The fan favourite Finnish-majority roster of ENCE eSports saw many highs, most notably when the players won their one and only Pro League title in Season 6, but saw an immediate crashing low the next season. Shatte would leave for eventual world champions PENTA Sports (now G2 Esports), and, for the first time ever, they would miss out on an appearance at the Pro League Finals, and would be victims to Supremacy in the relegations.
The new mousesports roster (L to R): SlebbeN, Bounssi, Gomfi, Willkey, and Shatte
Dropping to the Challenger League for Season 8, they would lose star player Kantoraketti to PENTA not long after as well, though would regain Shatte as a substitute and a streamer. Now with blas and Gomfi in, they would pick up their pieces and eventually put themselves well on course for a return to the Pro League. Prior to the final play day, and the subsequent playoffs and relegations, they would swap blas out for Shatte who would mark a return to competitive Siege after almost an entire season.
ENCE eSports would beat TrainHard eSport but lose to Team Empire in the playoffs, putting their promotion in jeopardy, but would fight off the challenge of then-Pro League side Team Vitality to mark a return to the premier Siege league. UUNO, however, seemingly their next star player would leave for LeStream Esports, and the “Super-Powered” SlebbeN would be brought in as a replacement.
The EU standings at the halfway mark of Season 9
Their Pro League Season 9 campaign has been going decently so far, with the team in fourth place with 10 points -- one ahead of now double world-champions G2 Esports -- with three wins, equal losses, and a draw. Most recently, though, their analyst Sua left -- also for G2 Esports -- and they signed former Trust Gaming coach and Season 1 PENTA Sports Pro League Champion oVie to fill the void.
Most excitingly, though, over the mid-season break the roster was signed by returning Tier 1 organisation mousesports who were previously involved in the North American Pro League from Season 7 to 8. We spoke to mouz player Ville "Shatte" Palola, manager Mikko "ProtaX" Mutanen, and coach Michiel "oVie" van Dartel about their season so far, and their vision for Year 4 of Siege esports.
What are your aims for the rest of 2019?
Protax:
What kind of support is mousesports offering you that you can tell us about?
ProtaX:
You had a bit of a mixed first half to the season where you beat G2 but lost to Mock-it (now Na’Vi). What was going on there and how have you been preparing for the next half of Season 9?
Shatte:
ProtaX:
We are about to see Kaid and Nomad introduced to the Pro League, as well as a number of balancing changes. Do you have any predictions on how they are gonna affect the meta? oVie:
ProtaX:
What are your opinions on the changes regarding Ash losing the ACOG on the R4-C, and fixes to the Q&E spam?
oVie:
ENCE eSports was one of the longest standing organizations in Rainbow Six, what is it like leaving them after a long history?
ENCE eSports' winning roster in Season 6 of the Pro League
ProtaX:
Shatte:
Last year both Protax and Shatte participated in the the Six Invitational 2018. How was it this year being a viewer?
Shatte celebrating the Six Invitational win with the rest of PENTA Sports
Shatte:
ProtaX:
What you bring to mousesports, oVie?
oVie:
For oVie, what is it like working back in the Pro League?
With PENTA Sports in Season 1, oVie (rightmost) won the inaugural Pro League title
oVie:
In Trust Gaming you had another coach, Anthony. How is it now coaching a Pro League team?
oVie:
Any last words for your fans?
Shatte:
oVie:
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Catch mousesports’ EU roster in action when the EU Pro League resumes on the 15th of March as the Finnish-majority takes on Team Secret at 9:30 PM CET (GMT+1) on the Rainbow6 Twitch and YouTube channels.
The mousesports roster is:
Niklas "Willkey" Ojalainen (Captain)
Ville "Shatte" Palola
Jouni "Bounssi" Salo
Alex "SlebbeN" Nordlund
Santino "Gomfi" de Meulenaere
Mikko "ProtaX" Mutanen (Manager)
Michiel "oVie" van Dartel (Coach)