Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, and I’m no longer being fooled; I’m merely noticing a pattern.

When the Eagles first brought upon us their unique brand of bad news, many assumed it was a one-off story. However, anyone who regularly buys a newspaper knows that bad news is a consistent stream - so is the magic of the Bad News Eagles.

A single qualification, one could believe to be a fluke. A second, well, lightning does occasionally strike twice. But a third time… that’s only explainable via magic, or genuine desire, hard work and ability.

Or a mixture of both.

Photo: Michal Konkol

How did we get here?

Bad News Eagles ghosted through the RMR for Antwerp past SINNERS, and into the Challengers Stage, in their first big achievement. That of course was not enough - under the watchful eye of the Kosovar government, who’d taken a shine to the first team from their country to qualify for a Major, Bad News Eagles pushed into the Legends Stage.

Eternal Fire and Imperial bent the knee in the BO1s, and with all the marbles up for grabs BNE reverse swept MIBR.

Their combination of unfiltered aggression, exceptional mechanics and co-ordinated chaos made them an absolute nightmare for anyone. You know they’re going to push you, you know they’re going to hit you with the speed of an Arjen Robben counter-attack - but you can’t do much about it.

You know he’s going to cut inside, but stopping it is another matter entirely.

Photo: Michal Konkol

That became more clear the second time around, when Bad News Eagles cut Astralis to ribbons to move to a 2-1 spot in the EU RMR for Rio, and once again found themselves at a 2-2 game after losing to Team Spirit.

Once more though, with their proverbial backs against the wall, they pulled off a reverse sweep, this time over FORZE. Bad News Eagles were un-put-away-able, perennial fighters who refused to give up, but now they’re an augmented version.

Both previous times the Eagles have gotten to the Major, they’ve done it through ruthless aggression and by the skin of their teeth. This time, it was not only quick and easy, but they get to skip the Challengers Stage altogether.

But can they really do some damage in Paris?

Would you ever bet against them?

Photo: Michal Konkol

The additions of Devilwalk and kRYSTAL to the coaching staff adds a little bit of guile and composure to an objectively dangerous team. While Bad News Eagles were very difficult to play against, they were somewhat undisciplined. Somewhat might be underselling it.

That chaos defined them, but it was also their hubris. It opened doors for them, but against the best teams it also closed them in their faces. A team like Heroic with a super tight default won’t let you find the gaps, and a team like NAVI won’t let you swing and outfight them.

There’s a worry that tempering that aggression might ruin what made them special, but it’s a necessary evolution if Bad News Eagles are to be a mainstay at this level instead of the new Vega Squadron.

What we saw in Copenhagen was a more focused, deadly version of BNE. They tore through FaZe Clan with their typical speed and ruthlessness, but never gave up chances for FaZe to get back into it.

Photo: Michal Konkol

Speaking of that victory over FaZe, it displayed possibly BNE’s best trait as a team. As the Kosovans sliced through the FaZe defence, and cleaned up on the T side of Inferno, it was gxx- and rigoN at the top of the scoreboard, with juanflatroo having a very quiet map. As they ground out a tough win on Mirage, it was off the back of juanflatroo going berserk.

When it comes to picking out the best player on Bad News Eagles, it’s not that simple. In some ways, that can be a curse, but in others it’s a blessing.

Bad News Eagles are something of a ‘toolbox’ team. Toolbox is a term used in card games for decks that don’t have a linear gameplan, but instead have answers for lots of different situations. Rather than being built around one or two cards - or in this case, players - they have tools for every situation.

Anyone on this team can pop off and carry a game, and that makes them hard to prepare for. FaZe shut down juanflatroo on Inferno and still got smacked. SENER1 is usually the least likely to take over a game, but he’s far from the weakest individual on a top team.

What is the limit?

Photo: Michal Konkol

All of this is immaterial, though. We already know their playstyle can work against good teams, because they’ve already beaten FaZe in a BO3. Twice.

The first time out it felt like FaZe were caught off guard. The way BNE play is - or was - so jarring and could easily overwhelm a good team on a bad day. Add to that the confusion of FaZe allowing Vertigo through the veto, and you have the perfect recipe for an upset.

But this time?

There’s no excuse for FaZe. They knew what was coming, they didn’t pick Vertigo, and they still had no answer. It turns out that the Bad News Eagles are actually just… pretty damn good.

With coaching staff who have overseen teams who have consistently overperformed and can whip some discipline into a roster of players that is clearly capable of dueling in the top arenas, there’s really no limit to how good BNE can be.

Photo: Michal Konkol

They are already becoming less gimmicky and more ‘honest’, and it’s impossible to look at the talent they have and not wonder if they could be superstars.

It’s easy to pigeonhole them as the latest purveyors of Major magic, as the new fairytale awaiting a harsh ending. It’s too easy to write off the Eagles as a flash in the pan, a miracle that has repeated, powered by the fairydust of CSGO Majors.

The truth is, that they can be so much more. Just ask FaZe how they feel about them. If you were fooled twice by the BNE story, the shame is on you. You can make amends, though, by believing this time.

Bad News Eagles are here to rip your pick’ems, your dreams, your concepts of what makes a great Counter-Strike team to shreds, and they’re going to have a blast doing it.

Write them off a third time at your own peril.