JTR Community Challenge: Team Poland's Path to Victory
For most of the teams in the Join the Republic Community Challenge, the path to the Grand Finals was a long one. But for the victorious Team Poland, the adventure was rather different.
Team members Leh, LUULIGUZMAN, Stomp, and NEEX, sat in the practice room above the studio, although for once they weren't practicing. They'd spent the previous evening relaxing, trying to keep their minds and nerves calm before their hardest opponent yet: Team Sweden and its formidable captain Maikelele. As they sat there, the Polish team reflected upon the journey so far and what the future might hold.
While many of the ROG Grand Final teams were recruited from in-person qualifiers at worldwide gaming conventions, both the North American and Polish teams were recruited online. Pros sometimes have mixed feelings about online recruitment, but Poland’s captain, renowned streamer Piotr “IzakOOO” Skowyrski, spent an incredible amount of time searching for the perfect players.
Even before they met in person, he was confident he'd chosen correctly. “I’ve tested over 100 players, and the choice was really difficult — but I know that I’ve picked good players,” he recalled.
The Barcelona boot camp only further convinced Captain Izak that he'd picked the right players
But after their boot camp in Barcelona, he was even more certain: “They’re really skilled — they’re amazing,” he said. “What makes us a team is that [we have] players who can actually step up and carry the game.”
But online recruitment wasn't the only differentiator: Team Poland formed just a month before the final competition in Stockholm. While others had as much as six months to work together, Izak's crew was under a crunch. At their boot camp, they had to make up for lost time: not only were they meeting for the first time, but they also needed to develop strategies for the imminent Grand Final.
Watch: Team Poland at their boot camp in Barcelona
This put Poland in a challenging position. But, in other ways, the crunch was an advantage: there was no time to mess around. They had to commit everything to becoming a well-oiled killing machine. Even other teams noticed how serious they were; Sweden's captain Maikelele observed: “They practiced a lot before this tournament. They’re ready.”
But while IzakOOO’s team was dedicating their only month to playing almost three hundred games together, other teams became, well, perhaps a bit complacent. Many barely even practiced; even Taiwan, one of the most feared teams at the Grand Final due to its more seasoned members, only began practicing as a group after arriving in Stockholm.
Ultimately, Poland's preparation paid off — it carried them all the way through to the finals. Now, with their last match against Sweden looming, they contemplated the future.
Win or lose, they knew they wanted to take some well-deserved time to rest and recuperate. And, no matter what happened, they were going to keep playing CS:GO. Quitting wasn't an option. Plus, the publicity from the Grand Finals had already helped get their names noticed; even if they lost, they could leverage that momentum to explore the Polish pro scene.
But it ends up they had nothing to worry about. And, although their final battle had many memorable moments, the most singular part was that every player had an opportunity to stand out. It was just as IzakOOO said — his entire crew could step up to carry the game. There wasn’t a single weak link in the chain.
Pawel "Leh" Lehmann scored many great triple and quad kills in all of Poland's battles
In the weeks since winning the Grand Final and returning home, Poland's players have been doing exactly as they promised: taking a short and much-deserved break, though they’ll be regrouping as a team soon enough.
And as part of their Grand Final prize, this February they’ll be getting the eSports star treatment once again. This time, they'll be traveling to Las Vegas — for many, their first-ever trip to the USA. The plan? More relaxation, exploring the city, and, best of all, attending the Dreamhack Masters Las Vegas 2017, where they’ll watch some of the best CS:GO teams in the world compete for a $450,000 prize pool.
Rest, relaxation, and vacations are good and well, but what else is in store for Team Poland? A Republic of Gamers insider revealed that for interested winners, there may be opportunities for further training, mentorship, and sponsorship with ROG gear, particularly back home.
And with prospects that might someday include Polish teams like Virtus.Pro, Team Kinguin, and AGG, it’s almost certain that these outstanding players will go on to play professionally.
No matter what they choose, the future’s looking bright. Thanks to the Join the Republic Community Challenge, these former amateurs have been launched into the spotlight — it will be thrilling to see what they do next.
Izak dances after his team's Grand Final victory
By Kimberly Koenig
