In this first part of the two-part mailbag series for this week, I’ve taken questions posed to me on Twitter and gave my expert opinion.

What’s next for ex6tenz? Is a team already looking to get him? Was G2 his last chance? — maucs (@deadmaucs) November 28, 2018

At this point I’m not convinced it’s his last chance although the circumstances surrounding how quick he was benched won’t help him. It’s easy to say now but expecting shox and kennyS to make up for the extreme lack of firepower was a huge risk and didn’t pay off. G2 should have started with SmithZz first and gone from there. At this point I haven’t heard of a team that’s presented themselves as heavily interested. In typical G2 fashion, I would imagine his buyout is tremendous.

What players do coL want and who are they trying to replace? @dekay — zest (@zestCS_) November 28, 2018

I’m not particularly confident on which exact players coL has interest in but they did inquire with at least one top team in North America. I had heard yay was the guy up for replacement, but can’t say for certain at this point. I think it all depends on who they can get prior to the Major roster lock following the EPL Finals.

Did MIBR prove that they have the potential to be top3 in ecs finals to you? — llllaurynaslll (@0F1l4LNyEEtSvuJ) November 28, 2018

Absolutely. I’m primarily alone in thinking that MiBR have been shaping up over the past couple months into a strong team. I understood when they transitioned to speaking English that it would be a slow and difficult process so expecting immediate results was foolish. In a video I published last month, I tabbed them as the team most likely to beat Astralis on more than one occasion in 2019. Unfortunately, fer will have to sit out an event for surgery and that will probably disrupt their progress a bit.

Anything going on with kRYSTAL? — Dom Phillips (@DomPhillipsCSGO) November 28, 2018

Not that I’ve heard of.

@dekay the second tier teams in the CIS region seem to be in shambles with a lot of roster moves recently, will there be a solid team soon? — Primary Asset (@anthonysimon_15) November 28, 2018

I’m not an expert when it comes to the political landscape of the CIS region, but the pieces are there if someone wants to get it done. AdreN and bondik are available and a great individuals for some of the younger guys to learn from.

Why is scream still not on a team? — Kyle McIntaggart (@MedicateOP) November 28, 2018

It isn’t like he hasn’t had offers to choose from during his time in free agency… He has just chose to wait and hope for something better, but it hasn’t paid off yet. He wasn’t offered a spot in either French team purely because of politics and how certain players feel about his playing style.

Any news on changes for EnVy? — Ian (@TetroAK) November 28, 2018

Nothing as of late, but that could change at any time. I don’t know the relegation roster rules and deadlines off the top of my head so I’m not sure if they even can before that takes place. You can definitely expect at least one move after the season if they fail to retain their spot.

Do you think the current assortment of tournaments and leagues along with the Majors should be changed into a more organized, regulated structure? If so, how would you organize it? — Yotam Cohen (@Tech_CSGO) November 28, 2018

Yes, absolutely. Online leagues are tough because they are a great source of revenue for almost all involved. I think they could be structured in a group format so that all teams can bang out their matches in a shorter window. Many are arguing for no online matches at all, but if they are completely abolished at the pro level it might create more problems than it solves. Additionally, I would like player breaks to occur after Majors. It would allow for better performances and give ample time to complete roster moves afterwards.

What was the cause for Astralis not buying k0nfig early this year, which was their main goal I reckon? Carzy to think what would have happened if this move had come to reality instead of Magiskboi to Astralis.. — AdmiralCrunch (@TobKar99) November 28, 2018

I know they considered k0nfig but for some reason talks didn’t progress much. OpTic came in and was way more aggressive in their attempt to acquire him. I do think zonic preferred magisk if I remember correctly and that ultimately led to picking him up instead.

Have you heard any rumours about FaZe/MiBR making roster changes in the recent past? I doubt MiBR would change now, but did it cross their minds at some point? — demonico17 (@demonico19) November 29, 2018

NiKo and coldzera have always talked about playing together at one point so I know the conversation has taken place, but it’s never reached a point where it was a legitimate possibility. I don’t think it’s been discussed for a while.

What should envy do to amp up their roster? Seems as if almost anything at this point would be a upgrade — Jiho (@Jih0Park) November 29, 2018

I think they need solid reliable fraggers. The only issue is there aren’t many available. I think dazzLe deserves a look and/or a European player who will buy in to the process.

What qualifies the “best player” title, and who’s in the running? — Charlie, Mother from Space (@spaceMomCS) November 29, 2018

Any answer other than s1mple is moronic at this point.

What will happen to Golden? Will he be replaced anytime soon? — Mark Madsen (@markmadsendk23) November 29, 2018

I think this issue would have to extend to the Major and beyond for them to consider replacing him entirely. He’s the in-game leader and they just signed him. I think they will play it by ear for now.

Does the future of this cloud9 roster hold any promise? — Jake Greenland (@KingJG16) November 29, 2018

I think it’s a ticking time bomb. I don’t know why but something keeps telling me it won’t last. I hope I’m wrong.

Is faze trying to Get new players? Karrigan back to igl? — Levar Awat (@AwatLevar) November 29, 2018



I don’t expect a move before the Major unless they can get someone like krimz. I don’t think Karrigan will ever return as in-game leader with FaZe Clan.

What about the rumour that mirbit could join ex-ss? Also are there any news about the new org for the turks? — Inkkah (@Inkkah) November 29, 2018

All I know is that they have been in discussions with an organization for the better part of a month now. I don’t know which org it is though.

Could Sweden build a team that could contend for #1? Who would this team consist of? — Alex (@sovereign_csgo) November 29, 2018

At this point in time for me, the team would contain krimz, lekr0, f0rest, olof and dennis. I don’t think they’d be number one in the world though. Sweden lacks a disciplined and methodical in-game leader that can also play at a high level.

Is Cloud9 looking for a replacement for Golden while he takes time for his health? — Conner Rhodes (@cernersandals) November 29, 2018

If it turns out that he’ll be out a while longer than this, yes I’d expect them to have already started looking around. It purely depends how serious his issue is though.

*Title Image Courtesy of DreamHack