FlyQuest CS Team’s Rise to Success
It may be too early to say that Aussie Counter-Strike is back, but the FlyQuest boys are flying high after exceeding expectations in Chengdu and Malta this weekend. While a change of scenery at their new org has been beneficial, young gun Declan “Vexite” Portelli puts the shift down to team composition.
The Impact of Personnel Swap
The 19-year-old, who is now over a year on from his international LAN debut at the IEM Rio RMR, said the team’s shift from Grayhound to FlyQuest this year has not left a mark on the team when it comes to performance or expectations. Instead, he specifically highlights the personnel swap—the return of Chris “dexter” Nong—as what truly lit a fire under the squad.
Statistical Impact of Team Composition
“The main thing was picking up Dexter and having time to integrate him fundamentally into the team,” Vexite said in an interview, adding that dexter’s addition after his stint in Europe freed up Joshua “INS” Potter—and to a lesser extent Vexite himself. The effect this has had statistically is profound, to say the least.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed among the community—INS is currently averaging a 1.28 rating at ESL Pro League season 19 according to HLTV, good enough for 11th so far across the entire tournament. These numbers are more in line with his performances back before he picked up the captaincy at Grayhound.
Transformation on the International Stage
With INS in his comfort zone and Vexite happier under an aggressive captain, the team is beginning to thrive after what has been a dark two years for the squad on the international stage. Despite dominating Oceania, FlyQuest—then Grayhound—was bundled out of every big event with barely a whimper.
“We sort of got the composition down, we got a bit of practice in and a bootcamp behind us,” Vexite said. “We feel confident we can make it further at events now instead of just winning one or two games.
Current Form and Future Prospects
The changes are already bearing fruit. FlyQuest finished just shy of the playoffs at IEM Chengdu in April with competitive matches against the likes of Virtus.pro and FaZe Clan. Their form has stretched into ESL Pro League this week, finding themselves once again on the precipice of international playoffs CS2—something Aussie CS hasn’t tasted since DreamHack Leipzig 2020.
For Vexite, the bright lights and the big stage don’t bother him anymore. “I don’t really care about who we’re versing, any of the big names—it’s all just CS, and you’re only as strong as your team,” he said.
“The toughest thing for me to understand has been my role in the team and I think it’s important for every player to think about that approach. When I first joined the lineup I thought the more input the better you are, but I’ve learned it’s about working with people around you so you all play at your best.
Apart from adapting to a new captain and the ever-evolving meta of pro CS2, FlyQuest also received a bit of a gift from Valve: Overpass’ removal on April 26 means the team’s permaban map is now gone. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do, it’s so tough,” Vexite joked, but he didn’t rule out the team’s expansion into Dust 2 in the future, especially given dexter’s previous experience on the map.