MSL joins Rogue on their Counter-Strike roster - Upcomer
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Back in September, in-game leader Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen would leave Danish Counter-Strike team North. Now a month later, he is joining American organization, Rogue, on their starting lineup.

MSL would leave North after several pretty disappointing finishes, including an early exit at the London Major. However, this was days after their big win at Dreamhack Masters Stockholm, where they would take down teams like Natus Vincere and Astralis. North would gain an incredible amount of hype from fans and analysts alike, only to flop at the biggest event of the year. HLTV would even place North in the top five best teams of the month.

Besides Dreamhack Masters Stockholm, North would win DreamHack Open Valencia 2018, as well as DreamHack Open Tours 2018. However, it seems like these performances did not weigh the same as their failures. The team would end up replacing MSL with Casper “cadiaN” Møller as in-game leader, which is ironic since cadiaN had last played for Rogue. It seems like the teams are trading IGL’s. With cadiaN as their in-game leader, North would play in Season Six of StarSeries, only to get eliminated in the quarterfinals by NRG Esports.

Going Rogue?

Meanwhile, MSL now joins Rogue to replace Kevin “kRYSTAL” Amend, who has been the in-game leader since cadiaN’s departure. Rogue is desperately looking for answers to their problems, as the team is third last in the ESL Pro League with an abysmal 4-11 record. Additionally, the team is coachless ever since their former coach, Matthew “mCe” Elmore, would step down to an analyst position. They are now looking for a new coach while playing in the EPL.

MSL is joining veteran North American player Spencer “Hiko” Martin, as well as Hunter “SicK” Mims, Daniel “vice” Kim and Ricky “Rickeh” Mulholland. Granted, this team does not have the best track record. Their roster has been in flux for most of 2018, as well as their coaching staff. They are in desperate need of some consistency on the lineup, and they also need a veteran voice to help lead the squad. Many people say that MSL could have found a better team to join, but if he is to reinvent himself, maybe rock bottom is the place to do it.

Following in the footsteps

A story that MSL could try to recreate is one of his Danish brother and replacement, cadiaN. He would join Rogue back in 2016, after a failed stint with European team, Unity. He would go through plenty of hardships on the team, not finding much success with the team. However, his personal success would garner him the attention of top-tier teams. He was able to improve his movement, and decision making as a player.

MSL is still a very talented player, and maybe he can help make this team look better than the sum of its parts. We will have to see if he changes his playstyle at all, or adapts to his surroundings in North America. All in all, Rogue has some pretty good talent, that if MSL can shape them into a workable team, could surprise some higher ranked teams. It’s Counter-Strike. We’ve seen plenty of crazier things that that.


What are your thoughts on MSL joining Rogue? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more Counter-Strike coverage, check us out here!




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