NA CS has had a bit of a resurgence lately, with teams like Party Astronauts, BOSS, and Nouns all making headlines as well as the return of NRG to the scene.
However, one name is making more waves than any other - M80.
M80 are an unusual team considering the nationalities of their stars, but that is a peculiarity that has made them all the more dangerous. So dangerous in fact, that even the stars of Team Liquid have struggled to defeat them domestically.
Actually, the difficulties in defeating M80 go further than Liquid. Even G2 with the seemingly superhuman NiKo and m0NESY have struggled to take them down - and that makes the American team all the more exciting.
So, who are M80?
And how did that manage to build a team that is now knocking on the door of tier one?
When M80 entered CS, they did so by signing maNkz from ECSTATIC. It was a signing of intent from the fledgling organisation, a statement that they weren’t going to be like every other NA side and instead follow in the footsteps of Liquid and Complexity in terms of looking outside of their continent for a leader.
This signing was an acknowledgement that North America, while booming, is still lacking in certain aspects. As they always have been, leaders are few and far between in the region.
And it seems to have worked out. it hasn’t just given M80 an advantage domestically, it has also given them a boost internationally, making them all the more ready for international competition when the time came.
Of course, if you look at M80’s current roster, you’ll notice maNkz is no longer a part of it. The Dane benched himself during January following difficulties with his mental health.
It took some time for M80 to find a replacement, although they eventually settled on one following s1n’s benching by BIG. It was a chance for the young German to prove his worth as a leader outside of the BIG academy system, something he hasn't had the opportunity to do during his time with the German organisation’s main team.
s1n hasn’t had too much time with the team yet, although together they have already qualified for the Esports World Cup 2024, taking down Liquid in the North American Closed Qualifier. They also narrowly missed out on the playoffs at ESL Pro League Season 19, picking up an impressive LAN victory against G2 during their time at the event.
Other than impressive early victories over Liquid and G2, the other reason to be excited by s1n is the form he has displayed so far on the team. With a 1.115 HLTV rating so far, s1n is proving to not just be a competent leader, but also no slouch in the fragging department.
s1n isn’t the only roster change M80 have made since former their roster in July 2023, they have also made a change to the sniper of their team too.
Originally, the team had WolfY on the big green, but the American was underperforming compared to the rest of his teammates. He was replaced by German sniper slaxz-, who was signed from ALTERNATE aTTaX.
At the time, WolfY had recorded a 1.04 HLTV rating in 2023, this was dwarfed by slaxz-’s 1.21. The German has dipped since then to 1.14 in 2024, but that is still an improvement on Wolfy’s ratings.
Just like with the signing of a European IGL, signing a European AWPer was another acknowledgement of a potential weakness within North America: AWPers.
Just like Complexity and Liquid with cadiaN and hallzerk, M80 opted to go overseas for their AWPer and that decision seemed to be good.
This is reflected in slaxz-’s impressive showings at the two LAN events M80 have attended this year, IEM Katowice and ESL Pro League Season 19.
Despite failing to advance from the Play-In stage, slaxz- recorded a 1.30 HLTV rating in Poland, while in Malta, he recorded a 1.19 HLTV rating across 17 maps.
Rounding out the trio of unusual nationalities finding themselves playing for a North American organisation is M80’s Guatemalan superstar, malbsMd.
malbsMd is a player who has been threatening to break into tier-one for a long time, but his path to the big-time hasn’t been easy.
He was given his big break by Team oNe, and later had a a difficult spell with 00NATION before moving back to Team oNe and later playing for LOS after a merger. While he occasionally shone, his ability to be the true star of a team wasn’t always believed in, but that isn’t the case on M80.
On M80, malbsMd is the true star of the team, and his incredible raw aim has given them plenty of opportunity to look extremely dangerous against the big boys.
He has an impressive 1.33 HLTV rating in 2024, and while that is typically expected to dip on LAN or against top teams, he still managed to maintain a 1.28 HLTV rating at Pro League and a 1.15 HLTV rating at the IEM Katowice Play-In.
malbsMd has proven time and time again that he is invaluable to M80.
Of course, given that M80 was founded in the US, it wouldn’t be right for them not to feature players. And, if you haven’t figured out by the other players signed to the team, they made sure to sign the right ones.
The first of those two, Swisher, was highly rated in NA thanks to his time on ATK. He’s by no means a star, but he’s a dependable member of the team, and alongside malbsMd and slaxz-, that’s exactly what they need.
The other, reck, was Swisher’s teammate on ATK. He arrived with a lower reputation than his compatriot.
But his performances have seen him garner praise as an excellent fourth or fifth piece within the region, with many now saying that it won’t be long before he is rewarded with a move to Liquid or Complexity.
By signing these two names, M80 ensured they would capture a percentage of the NA fanbase.
It may be a while before we consistently see M80 at LAN events, and it may be even longer before we truly consider them a threat to the status quo.
In truth, it’s likely when they do get there, it won’t be with these same five players. However, it’s just as likely that they will reach their goals. M80 is a team that has acted incredibly smartly since entering Counter-Strike, and for that, they are bound to be rewarded.
BLAST ApS., Hauser Plads 1, 3., 1127 Copenhagen