Prior to the EU Live Finals, very few people had heard of Media Pixels. However, after taking down the tournament favorites, SNOW, as well as seed #1, Rebirth of Kingdom, in a clean sweep, they created an impressive footprint in the EU competitive scene. The question we all want to know now is: who the heck are they and where did they come from?!

In the Beginning

Media Pixel eSports was a team comprised of completely unknown talent prior to the first VGL qualifying event. Their initial roster consisted of:

Coucou (now the player manager)

(now the player manager) KValafar (laner for Media Pixel eSports)

(laner for Media Pixel eSports) REDemption /Taisakusan (rumored to be a part of G2.Kinguin 2)

/Taisakusan (rumored to be a part of G2.Kinguin 2) Ikka777 (Unknown)

In their first VGL qualifier, they were eliminated during the round of eight by the future second place team, R3D Chimera, now formally known as SK Gaming (Chimaera). After a rather disappointing first event, losing to their fated rivals, and then also losing two core members of the team, Media Pixels needed a new roster and a somewhat fresh start.

The Roster That Would Later Succeed

Moving into their second qualifier, they received a fair amount of qualification points as well as a revamped roster. They moved player Coucou to a managerial position, and brought in the former leader of Kings&Queens, Palmatoro, to play jungler. They also dissolved their secondary competitive team, which included the rising French support player, Mowglie, to play in their roster for the next event.

KValafar

The silent and more supportive carry of the squad, KValafar, is the oldest member of Media Pixel. He has been playing with the team since their initial startup with Coucou and Mowglie as a little-known team in Pinnacle of Awesome. Since failing at a good placement for the first VGL qualifying event, KValafar set out to improve himself as a player and as a captain to the team. Considered lackluster and frail in the lane by even some of his teammates, he set out with determination to improve himself and is now an important piece of Media Pixel eSports. KValafar loves to play more supportive heroes so his jungler is allowed all the pieces of the pie. True to this style, his favorite and most comfortable pick is Adagio, a staple grab in the current European meta.

Palmatoro

If you asked me two months ago what I’d thought of Media Pixel eSports, I’d say they’d need to drop Palmatoro, then hope to find a new player from Europe’s solo queue talent to fill the role if they ever wanted any chance at beating SK Gaming and SNOW. However, in hindsight, I would’ve been totally incorrect, as he soon became the single most important piece to the Media Pixel puzzle.

Probably the most surprising player of this lineup – and the most improved – Palmatoro went from one of Europe’s most inconsistent junglers, to one that can almost rival SK L3oN, the latter of which is said to be the best jungler to come out of the European scene in quite some time. In less than a month, Palmatoro’s champion pool increased drastically, he gained confidence as a frontrunner in the team, and he even began solo carrying games with ease. Most fluent as a mid- to late-game oriented player, he looks at Krul as his ultimate pick. The win in Poland only helped him and everyone else realize just how far he’s come as a player and what can be waiting for him in the future.

Mowglie

The face and attitude of Media Pixel eSports, Mowglie is a well known streamer in the French Vainglory community and is highly praised as one of the most consistent supports to come out of Europe. Aside from consistency, Mowglie is an innovative leader to the European competitive scene, with his favorite hero pick being Phinn and favorite role as a “third carry.” Unlike most supports in Europe, Mowglie plays with a “you are mine” attitude. As the roam player of the team, he utilizes the information he obtains to control the pace of the game and of the team in his own unique way. Mowglie acts as a central control point, or shot caller, for Media Pixel eSports.

Then And Now

When the boys at Media Pixel eSports were asked to be interviewed for this spotlight, they acceped only under the condition that they tell their own story, not us. Without further ado, this is straight from them: