EPIC.LAN 43 is just around the corner and here at UKCSGO we’ve put together a round up ahead of the event to keep you in the loop about everything EPIC.LAN. First and foremost, it’s immediately worth mentioning that this is set to be a historic LAN. EPIC 43 currently has 44 teams signed up, this makes it the most attended EPIC.LAN for Counter-Strike ever, beating the previous record set by EPIC 26 of 43 teams.
Another exciting change is the new format for this event. Following a structure similar to the UEFA Champions League, EPIC 43’s new format ensures an exciting set of matches for all teams attending. The format is set to begin with a league phase where each team is going to be assigned a specific number of other teams to play. This isn’t a group stage and as such a team’s opponents will not necessarily play each other.
According to a format video created by Harry “index” Bayliss each team will be given a difficulty rating which has been generated according to the teams’ seeding, which is what helps determine matchups. Furthermore this format is supposed to make a more balanced playoff bracket for the top 16 teams that make it out of the league, the remaining teams will be able to compete in the Inters tournament on Saturday.
EPIC.LAN secured a sponsorship for the 43rd iteration of their Counter-Strike event. The gaming hardware company WD_BLACK is set to contribute £1000 pounds to the tournament, bringing the total prize pool to £5,600, with the winners taking home £2,800.
UK organisations come out to play
After a relatively modest showing at EPIC 42, this autumn’s jam-packed LAN sees the vast majority of the UK’s top teams coming out in force to compete for the EPIC.LAN trophy. Seven of the ten UK and Ireland Circuit (UKIC) Division 1 teams are in attendance, with six of them playing under an org’s banner.
Verdant barely broke a sweat in lifting the EPIC 42 trophy, dropping only two maps the entire event with French sniper Remi “Diviiii” Alexandre taking home the MVP award. At this event there will be more staunch competition for the team to face off against, only time will tell if they will once again coast to victory.
Belfast Storm’s new signing Lucian “devi” Manolache is almost a match for Diviiii in name, but will Diviiii meet his match or be matchless once again in Kettering? The team comes into the event following changes in the roster – also adding Karl-Hendrik “tsutskam” Palu, but will still expect to perform well in Kettering.
Also among the favourites are 8Sins, a new organisation that has acquired the Bardghi5 roster. With AWPer William “wfn” Maskrey and Michael John “Prime” Fury from the short-lived Reason Gaming lineup, they certainly have the talent to challenge Verdant.
The other team to take a map from Verdant last EPIC, The Last Resort (TLR), will see their North American import Madden “maddeN” Lamy make his tournament bow. Thankfully TLR are a team packed with experience such as IGL Rhys “Rhys” Stumbles, who has had stints with Raptors, eMasters and Vitalize, to help him along.
The UKIC Season 3 Division 1 runner-ups, Dreams to Legends, are also in attendance and hungry for a LAN victory after their fairytale run in Birmingham. However, they will be playing with a stand-in, ex-GamerLegion Academy coach Oscar “LVN” Levin, looking to bring out all the tactical knowledge. Zaid “Vonex” Almayali showed a great performance together with Zy “yz0” Esponilla at the UKIC Grand Final. If this can be repeated, then DTL might just punch their way through to claim victory.
UKIC Div 2 champions, TRAXXXMANIA are absent, but their fellow promoted teams Annex and Dripmen will both appear in Kettering. Annex punched above their weight to get to the semi-finals of EPIC 42 – now with experience of the top division they will be dreaming of going even further. Dripmen IGL Frazer “frazehh” Sollom, meanwhile, is a four-time runner-up in Kettering – can he go one further?
Elsewhere, we get to see the LAN debut of Alex “Byfield” Byfield and Lorenzo “LTH” Venanzi’s new project, Flowstate. Prior to LAN, Byfield posted the first part of his self-titled “Behind Byfield” documentary on X which featured him running, boxing and ice-bathing. Will that work pay off at EPIC.LAN or will he have to jog on?
EPIC.LAN will also be used to cut the teeth of academy teams, looking for LAN experience. Viperio returned to their UK roots in announcing their fully British academy team. Players like Liam “M1n1mal” Reynolds, Elliott “fett1s” Fettis and Shane “Shane” McGlinchey are familiar names to the Kettering faithful, but will mgmt show his electric feel? Coalesce will similarly return to the UK fray with their new ‘Odyssey’ academy project headed by former director Sam “Kanny” Hollingrake.
The mixes and their firepower
As the excitement builds for this year’s EPIC.LAN in Kettering, all eyes are on the teams gunning for that prestigious trophy. But while the organisations may be in the spotlight, some real buzz is growing around the mixes featuring some well-known individuals. These are the players who aren’t just here to win as part of a team—they’re here to make a statement, flex their individual skills, and maybe even bag little extra LAN glory.
The scariest of them all is Verdant fe, featuring Rory “cryths” Ursell, Monte Gen rifler Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen, Josh “Yoshwa” Ryley, William “dobbo” Dobson, and BLAST.TV Paris 2023 Major quarter-finalist Cai “CYPHER” Watson, currently part of the ex-BLEED roster, UNPAID. Will all this firepower and individual talent be enough to lift the trophy in Kettering, and will CYPHER walk away from a tournament with something in his wallet again?
Another mix to keep an eye on is Bravefart, led by John “Dutchy” Holland. The Scot came second at EPIC 35 with EKO Esports and third at EPIC 37, competing with Matthew “meffew” Godsell and Earl “Earl” Stephenson, but has never lifted the trophy. He currently coaches 8Sins, who may be hoping for an early exit so that the Scot can stand behind them for the later stages of the tournament. At EPIC.43 meffew and Earl have a mix of their own, competing on Stanoski alongside Alan “yoomswa” Groot, formerly of Katana Gaming.
Other mixes to keep an eye on include Penjymin which sees Zachary “seiren” Bland and BENJYMEN team up, Nicolas Jackson headlined by s0ra and haznoodle and, last but not least, Ben Forder – which includes the trio of proq, Rhyza and JTM99.
The fun teams of EPIC
Part of what makes EPIC LAN so special is the variety of competition. From those that sign up with the intention of winning to those that sign up with the intention of having an amazing time and catching up with people they haven’t seen since the last event. That being said, there’s a few teams that are special cases, teams that turn up with a goal in mind that isn’t competition orientated.
One of the teams that’s without a doubt worth highlighting is Granny’s Knockers. Captained by Ryan “RyRy” Chapman, the team, whose name may seem outlandish, actually have a fantastic reason for having their name as such, they raise awareness and money for Breast cancer UK. Having raised $7,523 for the aforementioned charity, the organisation appears to be wanting to put its name out there again by putting forward a roster for the final EPIC.LAN of the year.
A familiar set of faces for anyone in UK CS, The Binmen are making another return to the halls of Kettering. Long-standing member and colour caster Joshua “Dweg” Nathan headlines the community team which in the past has raised money for charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital. Historically a team that’s better at the pub quizzes than the Counter-Strike can The Binmen take out the trash this EPIC LAN and make their way into the playoffs – or will it be groups again for Dweg and friends?
Closing words
EPIC.LAN 43 is set to demonstrate the very best of what UK CS can do. The camaraderie of teammates and friends do battle in the halls of Kettering for the most coveted title of UK CS. With record attendance, fantastic staff and players that are determined to leave everything on the server, EPIC 43 is set to be one for the ages.
This piece was a collaborative effort put together by the UKCSGO coverage team of EPIC43 – Tommy, Oskar and Darragh
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