A few weeks ago it broke that the Reason Gaming UK side would dissolve, seeing two members disappear from UK CS:GO and the remaining three joined forces with two of the former CeX/EZSkins/exceL eSports side. The roster raised a number of questions, one of which being why the change of organisation was necessary. Reason Gaming are a very reputable organisation, who since being re-launched under new management back in 2012 have grown to almost mirror the success of its former iteration. After success internationally across a number of titles, and with a solid board of sponsors behind them, the choice for Reason to return to investing into UK CS:GO was an important one. The game has seen a steady increase in growth in the UK and returning to its roots for a piece of that was a sensible decision.
CeX took it’s first step into not only CS:GO, but eSports, came with the acquisition of the former EZSkins side (not the dubbed super-team line-up.) After joining up with the high street second hand electronics retailer, the team failed to deliver on a number of occasions and barely managed to maintain the following they had earned themselves from the first season of the ESL UK Premiership. That, coupled with some changes in roster, saw the team grow quiet and eventually fizzle out into irrelevancy.
However, the latest changes have brought CeX into the limelight again, and a somewhat promising showing in an online cup last weeks shows they are well on to getting prepared. The latest news to come from that camp is an interesting one. Players are often known to be incentivised to perform by their organisations, usually in the form of a bit of a bonus when it comes to payday, or securing themselves the required funding to go to an event that may otherwise have been out of their reach. However, CeX have supposedly upped the incentive game to one that could mean big bucks for the players involved.
Conversations amongst the team with other notable UK figures suggests that the organisation backing the team are offering a 100% prize fund bonus if they were to win an event, meaning that should CeX come first place at any event they attend, they will take home the prize money plus the same figure again from their backers. For the iSeries, this means a win for CeX would see each player walk away with well over £1,000 each – much more than if any other organisation were to take the first prize. Does this mean that CeX are going to be stepping up their games to try and grab this offer whilst it is on the table? They would be fools not to give it their all if this truly is on the cards. The real question is, with all the effort in the world, do they have what it takes to bring home an iSeries win?
Update: The CeX team have confirm that they will in fact recieve a 100% bonus equal to the prize money for whatever position they finish, meaning they do not need to take home a win at the NEC to achieve to bonus money. This means the team may end up with a bonus from anywhere between £225 and £3,250, should they finish in the top eight as expected.
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[…] the final game of the Upper Bracket Quarter-Finals at insomnia56, it was between the CeX team (of 100% bonus fame), facing up against the Estonian […]
[…] CeX move on and pick up the next couple rounds to make it 5-5, before CeX taking all of CAZ out but not being able to defuse in time, thanks to Dephh doing a bit of lurking in smoke. CAZ pick up the next two rounds bringing them to a 8-5 score sending CeX to an eco. CAZ continue their form for another round before CeX take the final round of the half to take a lead of 9-6. The pistol was won by a wonderful move by CAZ, moving onto the B site after CeX playing, with Keita dropping onto the bomb as others fell around him, defusing it dead on the spot. The next round was picked up by CAZ before CeX managing to buy up rifles to take the next round, giving us a score of 11-7. This being the closest game of the series so far, it got slightly closer as CeX went on to pick up the next four rounds, including CAZ’s buy, equalling it to 11-11. CAZ manage another buy and then pick up another round after wonderful moves around the B bomb-site to get a sweet defuse just before the end. CAZ didn’t manage to move on with this form, as they ended up losing the next two rounds to CeX. At 12-13 it’s getting close to the end, CeX get it up to 12-14 forcing CAZ to an eco, with CAZ seemingly hedging their bets on Overtime as they go to 12-15. CAZ stack the site perfectly, prepared for the go but it was so close to CeX taking it, before a defence from Dephh helped bring along another round for the game, 13-15. But it wasn’t to be, CeX take it in the final round and win the tournament, taking the £3,250 first prize, as well as the reported 100% bonus. […]