Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league Flashpoint will replace FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) for the second phase of the competition. Following the signing of FPX’s Patrick “es3tag” Hansen to Astralis, reports of trouble regarding the team emerged. Upon confirming these, Flashpoint forced FPX to forfeit their match against Orgless. As a result, the team dropped out of the running for Phase 1. They finished last in their group, only securing 15 points. To make playoffs, the team would have needed a nearly perfect run in the second phase.
FunPlus Phoenix’s Casper “cadiaN” Møller opened up on social media about the team’s situation. In a heartfelt video, he expressed the team feels “gutted” by Flashpoint. Furthermore, he stated he’s never been so mistreated by a league in his career. Towards the end, cadiaN says the team will probably not participate in the competition. Since his video, there has been no official confirmation or rumors regarding the future of FPX and Flashpoint.
I’ve been mistreated my fair share in esports, but this one beats them all. Gutted.
— cadiaN (@caspercadiaN) March 22, 2020
Stuck between a rock and a hard place
According to HLTV, FPX has officially withdrawn from Flashpoint season 1 and will not be participating in Phase 2. Therefore, the league is actively looking for an organization to fill their spot. With Flashpoint kicking off again this weekend, there’s little time for the organization to fill the team’s spot. A Flashpoint representative told HLTV that the organization is confident they’ll find a team before the group selection show later today.
It’s difficult to say why FunPlus Phoenix decided to drop out of the league. After forfeiting their position in ESL Pro League, being sold to FPX from Heroic, and traveling across the globe, it seemed like the Danish roster could finally focus on regaining their footing.
While es3tag’s roster change was confirmed, his contract with FPX wasn’t set to end until July 1, making him perfectly capable of playing. The reason Flashpoint forced FPX to forfeit their match versus Orgless is unknown to the public. Whether or not the league would have allowed FPX to continue competing with a substitute or es3tag is also unclear.
FunPlus Phoenix leaving Flashpoint puts the league in an awkward situation. Not only are they forced to find a new team in a short period of time, but how they’ll fit the new team into the format must also be dealt with. In light of the global pandemic, the new squad will have to be located in North America. Additionally, how their points will be allocated is something worth considering.
Teams in Flashpoint live and die based on the number of points gained through Phase 1 and Phase 2. A new team would then have zero points entering Phase 2, putting them at a clear disadvantage compared to other teams in their group. However, it’s also unfair to give the team a certain number of undeserved points.
There have been no official updates about a prospective team or additional details released. Stay tuned to Daily Esports for updated Flashpoint and CSGO news.
