amazingxkcd Profile Blog Joined September 2010 GRAND OLD AMERICA 15736 Posts Last Edited: 2016-08-24 18:38:05 #1

Ordem e Progresso. Order and Progress.



The national motto of Brazil. The slogan that has defined the story of Luminosity from the streets of Brazil to the glory of winning the major. Their major run was nothing short of a miracle; the stars aligned and the gods smiled upon the Brazilians as they hoisted the trophy high in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. But it was more than a victory for the team. It was a victory for Fallen. It was a victory for Cold, for Fnx, for Taco, for Fer; it was a victory for Brazil.



As we celebrate the achievements of Luminosity Gaming, we take the time to look back at their journey into the starlight and reminisce on their stories of old while we ponder their next move as they continue to conquer the great game of Counter-Strike.



For with order and with progress comes success.

















The storied path of Luminosity finds its humble start not in America, but down in the streets of Brazil; Kabum! e-Sports was selected as the representative of Brazil for ESWC 2014. This roster, staffed by Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, Lincoln “fnx” Lau, Henrique “hen1” Teles, Lucas “Lucas” Teles, and Fernando “fer” Alvarenga, failed to impress in France as they finished dead last in Group C . When returned home, the trio of hen1, Lucas, and fnx were promptly dropped; replaced by Lucas “steel” Lopes, Caio “zqk” Fonseca, and Ricardo “Boltz” Prass, the merger of Kabum! e-Sports and ProGaming.TD culiminated in the formation of Brazil’s best squad in Counter-Strike: Kabum.TD.



Led by veteran awper and in-game leader Fallen, Kabum.TD mingled about in local Brazilian competitions, competing against the rosters hosting the likes of hen1 and fnx. Despite the level of competition that Kabum.TD grew in, it wasn’t until MLG announced MLG Aspen that would serve as the springbroad for them and for Brazil to launch into the international scene. Smashing through the Brazilian LAN qualifiers held in São Paulo, Kabum.TD earned a ticket to compete in the X-Games hosted in Aspen, Colorado -- already quite an achievement for the relatively unknown roster.



With the news of the Brazilian roster qualified for MLG Aspen, speculations were quick to be created. Many dismissed the chances of Fallen and co with disparaging comments, while the Brazilian fans were quick to rally around the team and championed them as the forefront of Brazilian CS. Kabum.TD had much to prove to themselves and to the world what Brazilian CS is and that they are coming. It was also announced during this time that Kabum.TD would attend Clutch Con, a small LAN hosted in the same state as MLG Aspen -- perfect opportunity for Kabum.TD to compete internationally and take in what they can.



Landing at the heart of the snowy mountains of Aspen, Kabum.TD would face their first challenges in the number one NA team at the time: Cloud9. Led by Sean “sgares” Gares, Cloud9 had recently made a roster change, adding on Shahzeeb “ShahZam” Khan in lieu of Spencer “Hiko” Martin leaving the roster. Despite the recent change, Cloud9 was still a strong contender coming into this tournament and many thought Sgares would be able to defeat Fallen in the tactical game. The players sat down at their desks, the hands warmed up, and the pick ban phase went underway.



Little did anyone know what was about to happen as Mirage was selected to the map of the game. Both teams load up in the servers with Kabum.TD on the T side, Cloud9 on the CT side. Cloud9 wins the pistol round quite handily, but they were not ready for the oncoming tour de force.



No one was.











Stunning Cloud9 and the world with their innovative play and unique approach to Mirage, Kabum.TD has announced their arrival onto the scene. While Kabum.TD would fall to Dignitas and NiP, the respect for the Brazilians was there; Mirage was respect banned out in the rest of the games and Kabum.TD fell out in the group stage.



But the world was already fuming with furious discussions over the Mirage match, over the Brazilians, and over what could come to pass. With the completion of the tournament won by LDLC in a fantastic finals over NiP, Kabum.TD were already bootcamping at a local LAN Cafe in Denver, preparing for Clutch Con. A twitch stream was set up and onlookers got a peek into the practice of the Brazilians as they share their hopes, their troubles, and their dreams to become the best Counter-Strike team in the world.



Their arrival at Clutch Con was besieged by the multitude of disasters that struck the tournament; missing computers, no internet, delayed matches, and costly TO mistakes that shrouded over the tournament. Despite all the troubles, the show went on as Kabum.TD would come second in their group. Having to face Fnatic in the quarter finals, Kabum.TD displayed the best performance any team had against the rampaging Swedes. They got their now-fabled map choice of Mirage for the first map, and won with a 16-7. Why Fnatic would let Kabum.TD have Mirage is a question to ponder, but they destroyed the Brazilians the next two maps and went on to win the tournament without a sweat.



Their tour of American events over, and with many new fans having joined the Brazilian hype train, Kabum.TD returned back home to continue playing, continue practicing; their fates were unknown.



Their prayers were answered as they received a once in lifetime opportunity: a direct invite to the ESL One Katowice 2015. However, trouble was already brewing. The Kabum.TD organization, drained of finances from the first visit to America, were unable to provide the necessary funds to pay for the travel fees. Facing a plight, Fallen went out to the community to plead for donations to fund the trip there. With the gracious donations of notable pros such as Robin "Flusha" Rönnquist, ESL, and the community, they were able to get the necessary money required to travel to Katowice. With their second chance to play internationally, with the hopes of Brazil resting on their shoulders, they prepared for the LAN Qualifiers.



Arriving to the storied lands of Poland, they found themselves quickly in the midst of battle for the coveted ticket to the main event as they suffered their only loss of the event to the strong mousesports squad. On their last lifeline, Kabum.TD could not lose; a loss would be the end of their dreams, the end of the road. In the loser's round 1, they played against INSHOCK on Nuke. A close game came about as Kabum.TD edged over the home team to play their final game -- win and they were in. But they had to play against Dignitas, the second best from Denmark. Boots dug in, the pedal to the metal and Kabum.TD surprised everyone as they destroyed Dignitas on Inferno -- only allowing 3 rounds to be given up.



They have made it to ESL Katowice 2015; they have made it to their first major, the first major for Brazil in CS:GO. Heading back home, they had to figure out how to prepare for Katowice and how to pay for it all. When the dust settled, the Kabum.TD roster would leave the organization and find a new home, and a new name to mark the next step in their journey:



Keyd Stars.

The storied path of Luminosity finds its humble start not in America, but down in the streets of Brazil;Kabum! e-Sports was selected as the representative of Brazil for ESWC 2014. This roster, staffed byGabriel “FalleN” Toledo,Lincoln “fnx” Lau,Henrique “hen1” Teles,Lucas “Lucas” Teles, andFernando “fer” Alvarenga, failed to impress in France as they finished dead last in Group C . When returned home, the trio of hen1, Lucas, and fnx were promptly dropped; replaced byLucas “steel” Lopes,Caio “zqk” Fonseca, and Ricardo “Boltz” Prass, the merger of Kabum! e-Sports and ProGaming.TD culiminated in the formation of Brazil’s best squad in Counter-Strike: Kabum.TD.Led by veteran awper and in-game leader Fallen, Kabum.TD mingled about in local Brazilian competitions, competing against the rosters hosting the likes of hen1 and fnx. Despite the level of competition that Kabum.TD grew in, it wasn’t until MLG announced MLG Aspen that would serve as the springbroad for them and for Brazil to launch into the international scene. Smashing through the Brazilian LAN qualifiers held in São Paulo, Kabum.TD earned a ticket to compete in the X-Games hosted in Aspen, Colorado -- already quite an achievement for the relatively unknown roster.With the news of the Brazilian roster qualified for MLG Aspen, speculations were quick to be created. Many dismissed the chances of Fallen and co with disparaging comments, while the Brazilian fans were quick to rally around the team and championed them as the forefront of Brazilian CS. Kabum.TD had much to prove to themselves and to the world what Brazilian CS is and that they are coming. It was also announced during this time that Kabum.TD would attend Clutch Con, a small LAN hosted in the same state as MLG Aspen -- perfect opportunity for Kabum.TD to compete internationally and take in what they can.Landing at the heart of the snowy mountains of Aspen, Kabum.TD would face their first challenges in the number one NA team at the time:Cloud9. Led bySean “sgares” Gares, Cloud9 had recently made a roster change, adding onShahzeeb “ShahZam” Khan in lieu ofSpencer “Hiko” Martin leaving the roster. Despite the recent change, Cloud9 was still a strong contender coming into this tournament and many thought Sgares would be able to defeat Fallen in the tactical game. The players sat down at their desks, the hands warmed up, and the pick ban phase went underway.Little did anyone know what was about to happen as Mirage was selected to the map of the game. Both teams load up in the servers with Kabum.TD on the T side, Cloud9 on the CT side. Cloud9 wins the pistol round quite handily, but they were not ready for the oncoming tour de force.No one was.Stunning Cloud9 and the world with their innovative play and unique approach to Mirage, Kabum.TD has announced their arrival onto the scene. While Kabum.TD would fall toDignitas andNiP, the respect for the Brazilians was there; Mirage was respect banned out in the rest of the games and Kabum.TD fell out in the group stage.But the world was already fuming with furious discussions over the Mirage match, over the Brazilians, and over what could come to pass. With the completion of the tournament won byLDLC in a fantastic finals overNiP, Kabum.TD were already bootcamping at a local LAN Cafe in Denver, preparing for Clutch Con. A twitch stream was set up and onlookers got a peek into the practice of the Brazilians as they share their hopes, their troubles, and their dreams to become the best Counter-Strike team in the world.Their arrival at Clutch Con was besieged by the multitude of disasters that struck the tournament; missing computers, no internet, delayed matches, and costly TO mistakes that shrouded over the tournament. Despite all the troubles, the show went on as Kabum.TD would come second in their group. Having to faceFnatic in the quarter finals, Kabum.TD displayed the best performance any team had against the rampaging Swedes. They got their now-fabled map choice of Mirage for the first map, and won with a 16-7. Why Fnatic would let Kabum.TD have Mirage is a question to ponder, but they destroyed the Brazilians the next two maps and went on to win the tournament without a sweat.Their tour of American events over, and with many new fans having joined the Brazilian hype train, Kabum.TD returned back home to continue playing, continue practicing; their fates were unknown.Their prayers were answered as they received a once in lifetime opportunity: a direct invite to the ESL One Katowice 2015. However, trouble was already brewing. The Kabum.TD organization, drained of finances from the first visit to America, were unable to provide the necessary funds to pay for the travel fees. Facing a plight, Fallen went out to the community to plead for donations to fund the trip there. With the gracious donations of notable pros such asRobin "Flusha" Rönnquist, ESL, and the community, they were able to get the necessary money required to travel to Katowice. With their second chance to play internationally, with the hopes of Brazil resting on their shoulders, they prepared for the LAN Qualifiers.Arriving to the storied lands of Poland, they found themselves quickly in the midst of battle for the coveted ticket to the main event as they suffered their only loss of the event to the strongmousesports squad. On their last lifeline, Kabum.TD could not lose; a loss would be the end of their dreams, the end of the road. In the loser's round 1, they played againstINSHOCK on Nuke. A close game came about as Kabum.TD edged over the home team to play their final game -- win and they were in. But they had to play againstDignitas, the second best from Denmark. Boots dug in, the pedal to the metal and Kabum.TD surprised everyone as they destroyed Dignitas on Inferno -- only allowing 3 rounds to be given up.They have made it to ESL Katowice 2015; they have made it to their first major, the first major for Brazil in CS:GO. Heading back home, they had to figure out how to prepare for Katowice and how to pay for it all. When the dust settled, the Kabum.TD roster would leave the organization and find a new home, and a new name to mark the next step in their journey:Keyd Stars. NiP on Inferno. Starting on CT side, they got ran over by the Swedes, picking up only 2 rounds; they made a valiant effort to mount a comeback in the second half, but could not catch up with the monstrous lead that NiP held, losing 9-16. Dropping down to the elimination match, they would face off against the cis mix HellRaisers. Starting on the T side, Keyd Stars did their best to stem the bleeding as they netted 5 rounds against the strong aimers; they would finally catch their breath and save themselves from defeat as they locked down the CT side, not allowing for the misshapen gameplay of HellRaisers to crack through the defenses -- only 2 rounds were given up by the Brazilians as they advanced to the final match against North American hopefuls CLG. Set on Dust2, there was no hope for CLG as Keyd Stars broke them; CLG could do naught on their CT side to contain the Brazilians as they mustered only 2 rounds for themselves. CLG managed to mount an attempt at a comeback, but Keyd Stars stomped the flames of hope and did what was once unthinkable -- they became Legends.



The counter-strike world blown away at the results, Keyd Stars advanced to the quarterfinals and secured their direct invite to the next major. There was a problem -- their quarter final opponent was the Polish Giant of Counter-Strike: Virtus.Pro. Surprising enough, Virtus.pro allowed Keyd Stars to have Mirage for their map choice, while they select Overpass; Nuke was randomized for the final map. For all the strong showings that Keyd had shown in their short tenure aboard, their first Mirage loss would come at the blades of the plow; Virtus.pro demonstrated to the world that Keyd Stars were fallable on Mirage. With a quick spanking in order, VP aimed to close this series out and deny any lingering hopes the Brazilians might have still had.



Oh how futile that wish was.









In a barn burner of a game, both teams were taken to the limits. Keyd Stars barely etched past the stalwart defenses of the Poles and forced the match to go to a map 3. Perhaps it was the cruelty of the gods, or their cruel humor as VP win nuke in a one sided game, and the series ends with a whimper.



It was the end of the road for Keyd Stars, but only a stumble on their crusade to glory. With their ever growing accolade of fans, they would pack their bags and return back home. Keyd Stars would play in two more local events back at home, but the Wheel of Time turns as the gods grant a gift to Keyd Stars. ESL and ESEA have partnered to create the first super league of its kind: the ESL ESEA Pro League Season 1. Keyd Stars was offered an invitation to play in it, an offer graciously accepted.



With their spirits lifted high and their war cries resounding stronger, Keyd Stars made their move to the warm state of California, where they set up a team house in the abode of Brazilian veteran and long time friend, Dead. Cataloging their adventures in foreign lands through the



However, the seeds of stagnation started to nurture in the crevasses of the Brazilian roster. The first onset of symptoms was at the HTC Reborn Invitational, where Keyd Stars were defeated by an unproven Affinity in a 2-0 upset. To give Keyd Stars the benefit of the doubt, the match was tormented by DDoS and various technical problems, but the result was nevertheless concerning. Back in the ESL ESEA Proleague, Keyd Stars maintained form as they defeated all the lesser NA teams while keeping up with the top NA teams. They would go on to finish the season in second place, lagging behind NA powerhouse Cloud9.



With the season coming to the final stages, Keyd Stars would redeem themselves from their HTC failures by sweeping the iBUYPOWER Summer Invitational, dropping only a single map to Luminosity Gaming in the semifinals. But that was their last taste of victory under the current organization, and with the same roster.



With 2 straight weekends of LAN finals -- ESL ESEA Proleague Finals and ESWC 2015 -- the Brazilians begin to prepare for their 2nd tour of Europe. With the first stop being in Cologne, Germany, Keyd Stars were coming in expected to perform well. Their match in group B was a close one against the TSM; a heavyweight slugfest that saw the Brazilians come out on top of the Danes 16-12. With a win securing their advancement to the quarterfinals, Keyd Stars would have their winners match against CLG. They met on Cache; first half played to the tune of an equal game with the score of 8-7 in Keyd’s favour. Unfortunately for the Brazilians, CLG had a much better CT side, and clobbered the T set plays of Keyd Stars to close the match out 16-9.



The signs of stagnation started to grow stronger as the seeds sprouted. It was slowly becoming clear that zqks was trailing behind the rest of the team with his subpar gameplay. With their 1-1 record, Keyd Stars got the unfortunate draw of having to face eventual winners in Fnatic; Fnatic made quick mincemeat of Keyd Stars on Inferno with their strong CT play supported by Krimz’s B site holds. Train was Keyd Stars’ answer to Fnatic and they took Fnatic for a wild ride. A battle of wits between Pronax and Fallen dictated the flow of the game as their clash forced the game into overtime. The Swedes powered through and closed out the map and the series in the first overtime 16-19.



With a couple days to rest and recuperate, Keyd Stars had ESWC in France to look forward to -- against arguably easier competition in their group. Flipside Tactics had a surprise with the substitution of Hiko, who would play alongside Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev. This duo would meet again later to battle against the future of Keyd Stars, but they defeated the Brazilians in a close match on Cobblestone with Hiko leading the valiant charge for the Ukrainians.



Set back by the loss, Keyd Stars needed a win to stay alive in the tournament. Their opponents were Cloud9 who had been having their hot streak at the time. The Americans were quick to enact their revenge for the disgraceful humiliation at MLG Aspen and pried the defenses of the Brazilians, netting themselves 10 rounds on the T side. Switching sides did naught to alleviate the damages for our protagonists, as Cloud9 called on the wrath of freedom and denied Keyd Stars any footing to get back in. Keyd Stars’ run at EWSC ended with the devastating 16-5 loss.



Despite being knocked out, Keyd Stars still had to play one last match against Boreal eSports. One can only speculate why such a match must occur but the map was selected to be Mirage. One wonder if Boreal has had a turn of heart and granted the Brazilians some solace in their fabled Mirage or if they were inoculated by the local cuisine to think they could win on this map. Like guiding lambs to the slaughter, Keyd Stars were merciless. Boreal were lucky to keep 3 rounds to their name.



Changes had to be made -- stagnation had already manifested. A roster change was made alongside an organizational change. Keyd Stars needed more support to continue their road to glory, and needed a champion to take the mantle.



Welcome coldzera and Luminosity Gaming.

Under the new organization, Keyd Stars traveled to Katowice, Poland for their first major of many. Their group play was kick started againstNiP on Inferno. Starting on CT side, they got ran over by the Swedes, picking up only 2 rounds; they made a valiant effort to mount a comeback in the second half, but could not catch up with the monstrous lead that NiP held, losing 9-16. Dropping down to the elimination match, they would face off against the cis mixHellRaisers. Starting on the T side, Keyd Stars did their best to stem the bleeding as they netted 5 rounds against the strong aimers; they would finally catch their breath and save themselves from defeat as they locked down the CT side, not allowing for the misshapen gameplay of HellRaisers to crack through the defenses -- only 2 rounds were given up by the Brazilians as they advanced to the final match against North American hopefulsCLG. Set on Dust2, there was no hope for CLG as Keyd Stars broke them; CLG could do naught on their CT side to contain the Brazilians as they mustered only 2 rounds for themselves. CLG managed to mount an attempt at a comeback, but Keyd Stars stomped the flames of hope and did what was once unthinkable -- they became Legends.The counter-strike world blown away at the results, Keyd Stars advanced to the quarterfinals and secured their direct invite to the next major. There was a problem -- their quarter final opponent was the Polish Giant of Counter-Strike:Virtus.Pro. Surprising enough, Virtus.pro allowed Keyd Stars to have Mirage for their map choice, while they select Overpass; Nuke was randomized for the final map. For all the strong showings that Keyd had shown in their short tenure aboard, their first Mirage loss would come at the blades of the plow; Virtus.pro demonstrated to the world that Keyd Stars were fallable on Mirage. With a quick spanking in order, VP aimed to close this series out and deny any lingering hopes the Brazilians might have still had.Oh how futile that wish was.In a barn burner of a game, both teams were taken to the limits. Keyd Stars barely etched past the stalwart defenses of the Poles and forced the match to go to a map 3. Perhaps it was the cruelty of the gods, or their cruel humor as VP win nuke in a one sided game, and the series ends with a whimper.It was the end of the road for Keyd Stars, but only a stumble on their crusade to glory. With their ever growing accolade of fans, they would pack their bags and return back home. Keyd Stars would play in two more local events back at home, but the Wheel of Time turns as the gods grant a gift to Keyd Stars. ESL and ESEA have partnered to create the first super league of its kind: the ESL ESEA Pro League Season 1. Keyd Stars was offered an invitation to play in it, an offer graciously accepted.With their spirits lifted high and their war cries resounding stronger, Keyd Stars made their move to the warm state of California, where they set up a team house in the abode of Brazilian veteran and long time friend, Dead. Cataloging their adventures in foreign lands through the Games Academy youtube channel , Keyd Stars prepared for the inaugural season of ESL ESEA proleague. They would begin to lead the playing field, taking out the lesser NA teams while putting up a fair fight against the top NA teams.However, the seeds of stagnation started to nurture in the crevasses of the Brazilian roster. The first onset of symptoms was at the HTC Reborn Invitational, where Keyd Stars were defeated by an unprovenAffinity in a 2-0 upset. To give Keyd Stars the benefit of the doubt, the match was tormented by DDoS and various technical problems, but the result was nevertheless concerning. Back in the ESL ESEA Proleague, Keyd Stars maintained form as they defeated all the lesser NA teams while keeping up with the top NA teams. They would go on to finish the season in second place, lagging behind NA powerhouseCloud9.With the season coming to the final stages, Keyd Stars would redeem themselves from their HTC failures by sweeping the iBUYPOWER Summer Invitational, dropping only a single map toLuminosity Gaming in the semifinals. But that was their last taste of victory under the current organization, and with the same roster.With 2 straight weekends of LAN finals -- ESL ESEA Proleague Finals and ESWC 2015 -- the Brazilians begin to prepare for their 2nd tour of Europe. With the first stop being in Cologne, Germany, Keyd Stars were coming in expected to perform well. Their match in group B was a close one against theTSM; a heavyweight slugfest that saw the Brazilians come out on top of the Danes 16-12. With a win securing their advancement to the quarterfinals, Keyd Stars would have their winners match againstCLG. They met on Cache; first half played to the tune of an equal game with the score of 8-7 in Keyd’s favour. Unfortunately for the Brazilians, CLG had a much better CT side, and clobbered the T set plays of Keyd Stars to close the match out 16-9.The signs of stagnation started to grow stronger as the seeds sprouted. It was slowly becoming clear that zqks was trailing behind the rest of the team with his subpar gameplay. With their 1-1 record, Keyd Stars got the unfortunate draw of having to face eventual winners in Fnatic; Fnatic made quick mincemeat of Keyd Stars on Inferno with their strong CT play supported by Krimz’s B site holds. Train was Keyd Stars’ answer to Fnatic and they took Fnatic for a wild ride. A battle of wits between Pronax and Fallen dictated the flow of the game as their clash forced the game into overtime. The Swedes powered through and closed out the map and the series in the first overtime 16-19.With a couple days to rest and recuperate, Keyd Stars had ESWC in France to look forward to -- against arguably easier competition in their group.Flipside Tactics had a surprise with the substitution of Hiko, who would play alongsideOleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev. This duo would meet again later to battle against the future of Keyd Stars, but they defeated the Brazilians in a close match on Cobblestone with Hiko leading the valiant charge for the Ukrainians.Set back by the loss, Keyd Stars needed a win to stay alive in the tournament. Their opponents were Cloud9 who had been having their hot streak at the time. The Americans were quick to enact their revenge for the disgraceful humiliation at MLG Aspen and pried the defenses of the Brazilians, netting themselves 10 rounds on the T side. Switching sides did naught to alleviate the damages for our protagonists, as Cloud9 called on the wrath of freedom and denied Keyd Stars any footing to get back in. Keyd Stars’ run at EWSC ended with the devastating 16-5 loss.Despite being knocked out, Keyd Stars still had to play one last match againstBoreal eSports. One can only speculate why such a match must occur but the map was selected to be Mirage. One wonder if Boreal has had a turn of heart and granted the Brazilians some solace in their fabled Mirage or if they were inoculated by the local cuisine to think they could win on this map. Like guiding lambs to the slaughter, Keyd Stars were merciless. Boreal were lucky to keep 3 rounds to their name.Changes had to be made -- stagnation had already manifested. A roster change was made alongside an organizational change. Keyd Stars needed more support to continue their road to glory, and needed a champion to take the mantle.Welcome coldzera and Luminosity Gaming. Keyd Stars, as well as parting ways with Caio “zqk” Fonseca. Towards the end of the month, they were recruited by Luminosity Gaming, a Canadian organisation created in 2015 that was focused on North America up until then. Releasing the lineup that would become Mythic and then Winterfox, LG banked on the rising Brazilian lineup and gave them a more permanent home in North America so that they could take advantage of more opportunities to play against better teams than in Brazil. The fifth member was announced at the same time, and joining them would be former Dexterity Team member Marcelo “Coldzera” David.



Their first important tournament was the ESL One Cologne major, where they would go and defend their hard earned Legends status. They got a group with Team EnVyUs, Flipsid3 Tactics, and Kinguin. Losing a close match that went to overtime against the french powerhouse, they would beat Kinguin and be shuffled into a group with Flipsid3, against whom they won in yet another close match to advance once again out of groups and retain their Legends status.



Sadly, they drawn for their quarterfinals the most dominant team of the year; the Swedes of Fnatic. They went down at that stage, although they still managed to make the second game on Mirage close. With a score of 14-16 against the best team in the world, this was a testament to their best map that put them on the radar. This major run could have gone further with a different quarterfinals draw, but it still cemented their status as one of the top teams.



Moreover, it confirmed that picking up Coldzera was definitely a smart move. He displayed a welcomed solidity throughout their run and was a reliable and key player. This tournament was also the opportunity for Fernando “fer” Alvarenga to emerge as a player capable of competing with the top. On the last map against Fnatic, he managed to outperform the whole swedish team despite the close loss, and overall matching very well against every Fnatic player. With the exception of one average game against Flipsid3, he excelled during every other game Luminosity played.



The months following the ESL One Cologne and leading up to DreamHack Cluj-Napoca were fairly quiet for Luminosity. They stayed in North America, where they would remain part of the top four on that side of the CS world, alongside Team Liquid, Counter Logic Gaming, and Cloud9. They netted a second place at iBP Invitational behind Liquid, placed second in the Season 9 of CEVO Professional, and that was it.



The third major of the year at Cluj-Napoca was another chance for this squad to step it up. Matched against Fnatic, Cloud9 and Vexed Gaming, they were in a good position to go through group again, even in second place. These expectations were confirmed after they won a solid game against Cloud9. They outdone themselves when they took down Fnatic 16-13 in the winners’ match, on Inferno nonetheless, a map Fnatic was usually strong on. With this victory, they made it to the playoffs of a major for the third time in 2015. In Cluj, they would have to face Natus Vincere. They would prove too tough a challenge for LG, despite a close series that saw the games go respectively to 30 and 29 rounds.



At that point, it became clear that LG were going to stick around, continuously improving over time and able to upset on a consistent basis a few european teams here and there. Another step was taken as 2015 closed with their now famous miracle run at the Faceit 2015 Stage 3 Finals; they surprised the world by going all the way to the finals, beating Ninjas in Pyjamas, EnVyUs, and Team SoloMid in best of three series after shockingly losing their opening match to Fnatic 16-0. They couldn’t overcome Fnatic in the finals, yet once again they climbed another step. That they put up such a run only a week after picking up Lincoln “fnx” Lau and Tacio “TACO” Filho who replaced Lucas “steel” Lopes and Ricardo “boltz” Prass was quite impressive.



Overall, 2015 was a turning point for the team. The first months were marked by breaking out in the scene. Then, from ESL One Katowice and onward, it was about rising up, step by step, reaching cruising speed as they made it to the playoffs of every single major of the year.



Entering 2016, the new Luminosity would cement their reputation as one of the best teams around by stringing even more good placings with a top 4 at StarLadder StarSeries XIV, a second place at DreamHack Leipzig, and a second place at IEM Season X World Championship in Katowice where they put up one of their best performance. The semifinals against Na’Vi is already considered one of the best series of the year, and saw the Brazilians edge out the boys in yellow in a heavyweight slugfest. This was the start of an explosive rivalry that would yield a lot of close and action packed games. They indeed faced numerous times in that 2015-2016 winter period in often very close matches. Na’Vi got the better of them in Leipzig going 2-0 in the finals, but both games went to overtime. In Katowice, LG replied with a 2-0 of their own in the semifinals with the first game going to double overtime, after beating them in the group stage.



These two teams have a somewhat similar approach to CS:GO focused on the tactical side of the game, always creating an interesting battles of wit between the two. Although LG have a slightly faster pace to their game, they and Na’Vi like to play the map smartly and carefully, balancing the pros and the cons of their current situation before making their next move. When the final decision is made and that the teamwork starts clicking, these teams can crash into a site with a minutiae and timings that leave nothing to chance.



In the period leading to Columbus, LG’s rise to the top was blazingly quick, and they have proven that they were capable enough to take on the best teams in the scene. So far, only one obstacle has remained on their road: Fnatic. In three months, the swedes put a stop to a majority of Luminosity’s tournament runs. Most, because in some others they weren’t even here, such as DreamHack Leipzig. They’ve proven a very hard beast to tame for the Brazilians. In the IEM Katowice finals, LG would start ploughing through Fnatic with a dominant first half, only to fail to close the game as Fnatic would crawl back in the game, claim the overtime, and win it. The second game showed a mentally wrecked LG, as they could only grab a couple of rounds. The third game of the series would simply be a replay of the first, with the exact same huge advantage for LG in the first half, that Fnatic negated to claim once more the map in overtime. This series showed that they were definitely capable of beating Fnatic, but that they would have to defeat another enemy before that: themselves.

July 2015 saw FalleN’s men leaving the Brazilian structureKeyd Stars, as well as parting ways withCaio “zqk” Fonseca. Towards the end of the month, they were recruited by Luminosity Gaming, a Canadian organisation created in 2015 that was focused on North America up until then. Releasing the lineup that would become Mythic and then Winterfox, LG banked on the rising Brazilian lineup and gave them a more permanent home in North America so that they could take advantage of more opportunities to play against better teams than in Brazil. The fifth member was announced at the same time, and joining them would be former Dexterity Team memberMarcelo “Coldzera” David.Their first important tournament was the ESL One Cologne major, where they would go and defend their hard earned Legends status. They got a group withTeam EnVyUs,Flipsid3 Tactics, andKinguin. Losing a close match that went to overtime against the french powerhouse, they would beat Kinguin and be shuffled into a group with Flipsid3, against whom they won in yet another close match to advance once again out of groups and retain their Legends status.Sadly, they drawn for their quarterfinals the most dominant team of the year; the Swedes ofFnatic. They went down at that stage, although they still managed to make the second game on Mirage close. With a score of 14-16 against the best team in the world, this was a testament to their best map that put them on the radar. This major run could have gone further with a different quarterfinals draw, but it still cemented their status as one of the top teams.Moreover, it confirmed that picking up Coldzera was definitely a smart move. He displayed a welcomed solidity throughout their run and was a reliable and key player. This tournament was also the opportunity forFernando “fer” Alvarenga to emerge as a player capable of competing with the top. On the last map against Fnatic, he managed to outperform the whole swedish team despite the close loss, and overall matching very well against every Fnatic player. With the exception of one average game against Flipsid3, he excelled during every other game Luminosity played.The months following the ESL One Cologne and leading up to DreamHack Cluj-Napoca were fairly quiet for Luminosity. They stayed in North America, where they would remain part of the top four on that side of the CS world, alongsideTeam Liquid,Counter Logic Gaming, andCloud9. They netted a second place at iBP Invitational behind Liquid, placed second in the Season 9 of CEVO Professional, and that was it.The third major of the year at Cluj-Napoca was another chance for this squad to step it up. Matched against Fnatic, Cloud9 andVexed Gaming, they were in a good position to go through group again, even in second place. These expectations were confirmed after they won a solid game against Cloud9. They outdone themselves when they took down Fnatic 16-13 in the winners’ match, on Inferno nonetheless, a map Fnatic was usually strong on. With this victory, they made it to the playoffs of a major for the third time in 2015. In Cluj, they would have to faceNatus Vincere. They would prove too tough a challenge for LG, despite a close series that saw the games go respectively to 30 and 29 rounds.At that point, it became clear that LG were going to stick around, continuously improving over time and able to upset on a consistent basis a few european teams here and there. Another step was taken as 2015 closed with their now famous miracle run at the Faceit 2015 Stage 3 Finals; they surprised the world by going all the way to the finals, beatingNinjas in Pyjamas, EnVyUs, andTeam SoloMid in best of three series after shockingly losing their opening match to Fnatic 16-0. They couldn’t overcome Fnatic in the finals, yet once again they climbed another step. That they put up such a run only a week after picking upLincoln “fnx” Lau andTacio “TACO” Filho who replacedLucas “steel” Lopes andRicardo “boltz” Prass was quite impressive.Overall, 2015 was a turning point for the team. The first months were marked by breaking out in the scene. Then, from ESL One Katowice and onward, it was about rising up, step by step, reaching cruising speed as they made it to the playoffs of every single major of the year.Entering 2016, the new Luminosity would cement their reputation as one of the best teams around by stringing even more good placings with a top 4 at StarLadder StarSeries XIV, a second place at DreamHack Leipzig, and a second place at IEM Season X World Championship in Katowice where they put up one of their best performance. The semifinals against Na’Vi is already considered one of the best series of the year, and saw the Brazilians edge out the boys in yellow in a heavyweight slugfest. This was the start of an explosive rivalry that would yield a lot of close and action packed games. They indeed faced numerous times in that 2015-2016 winter period in often very close matches. Na’Vi got the better of them in Leipzig going 2-0 in the finals, but both games went to overtime. In Katowice, LG replied with a 2-0 of their own in the semifinals with the first game going to double overtime, after beating them in the group stage.These two teams have a somewhat similar approach to CS:GO focused on the tactical side of the game, always creating an interesting battles of wit between the two. Although LG have a slightly faster pace to their game, they and Na’Vi like to play the map smartly and carefully, balancing the pros and the cons of their current situation before making their next move. When the final decision is made and that the teamwork starts clicking, these teams can crash into a site with a minutiae and timings that leave nothing to chance.In the period leading to Columbus, LG’s rise to the top was blazingly quick, and they have proven that they were capable enough to take on the best teams in the scene. So far, only one obstacle has remained on their road: Fnatic. In three months, the swedes put a stop to a majority of Luminosity’s tournament runs. Most, because in some others they weren’t even here, such as DreamHack Leipzig. They’ve proven a very hard beast to tame for the Brazilians. In the IEM Katowice finals, LG would start ploughing through Fnatic with a dominant first half, only to fail to close the game as Fnatic would crawl back in the game, claim the overtime, and win it. The second game showed a mentally wrecked LG, as they could only grab a couple of rounds. The third game of the series would simply be a replay of the first, with the exact same huge advantage for LG in the first half, that Fnatic negated to claim once more the map in overtime. This series showed that they were definitely capable of beating Fnatic, but that they would have to defeat another enemy before that: themselves.

Coming into the Major in Columbus, Luminosity Gaming were ranked 4th worldwide by



Their group draw was favorable, a first round match-up against eternal gatekeepers mousesports, presumably followed by a match against the victor between Flipside Tactics and Ninjas in Pyjamas. The stage was set for LG to show the culmination of a year of practice in their team house, at an event held by the same organization as their first in Aspen that put them on the map.



Luminosity’s run did not disappoint. A spectacular affair that saw an absolute heroic performance from coldzera throughout the tournament, Luminosity managed to become the first non-European team to win a Major in CS:GO. And while much of the highlight was put on the individual plays that won key rounds for LG, it is nonetheless important to look at their run in a broader context.



First, some statistics. In overall map score, LG was 8-1 at Columbus, losing only one map to Virtus Pro in the quarterfinals. On its face, this seems an impressive scoreline, but that doesn’t tell the whole tale. The round score sings a different tune, 154-108 for a win percentage of approximately 59%, still quite superb but nowhere near invincible. When one takes out the two most lopsided victories of the event, LG’s round score was 122-101, bringing the win rate down to 55%.



To anyone that watched all of the games, this seems much more indicative of reality. Luminosity showed little outright dominance in Columbus. Their two blowouts were against a NiP team that were playing with their coach and against a demoralized Na’Vi in game two of the finals after a heartbreaking game one loss. In contrast, four of the remaining seven maps LG played at Columbus went to overtime, and their opponents reached double-digits in the other three.



These close contests were an exciting spectacle for fans, and a grueling task for the players. That LG managed to edge out so many maps in such close fashion speaks to their mental fortitude as a team at his event. In the months leading up to the Major, they had faltered in close games in LAN finals many times, such as their collapse against Fnatic in Katowice. That they were able to overcome their past failures on the big stage and grind out the round and map wins shows true growth as a team in the face of adversity.



In the Liquid series alone, Luminosity faced a nerve-wracking 15 map points and won them all, displaying a clearly superior ability to play under pressure that was integral to their Major championship. Even their first game at Columbus against mouz was no cakewalk, with LG only barely scraping by 16-13. They proceeded to carry a steeled resolve with them all the way into the finals, outpacing and outlasting their recent rivals Na’Vi to clinch the championship, a fitting end to Luminosity’s performance.



Credit is largely due to the absolute leadership of FalleN, on full display the entire tournament. He expertly balanced the tightrope of macromanaging his team’s emotions and strategies while simultaneously giving them space make their explosive individual plays in the unpredictable micro situations of each round. It is his strategical gameplan that is the foundation upon which Luminosity has been able to build their success. The highlight reel headshots are simply an accentuation, an accessory to the beautiful style that Toledo exemplifies.

Coming into the Major in Columbus, Luminosity Gaming were ranked 4th worldwide by HLTV below only Astralis, Natus Vincere and Fnatic. With a recent string of second-place finishes featuring series wins over other elite teams, the Brazilian side looked to surpass their previous run at Cluj-Napoca and cement their standing as a title contender in the 2016 season.Their group draw was favorable, a first round match-up against eternal gatekeepers mousesports, presumably followed by a match against the victor between Flipside Tactics and Ninjas in Pyjamas. The stage was set for LG to show the culmination of a year of practice in their team house, at an event held by the same organization as their first in Aspen that put them on the map.Luminosity’s run did not disappoint. A spectacular affair that saw an absolute heroic performance from coldzera throughout the tournament, Luminosity managed to become the first non-European team to win a Major in CS:GO. And while much of the highlight was put on the individual plays that won key rounds for LG, it is nonetheless important to look at their run in a broader context.First, some statistics. In overall map score, LG was 8-1 at Columbus, losing only one map to Virtus Pro in the quarterfinals. On its face, this seems an impressive scoreline, but that doesn’t tell the whole tale. The round score sings a different tune, 154-108 for a win percentage of approximately 59%, still quite superb but nowhere near invincible. When one takes out the two most lopsided victories of the event, LG’s round score was 122-101, bringing the win rate down to 55%.To anyone that watched all of the games, this seems much more indicative of reality. Luminosity showed little outright dominance in Columbus. Their two blowouts were against a NiP team that were playing with their coach and against a demoralized Na’Vi in game two of the finals after a heartbreaking game one loss. In contrast, four of the remaining seven maps LG played at Columbus went to overtime, and their opponents reached double-digits in the other three.These close contests were an exciting spectacle for fans, and a grueling task for the players. That LG managed to edge out so many maps in such close fashion speaks to their mental fortitude as a team at his event. In the months leading up to the Major, they had faltered in close games in LAN finals many times, such as their collapse against Fnatic in Katowice. That they were able to overcome their past failures on the big stage and grind out the round and map wins shows true growth as a team in the face of adversity.In the Liquid series alone, Luminosity faced a nerve-wracking 15 map points and won them all, displaying a clearly superior ability to play under pressure that was integral to their Major championship. Even their first game at Columbus against mouz was no cakewalk, with LG only barely scraping by 16-13. They proceeded to carry a steeled resolve with them all the way into the finals, outpacing and outlasting their recent rivals Na’Vi to clinch the championship, a fitting end to Luminosity’s performance.Credit is largely due to the absolute leadership of FalleN, on full display the entire tournament. He expertly balanced the tightrope of macromanaging his team’s emotions and strategies while simultaneously giving them space make their explosive individual plays in the unpredictable micro situations of each round. It is his strategical gameplan that is the foundation upon which Luminosity has been able to build their success. The highlight reel headshots are simply an accentuation, an accessory to the beautiful style that Toledo exemplifies.

One needs to look no further than Luminosity’s typical map veto to see how they approach the game. Their permaban is Dust II, a map known for being tactically stale and for forcing an aim-centric playstyle. Their next weakest map is Cache, a similar map to Dust but with more going for it in terms of offensive options. They favor picking Mirage, a map that suits their style perfectly. The A bombsite lends itself to smoke plays and there are plenty of long sightlines for FalleN and coldzera to play off of when defending. They remain strong on most of the rest of the pool, transferring their teamplay well onto Train and Overpass where their polished Terrorist play shines.



It is their style that makes Luminosity unique among the Major winning teams in CS:GO, and is simultaneously a sign of the shifting metagame. Teams such as EnVy.Us and Fnatic won their championships largely due to the raw talent their teams displayed, trending toward styles that relied on constantly making aggressive decisions in both the micro and macro senses of the game, forcing success out of situations that were traditionally seen as disadvantageous.



By contrast, the Brazilian side displayed a nearly unparalleled level of discipline in their Major run, on both sides of the bomb. Their patient, calculated site takes with pristine executes and well-timed entries were simply magnificent, a hallmark of a well-practiced tactical team. Their defensive sides were anchored by many dual-AWP setups that provided the stability needed to grind out the close map wins they had at the Major. This sort of play is only possible in a high-economy game, largely devoid of the pistol-armor and half-buys that Fnatic and EnVy were known for.



That LG’s biggest rivals Na’Vi share some resemblances in this regard is not a coincidence. These two teams are spearheading a movement in the overarching metagame of CS:GO, aided by the changes to the round-timer that enhances their offensive styles. That they were the two finalists of the Major will only further push the game in this direction, with up-and-coming teams looking to emulate the success of the teams at the top.



Even if LG never manage to reach these heights again, they will still have left behind an impact on the game of CS:GO that only few teams have ever matched. That said, there’s no reason to believe that this team, led by the stalwart strategical mind of FalleN, cannot continue to build their success and become the next great CS:GO dynasty to rival the likes of NiP and Fnatic. They have won the Major, and now they begin their conquest of the game.





Yamato, Ragnarork

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