North American CS:GO Players Find a Refuge in FPL PUGs During Their European Tour
North American professional CS:GO players are now getting a taste of competitive pickup games (PUGs) through the FACEIT Pro League (FPL) during their tour of Europe for various events.
Rank S, the highest division in ESEA’s client where most North American pros and other top players compete, has become an unfavorable state for serious players. There has been a decline in competitive team play and integrity as content creators, streamers, and non-serious professional players prioritize mischievous entertainment.
This has resulted in NA Rank S gaining a notorious reputation for toxic players and generally bad behavior. Simply searching “NA Rank S” on YouTube brings up numerous compilations that showcase players goofing off for popularity and content.
However, now that North American teams like Team Liquid, OpTic Gaming, and Cloud9 are in Europe, they have decided to jump into European FPL PUGs, and they are thoroughly enjoying the experience. FPL PUGs are currently more popular in Europe than in North America, but players take them seriously. This change of scenery, both on and off the server, is a stark contrast to the state of ESEA’s Rank S.
Russel “Twistzz” VanDulken of Team Liquid expressed his satisfaction with FPL PUGs, stating, “Nobody is trolling and people are giving ideas every round. I haven’t had one argument with anybody.”
The situation is also the same for European players attending events in North America. When they have free time and want to join a PUG, they are forced to play Rank S, which is a significant step down from what they are accustomed to in Europe. Some European players even refuse to play Rank S to maintain their sanity.
OpTic Gaming’s Will “RUSH” Wierzba shed some light on the state of Rank S and its impact on player growth in an interview with . He acknowledged that individual raw skill must improve but criticized the lack of teamwork and communication from random players in Rank S.
Wierzba further emphasized that he does not let Rank S or 10-man games affect him and believes it is up to the players who make the environment worse. He concluded that Rank S is not beneficial for player development.
Hopefully, North American players find a solution to their PUG troubles in the near future.
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