Image via Ubisoft
For the most part, 2021 has been a season to forget for TSM FTX. They started the year off strong, they were the only non-Brazilian team left in the Six Invitational 2021 semifinals, and had a solid performance in Stage 1 and 2 of the NAL. Then, at the Mexico Major, Bryan “Merc” Wrzek caught COVID, and couldn’t go. TSM FTX were out in groups – a placing that before the positive diagnosis was unthinkable.
Now, six months later, TSM FTX isn’t just at full strength, there's been a big change – Merc is IGLing. According to TSM FTX head coach Owen “Pojoman” Mitura, the decision came from a need for more flexibility. “So we kind of came to that conclusion because, originally, we had [Matthew “Achieved” Solomon] as our IGL and he did like an insane job idea, and, like, he's really good. But like as the primary like Sledge kind of Buck-like top-down player…It's not really the best position to like call things a lot of the time. So he found it was in interfering with his gameplay, where it was kind of like he couldn't do his job properly,” Pojoman said.
The pivot has taken Achieved off the leash, but has placed Merc on it. In the past, Merc has been on the Ash, he’s been the first guy through the door, the primary entry. In order to compensate, Pojoman says Jason “Beaulo” Doty has pivoted to those roles – he’s the new first man in the door.
So far, these role changes have seemed to work out. TSM FTX only dropped a single map in the NA SI Qualifier – albeit against NACL team 1shot.
The change has allowed TSM FTX to get more clear information disseminated throughout their ranks. They’ve always been a team that plays well with explosives – Achieved in particular is lethal with frag grenades and C4s. More information flowing towards the backlines is always a positive development for a team that utilizes that information as well as TSM FTX does.
Despite coming into the tournament through the qualifier, it would be foolish to completely overlook TSM FTX’s chances. Internationally, they’ve been one of the game’s strongest teams. They’ve never lost to BDS, for example. Their last two best-of-three losses have come against Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team Liquid – two Brazilian teams that at the time were at the top of their games. Subpar regional results should be held in the exact level of respect they are, as results that are concerning, but not defining.
Pojoman doesn’t lack confidence. “The last two like international events, like they were just bullshit. Like Mexico was just a big pile of bullshit,” he said. He cites a real concern: regional leagues are mostly best-of-one formats, as the group stages of both Majors this year have been as well. It allows teams to glide through on smaller map pools, and he thinks TSM FTX is a team built to win best-of-threes.
“I really like that you have to play every group stage game, but to the death basically”, he said about the group stage format. Every map will count in the new system, there will be very few games with zero weight to them played at SI.
For that, TSM FTX thinks they’re prepared. Whether the changes to their structure allow them to wind back the clock to early 2021 will be one of the event’s biggest questions. The answer to that question will begin to be answered on Feb. 8, when the Six Invitational commences.