"We came out flat": DarkZero leaning on veteran experience to correct "slow" start

_{Image via Ubisoft}

DarkZero aren’t in imminent danger in their group, but they’ve seen better days. 

They’re currently fourth, only ahead of BDS who just got their full five back. They lost to Elevate, a team they think they came out “flat” against. Ahead of them are TSM FTX, who are looking like group-topping juggernauts, and a red-hot FURIA, who have some serious firepower in their roster. 

If there was a team to start off well against for DarkZero, it should’ve been Elevate. While strange, and definitely better than they’re given credit for, Elevate are unproven. Indeed, it’s their first time on LAN as a full roster, and they had no scrimmages lined up at SI to boot. 

That day, Elevate were the better team. They 2-0ed DarkZero in what was one of the worst starts of any team in the tournament. “We just kinda came out slow…we’ve been performing extremely well in practice, and coming out in match 1 with Elevate, I think we were a bit shaky getting into the flow of the tournament,” DZ head coach Brandon “BC” Carr said. 

While a slow start is assuredly not great, losing 2-0 to your theoretical easiest opponent might be a death sentence, if you’re hoping to finish in the top of your group. DarkZero rebounded and beat a struggling and hobbled BDS 2-1, but it was very much far from easy. BC thinks that during the BDS match, the team found their sea legs of sorts. 

Experience has been coming in pivotal for DarkZero. Every single member of this roster can now be called a veteran – even the rookies had two international events’ worth of experience under their belt heading into SI. “Even though we do have some weaknesses late round, or like post-plants or something like that, you really do see the seasoned vets shine through in those moments and kinda keep everything calm,” BC said. 

Pivotal to the teams’ success so far has been Tyler "Ecl9pse" McMullin. He’s positive in both Entry +/- and kill-death differential. “In moving to a more supportive role I’ve had to lean into my experience as a player more than ever before,” he said. 

DarkZero are not out of it yet, but they need more course correction. BC thinks they’ve been doing great in practice, they have veteran experience to keep themselves even throughout the tournament, but they need to put it into the server. They aren’t in imminent danger of being eliminated in groups, BDS’s struggles have seen to that, but an earlier-than-hoped playoff exit might be in the cards unless some results start coming in fast.