​Welcome to DeKay Mailbag, a semi-regular feature in which Counter-Strike reporter and insider Jarek "DeKay" Lewis answers questions from readers on Twitter. Check out the ​previous editions.





Do you have a question for DeKay? Tweet him @NWDeKay or email dekaycs@gmail.com, and your question might end up in another edition of the mailbag. Now, onto the questions:





One question and one question only, do you ever plan on going full-time for Esports? Have feasible offers for it come your way? — Jake Lucky (@Legitrsgiving) June 22, 2018

​​DeKay: I don’t necessarily plan on it, but it would be nice to eventually get to that point. I technically already did during my time with Slingshot, but then got an offer I couldn’t refuse when it comes to engineering. I’ve received a couple offers to coach teams and have even been asked to interview for a GM position for a team, but I’ve turned them down. We will see how things look in a year or two.

If cs would have been a closed ecosystem how much would be different u think. — Jerckysminion (@Jerckysminion) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I think it would be much different than it is now. We operate in the Wild West compared to that of ​League of Legends or ​Overwatch. The structure would be much different, and I’m not sure I would want to experience a world where teams and events are at the mercy of Valve’s sporadic indecisiveness. I get the sense that ESL would have much fewer (if not zero) events in Counter-Strike, which would be unfortunate. I don’t always agree with their business decisions but they know how to put on events.

Thoughts on the current Australian scene? And where do you see it within the next few years? — jayzw0w (@jayzw0w) June 23, 2018

DeKay: If I’m honest, I haven’t looked into Australian Counter-Strike other than the teams that qualify for larger events. Teams like Grayhounds have shown some promise, but ultimately I haven’t seen anything that leads me to believe they will do any damage internationally. I wish I had the time to analyze them a bit further than that.

Liquid has been on the cusp of greatness time and time again— what do they need to finally take that last step and win a major tournament? — charliΞ (@hyperbucketCSGO) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I might be in the minority, but I think they need to continue what they are doing and remain patient. Their team is full of youngsters who seem to crumble under pressure on stage against the best teams. They have the composition to win events that Astralis doesn’t attend, but making roster moves every three months isn’t going to fix that problem. Additionally, they’ve been on the unfortunate end of group and playoff draws in a ton of tournaments this year. Their fortunes are due to turn for the better during the second half of the year.

Have you ever had a lead on an article/story which you've been told and you're shocked to hear it, whether it be disturbing/corrupt etc? — Kieran (@KieranTheCaster) June 22, 2018

DeKay: Yeah, all the time. I have this false sense of reality and belief that people will eventually learn how to not be idiots, but I’m constantly reminded that it will never happen. I try to detach my opinion from my investigative work whenever possible because at the end of the day it's the people who read my work whose opinion that matters (of the subjects), not mine.

Was k0nfig actually the top priority for Astralis? Is he the player Astralis actually wanted? — Mohaimen Hassan (@mohaimen_h) June 23, 2018

DeKay: I had heard that they inquired but were never extremely interested in him. If you remember, Astralis wasn't left with much time to figure things out after kjaerbye surprisingly departed out of nowhere. It would be a bit daft of them to not at least ask how much his buyout was. I am certain he was willing to join but it never went much further than a simple inquiry, as far as I know.

Any news about Cloud 9 will they use FNS for the up and coming Tournament? — Ben (@benlough17) June 22, 2018

DeKay: As I write this, it’s still up in the air at the moment.

Can you talk us through the process of being a trustworthy member of the comunnity with so much leaked info received. How did you build your “sources” base — Joao Mariani (@joaohmariani) June 23, 2018

DeKay: I’ve built my network by helping players and teams whenever possible. Whether that be looking at contracts, getting players prize money they're owed, or helping teams get a hold of players, it all helps. I care about helping people more than anything else. People often think I’m just out to publish roster moves, but the truth is just that they are a necessary part of a much deeper job.

Have Cloud9 made any serious moves for any players or are they waiting for after the major? — CoolDog69 (@KevO6759) June 24, 2018

DeKay: They have made some attempts, but don’t seem willing to break the bank. Read my column from earlier in the week for more of an idea.

Is online interaction with people (as part of your work) enjoyable? Or does it just wear you down and make you angry? — Bastiat (@TopDeckLife) June 23, 2018

DeKay: The majority of my interaction is with my editor, Vince. That part is the most enjoyable over anything else. Him and I operate on the same wavelength, so it makes things easy. I prefer working with him over anyone I have in my professional career, to put things in perspective. (Editor's note: The feeling is mutual.)





When it comes to the people I talk to in regards to investigative work, it can wear on you a bit. People don’t understand how I can possibly help them or how publishing information might benefit them. Now that I’ve been doing this for almost two years, I’ve learned to manage how much it annoys me.

Will cromen be a stand in for faze at eleague and cologne? I feel like they have a shot at winning if they get rain more comfortable in the changed T side roles. Thoughts? — sexhaver_420 (@Sexhaver_420) June 23, 2018

DeKay: A few days ago the word is that they had planned to keep him in the lineup for the next event, but as always things can change in the blink of an eye. Look for my Sources Say column later in the week for a better idea.

What do you think about the new roster of Fnatic? Do you think it will work out? — Lars Kroon (@l_kroon) June 23, 2018

DeKay: Both Fnatic and NiP have been making lateral moves at best in my opinion. I’m not convinced that adding an inconsistent AWPer will help them. You could have made a case for replacing Golden, I suppose, but I’m not sure this was the best move to make. It just feels like both of these teams are playing musical chairs, I’m not sure I follow what they are trying to accomplish with these compositions. I think NiP will be the better team of the two.

What are your thoughts about AcilioN suddenly leaving Imperial? Do you have an idea towards what happened? — Ulrik Rohde Sørensen (@ursdk) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I’m not exactly sure why this has happened. No one has filled me in on why he left so unexpectedly.

Is nbk going to join a new team or they going to use him in the roster? — Ahmad Mallak (@iChillqz) June 22, 2018

DeKay: Unless G2 lowers his giant buyout, he will have to sit out his contract on the bench. I’m beginning to wonder if he might eventually find his way back into the G2 starting lineup, but who knows. I don’t really have tabs on who hates whom in the French scene, which is what matters most when it comes to potential team composition.

According to you, what teams would benefit most from the plethora of French player available now? Also, which French players available would fare well in what teams/with what other players? — Tom Caniels (@tomcaniels) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I think any team needing a role player would benefit from the addition of a player like NBK, kioshima, scream, or apEX. Any international or North American lineup would benefit from their veteran and skilled expertise. Teams that come to mind are Cloud9 and FaZe. Those four players are also a nice combination to throw a competent in-game leader around, too.

What do you know about olof’s inactivity? — Syyyyyyyyko (@RedouaneAt) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I know the gist of why he is out, but that’s something I think that deserves to remain private. He, like anyone else, deserves his privacy right now.

Are there any talks about who could be the mibr lineup´s coach? — Thiago Parry (@thiagoparry) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I’m not entirely convinced that MIBR will get a coach just yet. I think Coldzera got a bit over zealous with the way he answered some interview questions. From what I’ve heard they don’t plan on doing that right away, but it’s possible in the future.

Do you think Optic Gade to pick up someone that has legend status at the major because they already have 2 in k0nfig and cajunb. — Moose (@Mooseolgy) June 22, 2018

DeKay: No I don’t think they do, but that wouldn’t be a bad idea, I hadn’t thought of that.

I feel like Hellraisers are solid t2. If they did replace DeadFox who should they get? — Alex (@sovereign_csgo) June 22, 2018

DeKay: A player like zywoo would be a sick addition there, but I bet he will have even stronger offers than HellRaisers. A more realistic replacement might be one of the guys from one of the lower level CIS teams like Vega. jR would be a nice fit.

Is skadoodle actually retiring or is that fake news? — Liam Carlson (@LiamC_18) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I haven’t heard anything that suggests he will retire right now. Neither has anyone inside the Cloud9 organization.

What do you think EnVy will do? When do all the top NA teams contracts end? — Jiho (@Jih0Park) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I think they will pick up a team sooner than everyone thinks. Keep an eye out.

Do you think is possible Canals to be in the Active Duty Map Pool in the future? — AK-45 Pente Alongado (@zebasso) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I sure as hell hope not.

Who is a superstar that could reasonably replace olof in FaZe? — IcY_Radon (@IcY_Radon) June 22, 2018

DeKay: I think NBK is the best possible replacement for olof on the market.

You talk about faze almost sub out karrigan for another igl. Is that still a possibility or its in the past now? — aa (@PerseusSkill) June 24, 2018

DeKay: There was a rumor after the Boston Major that they asked shox to in-game lead, but I never heard much more than that. It could have been entirely false, I’m not sure.

With July on the horizon, is there any hope for s1mple leaving NaVi? Does he want to leave NaVi? — Daniel Powell (@DanielMPowell) June 22, 2018

DeKay: From what I can tell, he and the team are focused on the Major. If they fail to meet expectations there, they will have a tough time retaining him. It purely comes down to what they can do. Something with Na’Vi should change if they flop. You can’t continue to waste the impact of the best player in the world.

What is your NA dreamteam, right now? Completely present and only NA players. — chrimbus (@chrimbuss) June 22, 2018

DeKay: Liquid is just about my ideal North American team if I’m honest. If I had to pick one player to slot in instead of TACO (because he is Brazilian) I would choose autimatic.

Did the current mibr core want do get players from Astralis? I saw somewhere(maybe in a flickshot article) that they showed interest in NiKo,rain,shox and some danish players. — Andrei Valentin (@Tarni234) June 22, 2018

DeKay: As far as I know, they never considered Danish players from any team.

Why has c9 not anounced their 5th yet? — Pires (@Piress_88) June 22, 2018

DeKay: They don’t know who their 5th is yet.

What is your current top 5 (in order) NA teams? — Infinite (@Infinite_Ouya) June 22, 2018

DeKay: Liquid, NRG, Cloud9, Rogue, compLexity

What do you think would be a resonable and good pickup for c9? — Eclipse (@Eclipse__CS) June 22, 2018

DeKay: They should pick up someone from Europe. I don’t know of anyone that is playing so well in North America that C9 has no other choice than to give a chance. Obvious mention is NBK but kioshima wouldn’t be a bad shot, either.

Any chance either Brollan or Olofmeister goes to NIP, or both? How long are they going to give this roster? after the Major? — SwetechCSGO (@SwetechCSGO) June 22, 2018

DeKay: Until after the Major. Olof will be out for a long time, so any team banking on his services any time soon is really hampering themselves. I don’t really see who NiP would go to next at this point, unless they can finally grab twist.





Photo courtesy of Turner Sports/ELEAGUE