In sports, the “honeymoon phase” refers to the initial period after a team or player experiences success or makes significant changes, during which everything seems to be going well, and there’s a feeling of excitement and optimism. This phase is characterized by a string of victories, enthusiastic fan support, and a generally positive atmosphere surrounding the team or player. However, like the honeymoon period in relationships, it is often temporary, and challenges or setbacks may arise later on as the novelty wears off and the team or player faces tougher competition or internal issues. In Esports, this is no different. Often enough, the honeymoon phase lasts only a few weeks before new pieces are moved in and out of the team’s strat-book and even their starting lineup; this is known as ‘Trial and Error”. This refers to experimenting with different techniques, strategies, or approaches to improve performance or achieve a desired outcome.
Limitless ECL:
When we left off, Limitless ECL was preparing for their matchup against Boss in the ESL Challenger League. While they put their best foot forward, they were unsuccessful, losing 0-2, with scores of 3-13 on Ancient and 9-13 on Anubis. They then faced off against Nouns, the second-place team in the North America ESL Challenger League, coming up short with a 0-2 loss.
During their break, our heroes got the rest they needed and then returned to square one with their strat book to try and “reinvent” themselves. “We spent a lot of time reviewing our mistakes and taking some new approaches to our map pool, along with adding depth to our maps” said Coastal, Head Coach of Limitless ECL. “This season has been a big challenge for us. Our lack of experience as a core and small mistakes are often punished hard, and we have had to deal with that this season” they followed up when asked about the learning curve from this season compared to others.
What’s the game plan for the rest of the season? We want to win as much as we can, improve as much as we can, and present a good image for the organization.
How are you preparing for teams like Nouns and PA, given the experienced players on these rosters? We spend as much time as we can forming a game plan, relying on what we have built, and playing toward our strengths.
“Keep watching our games. It means a lot for people to cheer us on; it gives us a reason to keep playing.” was Coastal’s closing comment regarding the support from the Limitless fans and their friends and family. I believe it’s safe to say that our heroes are poised to give the final four matches of the season their all and continue to search for success within North American Counter-Strike.
Limitless Angels:
Since their arrival in February, the Angels have been one of many focal points within Limitless. Given that this is Limitless’ first time within the Impact division, there was an immediate expectation for success, and while bits and pieces were found, the big piece that the Angels were looking for has yet to be cemented. When we left off, the Angels were finishing second in the ESL Impact Cash Cup, behind what many consider their “kryptonite” Shimmer. Since then, the Angels’ have undergone a roster change: removing PiggyKiki and rbn from the starting lineup. Upon our conversation with Ink, the General Manager for the Angels, we dove deep into the team’s decisions that led to a change and their current game plan.
“First off, I hope your day has been going well. Let’s get into it. What motivated a roster change?” Our Results for IM and Impact Season 5 speak for themselves. Not qualifying for MAIN in ESEA or achieving our Main goal of Impact Lan meant we were not going in the right direction as a team. A lot of misfortune fell upon us, and we tried our best to stomach it as a team, but after a certain point, it felt inevitable that there would be a roster change when the season ended.
“Secondly, what goes on within the team after a roster change? Is it an immediate change of strats? Is it adapting to how the incoming players like to work around the map? Walk me through the process.” The process starts with the remaining players and me creating a shortlist of players we are interested in. I did a lot of Demo Reviews checking player roles to mock up how they could fit in and around the Angels. After that, I reach out to the Player of Interest and gauge how well they would fit the team environment. From there, it comes down to the players and coach to set times for tryouts. Usually, each player will get a debrief on what they are expected of within their spot and to work their strengths into the game as much as possible. The IGL role is a more thorough process with a lot of 1-1 between the IGL and Coach/Me. Regarding strats, establishing a default before scrims and working the “Mid Rounds” is where you get to see ~80% of the player’s ability in a team environment. For IGLs, it’s about letting them talk like an open book about how they see the game as the most important and then seeing how that translates into the game with as much prep time as they request.
“Where do you hope to see the Angels by the end of the Summer? Back on LAN? Top of the league?” We are looking at the tangible results and want to strive for them. Qualifying for Impact LAN for S6 and moving past Intermediate in ESEA are the most significant things that will drive us forward. We were also invited to the Thunderpick World Championship NA Wildcard Qualifier. Between the 4 NA Impact Teams qualifying, if we were to take one of them out, it would be a massive start to the Angels Campaign. The most important thing to achieve by the end of this rebuilding process is a proven growth pattern. This will be facilitated by the coach and myself and by the hunger of the players we bring in.
“Any closing words you’d like to give the supporters or friends/family?”
For the growing devout following the Angels, I want to remind them that this project isn’t about being a meddling team amidst many. We aim to stand out and push the North American scene forward with a competitive lineup across all our ventures. Teams make changes and move on, and it’s important to respect what is to come as everyone participating is sinking their lives into a Video Game for the off chance they can build their legacy. Thank you to everyone who gets upset when we lose and isn’t satisfied with poor results; it keeps everyone on their toes awaiting the next opportunity to go #BeyondLimits