Complexity return to NA roots with new CSGO team
ComplexityComplexity have formally announced their new CS:GO team, based in North America, following the collapse of the ‘Juggernaut’ project.
The core of the new Complexity team is made up of Johnny ‘JT’ Theodosiou, Justin ‘FaNg’ Coakley, and Ricky ‘floppy’ Kemery, who all join from Extra Salt. The latter recently returned to CS:GO after a brief Valorant stint with Cloud9 Blue, while the other two were longtime members of the team.
The last two spots will be taken by Michael ‘Grim’ Wince, who comes off a spell with Team Liquid, and AWPer Paytyn ‘junior’ Johnson, who will be looking to reignite his career after a disappointing experience with Brazilian side FURIA.
The news marks a new era for Complexity in CS:GO following the demise of the ‘Juggernaut’ project — a period of heavy investment that saw the organization sign some of the best talents in the scene.
A storied past renewed.
We are coming home. #CSGO | #WeAreCOL pic.twitter.com/pw9TYezR5u
— Complexity Gaming (@Complexity) January 18, 2022
The arrivals of players like Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke, Benjamin ‘blameF’ Bremer, and Valentin ‘poizon’ Vasilev propelled Complexity to new heights, but success was still infrequent in 2020 as the team struggled with consistency issues.
And things took a turn for the worse in 2021. Complexity couldn’t get the best out of Justin ‘jks’ Savage — signed from 100 Thieves in a high-profile deal — and also lost k0nfig to a wrist injury during the player break.
Hired in July to guide the team, Brazilian coach Luis ‘peacemaker’ Tadeu said that the team was “falling apart” around him and that, despite his best efforts, it was impossible to steer the ship back on course. “Before I joined, the team had several problems, things that were outside their control, like injuries, players being temporarily out of the roster, etc.,” he said. “It was no different at the end of the year.”
The failure to qualify for PGL Major Stockholm was the final nail in the Juggernaut’s coffin: Before the end of the year, Complexity released k0nfig, blameF, poizon, and peacemaker, and sold Patrick ‘es3tag’ Hansen to NIP as they began planning for the 2022 season.
A surprise return to NA
As logical as it is for Complexity to sign a North American team, it was not their initial plan. In December, they came close to signing Copenhagen Flames’ Danish team, the surprise package of PGL Major Stockholm, before talks broke down at the final phase.
Complexity’s decision to sign a North American roster could be tied to the new Louvre Agreement signed by ESL’s partner teams until 2025. The new deal, ESL said, includes “a tangible commitment and redoubling of efforts in the North American scene” – which took a massive hit following the exodus of players and organizations to Valorant.
It is the start of a new chapter for Complexity in CS:GO. The team may be more modest than the Juggernaut, but many hope that this signing will mark a significant move towards the restoration of normalcy in the North American scene.
Complexity CS:GO roster:
- Johnny ‘JT’ Theodosiou
- Justin ‘FaNg’ Coakley
- Ricky ‘floppy’ Kemery
- Michael ‘Grim’ Wince
- Paytyn ‘junior’ Johnson
- Tiaan ‘T.c’ Coertzen (coach)
