Esports Organization Vega Squadron Temporarily Quits CS:GO
Published: Aug 14, 2019 - Last Updated: Jul 13, 2023
Russian esports organization Vega Squadron has announced its plans to “take a pause” in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The team will stop participating in Counter-Strike events effective immediately, and all of its CS:GO players will be open to transfer offers.
How will this affect the organization and the overall esports ecosystem?
Cutting losses?
Vega Squadron has never been a CS:GO powerhouse. The team has been a part of the scene since 2015, yet its performances in S-tier competitions have drastically underwhelmed. Vega’s claim to fame comes from three appearances at CS:GO Majors: PGL Krakow (July 2017), ELEAGUE Boston (January 2018), and FACEIT London (September 2018). However, the organization never made a deep run at any of these events. And while it had the reputation of an unpredictable wildcard that could challenge the top teams to a close series, Vega Squadron usually found itself on the losing end of these battles.
Then, 2019 was particularly rough for the team.
Vega Squadron spent most of the year struggling at Counter-Strike tournaments. Its only decent showings took place at B-tier events like OGA Counter PIT Season 3 and WePlay! Forge of Masters Season 1. The BLAST Pro Series: Moscow 2019 Qualifier was the final straw. Vega Squadron was eliminated in the first rounds of the tournament and subsequently pulled the plug on its CS:GO roster.
Now, all of the Vega starters are back on the job market. The former Na’Vi starter Denis “seized” Kostin will likely be the most contested player. That said, according to his Twitter, he might be suffering from ongoing health issues. Other teams might also be interested in pursuing the AWPer Dmitriy “jR” Chervak and the rifler Dmitriy “Dima” Bandurka, so at least some Vega starters should be able to find new homes.
Future prospects
The fate of Vega Squadron itself is less certain. The organization has active rosters in Dota 2, FIFA, and League of Legends, so it might just relocate its resources to these lineups. Another route is rebuilding its CS:GO team from the ground up. The Counter-Strike division was clearly struggling to produce the necessary results, so taking some time to pinpoint the exact issues that plagued it is a great first step towards rebuilding. Whatever the case, Vega doesn’t seem to be quitting CS:GO altogether. And it’s very possible that we will see more of this team in the future.
Image courtesy of Vega Squadron.
