Former CS:GO Major finalists AVANGAR have withdrawn from competitive Counter-Strike. The organization announced that it will release its CS:GO roster and focus on esports activity outside competing.
How fast things can change
Just a few months ago AVANGAR surprised the world by taking part in the biggest game competitive CS:GO has to offer. Today, that organization essentially no longer exists on the competitive map.
AVANGAR’s road was wild and filled with ups and downs the past year or so. It all began in the summer of 2017 with the establishment of Dzhami “Jame” Ali, Alexey “qikert” Golubev and Timur “buster” Tulepov as the three-man core to build around.
A slow two-year build hit its peak once Sanjar “SANJI” Kuliev and Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubayev joined in April and June of 2019, respectively. This roster would go on to win AVANGAR their only trophy in CS:GO at BLAST Pro Series Moscow 2019. They almost did the unthinkable at Starladder Major Berlin by reaching the grand final but the Danish machine of Astralis stood firmly in the CIS team’s way on that final Major day.
As fast as that sudden rise to prominence was, it wouldn’t last. The roster that achieved those spectacular results was sold to Virtus.pro in December 2019 and that was all she wrote for AVANGAR. The Kazakhstani organization tried to continue its CS:GO path with a new roster composed of home talent but their enthusiasm evaporated three months into the project and the plug has been officially pulled.
On this day usually full of laughs we want to say goodbye. On April 1st of 2020 AVANGAR ceased its operations to focus on building and developing esports venues in Qazaqstan. The initial decision was so hard to make after all 3 years of our legacy. pic.twitter.com/YMoSEnSGye
— AVANGAR #QazaqAttack (@avangarkz) April 1, 2020
Though out of CS:GO competition, AVANGAR are not ready to leave esports altogether. The organization announced its willingness to focus on building and developing esports venues in Kazakhstan. Everything that might help the scene grow is ok in our eyes.
It’s almost shocking how you can go from riches to rags in such a short time span in esports. That Starladder Major at which AVANGAR came a victory away from eternal CS:GO glory concluded in September 2019 and is as of now the last Major we’ve seen. Imagine going from that to a complete shutdown in half a year. It’s a very, very mad world.
