How To Find the Right Team In Esports - a Guide By _FE Player Theia
Theia gives a few tips and suggestions on how to find the right team for you.
So, you love playing Counter-Strike and you think you’re ready to start grinding, get a team and try to start winning some tournaments. Or even just playing competitively solely for fun - that’s also a super valid reason to get a team!
But that’s also where most players find themselves lost. Where can you find a decent team and with the same goals as you? Well, to be totally honest, that will be a very hit-and-miss situation, with lots of luck involved. However, I’ve partnered with Melisa "theia" Mundorff, professional CS:GO and VALORANT player from Dignitas, to ask for her opinion and some tips on this topic.
The biggest and most important question of all. How can you find teams?
Probably the easiest and hardest question to answer at the same time. Finding a team is relatively easy, as there are a lot of players looking to improve and start competing. This is what theia had to say regarding this one:
I'd say making a team with friends is the most fun way to start and the easiest way. Other than that, for CS:GO at least, the ESEA League is the best way to find a team. People post on the ESEA forums that they're looking for a team or a player, so that could be an easy way.
As you can see, you have several resources at your disposal, with ESEA Forums being one of the best since you can also register to play one of the leagues - most likely ESEA Open, which is the lowest division available, if you are just starting out. But starting with your friends is easily the best way to go. Since you’ve most likely never played in a team environment, there’s also the chance that you don’t really know what you’re getting into, so it serves as a good trial. Playing on a team requires more effort towards the team game, and sometimes that may take away the aspect of the game that is fun for you, if you enjoy is rushing in solo.
Let’s say you’re already on the lookout and have a few proposals on the table. What should you look for when making your decision?
Let’s say some teams are interested in playing with you - nice, the first step towards finding a team is done. But there’s another problem ahead. Believe me when I say this, there are a lot of things that can go wrong in a new team, and they will go wrong. That’s a straight fact and that’s where you’ll need to be persistent.
I'd look for people that have the same dedication as you. Some teams won't want to practice and take the game as seriously as you, so just make sure to find someone who fits you.
Like I said previously, there are people with different goals when looking for a team. Some will want to try their hardest, practice every day, and play every tournament and qualifier. And then there are people who want to play in a team environment but without the dedication part, mostly for fun. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can go wrong if people with different goals and mindsets are on the same team. You may want to play every day, but your teammates may not make that effort. Well, there’s no need to bother, there are countless more teams looking for a player like you with better or worse players. What you need to focus on is getting experience! Be patient, don’t worry about changing teams every month in the beginning. That’s actually part of the process until you find a group of players that are on the same page as you.
Since you’re a newer player, is it faster to improve playing solo or with a team?
This is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting questions I asked theia during this interview. First of all, of course, it’s important to play solo to improve your decision-making and your aim, but shouldn’t you improve more as a whole while playing in a team environment?
So, I'd recommend to anyone new to the game to try FACEIT free and Matchmaking. Just playing for fun with friends is a good way before committing to playing on a team. But playing on a team with players a bit above your skill level will always be the best way to improve.
The answer is simple: if you’re still new to the game and still feel you have a lot to work on before diving into team play, just play solo or with friends, without worrying too much about your FACEIT level or Matchmaking rank. Above all, CS:GO is a game and you should have fun playing it. If you’re eventually serious about getting good, then go for it and grab yourself a team! Just remember, as theia said, there’s nothing better than playing with players a bit above your skill level to improve and learn new stuff! But this tip is a double-edged sword, as playing with players way better than you might also be detrimental for your learning. Be modest with yourself and your skill level.
Congratulations! After all that trouble, you finally have a team! Now, what changes from “regular” play?
You’ll be surprised at how much CS:GO can change when going from a PUG to a team environment. Suddenly, you’re not playing to get yourself a win - you’re playing to get your team a win. Stats will suddenly stop mattering, it will be just as meaningful finishing a map with a negative score if you helped your team rack up the win. Sure, it’s still good to have a good score, and you will most likely lose if your entire team is in the “red zone”.
The teamwork that you get with teammates is definitely the best thing that you will experience when coming from PUGs. I'm so grateful to be able to have teamwork! I guess other things will be dedicated practice times where you'll play with your team, and communicating - you'll be communicating a lot more with your team compared to PUGs.
One of the main differences I’ve noticed and had to fight against myself when starting to play with teams is that you do not make unnecessary risks, like re-peeking angles where you’ll most likely die just because you’re feeling confident. Sure, you can do it, and there are lots of examples of amazing plays in professional matches that happened exactly due to a risky play, but knowing how to evaluate the risk versus reward potential is imperative. Also, communication is key! Avoid complaining when you die and just give the info as quickly as possible! There’s a bad habit for the majority of players that is complaining and, unfortunately, insulting as soon as they die - that does no good at all to your team. Giving the info as quickly as possible and staying quiet is way more helpful and can even lead to trade the frag. Really think about that!
Surely there are some cons to playing with a team versus playing solely for fun, right?
As with everything, of course, there are. But then again, they might be pros depending on the player you are and the goals you have. I’ve also asked that to theia and this was her answer:
The only cons really are the long hours you're going to be playing with your team. Also, it's trial and error, you'll go through losing, but that's how you improve. The pros I'd say it's really fun to compete, there are tournaments that you can play where there's prize money for the winners, and you build a strong bond with your teammates that can eventually become your friends.
As I said, maybe playing long hours with your team isn’t exactly a con, it just really depends on the type of player you are. Still, I’ve got to recommend taking a few minutes to get up after every match, as sitting for too long can be really bad for your health in the long run! Obviously, I’m not an expert on this topic, but really take the time to take care of yourself.
The best tip I can give you is very simple: just go for it, find out if you truly want the experience to play in a team, and grind! Remember, there will be lots of failed projects, just keep on looking and being persistent, hopefully, you’ll find a team where you’re comfortable!
Thank you for reading this article! Hopefully, it helped you somehow! Enjoy your time gaming and I’ll see you on the server! If you’d like to reach out to me for feedback or suggestions, you can do so via Twitter.
