The past week or so has seen the world of professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive by the news that two of its most beloved and veteran players would be stepping away from the game. Astralis’ in-game leader, Gla1ve, and Faze Clan’s Olofmeister have won four Major Championships between them, as well as countless other trophies over the course of their long careers, but have both cited the unrelenting stresses of playing top-tier CS as the reasons for their time away. 

Most people don’t quite appreciate the absolute behemoth the Esports industry has become, and even fewer take into account the demands of each game’s competitive calendar, and it’s only through the loss of some of the most experienced professionals around that a conversation has even begun to be opened up on the subject. 

Gla1ve

Whilst most people outside of the Counter-Strike community and Denmark might have never heard of Gla1ve or Astralis before, they remain two of the most hardworking and talented features in the competitive world of gaming right now and have been crucial in getting the scene to where it is today. 

Having been the in-game leader of Astralis since 2016, Gla1ve has ushered in the most dominant era in Counter-Strike history. Astralis have never been outside of the top four world ranking, have won more Major Championships than any other team in history and are the only side to have won three of those in a row. 

Gla1ve is a tireless, dedicated and insightful worker. Whilst his in-game rifling certainly isn’t something to be dismissed, his greatest strengths lie outside of the server in the hours he spends studying, practicing and being a leader. What makes Astralis such a popular pick in CSGO betting markets is their intense, military-like understanding of maps and their acute awareness of what each of their opponents brings to a game. 

With so many tournaments and such a high level of demand needed to maintain a place at the top, it’s sad to see the scene losing such as a profound and dedicated professional.

Olofmeister

Whilst he had been playing for years before, Olofmeister really became a legend within Counter-Strike during his tenure with Fnatic. With the Swedes, Olof scooped up both Major Championships in 2015 and was proclaimed as the world’s best player at the end of that year. 

His move to Faze Clan in 2017 arguably remains the most high profile and staggering ever found in the world of competitive gaming and, whilst he nor Faze have really hit the heights expected of them, he remains a much beloved figure within the scene. 

However, it seems like the intensity of basically nearly four months straight of travelling and marathoning competitions has exhausted the Swede and his time away will mark only the second occasion in Global Offensive’s entire lifetime that he won’t be at the top tier of competitive play.

An Important Discussion

Whether you’re a fan of either of these players, their teams, Counter-Strike or even Esports in general, there’s something really uncomfortable about the idea of them being so mentally and physically drained by the game they invest so much love and hard work into. 

Unlike real-world sports, Esports has a real chance to shape the competitive calendars for all of its leading titles so that it better fits into the mental and physical requirements its players need. Hopefully these legends departing triggers that very discussion.