Throughout August, we here at BLAST.tv have been celebrating AWPgust, a month where we look throughout Counter-Strike history at some of the best AWPers ever to touch the game.
We've spoken about device, about cadiaN, about some of the AWPers you need to look out for in years to come. But now it's time to talk about one of the greatest of all time, the recently retired kennyS.
So great that Valve had to nerf the AWP because of him; it simply wouldn't be AWPgust without kennyS.
kennyS rose to fame with VeryGames before joining LDLC and eventually Titan. One of the best players in France, from the start of CS:GO, he was one of the most dominant figures in the game.
Ranking twelfth in HLTV's top twenty in 2013, the following two years would see kennyS place sixth twice, his peak placings in years where he was at his absolute best.
Majors were a tough time for him in the first two years, only making the playoffs once at Dreamhack Winter 2013, but in 2015 as he joined Envy, that changed very quickly.
Finishing second at ESL One Cologne 2015, only losing out to a dominant fnatic side, kennyS had gotten close to winning a Major, and as Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca rolled around, he wouldn't let it slip away again.
The MVP of the event, kennyS was a star throughout, and with a 2-0 victory over NAVI in the final, he bested one of his closest rivals in GuardiaN to claim what would end up being the only Major win of his career.
"I think that our emotions are our strength and our weaknesses. Being too emotional in tense moments and in high pressure matches is not something that is really gonna help you in the long run.
That being said, it does help create a momentum for teammates and our teams, from there, the sky's the limit." - shox on kennyS being regarded as an emotional player
In early 2017, after a relatively lacklustre year for French CS, kennyS would join forces with two-time Major winner NBK-, Major winners shox and apEX, and fellow starlet bodyy to create the greatest lineup the nation had ever seen.
Hopes were high for the roster; sadly, they would never truly live up to them. There was a Dreamhack Open win, a Pro League win, and a win at Dreamhack Masters, but that was as good as it got in just over a year together.
"Kenny as a teammate was someone who loved to have fun outside the game. About the ingame stuff, he has always been really hard on himself, as he knows he can be among the best, it was never good enough for him. Having an awper of his calibre was a real advantage to our sides." - shox on playing with kennyS
They were decent results, but they only really highlighted the hot and cold nature of the team. For the three Majors the team would play together.
They only made playoffs at one of them, and considering how stacked the team was meant to be, those results were hardly befitting.
Changes were made. Players would come and go, and eventually, after even trying players like SmithZz, Ex6TenZ, and tier-two French players like Lucky, G2 became an international team in a move kennyS said was "too difficult" for him.
"Believe me: I’m very comfortable in English, but it was too difficult for me," kennyS said.
As kennyS' performances continued to wane, eventually G2 would bench him in favour of playing without a natural AWPer. A spell on the sidelines as a content creator would follow, and although rumours would circulate that a move to VALORANT was imminent, it never materialised.
Instead, kennyS would eventually sign for Falcons, one of the few French teams left in Counter-Strike. It was a signing that caught the attention of fans worldwide, and perhaps it came too late for kennyS and his new organisation.
With one last chance at glory, Falcons would feature in the RMR for the BLAST.tv Paris Major with an opportunity to play in their country at a Major.
Though they wouldn't qualify, kennyS would still appear at the event, retiring on stage to rapturous applause and calling time on one of the most iconic careers in esports history.
"kennyS means to French counter strike the passion, the flicks and someone who always took time for his fans while performing at the highest level. When you talk about kennyS, French people are proud." - shox
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