Let’s go back in time, early 2016, more specifically at Global eSports Cup Season 1 – MSL’s new team had to fight against EnVyUs that had just won a Major and CLG that was a very promising North American team back then to make out of groups, so what happened?

Dignitas won a best of three against the Frenchmen in the group stage and picked the first place in their group to then destroy Counter Logic Gaming in a best of three that only had 2 maps.

The Frenchmen got revenge once they found the Danish team in the grand finals, but MSL’s finally was back in the game and this was proven after Dreamhack Tour 2016, where the team won their first international event.

After this, Dignitas appeared as that dark horse that would somehow get into the playoffs, maybe semi-finals but things happened to worsen as the team began to lose steam – ‘tenzki’ wasn’t providing the firepower that MSL needed. The ex-SK up and coming talent, Mag1skb0y was free and MSL didn’t think twice before picking him up for his roster.

Kjaerbye was gonna too as a result of a deal with Astralis and in his place entered the always consistent ‘cajunB’, providing his awping skills to this roster of misfits in the European scene. You had another top five team in the world and they proved it after winning their first premier LAN event – EPICENTER 2016.

One year later, the extremely promising lineup of MSL got bought by a much more financially capable holder – F.C. Copenhagen and now plays under the North banner, so they have money, talent and the mindset to win.

Where are they now?

Well, as own MSL said in an interview, he’s shocked at how badly North is playing.

They just got disqualified in the group stage of two tournaments in their home turf – ESL Pro League Season 6 Finals and BLAST ProSeries, also quit earlier as they couldn’t do to the playoffs in EPICENTER 2017 to hold their title and to make things even worse, they didn’t win a single big LAN this year – their only tournament win is from Dreamhack Open Montreal.

S o what’s the problem and how to fix it?

LIFE ISN’T AIZY

When we look at the match history for North last games, we see that they usually win when k0nfig play as a top 10 player and when MSL don’t play to badly.

Those are landmarks and in the middle of those, we have ‘cajunB’, ‘aizy’ and ‘valde’ and soon enough as we start to analyze their latest demos, we can identify the first problem in this lineup – aizy.

Back when Mag1skb0y was still in the team, aizy was very criticized since he usually couldn’t do much for the team and was another stone to k0nfig and mag1sk carry. ;

Aizy supposedly freed up space in the team and as a result is producing more frags than previously but it’s clear now he isn’t able to fulfill his duties as MSL.

Let’s take a look at some of possible solutions for this ‘aizy’ problem then:

Xyp9x : the ideal solution would come from North’s Danish rivals Astralis that is also having some problems to close the year . Adding Xyp9x would give North the support they need, and this role would be certainly fulfilled with his experienced and clutcher player . However, what makes this impossible is that his team are not looking to sell one of their most reliable players and they would be looking to hold onto him for as long as it’s possible . However, as rumors leaked saying that him alongside other two Astralis players are considering offers, who knows, there’s a minimal chance but there’s still a chance nonetheless . JUGi : ex Valde teammate that is Heroic’s star at least for now. Adding him is very possible , however, it would have to be handled very well – he wouldn’t be playing the support role but the main awper role, and then CajunB would be stepping to cover the support part , and this could work as he has experience on this role back when he played for Astralis and dev1ce held the main awper spot. Not only this, but this would make North’s CT-sides way better as k0nfig would be able to be a full-time rifler instead of having to picking the AWP that he clearly isn’t much comfortable with in certain setups . JUGi acquisition is a very good possibility and North has everything to pick him of if they want . RUBINO : Once played for MSL, it’s not very wrong to say that RUBINO was one of the reasons they did so much in Atlanta 2017 and at EPICENTER 2016 . The Norwegian player is a rock-solid support player that stayed in the shadows during this entire year since he decided to go back to his roots and stay with Dignitas , not managing to get anything close to what he did with MSL and k0nfig in the previous year. Having him back would mean the team would have a very supportive player, but this could come as a drawback as the team would take a way more passive instance and this would make MSL redo his entire strategies book as lack of firepower would become a problem for North .

THE IN-GAME LEADER WHO LEADS TO FAILURE

But what if the problem is in another person there, maybe in the weakest link in the team – MSL. But this won’t come cheap – changing your IGL will change everything within a team and often can just not work properly.

But what if MSL is really the problem here, what are the possible solutions?

CajunB : CajunB has been in the pro scene since early CS: Source days and if there’s a thing he has is experience and we know that he is helping MSL with the mid-round calls . Having him stepping up as IGL would be a great deal as he can continue from where MSL left and know everything about the team , not only this, but this would make possible to North acquire JUGi to be their main awper, Cajun to be the support and secondary awper and would give a lot of freedom to k0nfig in CT-sides . The drawback? Cajun is too instable – it seems that he isn’t very confident in himself and often can begin to lose composure easily , and a hot-head IGL isn’t the best.

Karrigan : the actual FaZe leader is a world class leader that grew a lot since his time on Astralis and made the European mix what they are today. Adding him to North and doing the changes stated above would certainly bring North to a more aggressive team , however, this has a lot of problems – firstly, Karrigan is used to work with highly firepower teams, like FaZe Clan itself . North clearly is a more strat-based team and his setups would require a lot of rework, and second, why he would leave his actual team? FaZe won more in this year that MSL has even won in his life , there’s not a single reason other than wanting to play in a full Danish team again that would make him play for North and FaZe sell him .

Gla1ve : the Astralis in-game leader is reported to be abandoned by three of his teammates as they search for better offers in other organizations – if this really happen it would mean that gla1ve would be more susceptible to go for a new team and North could add him as he is used to play with a team of a single star . Adding him would mean that North would need to work even more in their mental status as gla1ve’s team and himself aren’t very strong when it came to confidence, not only this but a map pool rework would have to be done and this could take too long .

I SAY ‘CAJUN’, YOU SAY ‘OUT’!

CajunB is a very experienced player that previously used to play in a supportive role, but since he joined Dignitas, he has been moved up to the main awper place. And it’s clear that he can’t keep up when he has to fight against the likes of ‘KennyS’, ‘FalleN’ and ‘GuardiaN’ as his main feature is his stability and consistency. So, what if MSL decides to add a proper awper to fill his position? The biggest problem with this is that isn’t easy as it seems to be as Denmark has a problem with awpers and technically, only one is realistically available as now:

JUGi : the Heroic’s star and their main awper, JUGi has showed that he is being pushed back by his team when it comes to big LANs and his playstyle fits too well alongside k0nfig . Having an aggressive rifler and awper like those two would make North a threat to any team in any map. This would be a perfect fit but may MSL would need to steep up his tactics as putting JUGi in a passive formation would make him performs differently than the expected.

. Having an aggressive rifler and awper like those two would make North a threat to any team in any map. This would be a perfect fit but may MSL would need to steep up his tactics as putting JUGi in a passive formation would make him performs differently than the expected. Dev1ce : Astralis star is another person who could help North to step up but his acquisition, once again, is improbable as he is probably happy in his actual team . However, having him on the team would make North easily a top 3 contender as the team would have two key players that once they hit their best it would be almost impossible to stop them .

CHANGING STARS

To conclude w hat if the solution isn’t removing aizy, MSL nor CajunB but their star that hasn’t been performing that great lately, ‘k0nfig’?

This is improbable to happen but as we once thought the same about Mag1skb0y, who knows, it may be what will be happening.

What are the options then?

JUGi : look who is an option once again – JUGi . Making him the team star will set up North to be a carbon copy of Astralis, since their main star will be their awper, but different than ‘dev1ce’, JUGi started as an awper and has practicing his role since he started to play in a professional level . This however would make the team much more dependable on him as CajunB would have to step up to a supportive role and once again they would find themselves with lack of firepower .

of Astralis, since their main star will be their awper, but different than ‘dev1ce’, JUGi started as an awper and has practicing his role since he started to play in a professional level much more dependable on him as CajunB would have to step up to a supportive role and once again they would find themselves with lack of firepower Kjaerbye : MSL fought a lot to bring KJaerbye back on his team to no success back when he still played for Dignitas and was forced to hand the youngster to Astralis and he would be a replacement for k0nfig back at that time, but what if he had to step for the role of main star of the team? Kjaerbye has proved more than once that he is a very capable player but he suffers from confidence problem and having a star who isn’t reliable isn’t the best route here .

THE DREAM TEAM

After all this, what we can conclude?

Basically, North needs JUGi and he is available and the best person to him substitute certainly is aizy as this would make cajunB go back for a role he is extremely comfortable with. But there is issues deeper on North and this is a result of MSL leadership who is begging to bring questions if he’s really good as people says he is.

It doesn’t matter too much – North can’t change players for the next major so any change listed here would have to happen at a later date. If they can’t perform in Boston, everyone can be certain that changes will be made and JUGi may be playing with Valde once again.