TL;DR
- Immortals Gaming Club acquisition created organizational conflict forcing OpTic’s CSGO roster release
- In-game leader MSL benched himself citing inability to build competitive team under new ownership
- Team performance declined significantly after key player departures and failed major qualifications
- Players revealed contract disparities and organizational restrictions prevented roster improvements
- All former OpTic players now require buy-outs for new team signings
The Immortals Gaming Club’s acquisition presented contrasting outcomes across OpTic Gaming’s esports divisions. While their League of Legends squad benefited from the corporate backing, the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team faced immediate dissolution due to ownership conflicts.
Earlier this year, OpTic’s CSGO lineup received termination notices to prevent organizational overlap, given Immortals’ existing ownership of MIBR’s CSGO roster. The players spent subsequent months pursuing new organizational homes, but consistently underwhelming competitive results hampered their search efforts. Ultimately, the collective decision emerged to disband entirely rather than continue struggling.
Team captain Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen broke the news through social media, announcing his self-benching decision to followers. This strategic move highlighted the roster’s systemic challenges under new management structures.
“My original commitment to OpTic involved constructing a championship-caliber lineup through strategic player acquisitions,” MSL explained via Twitter. “However, the ownership transition completely altered our operational landscape, leaving us perpetually unable to assemble a properly competitive squad.”
The Danish in-game leader clarified his availability for both North American and European team opportunities, though emphasized he’s approaching this transition period with careful deliberation rather than urgency.
“This time around, I’m seeking an organization where I can genuinely invest my belief and competitive drive,” he stated, signaling a more selective approach to his next career move.
Back in May, MSL had publicly projected his team’s return to top-five global rankings. However, his confidence in the roster’s potential noticeably eroded following René “cajunb” Borg’s departure to North earlier in the competitive season. This key personnel loss triggered OpTic’s shift toward less established talent, including cajunb’s replacement Oliver “kwezz” Rasmussen.
Despite maintaining respectable competitiveness throughout 2018, OpTic Gaming suffered elimination during FACEIT Major: London’s Challenger Stage, concluding their campaign with a disappointing 2-3 record. The organization subsequently failed to secure qualification for the 2019 Katowice Major, marking a significant competitive downturn.
Their concluding tournament appearance occurred at ESL Pro League Season 10, where the former OpTic lineup placed last in their group following consecutive defeats against FaZe Clan, mousesports, and BIG. This poor performance likely represented the decisive factor prompting the roster’s dissolution.
Following MSL’s announcement, teammate Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke contributed his perspective to the unfolding narrative.
“We collectively determined to dissolve the OpTic lineup due to complete absence of future organizational support. I’m prepared for individual transfer opportunities and firmly believe this represents our optimal path forward,” k0nfig tweeted. “My immediate focus involves elevating individual performance metrics while awaiting suitable opportunities.”
He expressed genuine disappointment about the situation, having particularly valued his collaborative experiences with MSL and Nikolaj “NiKo” Kristensen.
“However, sustainable development became impossible because their contractual terms extended significantly beyond mine, and OpTic’s management restricted our ability to acquire new talent or negotiate proper contracts. Essentially, we’ve been trapped in a holding pattern without resolution,” he disclosed.
Currently, the professional destinations for OpTic Gaming’s former CSGO competitors remain uncertain. Any esports organization considering signing these players must navigate contractual buy-out procedures, creating additional financial barriers to roster acquisition.
The situation offers valuable lessons about team composition strategies in competitive gaming. Similar to how strategic class selection impacts success in titles like Battlefield, proper organizational alignment proves crucial for sustained competitive performance in professional CSGO.
Action Checklist
- Analyze organizational ownership structures for potential conflicts before roster commitments
- Review player contract terminations and alignment across acquisition scenarios
- Evaluate competitive performance metrics against roster stability factors
- Assess buy-out requirements and financial implications for team transfers
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