Vertex Bids Farewell to Counter-Strike Team in the Oceanic Region
Oceanic Counter-Strike spectators less than two weeks into 2024 are left startled as prominent organization Vertex has decided to part ways with its roster just ahead of the heavily significant Copenhagen Major RMR qualifiers.
Vertex, which formed in 2020, dived into the esports scene head-first, sweeping across major tournaments and battling its way to the top spot in the Oceanic region. Despite consistent efforts and achievements, the team couldn’t seize many opportunities that presented themselves. They made headway into the ESL Challenger Melbourne, IEM Sydney, and the CCT Online Finals in Europe, with the last hope being the BLAST Paris Major APAC RMR in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Unfortunately, due to technical hiccups, illness, and unfavorable scheduling, Vertex faced a shock defeat against Middle Eastern qualifier Twisted Minds.
As suspicions rose about Vertex’s fate in the Oceanic RMR closed qualifier, the organization finally decided to split from its Counter-Strike team. The former Vertex squad will be going forward under the moniker “Bad News Kangaroos”(BNK) for the time being, which includes players Jordan “pz” White, Toby “BRACE” Barnes, Christian “ADDICT” Pendleton, Jared “HaZR” O’Bree, and Matthew “Valiance” Hartrick.
The end of an era.
Thank you for the incredible memories over the past 3 years, and we wish you all the best moving forward.
💜 @BRACEcsgo
💜 @pz_csgo
💜 @addicts_csgo
💜 @hazr_cs
💜 @Valiancee pic.twitter.com/KaNvI7mfvt— VERTEX Esports (@VertexESC) January 10, 2024
Interestingly enough, this follows Vertex’s recent departure from the LCO after just two splits. In light of these events, Vertex director Jamie “JDU” Uncles confirms that the organization is far from closing the door on CS2. Instead, it aims to reevaluate its strategy and approach to esports in the region, pivoting towards community support across multiple games.
In a statement, JDU explained the reason for the split: “2023 was very successful but it burnt me mentally.” Elaborating further, he cited the slowing down of the CS scene and a drop in tournament production quantity and quality as key factors that impacted Vertex’s growth, leading to the difficult decision to part ways.
“So much talent in OCE esports across multiple games—CS, Call of Duty, League of Legends—but no one is capitalizing on the fact that no one is running enough events to showcase this talent,” JDU stated, confirming his commitment to support the community holistically rather than focusing solely on one team.
The esports community is now left to speculate on any potential replacement for the team. No definite information has been released about newly formed contenders to fill the void. For now, the former Vertex team, now known as BNK, is scheduled to compete in the Oceanic closed qualifier starting Jan. 19, in a bid to secure Oceania’s spot at the APAC RMR. Meanwhile, with JDU pledging to support the community, Vertex’s impact on the Oceanic esports landscape seems far from over, pointing towards a new chapter for everyone involved.
