fbpx

IEM Sydney 2018: A New Perspective on Asian CS:GO

by Kai Lih

TYLOO shocks the world at IEM Sydney 2018

As the dust settles in IEM Sydney 2018, it’s time to take a quick look back at the performance of the Asian teams attending the World class event. Leading the charge for the Asian region was TYLOO, making their first semi-final appearance at a tier one event.  However, what about the rest of the Asia teams? Did their performance live up to our expectations? Moving forward, what can we expect from each Asian team going into their next LAN event?

READ HERE: FaZe Grabs IEM Sydney Trophy in Thriller Against Astralis

For TYLOO, consistency is key moving forward

There is no doubt what TYLOO achieved was unforeseen. No one predicted that the squad would win games against two previous major champions. With that being said, in order for TYLOO to be a serious contender internationally, they cannot afford a quick group stage exit at the next event. For now, consistency and improvement are key for TYLOO to continue to climb the ranks. Taking maps off SK, Cloud9 and Renegades is no easy feat, and they didn’t disappoint in the bo3 series against eventual winners, FaZe, either.

On a side note, I think BnTeT calling is an interesting change. Surprisingly, taking on the IGL role doesn’t seem to have an impact on his fragging. On the other hand, xccurate’s AWP has not improved in this event after BnTeT took the role of calling. Maybe he just needs some time to adjust his playstyle with the AWP. It will be intriguing if BnTeT will take over in-game leading indefinitely. In terms of communication, it is an element in their game that they need to improve, as BnTeT revealed to us in his interview. In an interview with HLTV, Kevin “xccurate” Susanto also confirmed that communication is tough. Maybe with time, they will find a more comfortable way to communicate, whether through sheer necessity or an or

MVP PK disappoints Internationally once again

Once again, the Koreans have yet to get out of the group stages at an international tier-one LAN. As another disappointing run comes to an end, should the Koreans make any drastic changes? Many have cited that the core is too old and that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe it is truly a question of bringing in new talent that might change the direction of the team. However, this begs the question of who can live up to the standard in the Korean scene? Korea is known to have a preference towards MOBA’s and RTS games, so the talent pool is quite dry. Personally, I would give their line-up more time to show that they can perform. In addition, there is currently no one that can qualify as a good and straightforward pickup for MVP. Similar to TYLOO, the Korean’s may have to look elsewhere if changes are to be made.

B.O.O.T – Dream[S]cape shows that the Asian divide is still massive

Dream[S]cape’s failure to win a single group stage match is disappointing, yet expected. With the recent lineup change, it’s impractical to expect Dream[S]cape to immediately have an impact internationally. With every new team, time needs to be given in order for the team to reach its full potential. There is nothing much to take from this performance, as the team failed to achieve double digits in either game. Due to the lack of results from this event, it will be tough to predict if they can be contenders on the international stage. It is a known fact that while the Singaporean squad has the backing and structure of other serious organizations in Asia, their overall lack of experience in tier one events means that they still require more time playing at the highest level before any adequate analysis can be drawn. As long as they continue to dominate the Asian qualifiers and make it to tier one LAN events, we should see this line-up steadily improve.

BnTeT: The Asian NiKo or something else?

bntet at iem sydney

BnTeT at IEM Sydney group stages | Photo courtesy of HLTV

BnTeT’s showing at IEM Sydney 2018 was monstrous, averaging a 1.28 rating along with huge games against the world’s finest: Cloud9 and SK gaming. The sky is the limit for this 22-year-old. All eyes are on BnTeT to continue his ridiculous performance in future tournaments. With the inclusion of additional region slots at IEM Sydney, the future of our scene looks extremely promising, as more opportunities should be given. With BnTeT leading the way, I am thrilled to see what the future holds for both this young talent and the rest of Asia.

READ HERE: IEM Sydney 2019 Playoffs Set To Start

For the biggest news & insights on the Asian CS:GO scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Don’t forget to follow CSGO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter YouTube

In Case You Missed It