Jong

ChrisJ’s performance for Mousesports can only be termed as selfless. Once the flamboyant star of the Mousesports roster, ChrisJ has adorned several roles since then. As the rosters kept changing, so did ChrisJ’s role on the team. He has picked up the AWP and rifle with regularity in order to help the others adjust to the team.

His leadership abilities allow a lot of space for the other players to grow. This is why we have seen so much talent come out from Mousesports roster over the years. They have put forth a strong performance repeatedly no matter which roster represents the organization. A big part of this is ChrisJ and his ability to lead a team of multiple nationalities and cultures. Getting together players with varied experience, multiple languages and play styles is very difficult.

As we head into the new Mousesports era, ChrisJ will be the crucial link between Snax and the rest of the team. It is up to him, how quick the team comes together and finds its groove in CS:GO.

How far can the current Mousesports roster go?

The Mousesports roster has a lot of potential. They were already a top tier team with Styko on their roster. But they needed the final push to make them a winner in big tournaments. While the new roster has faced several early hurdles, there is no doubt that this team has a higher skill ceiling than the previous roster.

Mousesports still have several upcoming tournaments in 2018. The team has had significant time together and the ESL One New York victory is a huge step forward for the roster. It will boost their confidence and renew their belief in this roster. Mousesports will next be seen at the Starseries & I-League Season 6.