MiGHTYMAX: “You just have to believe that you still have the ability to do something in the game”

Max “MiGHTYMAX” Heath is undeniably one of the best IGLs that UK CS has ever produced. Competing under the Endpoint banner since 2016, the 28-year-old has played at multiple Tier 1 events like ESL Pro League Season 16 and also led his team to the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 European RMRs.

Alongside his international success, MiGHTYMAX won 10 different ESL Premiership titles spanning across five years. Moreover, he won Insomnia 63, and four EPIC.LANs. His presence is undeniable in UK CS over the last nine years.

The IGL didn’t just find success within the server, but also scouting players from around the world who would join Endpoint, and almost always go on to bigger and better things. The likes of Shahar “⁠flameZ⁠” Shushan, Mohammad “⁠BOROS⁠” Malhas, and Guy “⁠NertZ⁠” Iluz all got their breakthrough under MiGHTYMAX‘s tutelage. William “mezii” Merriman even spent some time with Endpoint before he joined fnatic. In recent history, the likes of Nikita “⁠HeavyGod⁠” Martynenko, who not only won BLAST Open London but claimed the MVP, and Henrich “⁠sl3nd⁠” Hevesi have passed through the UK organisation.

However, for the majority of this year, MiGHTYMAX has been sitting on the Endpoint bench after they put their Counter-Strike division on pause. This comes in response to Endpoint struggling in its final months to gain much traction in the Tier 2 space, and no players being sold to bigger teams like in previous years. Moreover, the removal of ESL Premiership in 2023 took away a pathway into Tier 1 events, which teams like Endpoint partially relied on.

At the BLAST Open London Finals last month, UKCSGO caught up with MiGHTYMAX to talk about what it is like seeing so many ex-Endpoint graduates playing in the event, what could have changed on Endpoint, what his plans are for the future, and how he has maintained his motivation.

What is it like coming to an event of this calibre on home soil?

For me, it is the second time being here; the last time was the FACEIT Major. Same place, just a few years after. I am here with dexie watching every game.

Seeing the finals is cool for me because it has two ex-Endpoint players on one team, and one on the other.

It must be a special feeling seeing these people you scouted once under your tutelage now in the Grand Finals of Tier 1 events.

It is cool to see. When people left Endpoint, it wasn’t always straight to a top top team, but now, they have all made it onto their respective teams. Makes it hard to know who to support.

We haven’t seen you on the server for quite a while since Endpoint dropped its team. What have you been doing this year? Is even coaching a thought?

I wouldn’t rule out coaching, but right now I am still under contract till the end of the year. I am always looking for new opportunities, but there aren’t many going around right now in the Tier 2 scene. Mostly biding my time right now, might make a new project, but will just have to see. Currently still playing in ESEA and trying to keep my level up.

You have always stayed within UK CS. If you build a new team, will it be UK-based?

It depends on who is available. There are more players in the European market, and it is easier to attract those sorts of players, but it is tough to say. I would lean European right now, but wouldn’t rule out anything UK based.

When Endpoint came to a close, it felt like it all slowly fizzled out. Is there anything you look back at the end and think how you could have done things differently?

There were a few things we could have adjusted, roles specifically. They were a bit screwed in the team; not everyone was happy with their own roles. In Endpoint, we were always bringing on new talent to promote them, but that can be very difficult.

We tried to change the roles towards the end, but just had no time, and then we all got benched. AZUWU and cej0t are doing very well now, but we just couldn’t tweak the right things at the right time at the end of Endpoint.

I heard some rumblings that Endpoint were targeting players like CYPHER before the roster got benched. Would this have changed much in the team?

I think that was close to happening, but it is always a what if; you never know. Ultimately, it didn’t prevail, and we ended up getting benched. They had their reasons for it, but it is just a tough ecosystem to exist in. If you are not winning enough or not selling enough players, it’s very hard.

It must be very hard to maintain motivation after this difficult year.

You just have to believe that you still have the ability to do something in the game. That is about it, really; you just have to believe. It is tough to find a team, so there is the realisation that you will have to stop playing, but I want to compete, and I need to try to do anything to achieve that.

Speaking about UK CS, you mixed the recent EPIC.LAN. What is your perspective on the event evolving with many international teams now attending?

I think it is really good and increases the competitiveness of the event. You get more eyes, and it isn’t just a UK event. With the VRS changes, the more teams that go is good for the UK teams and also the event because they can scale up.

The UK teams might lose, but you might win, and regardless, you will get experience and get VRS points now. There is a whole lot more to it than before, as previously, you would just rock up with a mix team and just get money for winning. Now you can actually climb the ladder.

Do you wish you had this level of competition at EPIC.LANs when you started playing?

When I started, it was a lot smaller, and all you really got out of it was mix teams. There were a couple of teams attending, but at the end of the day, it was a fish123 or an infused that would go and win it.

After that, the mixes have gone, and there aren’t any rankings or longevity to them. There were fun events, but now it is just better.

You have always had a keen eye on UK CS talent. Anyone coming up that is catching your eye?

It is difficult with UK CS right now; most teams have disbanded. Endpoint is no longer here to support a team. The old 8Sins roster disbanded, and the core retired recently. You can’t really say CYPHER or mezii anymore; right now, it is very hard to say.

Do you think not having that path trajectory through those ranks that Endpoint once facilitated affects UK CS?

Yeah, for sure. When ESL Prem shut down, that was always a pathway to the European events. Our first break was to [Dreamhack Open] Anaheim at the end of 2019 from ESL Prem.

When that shut down in 2023, you lost that seasonal event in the UK scene, which could qualify you for the ESL Pro League of other national events. Losing this pathway loses a lot of marketability for these teams, and nothing can really replace that.

Endpoint is trying with UKIC, but it is just not the same; you can’t get to the same level with it. It is good for the grassroots, but it is not the same as an ESL Prem, where you get to go to an event afterwards.

There is a big void in the scene.

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