Analysis: How FlyQuest can reach the levels of Renegades
Okay, first things first: Aussie fans, please don’t hate us for this. We know you’re over the moon with FlyQuest’s performance at ESL Pro league, but let’s face it; they’re not yet at the same level of the former Renegades team.
The team is on an upward trend - but is there a limit?
INS has been exceptional for the team and is only getting better. And the impact of dexter can’t go unnoticed.
But what does the team need to solidify themselves at the very top?
We've looked at the individual's performances against national and international teams on all levels and done a bit of theory-crafting.
Photo: Michal KonkolWell, the answer could be simple, and it means they must follow in the footsteps of the Renegades and seek outside influence in their quest to reach the top.
Outside influence isn’t unusual.
Liquid have had to look towards both Europe and Brazil to build greater teams, and so too have Complexity.
As stated before, that iconic Renegades/100Thieves team had jkaem aiding them in their success.
This means it isn’t something that should be shied away from. Instead, it is something to be embraced, and as FlyQuest look to return Australian CS to its peak levels, now may be the perfect time for them to do so.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenBefore we get into that, though, let’s first discuss the Aussie icon, without which this team might not be complete.
Returning home
It’s been three years since jks left 100Thieves for Complexity and it’s hard to say that jks’ decision to move to Europe was an ill-fated one.
Despite currently finding himself teamless, jks has enjoyed the best years of his career in those last three years.
His ability to play as the true star of a team may have dwindled, but he was a key factor in why FaZe won IEM Katowice 2022 and why G2 won BLAST Premier World Final 2022, IEM Katowice 2023, and IEM Cologne 2023.
The jury is still out on whether G2 were better off with him than without, but that shouldn’t matter to FlyQuest.
It might be true that jks can no longer be the true star of a team, but with INS present, he wouldn’t need to be. Instead, jks could be a solid third or fourth piece, the exact role in which he shined as part of G2.
Photo: Michal KonkolCurrently operating in that role for FlyQuest is Liazz, a man who was part of the reason Renegades elevated themselves to the big time back in 2019 with their consecutive Major playoff appearances.
Liazz is consistently reliable for FlyQuest domestically, but he lacks some experience on the international stage.
Although Liazz’s HLTV rating for 2024 sits at a respectable 1.15, this drops to 0.95 against top-50 opponents.
Against top 20 opponents, the level FlyQuest should currently strive for, his rating decreases to 0.87.
Looking at jks; his HLTV rating for 2023 was lower at 1.06, but against higher-level opposition.
Photo: Michal Konkoljks may no longer be the bonafide superstar of Australian Counter-Strike, but given his career development, he should be an asset to many teams.
A blast from the past
Vexite is the current aggro star of the team. He has a 1.19 HLTV rating in 2024, which, combined with his 1.21 impact rating, is an easy indicator of the calibre of performance he can put in when playing against Australian opponents.
However, his performances internationally are different. Counter-Strike fans and experts alike are always quick to point out sub-par performances of G2 captain HooXi. The same goes for Vexie.
Obiously there are a lot of factors that come into play here (but hey, we're just theorycrafting). Let's compare them:
| RATING | VEXITE | HOOXI |
| AGAINST TOP 50 | 0.92 | 0.91 |
| AGAINST TOP 30 | 0.91 | 0.92 |
| AGAINST TOP 20 | 0.86 | 0.91 |
| AGAINST TOP 10 | 0.89 | 0.91 |
| AGAINST TOP 5 | 0.65 | 0.90 |
FlyQuest could look into the past; recent events have left jkaem without a team and he could be a perfect fit.
Photo: Michal KonkolDespite jkaem’s former team Apeks’ struggles in 2024, the veteran Norwegian has still shown why age is just a number in Counter-Strike. He has a 1.16 rating so far in 2024.
While this may steadily decrease against higher-level opposition, it decreases within acceptable parameters, and his 1.05 rating against top-20 opposition is far higher than Vexite’s 0.86.
The age difference between the two players is troubling, jkaem is one of the oldest players in tier one at 30 years of age, but if he and rain have taught us anything, that can matter for little when you’re still capable of fragging to that degree.
Besides, this team can push FlyQuest to the next level now.
Completing the upgrade
Like Vexite and Liazz, aliStair performs admirably, but his drop-off internationally is, however, noteable. In ESL Pro League, an event in which the team performed well, he had a 0.98 HLTV rating across the 17 maps he played, a level that isn’t sustainable for top-tier AWPers.
By comparison, M80’s slaxz- had a 1.19 rating in 17 maps, SAW’s story had a 1.14 rating across ten maps, while GamerLegion’s relatively inexperienced sl3nd had a 1.21 rating across 11 maps. slaxz-’s rating is the more prevalent one here, as it shows the level M80 have risen to thanks to having a European AWPer on their team.
If we play the game of transferring a new AWP'er to the team, who could that be?
There are two more experienced figures who are already known quantities in tier-one.
The first of those is nawwk, jkaem’s now former Apeks teammate. For all his talent, nawwk is something of a nearly man in Counter-Strike; formerly a part of NIP. Following on from that benching, nawwk has rebuilt himself while a part of Apeks, and now he is transfer-listed he is sure to be a hot commodity on the market.
nawwk is an AWPer on the more passive end of the spectrum, and that could be a factor that would make him an excellent late-round partner for jks. With jkaem and INS guaranteed to carve them out advantages, jks and nawwk could thrive to close out rounds more consistently against opponents who currently make them struggle to do so.
Another option would be acoR, an AWPer with an impressive ceiling who struggled in 2024 before being benched by GamerLegion. He’s the weaker of the two options ratings-wise.
Consistency is key
FlyQuest’s 9th-12th place finish at Pro League is a great achievement, especially.
Fans of CS love it when there's a peak-level Australian team performing consistently, and if it turns out that FlyQuest fail to do so and need to shake up things the abovementioned changes could be viable.