HLTV Confirmed - Counter-Strike Podcast

Latest Episodes:

HLTV Confirmed S5E21 | HLTV top 20 players of 2020 talk, Liquid FalleN & Twistzz future, team of the year? Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

In the final episode of the year, the HLTV Confirmed panelists explain how the HLTV top 20 players of the year list will be selected, which players have a chance to make it, and the race for #1 between s1mple and ZywOo. SPUNJ, Professeur, and Striker also touch on the FalleN to Liquid rumors, Twistzz stepping down, and debate what the best team of 2020 has been - Astralis, Vitality, or Liquid?

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0:00 - Podcast intro

Recent news

4:21 - Twistzz departing Liquid

8:30 - FalleN joining Liquid?

17:27 - What’s next for Twistzz?

23:45 - ZywOo extends with Vitality until 2024

27:47 - jkaem to leave Apeks

36:50 - fnatic eye Jackinho - report

40:44 - GODSENT in talks with suNny - report

46:00 - HAVU sign Aerial

47:57 - Gen.G transfer list roster

IEM Global Challenge

53:54 - Astralis back to winning

1:01:42 - Liquid redemption

2020 rewind

1:09:04 - Reasons why 2020 was good

1:14:07 - Vitality vs. NAVI vs. Astralis - team of 2020?

1:29:20 - Breakout players? Potential top-20 rookies?

1:32:40 - How will top 20 players of 2020 be picked?

1:42:25 - Top-3 flops of the year

1:57:14 - Building the HLTV Confirmed All-Star lineup

Playtime

2:07:46 - Yes or No: Major in 2021? More coach bans? Map pool?

2:10:49 - Astralis and NAVI roster changes? Source 2???

2:15:45 - Any historical team to benefit from 6-man? Sinners with oskar?

2:22:31 - Xtfry giveaway contest

2:25:36 - Final words

HLTV Confirmed is a CS:GO talk show featuring Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill, Zvonimir "Professeur" Burazin, and Milan "Striker" Švejda, with guest appearances from community members such as TaZ, GeT_RiGhT, device, Maniac, Pimp, HenryG, YNk, JW, smooya, seang@res, and more. The show is based around interviews, breakdowns, analysis, and discussions about the esports and casual side of Counter-Strike.

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HLTV Confirmed S5E20 (ft. allu) | allu opens up on Aleksib removal, sergej stepping down, ENCE's mentality Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

What made ENCE remove their in-game leader? What issues plagued the Finnish team as they tumbled down the rankings ever since?

Aleksi "allu" Jalli, Finnish CS:GO player representing ENCE, took part in the HLTV Confirmed podcast to answer community questions about the team as well as his former and current teammates, including suNny, Jamppi, and xseveN. The AWPer also touched on the implication that he told NiKo not to pick up Aleksib on FaZe, and commented on the Tweets made by sergej and suNny while the show was live.

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0:00 - Podcast intro

Hotseat with allu

3:57 - End of 2020, ENCE out of top 30

5:40 - Rewinding to the Aleksib removal

11:17 - Looking back at ENCE results after Aleksib

20:22 - Leadership & mental health in ENCE

27:03 - Jamppi signing, xseveN as sixth

33:02 - How Twista's coach bug ban affected ENCE

36:48 - Aerial, sergej out, Finnish army

42:47 - Future with doto, SADDYX,

49:34 - State of Finnish scene’s

Recent news

57:31 - CSPPA and voice comms drama

1:02:42 - allu gives player perspective on public communication

1:11:30 - Extra Salt sign ex-Cloud9

IEM & BLAST

1:15:03 - Are Vitality the #1 team of 2020?

1:23:42 - NAVI, Astralis in contention for Global Challenge

1:31:00 - Liquid’s last chance

Playtime

1:38:03 - allu responding to sergej’s tweet

1:41:57 - Why do ENCE players hate interviews?

1:44:06 - allu building a dream team of his all past teams

1:47:20 - Did allu tell NiKo to not get Aleksib?

1:49:50 - Options to go international?

1:53:01 - Which team has been the best in 2020?

1:56:29 - Online vs. LAN - how it’s been?

2:01:40 - Final words from allu

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HLTV Confirmed S5E19 (ft. Golden) | Reinventing fnatic's style online & fixing Sweden's CS:GO scene Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

How does Sweden reclaim its former glory? fnatic's IGL Golden joined HLTV Confirmed to talk about the topic, as well as fnatic having to change up their style in the online era, ESIC deciding to not punish stream-sniping, and team changes such as G2 benching JaCkz and Astralis introducing Bubzkji to win DreamHack Masters Winter.

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0:00 - Podcast intro
Hotseat with Golden
4:22 - Introducing Golden
5:04 - Flashpoint 3rd place run
12:12 - Adapting to the online era

18:43 - CS level growth
25:18 - Summing up fnatic’s 2020
27:57 - State of Swedish scene
32:04 - Becoming an IGL and leadership in the scene
36:01 - Golden naming Swedish prospects
Recent news
38:03 - New ping feature
43:50 - ESIC won’t take action on stream-sniping

49:12 - “Can we just not fucking cheat?” - SPUNJ’s monologue
1:01:55 - Valve scraps plans for Spring 2021 Major
1:07:47 - NAVI 6-man roster with B1T
1:16:15 - JaCkz out of G2, what’s next?
The good, the bad, & the ugly
1:23:45 - Good: Astralis vs. mouz grand final
1:37:47 - Good: GODSENT’s surprising run
1:43:44 - Good: Cloud9 are legit?
1:48:57 - Bad: Heroic running out of steam
1:49:56 - Ugly: Liquid’s struggle
Playtime
1:52:04 - Preparation when playing the same team
1:53:34 - Aim vs. decision making
1:55:55 - Why was KRIMZ’s door covered in a plastic sheet?
1:57:42 - Final words

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HLTV Confirmed S5E18 (ft. messioso) | Why North never signed stavn, blameF, es3tag? Overpaying players and poor results Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

North's Head of Esports Operations Graham "messioso" Pitt answers questions about the removal of Aizy and MSL, talks about the team paying "more than 2x" of Heroic's salary, while lagging behind in results. Removing the iconic North players was "definitely financial", he says, with the focus for 2021 being to find and develop young players - something they failed to do in the past.

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0:00 - Podcast intro
Hotseat with messioso
4:23 - Introducing messioso
5:54 - Who is messioso? His story
13:34 - Becoming North’s Head of Esports
19:47 - What does messioso’s position mean?
24:11 - Looking back at replacing JUGi with MSL
27:59 - Coach replacement: mithR to Jumpy
30:03 - Kjaerbye leave and departure
37:21 - Bringing Kristou in - North academy alumni
40:02 - Signing Lekr0
45:47 - North players’ age
47:53 - Aizy and MSL out
56:11 - North’s position in the scene
59:02 - Top players’ salaries in CS
1:01:14 - Denmark CS infrastructure
1:05:55 - Missing out on players (blameF, TeSeS, Farlig)
1:19:35 - Managing North roster: looking back and in the future
1:28:50 - How to make CS esports to make money?
Recent news:
1:34:24 - Endpoint qualify for Pro League
1:39:14 - KRIMZ (wrongfully?) VAC’d
1:43:33 - Sprout pull out of DH Masters
1:45:27 - Global Challenge team list finalized
1:49:19 - Redemption for NA with Liquid & FURIA
1:52:43 - Cloud9 show promise
1:54:21 - Flashpoint 2 key storyline
1:59:31 - DH Masters group stage favorites
2:03:54 - Closing down the show

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HLTV Confirmed S5E17 | YNk dissatisfied with FaZe org and some players, explains why they never got an IGL Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

Former FaZe coach YNk explained why he stepped down after NiKo's departure, spoke about the organization's lack of support, certain players not putting in the effort, and their mistakes when approaching the in-game leader situation (not signing Aleksib or blameF). The Serbian also talks about wanting to keep karrigan on board, his vision to rebuild with jks and dexter, and more. HLTV Confirmed S5E17

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0:00 - Podcast intro

Hotseat with YNk

3:35 - Introducing YNk; his recent Covid story

5:45 - Why did YNk leave FaZe?

11:12 - olof’s departure and attempt to get ALEX

14:19 - Working with FaZe as an organization

18:14 - Considering jks and dexter for FaZe

22:12 - Inability to get an IGL

28:38 - Attempt to sign ALEX and other players

36:28 - Was YNk let down by his teams?

39:11 - Public pressure and NiKo

42:47 - Best and worst memories with FaZe

Recent news

44:40 - HEN1 leaving, FURIA going international?

55:12 - emi to play with GODSENT

58:39 - Chaos, Whalers to split with teams

1:09:27 - Heroic replace EG in BLAST Showdown

IEM

1:20:17 - Vitality 6v5 victory over NAVI

1:29:44 - misutaaa’s performance

1:36:30 - NAVI’s results

1:43:47 - Time to change for NAVI?

1:49:40 - G2 make top-4 with JaCkz

1:59:51 - Are FaZe better without NiKo? karrigan rumors?

Talent transitions & playtime

2:05:02 - What has been done so far?

2:08:07 - Are analysts good fits for coaches and GMs?

Playtime

2:21:01 - Favorite coach quotes and YNk’s EPL clip

2:24:32 - Final words

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HLTV Confirmed S5E16 (ft. arT) | arT explains FURIA's style, talks future of Brazilian CS and MIBR Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

FURIA's IGL arT join HLTV Confirmed to talk about his way of seeing the game, his trademark aggression, the rivalry with MIBR, and the up and coming Brazilian talents in CS:GO. The show also touches on Cloud9's Flashpoint 2 group stage exit, sergej leaving ENCE, and features a lot of viewer questions - with one question rewarded with an XTRFY mouse.

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0:00 - Podcast intro

Hotseat with arT

4:29 - Introducing arT

5:47 - Dominant run in NA

8:14 - Bringing in HEN1

11:20 - Sources of FURIA’s motivation

13:33 - Traveling to Europe during the pandemic

15:47 - BLAST performance

25:03 - Differences between NA and EU play styles

Recent news

27:50 - Sergej out of ENCE

35:50 - GODSENT bench kRYSTAL

43:44 - mithR joins mouse as coach

49:11 - FalleN & fer plans leaked

58:37 - Cloud9 Flashpoint debacle

Tournaments

1:06:45 - FURIA taking on BLAST Showdown

1:09:10 - Reviewing opening matches

1:12:39 - arT on MIBR disconnect drama

1:16:13 - IEM Beijing playoffs

Future of Brazil

1:21:49 - BOOM and Yeah potential

1:25:02 - MIBR new roster

1:32:49 - Teams and events in South America

Playtime

1:38:40 - Use of 6th player in FURIA

1:42:01 - arT builds his EU Colossus

1:44:37 - Fighting nervousness in-game

1:46:10 - Explaining Brazilian memes

1:49:11 - Talking coach and aggressive style

1:51:27 - Studying opponents and game plan

1:58:37 - XTRFY giveaway and final words

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HLTV Confirmed Special S5E15 | CS:GO online era continues - how can we improve it? (ft. launders) Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

launders took part in the HLTV Confirmed special show focusing on the best and worst of the online era of CS:GO during 2020. Together with the rest of the panel, including SPUNJ, Striker, and Professeur, he takes part in a discussion that touches on cheating issues, the Major and ranking events, map pool, and more.

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0:00 - Podcast intro

4:10 - Introducing launders and Online CS Gamechanger episode

7:03 - How well events transitioned online?

16:58 - When LAN events will return?

24:09 - Major and RMR problem

40:11 - Teams experimenting with rosters

53:14 - Cheating issues, influence of coaches

1:05:51 - The best online events of 2020

1:10:41 - Webcams and voice highlights

1:23:14 - Broadcast quality issues

1:41:01 - Increased role of talent

1:51:09 - Disappointing Dreamhack production

1:58:11 - Summarizing online events

2:11:24 - Tournament formats and changes looking into 2021

2:31:17 - Time to update the map pool?

2:39:25 - In-game updates to freshen up the game

2:48:04 - Final words from launders

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HLTV Confirmed S5E14 (ft. cadiaN) | cadiaN's outlandish road to #1, rivalry with gla1ve, Heroic on LAN? Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

Heroic AWPer and in-game leader cadiaN talks about his 2020, which kick off with a failed transfer to FunPlus Phoenix and disqualification from Flashpoint, and is ending with his side being one of the most dangerous and consistent squads of the online era. On HLTV Confirmed S5E14, the 25-year-old also talks about his struggles in North, the trip to NA for Rogue, and discusses how Heroic plans to use their online success to build experience for LAN play in the future.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Podcast intro

Hotseat with cadiaN

3:20 - Introducing cadiaN

4:13 - FPX drama and team uncertainty

10:43 - Climbing to #1 with Heroic

14:02 - Playstyle, criticism, and “onliner” status

25:08 - Rivalries with Astralis and Vitality

33:00 - cadiaN’s redemption arc

42:11 - What went wrong in North?

52:25 - Finally joining Heroic

1:01:02 - cadiaN asks: "How are things going to turn out for us?"

1:06:00 - Viewer questions: es3tag, best teammates, burnout

Recent news

1:14:34 - ENCE sign doto and sAw

1:21:24 - GODSENT test emi, is he an upgrade?

1:28:43 - Xizt and kreaz to stand in for Gen.G

Flashpoint 2

1:33:32 - Flashpoint group expectations

1:47:52 - cadiaN’s final words

1:49:55 - Who’s gonna make it to the final?

Playtime - BLAST and Beijing standouts

1:53:41 - G2 debuting with NiKo

1:57:46 - Vitality’s 6-man performance

2:03:41 - FaZe staying competitive with olofmeister

2:08:52 - Complexity’s successful run

2:13:39 - Wrapping up the episode

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HLTV Confirmed S5E13 (ft. peacemaker) - NiKo on G2, who is out? Can kNgV- lead MIBR to success? Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Brazilian coach Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu joins the HLTV Confirmed show to discuss whether AmaNEk or JaCkz will be cut to make place for NiKo, what the new MIBR lineup with v$m can do, and what caused the departures of bubzkji, AcilioN, and innocent from MAD Lions.

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Timestamps: TBA

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HLTV Confirmed S5E12 (feat. smooya) | cogu-led MIBR, olof returning to FaZe, NiKo to fix G2? Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

MIBR's lineup headlined by cogu, MDL betting bans, Heroic's return to the top and more are covered in HLTV Confirmed S5E12, which features returning guest smooya. The British AWPer talks about the success of his countrymend ALEX, mezii, Thomas, and team Endpoint, while giving his opinion on olofmeister's reported return to FaZe.

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0:00 - Podcast intro

Hotseat with smooya
1:50 - Introducing smooya
3:00 - Why did smooya leave c0ntact?
8:01 - Spinx’s potential
9:14 - Snappi as a person and as an IGL
13:51 - BIG tow b and c0ntact djL as coaches
18:50 - Switching to Valorant and options in CS
21:26 - UK players finding success
Recent news
26:33 - Aerial steps down from ENCE
31:08 - Cloud9 terminate NA team contracts
34:20 - ESIC bans seven MDL AU teams
40:39 - olofmeister to step in for FaZe in BLAST
44:37 - OG, BIG, fnatic in Flashpoint 2
54:21 - NAVI falter, VP on 16-series win streak
1:01:51 - Comparing zoneR and steel punishments
1:12:01 - Heroic on top again
1:22:00 - Vitality second-place curse
Shuffle season & BLAST starting
1:32:31 - MIBR announce trial lineup
1:40:42 - MAD Lions reveal refrezh, HooXi
1:42:59 - jkaem to Apeks
1:46:02 - Cloud9 cash out for es3tag
2:06:29 - Future of AZR, Liazz, Gratisfaction
2:12:15 - G2 closing in on NiKo
2:18:19 - BLAST: how will FURIA and EG do?
2:20:25 - Final words