Forsaken warden: "We can compete with any team"
Despite being a new team, Forsaken dismantled their regional rivals at Ace Masters to qualify for BLAST Premier Fall Showdown.
Beating strong teams such as Nouns and Party Astronauts in the process, it was a statement of intent from the new boys that they could shake up the landscape of NA CS.
A region on its knees, Forsaken are hoping to bring pride back to North America, and we spoke to their coach, legendary NA CS figure Warden, about the team, their qualification run, and the opposition they'll be facing at Fall Showdown.
Interview with warden
Congratulations on qualifying for Fall Showdown, what does it mean for the team?
It means a lot to get a chance to compete with higher tier teams. We have been working hard on becoming more consistent and being able to hit a certain bar when we play together. I know being able to qualify for events is a luxury in North America so we will not take this opportunity for granted.
Tell us about the Ace Masters run, did you expect to do so well?
I know the team is filled with serious competitors who are expecting to win everytime we play. That being said, the team has surprised me with how fast we have gelled. It is a testament to the hard work of Stanislaw and the rest of the team believing in our vision for how we should play together. I am proud of what we have accomplished in such a short amount of time and we are looking to build on this success further.
There are some tough teams in the Showdown; FURIA, Liquid, and Complexity are all in attendance, is there confidence in the team that you can take them down?
We believe we can compete with any team. The teams you mentioned are of a higher quality than we have been facing in North America consistently. We are looking forward to the challenge and adversity that comes with facing this tier of teams.
What would it mean to qualify for the Fall Final?
As a free agent team it would get us more attention for sure which would be amazing. Also the chance to compete with the big boys at the Fall Final would be a dream for our team. We watch these teams' demos in practice every day and look to them for places we can improve. To have a chance to play against these kinds of teams would be a great opportunity for us.
For our readers who are unfamiliar with your team, can you take us through players on the team?
stanislaw has won three tier 1 LAN international trophies and three tier 1 North American online trophies, in addition to many other tournaments. He has been playing Counter-Strike since 2005, and has been a CS:GO professional since 2016. He is regarded as one of the best in-game leaders in North America. One of Peter's greatest strengths is how he keeps people accountable by setting the example on how to train. Stanislaw is eager to return to competing at the highest level.
wiz is one of the most promising and exciting awpers in North America. Wiz has tier 1 experience with his former team, Evil Geniuses, as well as working with stanislaw in the past. He has a great work ethic and works hard everyday to improve himself, not only as a teammate, but as a person.
JBa is one of the most promising talents in North America. His aim and mechanics speak for themselves. He is the best aimer on the team. He is a young and raw talent with a massive potential. He has a keen instinct for the game with a learning mentality that will serve him well.
cxzi is one of the most aggressive players in North America. He is relentless when it comes to his playstyle. He already has some tier 1 experience under his belt and has been performing successfully in tier 2 of North America for quite some time. cxzi’s unique ability to entry frag and create space as well as activate other teammates has proven him to be a true asset to the team’s success.
Infinite is a very intelligent player. He helps Stanislaw during official games with his ability to read other teams and top tier communication. Similarly to cxzi, Infinite has a small amount of tier 1 experience under his belt and has been performing successfully in tier 2 of North America. Infinite has a big impact especially on the CT side on how the team is set up.