Inspired by the success of its Dota 2 junior roster, OG has now also launched its Academy CS:GO lineup that had their debut in the ongoing fourth season of the WePlay Academy League.
OG’s first CS:GO Academy roster was revealed on Tuesday, May 24. The squad consists of Arbnor “Dementor” Pacolli, Max “Marix” Kugener, Alexandru “sound” Ștefan, Kaloyan “shaiK” Borisov and Blagoi “oxygeN” Dimitrov.
It has been known for some time that the OG Academy roster will be coached by Christian “crisby” Schmitt, who has just finished a 5-month long coaching position with Strife Esports. Having been in the Counter-Strike scene since 2009, the 31-years-old German brings a wealth of experience to the team. Crisby commented on his appointment:
“I think we have good mix between really young ‘unexperienced’ and already more established players to do well in WePlay and other tournaments we might participate in. The goal is always to win but it is work and progress.”
“I will give my best to bring the players to the next level and get them ready for the big boys in Tier 1.”
Today's the big day!
We are proud to unveil our 5 prodigies that will play in our OG CS:GO Academy.
Please welcome: @s0undcs@DementorCSGO@marixcsgo
@oxygenCSGO_@shaiKcsgo🌻 An average age of 19 years old.
The future is here.#DreamOG pic.twitter.com/ExHl0PSgBp
— OG CS:GO (@OGcsgo) May 24, 2022
Debut at WePlay Academy League
The OG Academy line-up made their debut in WePlay Academy League Season 4 on May 24 in a match against Eternal Fire Academy, winning 16-7 and following with another 16-7 win against Young Gods.
In its most recent match against Fnatic Rising on Thursday, May 27, OG Academy saw their first loss. Despite losing both pistol rounds, OG Academy managed to keep Fnatic Rising at bay with a respectable scoreline of 7-8 in the first half on Inferno. OG kept up the pace in the second half and clawed their way to overtime. Unfortunately for OG Academy, Fnatic Rising won all four overtime rounds to bring the debut to an end.
OG Academy have plenty more chances to prove themselves and gain valuable experience as they continue on in the competition. In the next round of matches, the team will face 00 Prospects, MOUZ NXT and Spirit.A.
The WePlay Academy League is a $100,000 online tournament series dedicated to showcasing emerging young CS:GO talent. There are currently 13 academy teams with an age limit of 16-21 competing. The fourth season of the series runs from May 24 to June 26 2022. MOUZ NXT won the Season 3 league in 2021, taking home $45,000 in prize money.
Academy teams have played a crucial part in the professional CS:GO scene since organisations began to train younger talent. One of the most notable examples of this in recent months is the former Natus Vincere Junior player Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, who helped G2 Esports secure their spot in the Grand Final of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022.
Header: OG