CPH Flames to retain CSGO team as Complexity deal falls through

Copenhagen Flames have confirmed that they will hold on to their CS:GO team after talks with Complexity broke down.

Dexerto had reported on December 20 that a deal was in jeopardy after Complexity had started looking at other options.

The North American organization is in the market for a new team after parting ways with most of its players in the aftermath of a failed qualifying campaign for PGL Major Stockholm.

Talks between the two organizations were at an advanced stage, with Complexity going as far as to begin discussing personal terms with the players.

The deal appeared close to completion, but negotiations hit a brick wall when Complexity started to explore other options. HLTV.org reported on December 21 that the North American organization is looking to sign the core of Extra Salt and pair them with Michael ‘Grim’ Wince and Paytyn ‘junior’ Johnson.

No change of plans

In a Twitter post on October 21, Copenhagen Flames co-owner Daniel Vorborg had said that the organization was powerless to retain the team amid growing interest in the players.

The Danish squad went on to make a Cinderella run to the New Legends Stage of the Stockholm Major, where they were one map away from sealing a historical top-eight finish. The victories over teams like Astralis, Heroic and FaZe have cemented their status as one of the rising teams in the CS:GO scene — making the $500,000 price tag look like a prudent investment.

With the Complexity deal now completely dead in the water, question marks hang over the future of the team. However, the CPH Flames chief stressed that the organization is as committed as ever to supporting the players.

“Our plans haven’t really changed,” Vorborg told Dexerto. “The players could still change clubs and make more money, but luckily that’s not their only priority.

“We will continue to develop our club around the team. I’ve always told our players that our most important job as a club is to provide better resources and conditions in six months than we can today – we have never failed to deliver on that promise, and we don’t intend to start now.

“I think we provide a great environment to develop and perform under, and we will continue to focus on delivering that to the team.”

Copenhagen Flames have been unable to sustain the level shown at the Major, sliding down to 15th in HLTV’s world ranking after a brief appearance in the top 10 in November.

For the players, joining a famed organization like Complexity, with guaranteed slots in ESL Pro League and BLAST Premier, would have been a big step forward in their careers.

Vorborg admitted that some of the players missed out on opportunities as they were convinced that they would be able to stick together under Complexity’s banner.

“I can’t comment on any specific clubs, but we did discuss with several really big clubs, and especially the ones that had franchise slots were of interest to the players,” he said.

“The guys don’t really prioritize money that heavily but did put a lot of value on being guaranteed ESL and/or Blast participation. So it would have been nice for them to have that, but I don’t think they’ve ever seen staying as a bad option — but if an amazing opportunity would arise for them, they’d grab it, and we fully understand that.

“Right now, I just think they’re all enjoying a small break, and are incredibly motivated to perform after the break, now that everything has settled. For 2022 we have tournaments like the IEM Katowice Play-ins to look forward to, which will be an incredible experience for all of us.”