LIKE everything else at the moment, esports has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak but unlike most other sports, it is well set up to navigate these difficult and uncertain times and continue.
Last week, it was announced that Pro League season 11 finals – the ESL's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) league – would be moved from the USA to Europe with the regular season matches completed at “home, team houses or in suitable boot camp locations in Europe”.
Ahead of their clash with ENCE on Friday, Unibet spoke to Zonic, coach of season 7 and 8 winners, Astralis.
How has the Coronavirus outbreak affected your preparation?
It has meant we need to do all preparation online. It is something we often do, and as such it is not really that different, but it also means that we do not have the option to bootcamp before the big tournaments, which is something we have to work our way around. It’s not optimal, but we deal with it.
With traditional sports restricted for who knows how long, is this an opportunity for esports to grow?
We have in Astralis Group a big, professional organization around us taking care of developing the business and growing the industry as a whole, but we already see a spike in viewership and activity. That being said, I feel bad for our colleagues in traditional sports, and for everybody’s sake, we need this thing to pass as soon and good as possible. It’s a responsibility we all have – and should be aware of.
Do you think CS:GO will take the opportunity to release a new edition with so many people moving online?
CS:GO already broke its own record with +1 million people playing within a 24 hr timeframe, so I don’t know if there is a need for a new edition. That would also take a long time to produce, but we see constant upgrades in the game, and that’s really cool.
A swift 2:0 victory as we fend off @GODSENTgg. Good game! ✨
See you on Friday for more EPL action as we take on @ENCE #ToTheStars pic.twitter.com/Zi5lFoLur1
— Astralis (@astralisgg) March 18, 2020
Do you feel there’s a big difference between having an audience, or performing a tournament online? Do you think it’ll impact how you coach the team?
Absolutely. It makes a huge difference and we miss the fans badly. Also it changes the coach’s role, which just makes things different.
Are the team all in Copenhagen together or will they be competing remotely from their homes?
We have decided to work from home and not gather the players and staff. We believe this is the right choice for us and the responsible choice. But I don’t have an opinion about others and what they decide to do or not do.
How does the ESL Pro League differ to the likes of DreamHack or BLAST for you? Do you prepare differently?
It’s a completely different tournament and format. But it does not change the way we prepare in general – except for the fact that everything is now online. Who knows though? Other tournaments will probably also have to adjust to more online activity these months, so it’s the same for us in regards to preparation.
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With the knockout stages upon you – is there a team you’re actively trying to avoid? Or a team you’d like to see Astralis be up against?
There are a lot of strong teams out there and the competition is really getting stronger. Our ambition is to win – and to be the best team. Therefore we need to be able to beat them all. These days, it’s a big mouthful to say that – so we take every game one at a time. And do our best.
Do you secretly always enjoy playing against NaVi due to your close friendship with s1mple?
It’s not even a secret! I enjoy playing NaVi – not so much when they beat us like in the IEM semi final, but it’s a great team and s1mple is an awesome player. He respects his opponents and that means a lot.
Any personal goals for the upcoming event?
ESL Pro League is probably the biggest tournament around, and we always enter every single match and every single tournament to win. That being said, we’re changing some things in the way we play and call, so my personal ambition is to get everything implemented as smooth as possible.
Is this event a big focus for Astralis or do you have other targets in mind? Are you confident of victory?
Every tournament gets the same focus. That being said, we always aim to peak around the majors. We are always confident we will deliver our best, but never confident of victory. If you get to a point where you are confident you will win, a loss will be a big setback. We want to keep on moving forward and build for the long term. We always do!
