Flashpoint, the new CS:GO league that will revolutionize everything. The league that will convince with innovation and quality. This is how the new format was advertised at the beginning.
What has become of the promises?
After a long struggle Flashpoint has now started with twelve teams. They collect points in three groups to qualify for the playoffs. But what if a team does bail out again?
With the purchase of Patrick “es3tag” Hansen, the Danish organisation Astralis has secured a permanent sixth player for their lineup. A revolution in the world of Counter-Strike. The downfall for a team that hasn’t really started yet.
Update: pic.twitter.com/d4lxHheSA2
— cadiaN (@caspercadiaN) March 22, 2020
The Chinese organization FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) buys the roster from Heroic and wants to use it to mix up Flashpoint as a replacement for BIG. BIG prefers to play in the ESL Pro League (EPL). Only a few days later it is announced that es3tag changes the team. Flashpoint apparently suffers from an acute lack of participants.
New league! But who should actually take part?
The real idea behind Flashpoint: Teams pay an entry fee to get a fixed spot for the tournament. This money can be used to finance teams that fight their way through the qualifiers and have no financially strong organization behind them.
So they can concentrate on training and playing. The “Founding Members” receive a share of the turnover of the league in return.
The problem: Of the teams that actually qualified for the tournament, only one is left, Orgless. Chaos, Copenhagen Flames and Havu are actually eliminated. But since not enough Founding Members were found, they are now allowed to play.
One more to go! We will be facing @MADLions_CSEN in @Flashpoint Group A finals 6PM EET today – be there to witness #HAVUERA! #HAVUJA #RushFragRepeat #Flashpoint pic.twitter.com/NWsptLuKQW
— HAVU (@HAVUgaming) March 24, 2020
Flashpoint rows back
So a new plan had to be devised. The new idea: The Founding Members are allowed to play the first season without paying and have to buy in afterwards if they want to stay a permanent part of the league.
Through this offer a replacement for the German team BIG was found: FunPlus Phoenix came as the last member and Founding Member. Now the organisation has deleted all tweets concerning CS:GO. Information is only available through the players. What Flashpoint will do with the new situation, nobody knows yet.
We thought what happened with the @FPX_Esports roster transfer news and their forfeit earlier today was a bit… strange.
Almost as if someone of extremely high IQ and cunning were pulling the strings🤔 pic.twitter.com/sD11SCxrDp
— Flashpoint (@Flashpoint) March 22, 2020
entertainment is given
For the viewers Flashpoint promised two things above all. Firstly, a flawless production without technical delays and with appealing interviews and a good show. And you definitely have to give them credit for keeping these promises so far. The novel group seeding provided good matches and a lot of banter between the teams.
On the other hand, it should be the league with the highest entertainment factor. They have definitely achieved this goal, but it’s not only because of the casts and the matches. Top topic on Twitter was again and again how much the league makes itself a joke.
Especially Duncan “Thorin” Shields, the most famous face of the organization, shot himself in the leg with one or two tweets. After a joke about the EPL now being played online, he himself has to admit that Flashpoint Online has to be played.
Flashpoint top two online CS:GO "league" in the world confirmed :>
— Thorin (@Thorin) March 17, 2020
What’s the bottom line?
Almost nothing changes for the spectators of the league. The league is still very entertaining to watch, even without top teams. In this respect Flashpoint does a very good job. Nevertheless it will be interesting to see which teams actually stay in the league.
The high buy-in could be a deterrent if no Tier 1 organisations join for the next season. In this case it will be questionable whether the league can maintain its current business model.
Flashpoint is currently probably the most curious league CS:GO has to offer. And that alone should be reason enough for fans to want to see them again next year.
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