For many years, ‘UK CS’ was one of the biggest memes in the world of Esports. Top talents for the game from the land of tea and crumpets were seldom ever seen, save for a small handful such as Alex “ALEX” McMeekin or Owen “smooya” Butterfield who were playing with teams abroad.
However, as the popularity of CS:GO has continued to transcend borders and the rise of international rosters has opened the door for more representation across the world, there are more British pros than ever before looking to make their name in the game. With Fnatic surging up the rankings on the back of their British experiment, Gamelevate takes you through the four best British teams to follow in Counter-Strike.
Fnatic
Founded by Sam Matthews, Fnatic are a London-based Esports org that have grown to be one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the industry. With teams in League of Legends, Fifa, Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, and Dota 2 as well as CS:GO, it’s hard to overstate the impact Fnatic have had on the growth of Esports over the last decade or so.
Despite being a British org, Fnatic have been long-associated with their all-Swedish Counter-Strike lineups, winning three Majors on the back of the likes of Jesper “JW” Wecksell, Robin “flusha” Rönnquist, and Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer Gustafsson. However, on the back of some torrid runs of form during the online era, the side have gone international for the first time in their history with the addition of a British core featuring William “Mezii” Merriman, Alex “ALEX” McMeekin, Owen “smooya” Butterfield and Jamie “keita” Hall as the team’s coach.
Coalesce
Coalesce was founded in early 2021 entirely as a grassroots Esports org in the UK. The org have been built from the ground up by their fanbase, helping to nurture their CS:GO team into the second-highest rated in the country.
Since acquiring their current lineup, the team have been on a steady upward trajectory, rising from over 120th in the world to well within the top 70 in just two months. Tom “arTisT” Clarke has been a huge reason behind the team’s growth in recent times, with his 1.07 rating, 0.71 kills per round, and mighty impressive 1.19 impact rating as the side’s entry fragger.
Into The Breach
Into The Breach is a UK-based org with teams in both CS:GO and Dota 2, being founded after the owners realized they were spending so much time watching and being immersed in the Esports world they might have a shot at bringing together a half-decent side. The team focuses on three main missions around its operations: being player-centric, community motivated and focused on having a positive impact on the industry through a variety of charitable arms and initiatives.
Kirk “Tadpole” Stephens is the star of the show for Into The Breach, having played for a variety of UK-based sides in both CS:GO and Valorant such as nerdRage, uMx Gaming, and London Esports.
Feenix
Feenix are a UK-based Esports org that was founded back in July 2016, but who made their foray into the CS:GO under their current British banner in August 2021. They have historically been represented at major events organized by the likes of Dreamhack, Copenhagen Games and Insomnia, and are regular features in the ESEA Advanced and ESL UK Premiership as they look to move back up the world rankings.
Jamie “JamieG” Grice is undoubtedly the star of the side, averaging a very handy 1.21 rating, 1.21 impact, 0.61 deaths, 0.80 kills, and 81.6 damage per round as the side’s chief entry fragger. Interestingly enough, JamieG’s rating goes up to 1.25 when it comes to his performances against top thirty opponents, showcasing there is plenty more to come from the Brit.
