Alex “Byfield” Byfield, formerly known as Snodz, may not be the most famous name in UKCS, rather he is more well-known as a caster than for his short professional playing career, but following a return to competitive action in late 2021 and a move to Spanish team Kazu’s Store Bois last December, Byfield has led the team to a spot in Masters League Portugal and the #2 ranking in Spain – behind only titans Movistar Riders. Now that he is a free agent it seems like the perfect time to look back on his journey.
Byfield’s original playing career spanned from 2016 to 2017, and was mainly defined by a series of stand-in appearances for Endpoint in ESEA Premier Season 24. Wielding the “big green”, Byfield made 8 appearances and averaged a 0.98 rating as Endpoint slumped to a 23rd-place finish – ahead only of fellow UK side Royals. The season was not without its moments though, most notably a jumping AWP kill during a memorable victory over the Blad3-led Flipsid3 Tactics. Byfield left the team following an unsuccessful Copenhagen Games 2017 campaign, and instead became a caster on events including ESL Pro League Europe Season 6 and Intel Extreme Masters events in Shanghai and Chicago.
Jacky on the left, Snodz on the right in December 2018
The competitive itch never went away, though. He told UKCSGO; “I feel that I’m naturally gifted at Counter-Strike and to throw that away at such a young age would torture me as I got older! It was January 2020, just before the pandemic begun, when I made the decision to move back home, live off of my savings from casting, and return to playing full time; whatever the cost.”
Things started with a brief re-appearance on DACH mix team “Jerseyboys”, competing in ESL Meisterschaft Autumn 2020 Relegation and ESEA Advanced Season 35, but his comeback became “real” when he returned to UK Counter-Strike, first with Victus and then with Royals, though both were short-lived.
“[I found my return to the UK scene] painful” said Byfield. “I returned to playing as VALORANT came out so the people that I had played with before (Ecls, Soulcas, Immi) had all moved onto a different game. This has left me with the new wave of UKCS players that I don’t recognise and I’m still trying to get to know.”
On Victus, he made only a handful of stand-in appearances; while he officially lasted three months with Royals, he made only 3 ESEA appearances due to work commitments. He was replaced in February of 2022 by long-time Kyle “Swaggy” Wilson associate Kamyar “shateri” Shateri, and began to focus more on streaming and starting life as an amateur boxer.
Byfield credits both these moves as making him a better player. “Streaming has been my lucky charm. From finally making money again, to building a community that support me and having that accountability to turn the stream on and play those extra hours outside of practice.” He credits boxing and casting as helping him to thrive under pressure, with the goal of becoming the best in the UK. Contradictory though it sounds, Byfield made the decision to leave the UK scene behind to become a better individual player.
“KazuStore’s team had just lost their sniper and Monsalve [KazuStore’s coach who coached Byfield previously] saw my stream and spoke to the boys about playing in English. When he messaged me to trial I instantly said yes, I didn’t even look at who was on the team or how they did; I know under him I will become the best in Britain.” The gamble paid off with Kazu’s Store Bois becoming the only Spanish team to qualify for Masters League Portugal – but Byfield is clear that loyalty – the core 4 players and coach have been together for a year now – was instrumental to that success. “I want to thank Kazu Store for continuing to support the team.”
Despite being eliminated from that event – losing to Fourteen Esports and SAW in the group stage – Byfield is setting optimistic goals for the future. “Our goals this season are high. We aim to reach ESEA Main playoffs and then qualify for Advanced.” The first part came true, but they fell short of Advanced – losing a ding-dong with fellow UK boys K10 in the lower bracket. As for Byfield himself? “[I want] to turn professional this year with a tier 2 or 3 team, secure a sponsor for my stream and have at least one more boxing fight.”
It is a mixed time for UKCS at the moment. The Paris Major finally saw a UK team find international success – on the big stage, no less – in the form of Into the Breach. Yet at the same time, the ESL Premiership was mired in controversy due to a reduced production and increased schedule, while grassroots organiser EPIC.LAN have been hit by blow after blow – most recently losing their venue, the Kettering Conference Centre, which is scheduled for closure. EPIC.LAN gave Byfield his first opportunity in casting, and in addition to wishing them well for the future, he gave me some words of advice for UK teams and players:
[The main thing I feel I have learned from playing on international teams is] loyalty. In the UK, outside of K10 (Shoutout AdamJC), every UK team has either folded or rebuilt during the off-season and this is doing more harm than good. It’s no surprise that LVN and his team with JamieG did so well after being together for a year. Loyalty and trust are the main ingredients for a healthy and successful team.
