If Order’s sudden departure from Counter-Strike in May — and the line-up’s subsequent dissolution — then came as a shock, then today’s announcement from the Melbourne-based organization will rock Oceanic CS:GO to its core.
Order have today announced the immediate acquisition of the Renegades CS:GO division, which includes Simon “Sico” Williams, Jordan “Hatz” Bajic, Joshua “INS” Potter, Jay “Liazz” Tregillgas and Alistair “aliStair” Johnston, as well as coach David “Kingfisher” Kingsford and team manager Will “MrGrayhound” Gray.
In doing so, the roster’s departure sees Renegades’ reign in Oceanic CS:GO put on pause after almost seven years at the top of the region.
In a statement, Order described the acquisition of the Renegades squad, who have just returned from attending the PGL Antwerp Major, as a “historic moment for OCE esports”.
All five players will make a return to the organization they once called home. Sico, Hatz and Liazz linked up with Order in the beginning of 2018 after the closure of Kings Gaming Club, and were joined by aliStair who departed Chiefs.
INS wouldn’t join Order until September 2018 after Sico’s move to Tainted Minds. Just a couple of weeks later, Liazz would depart for Renegades — a journey that would include two top eight Major appearances and a semi-final showing at the StarLadder Major in Berlin in 2019.
“There’s a reason every single player had once played under this banner, and for all of us, an even better reason to come back. An Aussie team—sorry Sico—returning to an Aussie organization… there’s just no place like home,” said manager MrGrayhound.
“It’s been a long journey from then to now and it’s been awesome to see [the team] continue to grow from strength to strength to the point where it stands the tallest.”
The squad remains top dogs in OCE but their performance at the PGL Antwerp Major left much to be desired. With limited time to practice and battling jetlag, Sico’s men went down 0-3 without a map win in the Challengers Stage.
Order Chief Gaming Officer Chris “GoMeZ” Orfanellis believes with more consistent showings overseas, and an at-home support network outside of the server, Oceania’s best will be back to their pre-COVID levels in no time.
“The acquisition of the top-performing Australian roster will see Order fight it out on an international level consistently,” said Chris “GoMeZ” Orfanellis, Order’s Chief Gaming Officer.
“CS:GO has always been in our DNA. We love the game and we continue to support it in every way.“
Order Chief Gaming Officer Chris “GoMeZ” Orfanellis
“This group of players have seen the advancement of the Order infrastructure and esports program and are eager to get to work and represent us and an Australian brand.”
Order had always been classed as a stepping stone to international opportunities abroad, but now with a stable base at home and a revamped esports program, the Melbourne-based organisation are levelling up in a big way.
ORDER has a strong history of providing a pathway to Oceanic professionals to perform at the highest level across North America and Europe,” said Order’s Chief Executive Officer Marc Edwards, “and while this often means saying goodbye to star players, the opportunity to welcome back an entire roster of former players is a really
exciting moment for everyone involved.”
“The roster is well known and respected amongst our esports peers and we intend to do everything possible to support the players to achieve their goals.
“With the challenges of the last two years behind us, the team will be able to more freely and regularly compete alongside the best in the world, and we have no doubt this will result in the ability to go deeper in international tournaments and provide the entire Oceanic esports community with a team they are proud to support.”
The roster will debut under the Order banner at Season 16 of the ESL Conference, alongside fellow Aussie squads Encore and Vertex, with a top six finish booking an appearance at ESL Pro League.
Snowball Esports reached out to Renegades for comment regarding the future of the organization in the esport, and whether a potential shift to North America is on the cards.
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