Henrik ”Becker” Becker. Photo: Tor-Steinar Nastad Tangedal/Gamer.no

A new Norwegian team with both new and previously known players are looking to break into the World’s top tier.

They fight to succeed where their predecessors have failed, in the goal to once and for all make a stand for Norway.

– We want to show the youngsters of our generation that even teams from Norway can be good, Henrik ”Becker” Becker tells Aftonbladet Esport.

Jørgen ”XeqtR” Johannessen, Håvard ”rain” Nygaard and Ruben ”RUBINO” Villarroel are just a few examples of Norwegian players that have sought fortune outside of Norway. Throughout the history of Counter-Strike the Scandinavian country has fostered many great talents, but never have we seen an equally great Norwegian squad sticking together to reach the absolute top. Something described by Duncan ”Thorin” Shields as: ”Tragic”.

An attempt was made in CS:GO to create a fully Norwegian lineup under LGB Esports banner, with players such as RUBINO, rain and Joakim ”Jkaem” Myrbostad. However, as Rain left the team to join what today is known as FaZe Clan, the pieces started falling apart – and only a few months later the entire squad had dispersed. Now a new group of players are looking to pick up the torch and succeed where others have failed.

A New Hope

The dream of a Norwegian top team lives on while several of the country’s talents remain scattered across international lineups. Recently, however, five Norwegians grouped up and are now fighting to make a mark in the competitive scene.

Among the up and comers we find the former LGB leader Morten ”zEVES” Vollan and star player Martin ”cENTRYZ” Brandal. Together with Jon Erik ”ztk” Øygarden, Jorgen ”cromen” Robertsen and Henrik ”Becker” Becker they make up the squad of Deadweight.

– We want to make Norway great again, Becker says to Aftonbladet Esport. He laughs as he references Donald Trumps famous slogan, but the message remains clear:

– We want to show the youngsters of our generation that even teams from Norway can be good. We’ve talked within the team and we want to break into the world’s top 20. I think that’s realistic and we’re working as hard as possible to achieve that – it’s our next goal.

”Choked badly on stage”

Becker has been active in the competitive scene for about one year. Earlier in 2016 he traveled to Copenhagen Games with the mix team Bananaboys and made it all the way to the final stage of the qualifier before dropping out. There and then he got his first experience playing on stage in front of a cheering crowd, hopefully the first time of many more to come.

– I was nerve-wracked the first five minutes and then I came back to my senses. We choked badly and lost the game that otherwise would’ve taken us to the main tournament. Though, we were just a mix without an IGL and faced Alpha Gaming. We won the first map and had a huge lead on the second, but then we choked.

”Good tournament to get attention”

Still, the hunger for victory lingers on and later tonight, Becker and his teammates will get a chance for redemption. The squad are set to represent Norway in the grand finals of Kings of Kings* against Finland. However, as they have registered to the tourney with their former lineup, excluding zEVES and cENTRYZ, it won’t be the full team competing.

– It’s a good tournament for unknown players to get some attention, Becker says. However, he also expresses criticism to the organizers:

– We don’t veto maps, they’re just random – and I don’t like that at all. It’s a good tourney for up and coming players so they can get experience and play on stream.

How important is it for new players to get this kind of attention?

– It’s crucial. We have two players on our team who don’t play professionally or on a semi-pro level, they just play for fun, and seeing how much better they’ve become after these matches is just insane. Their skill level is so much higher now and they have a lot more confidence. You see a clear difference from the first match and the last.

What’s it like playing when you know thousands are tuning in to watch the game?

– I like it when I know that people are watching. I get a bit nervous, but at the same time I think it makes me play better. I get more concentrated and want to win more.

– Sometimes we have 1-2 thousand people watching and that’s a lot of fun. I get more motivated when people are watching, so you go for those crazy plays to show off yourself.

On Friday night, Becker and his country men face off aganist Finland in the grand final of Kings of Kings. The match starts at 19:15 CET (7.15 pm) and will be broadcasted on Kings of Nordic’s Twitch channel.