logo
Menu
CS2
CS2
CyberSport News
Updated 2024-10-29
430

SAW Win First-Ever LAN At ESL Challenger's Katowice

Muhammad Shahrayar Sheikh is a news writer at cyber-sport.io who covers the latest news in the Counter-Strike 2 sphere. Amongst the many games he grew up playing, Counter-Strike 1.6 was...
6 min read
On October 29th, 2024, SAW, short for Stay a Warrior, the Portuguese esports organization took home their first LAN trophy in Counter-Strike 2 after winning ESL Challenger’s Katowice. The team has had a phenomenal run throughout the tournament, having fortunate matchups but also having the capability to close things out. In fact, they are the only team that went completely undefeated the entire tournament.
Tweet Share on Facebook Copy link Send via Email
22 Bet

Looking back at their track record over the tournament, they first beat BB 13-10 in the best-of-one group stages, and then two days later, best Monte in a very intense game to rematch BB in the grand finals. Given that they had beaten BB before, they knew they could do it again and that’s exactly what they did as they delivered a 2-0 defeat. BB, of course, was a formidable team by every metric, especially since they beat Eternal Fire twice throughout the tournament, consistently towering over them.

SAW Win First-Ever LAN At ESL Challenger's Katowice

The redemption run

SAW has seen its fair share of troubles get to this point. Very few were expecting them to reach the grand finals, much less win it, as the Portuguese team arrived in Poland after losing Rafael "⁠arrozdoce⁠" Wing and coach Danny "⁠BERRY⁠" Krüger two weeks prior. However, that was only the tip of the iceberg as their problems began much earlier in the year. 


 

SAW had a good start to 2024 - the team had ramped up much momentum as they made it to the top 10 in global rankings after reaching the semi-finals at IEM Cologne. However, uneasiness seeped into fans as the team also lost in the semi-finals of ESL Challenger’s Atlanta, a tournament where they were the favourites to win. Shortly afterwards, fans were hit with shocking news as SAW decided to bench anchor/lurker “arrozdoce,” having expressed an interest in leaving the team at the end of the year, with Ag1l arriving as a replacement. 


 

Things had hit rock bottom at SAW as Christopher "⁠MUTiRiS⁠" Fernandes explained in a pre-recorded interview: "In Atlanta our team was kinda destroyed inside. People don't see that because they are not inside the team, but the mood was not really good. Right now I think we're bouncing back from back then, day by day people seem more happy, we are improving on the days that we have practices, and that is really important for our confidence.”


 

"When I say that we need time, it is really what we need because we are growing, but of course you can't find the solutions all the time. Sometimes you're struggling on some maps and that is what is happening to us. I don't want to change a lot because Ag1l is here for two or three weeks and if we come to a tournament, we do a game with a lot of anti-strats, it isn't going to feel comfortable. So we're going to try and find our game; if we play with confidence, we have a chance," he added.


 

Seeing the ups and downs at SAW makes us appreciate their victory at ESL Challenger’s Katowice. After juggling so many roster changes just before a tournament, confidence is the last thing a team is expected to have, but the Portuguese somehow showed up and proved everyone wrong. Their performance at the grand final was especially dominant as they took Ancient 13-3 and Nuke 13-5. Every player on the team performed exceptionally, boasting a positive KD and a rating higher than 1.0. 

 

The following are the detailed stats of each player on the occasion of the grand final:

1. Christopher 'MUTiRiS' Fernandes

K/D: 30/15

+/-: +15

ADR: 91.9

Rating: 1.56

2. João 'story' Vieira

K/D: 31/15

+/-: +16

ADR: 93.3

Rating: 1.46

3. Ricardo 'roman' Oliveira

K/D: 31/18

+/-: +12

ADR: 93.1

Rating: 1.45

4. Michel 'ewjerkz' Pinto

K/D: 21/18

+/-: +3

ADR: 66.8

Rating: 1.18

5. André 'Ag1l' Gil

K/D: 20/17

+/-: +3

ADR: 69.4

Rating: 1.05

Tweet Share on Facebook Copy link Send via Email
Muhammad Shahrayar Sheikh

More articles

Bitstarz: US Players Acceptance at Bitstarz Casino in 2025
So, you're wondering if you can actually play Bitstarz Casino in the USA in 2025? The short answer: yes, you can! This guide will walk you through how to get in on the action, claim some awesome bonuses, and use a VPN to make it all happen.
April 02, 2025
How to Play CS2: Guide for New Players in 2025
How to Play CS2: Guide for New Players in 2025
October 31, 2024
How To Bhop in CS2?
How To Bhop in CS2?
April 07, 2025
Top 5 CS2 Cheats in 2025
CS2 cheats have been popular for a long time. They give users various advantages, changing their gameplay by allowing them to customize certain factors like safety and performance. But unless you’ve used cheats for a while or are present on many social media channels focusing on the game, you will not know which CS2 cheats are the best. But don’t worry about it – we’ve compiled a list of the best cheats you can use in CS2 this year so you can enjoy your game to the fullest like never before. Let’s get started!
November 07, 2024
How to Play Private Match CS2?
While grinding the ranks and playing with randos can be fun, nothing comes close to the fun and enjoyment you can experience when playing with friends or pre-mades. Private matches allow you to create customizable game settings and limit the people who join your lobbies. Today, I’m going to teach you how to create private matches in CS2. Whether it be for the memes or for sweating and trying hard in scrims, here’s how to set up a private game.
January 08, 2025
Best Cases to Open in CS2 in [year]
Best Cases to Open in CS2 in 2025
March 04, 2025
How to Play Private Match CS2?
How to Play Private Match CS2?
January 08, 2025
Best Cases to Open in CS2 in [year]
Best Cases to Open in CS2 in 2025
March 04, 2025