Ionic is a team that defied many expectations at i57, surprising many on the way to picking up 7/8th. Times moved on and against their better interest the side fell apart, with one of the players being kicked and then losing ajaY to the new Monumentalis line-up.
The split reportedly came after missing out on qualification to the ESEA Intermediate league, after getting disqualified for using a stand-in after one of their team’s players had a router issue during the play-offs. Ionic then went their separate ways, after others went for trials or breaks. But any sense of breaks or splits has been put away, as the core of that Ionic side re-form and pick up two experienced UK players in the form of Jonathan “SHEEKEY” Sheekey and Shane “shaney” Smith. Sheekey comes in after leaving CeX post-LAN to provide his In-Game leading skills to the young side as well as guiding them to higher positions in the UK. Smith joins after his NerdRage team fell apart, with redsnk taking the core of the side to Team Infused, as a rifler and back-up AWPer whilst providing guidance and advice to the team’s main AWPer in Byfield. These two finish a team that will have many people watching to see how well they do throughout the upcoming online season and if they can remake that surprising form in upcoming LAN events.
Experienced tactician Sheekey coming in to add guidance to this young team
Ionic are set to be taking part in the upcoming ESEA Open season and the inaugural Multiplay UK Masters league, as well as attending the upcoming Insomnia i58 in August. Where they should be all set to recreate their run from Spring.
Alex “Snodz” Byfield has told us:
After our run at i57 we agreed as a team to not split and to turn down any offers from teams unless they were salaried. The first issue we faced was Solid’s attitude, avoiding details but we ended up in a situation where we warned him about practise, and on which he decided to leave the team and I hope he finds success elsewhere. A few weeks later after trialling players and IGLs, Monumentalis managed to convince ajaY to trial for them. I then was offered a trial with the new Barrage team, after which Dance became fed up of people trialling for other teams and then decided to take a break from playing CS for a team, leading us to fold.
At i57, after we played CeX they came to talk with us, where I spoke to Sheekey asking him about how we could improve as a team, he then went on Dan’s PC to show us multiple strats for Mirage. A few weeks after i57 Sheekey messaged me saying he was forming a new team with Shaney and that’s how it all started. I’m very excited to be given the opportunity to play with two such incredibly experienced and knowledgeable players. As for what the future holds, I’m honestly not too sure as we’re still such a fresh team with unknown and untested players.
As such, the new Ionic line-up is as follows:
Jonathan “SHEEKEY” Sheekey
Shane “shaney” Smith
Alex “Snodz” Byfield
Zak “DanceyZ” Dance
Dan “Talidan” Simpson
