Originally written in January 2016, re-uploaded due to the original website taking it down.
Luminosity Gaming’s finals finish at FACEIT Stage 3 Finals is one of the greatest underdog stories ever seen in Global Offensive. Coming a matter of days following a controversial roster change, FalleN and company would triumph in series play over EnVyUs and TSM, going onto take Fnatic to three maps in the final. Originating from a region with a significantly smaller player base and lacking in infrastructure, Luminosity had silenced the critics, showing they’re capable of playing at a world class level, a feat that less than a year ago most would see as impossible. This is a testament to the team that never should have stood a chance, yet prevailed in circumstances under which others would have crumbled.
Fresh Faces
Late 2014 would host a myriad of international events, one of these was ESWC 2014. This tournament would be a rare occasion allowing teams from weaker regions to qualify and compete against top level competition. The team representing Brazil was KaBuM, who would be eliminated in last place, gaining only a single consolation victory from five maps played. Following this disappointing result the Brazilians would make changes, drafting in three fellow countrymen from ProGaming.TD. Thus forming the line-up of: FalleN, fer, boltz, steel, and zqkS.
The first sizeable event of 2015 was MLG X-Games Aspen. KaBuM would be placed in a group with NiP, dignitas (later TSM), and Cloud9. The Brazilians were just a blip over ESWC, meaning other teams had little reason to invest time in to researching them. For most, KaBuM would be merely easy victories for the rest of the group. Their first game was against Cloud9. Following standard bans from the American’s, the map would be Mirage, although only an average map for C9, they remained huge favourites. Shockingly, Clould9 were completely demolished by KaBuM. Their victory spearheaded by an incredible T-Side performance, showcasing strong preparation, world class execution, and tactics unwitnessed in European or North American Counter-Strike. In retrospect people will downplay the scale of KaBuM’s upset, however the Brazilian’s came in as almost complete unknowns, and had taken a map against the best NA team. Although they’d go onto be convincingly defeated in their following two games, eyebrows had been raised.
Soon after the Brazilians would be in attendance of Clutch Con, a tournament fielding only NA teams, excluding themselves and Fnatic. During the group stage KaBuM looked shaky, playing extremely close to the relatively unknown teams — at the time — of Denial and eLevate. KaBuM’s overall level was beginning to appear similar to that of tier two North American teams. In a poor stroke of luck the Brazilians would draw Olofmeister and company in the Ro8. Here KaBuM would pick into Mirage, a questionable decision considering that; toward the end of 2014 Fnatic were unquestionably the best Mirage team on the planet. Incredibly, the Brazilians would claim the map by a considerable margin. However, the following two maps went disastrously, the Swede’s would assert their dominance, granting KaBuM only six rounds across them. Now regarded as Mirage specialists the Brazilians map pool lacked any form of depth, potentially a huge problem heading into the offline qualifiers for the upcoming major.
Perhaps unexpectedly KaBuM would qualify for the main event, including an impressive 16–3 mauling over FeTiSh’s dignitas, likely benefiting from an implosion on all levels from the Danes, and shortly following this result, the team would be picked up by organisation Keyd Stars. ESL One Katowice was now upon us, and the Brazilians’ group would include: NiP, CLG, and HellRaisers. This was a very favourable draw, comfortably being the weakest group, even so a playoff run from Keyd looked unlikely. The Swede’s were the clear favourites to top the group, with HellRaisers — for me — being the likely candidates to advance in second. Following a convincing victory from the Ninjas, the Brazilians would find themselves in the elimination match, here they would meet HellRaisers, and play them on one of their strongest maps; Inferno. Keyd would send the CIS team packing and move onto face CLG for a place in the Ro8, headed by an great AWPing performance from FalleN Keyd would dismantle the Americans, booking their spot in the playoffs. Coming out of the group in second place they’d be guaranteed a tough matchup, Keyd would draw Virtus.pro, who — although the weakest of the group toppers — were no mean feat to beat, the first map of the series would be the Brazilian’s home map; Mirage. But here they would meet their match. The Poles — likely the greatest ever on Mirage — would convincingly seize the map. The second would be Overpass, where VP were touted as the world’s best, impressively Keyd would triumph narrowly clutching the map in overtime. Unfortunately, the Brazilians’ level would regress, as the Poles would smash them out of the event on Nuke. The team looked much improved in Katowice, HellRaisers and CLG were by no means world beaters, but considered by most to be around a top 10 level.
Following their elimination, the team would take a bold step, choosing to move out to North America allowing them to compete and practice within the region. Primarily Keyd would participate in the first ESL ESEA Pro League Season. During the online portion of the season they would finish in second place, behind only the newly revamped Cloud9, now with freakazoid and Skadoodle. Throughout their games the Brazilians would showcase a fundamentally sound style, headed by the incredible online form of fer, as well as demonstrating their capabilities across far more maps than just Mirage. Their placing would qualify them into the the LAN Finals, where they had been placed in a group of death, featuring the top two teams in the world of Fnatic and TSM. In their first game Keyd had been paired against the Danes. The map would be Inferno, where Keyd in previous events experienced weak results, meanwhile this was a staple map for TSM, integral in establishing their winning record over Fnatic. Here fer would display his prowess seen online, where alongside an excellent Terrorist Side Keyd would victor against the Danish elites. The Brazilians would go on to be eliminated, first they’d lose to CLG on Cache, a map that Keyd had barely ever played offline, whilst one of the strongest for American’s, truly a very odd outcome to the pick/ban phase, hinting that they’d prepared specifically for CLG on the map, yet failed in executing zed plan. They’d ultimately be eliminated 2–0 by Fnatic, however playing them extremely close on train.
Since the inception of the line-up they’d been lacking for raw skill when facing international competition, even compared to the North American region they were outclassed in this department. Teams such as Cloud9, Liquid — and you could certainly make a case for Nihilum, CLG, and Luminosity — were all at least as skilled. Throughout the online season of EEPL Season 1 it quickly emerged that fer was the star of the team, with FalleN as an erratic yet skilled player to follow him up. Steel, zqkS, and boltz — who admittedly had some carry performances earlier in the year — were not highly skilled players, however they likely played important roles in the strategy the team applied. Despite this the Brazilians retained a strong record offline against NA teams, as well as placing top two in the online season. Clearly on skill alone these results would be improbable. Keyd’s style was very different to the NA teams, utilizing a tactical and methodical approach. FalleN and company obviously put a premium on preparation for opponents at offline events, when combined with excellent execution they we able — on a consistent basis — to take single maps off teams far greater than themselves, a feat — at the time — unparalleled by any other team competing within the North American region. Keyd’s shortage of skill ultimately capped the heights the team could reach, they stood little chance beating any top 6–7 team in series play, and benefited hugely from group stages employing Bo1 formats to get them impressive placings. Unfortunately for Keyd their surprise factor was wearing off, as sides became attune to their style.
A New Home
The following event was ESWC 2015, here Keyd would be eliminated during the group stage, they’d been crushed by Cloud9 and lost a close Cobblestone game to Flipsid3, a result only worsened by the fact that the CIS team were competing with Hiko as a stand-in. This event had really exposed the Brazilians’ map pool, showing rampant inconsistency on any map not called Mirage, this gave them an extremely weak pick/ban phase seemingly gifting their opponents favourable maps on almost every occasion. This group stage exit would spur an overhaul of the team. First they’d leave Keyd Stars to join Luminosity Gaming, as well as replacing zqkS with a new prospect coldzera. This move was extremely risky, the team was recruiting an almost completely unknown player, untested against international competition. The community would not lay in wait long as Luminosity would be given a baptism by fire at the upcoming major; ESL One Cologne.
Luminosity’s group would be rounded out with the newly formed EnVyUs, Team Kinguin, and Flipsid3. LG would first play Kinguin on Overpass, a map considered strong for the European mix, unexpectedly the Brazilians would convincingly prevail over their opponents, showing a strong proficiency on a map they’d rarely play. Meeting Luminosity in the winners game would be the newly reformed EnVyUs, where in a heart breaking fashion the Brazilians would lose in overtime to kennyS and company on Cobblestone. Due to the tournaments unorthodox group system Luminosity would play the winner of mousesports and Flipsid3 to advance to the playoffs. The Brazilians would face the CIS team, emerging victorious in another overtime game on Cobblestone, regarded by many as Flipsid3’s strongest map. Luminosity had now reached the playoffs of consecutive majors, however their joys would be short lived drawing the world’s best in the Ro8. LG wound up being eliminated by Fnatic 2–0, the first map being a battering on Train, although Luminosity would take the second (Mirage) to 30 rounds, they’d fall at the last hurdle. Following their line-up change the team looked much improved, clearly they’d put work into diversifying their map pool, having great showings on Cobblestone.
Luminosity only played one event before the next major, this was the WinOut Championships, where there only other team of note was CLG, here LG would finish second losing two Bo3’s to the American side. This was a very disappointing result for the team, here they’d experienced very odd results on maps they’d be favoured on. Considering the event was extremely small you’d expect that they’d spent less time studying teams than they regularly would, perhaps accounting for their unexpected showing. Work would certainly have to be done should they want to have an impact in Cluj.
Nearly two and a half months after Cologne, Luminosity would compete at the next major; DreamHack Cluj-Napoca, here the Brazilians had been placed in a group with Fnatic, Cloud9, and Vexed (formerly eBettle). Fnatic — still ranked as the world’s best — were big favourites to top the group, leaving LG and C9 to squabble over the second slot, although the Americans had had a poor run of form most saw them as the stronger team. The Brazilian’s first match would be against Cloud9, here cold would lay down a world class performance, spearheading Luminosity to victory over the Americans on Dust2, a great map for C9 during their three consecutive finals. As expected, Fnatic would meet them in the winner’s match, and the map would be Inferno. Historically the Swede’s had been near immortal on Inferno, boasting a godlike offline win rate. Fnatic would lead at the end of the first half claiming 8 Terrorist rounds, leaving Luminosity a near impossible task, shockingly the Brazilians struck back with a masterful T-Side claiming the map in close fashion. The quarter-finals would see LG face Na’Vi. The CIS team had been looking weaker in the proceeding months, however would prevail over Luminosity 2–0. But don’t be deceived, both maps were extremely close, the Brazilian’s certainly had opportunities to take both. Overall a good result for the team, cold’s impressive play gave the team an added flair, and their map pool had once again improved, with Inferno and Dust 2 now looking like solid picks. LG had also now made the playoffs of all three majors in 2015, whereas no North American line-up had exceeded the group stage in any of these events.
Luminosity would now play a string of four events being held within the North American region, following Cloud9’s decent from their great summer run, the door was open for others to seize the accolade of being the best team competing within NA, Luminosity looked like prime contenders. The first tournament would be the CEVO Season 8 LAN Finals. The Brazilians would have a great start to the event, beating Titan on two of their stronger maps by fair margins, featuring a master-class showing from cold on Cobblestone. However, things would be downhill from here, following very questionable veto’s Luminosity would lose convincingly over two maps to mousesports; a team who had been in a poor rut of form, including a 16–7 thrashing on LG’s home map Mirage. Dropping to the decider game, Luminosity would rematch Titan, off the back of their upset victory over major finalists Na’Vi. The Brazilians would take the French team to three maps, despite a great series from cold Luminosity would be pipped to the post losing the third 16–14. Their form had appeared to have dipped from the major.
The following event would be the iBuyPower Cup, here Luminosity would storm the group, first besting Winterfox and next decimating the Australians — in Renegades — 16 to 0 with FalleN dropping an incredible stat-line of 18–2. Despite winning the group they’d face Cloud9 in the semi-final due to an upset from Liquid, here Luminosity would lose very convincingly over two maps, looking like a completely different team from the beast in the group stage. Literally days later they would attend the RGN Pro Series LAN, and in a similar fashion cruse through the group. The quarters would see Luminosity beat Enemy, moving onto the semis where they’d meet Liquid where LG would get a very favourable maps draw. The teams would trade the first two maps, with both going to overtime, although FalleN and cold played great over the series, Liquid would clinch the third, sending LG to the lower bracket. In the LB quarter final Luminosity would have a three mapper scare with fellow Brazilians; Games Academy. Moving on they’d next face Renegades, and would be upset 2–0 in semi close fashion. These two events called into question the consistency of Luminosity, and the team appeared to be on the decline since looking great in Cluj.
An unknown quantity was an understatement for coldzera when he joined Luminosity, however the risk was paying dividends, cold was showing consistent signs of improvement and was likely — by this time — the best player on the team, together with fer they were now a legitimate top level pairing. With the removal of zqkS, FalleN also took up the sole dedicated AWPer role, although he could be seen as slightly inconsistent, he was very explosive with the weapon, on occasion pulling out massive halves. For many having your IGL as the AWPer was seen as a poor idea, yet FalleN retained a elite level of calling. Although this team was more skilled than its predecessor, Luminosity remained on the brink of the top 10 teams, and in recent events had been oddly inconsistent, they lacked the spark to put them over the edge.
IEM San Jose was next on the calendar, the field was significantly weakened with several top EU teams pulling out, and Virtus.pro attending with a stand-in, this meant the Brazilians had a far better chance of making a deep run. Unfortunately, Luminosity would be paired against Na’Vi, who had a strong matchup to the Brazilians (map pool wise) and would go also on to win the event. Despite an awesome AWPing performance from FalleN on Mirage, LG would lose the series 2–0, playing the CIS team extremely close taking them to overtime on the second map. This loss proved to be the final straw, following four underwhelming results in a row Luminosity would make a hugely unexpected change, removing their statistically weakest member’s yet potentially important role players in boltz and steel, fielding fnx and TACO from fellow Brazilian team Games Academy. This was a substantial gamble, fnx had played with FalleN in the past, but TACO had extremely little LAN experience. Luminosity’s first event would be less than a few days following the line-up change.
This event would be the FaceIT Stage 3 LAN Finals at DH Winter, in attendance would be the top 4 teams in the world, and their group would feature Fnatic, EnVyUs, and NiP. Luminosity were expected to come last in the group, even though NiP had suffered poor results for a lengthy time, they still had enough skill and experience to dispatch weaker teams. The event would begin with disaster as Luminosity were wrecked by Fnatic 16–0 on Dust2, a map on which you would have expect at least a semi-close score-line. Following this defeat, the Brazilians would face the number one ranked team in the world; EnVyUs, an last place exit appeared certain. The first map of the series would see LG go back to basics taking a convincing win on Mirage, the second would be Cobblestone, now firmly established as the Frenchmen’s best map, and as expected nV would send the series to the decider on Inferno, a map where the Frenchman were the team to beat. Following another impressive T-Side Luminosity would clinch the series, eliminating the world’s best from the event. In the group decider match LG would meet the Ninjas in Pyjamas, here following a great showing from cold and FalleN the Brazilians would prevail 2–1, and an overall convincing series as the map loss would come in overtime on cache, a map that isn’t particularly strong for LG. On already a great run Luminosity would be paired against Team SoloMid in the semi-finals, despite looking impressive in the groups this looked to be the end of the road as a TSM-Fnatic final looked inevitable. The series opener would be Mirage, and the Danes would burst through the gates crushing Luminosity on their own strongest map. The second would be TSM’s pick of overpass, a map where the Danes were considered top 3 in the world, early on TSM would go up 5–0, however Luminosity would turn up the heat winning 16 out of the 17 proceeding rounds. Once again the decider would be Inferno, spearheaded by a great series from new addition fnx Luminosity would make history, convincingly winning the third. Having already beaten arguably the top two teams in the world, the Brazilians would face the final boss in Fnatic, having swapped pronax for Dennis. The fairy tale story would come to an end as LG would lose 2–1, having convincingly defeated the Swede’s on Train. Olofmeister was the MVP of the event, but cold was a close second, the Brazilian had truly arrived and was playing at the level of the world’s international stars.
The final event of 2015 for the team was the ESL ESEA Season 2 Finals, the community laid in wait to see whether Luminosity could reproduce the form of their finals finish, in their first match of the tournament they would play Na’Vi, now an exciting match-up, in previous events LG had played very close to the CIS team but always fallen short. Luminosity would lose 2–0, being demolished on Dust2 16–5. Falling to the losers match they’d meet NA comrades in CLG, the Brazilians appeared much improved, wining 2–0 with strong score-lines. The decider match would see the face Na’Vi once again, this time they’d claim a map but ultimately be eliminated. It’s extremely difficult to judge the Luminosity’s level following this event, their only loses here coming to Na’Vi, who’d go on to play awesome later in the tournament, taking Fnatic to all five maps in the final.
Two organisations and 13 offline events later 2015 had come to an end for Luminosity, they’d began the year as a team very few had even heard of, and consistently shown improvement. The Brazilians finish as a certified top 10 team, and a well-recognised brand. With the addition of TACO and fnx — the latter in particular — Luminosity are now are now one of the most skilled teams in the North American region and are capable of playing close to almost any team. The four players in cold, fer, fnx and FalleN are no joke on an international stage, and can win maps against top teams on skill alone.
Looking Forward
2016 will be an awesome year for Global Offensive. Vast increases in prize money, huge tournaments, and television exposure, will expand the Counter-Strike scene to unexplored horizons. Luminosity as a team had heated up over the course of 2015 and a primed to explode into the new year. In particular, 2016 will likely see a substantial increase in events taking place within North American, most notably the MLG Columbus major. These tournaments should provide Luminosity a great opportunity to rack up prize money and placings against primarily NA competition. This year I see Luminosity as a cemented top 10 team, likely somewhere in the 6–9th range, as well as being strong contenders with Liquid and Clould9 for the best team competing within the North American region.
The Brazilians also show a stark contrast to the ethic of North American teams, evidently putting a huge amount of time into researching and preparation. The team has now shown on multiple occasions that they’re prepared to make tough decisions to improve the team, clearly displaying the drive of the players to win. Twice the team has recognised their deficiencies in skill and made the necessary changes, also showing a strong aptitude for identifying talent from the extremely limited selection they have available (although the jury is still out on TACO). Not to mention the sacrifices the team and support staff have had to make playing for long periods of time from within North America.
If anyone was to ask me for the best teams to watch should they want improve themselves as a team, I wouldn’t say Fnatic or EnVyUs, I’d tell them to watch Luminosity. Whilst the elites of the world primarily base their game around abusing aim or unleashing superstar players, Luminosity have played a far more optimal style. Especially in their games earlier in the year the Brazilians had a near immeasurable skill deficit to the elite teams yet still on occasion would take maps off them. Being the IGL of the team FalleN must be highly credited for the teams style and performances, FalleN has been so impressive in 2015 that Thorin named him as one of the absolute best leaders of the year. Not to mention the impact FalleN has out of the game, having an incredible vested interest in improving the Brazilian scene, going so far as helping another Brazilian team under Games Academy to also relocate to NA, who currently are playing a great role as a feeder team for LG.
Luminosity do not have the most impressive placings, and at no point in the last year were they particularly close to being an elite team. Yet they remain one of the most successful teams in 2015. Before this core of players Brazil had little impact on the international landscape in Global Offensive, and upon the coming together of the KaBuM line-up in late 2014, you would not have expected that to change. Two roster changes later and with a plethora of offline experience Luminosity have put Brazil back on the Counter-Strike map, serving great role models to aspiring teams in underdeveloped regions. The odds were stacked against them yet the Brazilians have arrived, and they’re here to stay.
“Success isn’t measured by what you achieve, it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome” Ethan Hawke
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