Speaking exclusively with Thunderpick, Justin “FaNg” Coakley has explained his path into Counter-Strike and his future plans for competing. FaNg has also given his thoughts on the Thunderpick World Championship (TWC), misconceptions about the game and the current position of the NA scene.
How did you first get into Counter-Strike?
I first got into Counter-Strike midway through 2015 or so. I got introduced by a couple of my friends. Actually, this is a while ago now, but I played Minecraft with them and they were just swapping over to CS:GO.
I didn’t really know too much about it, but outside looking in, the game looked pretty sick. It was kind of something where I ended up convincing my mom to let me get the game and once I got it, everything kind of took off from there.
I started just grinding the game and really found just an enjoyment in it, but also getting connected to the pro scene kind of early and realizing this is something these guys do professionally. This is their job. They make money from it, but they’re actively competing. That definitely drew my attention straight away.
What are misconceptions regarding Counter-Strike from the wider public?
I definitely think there can be misconceptions. I think in North America there is a little bit more of a question mark just because if you tell someone you’re a professional gamer, that you play Counter-Strike professionally, they give you a second look.
It’s a little confusing to them. But I think people are starting to wrap their heads around it a little bit more, especially the older generation. Counter-Strike’s been a game that’s been around for a long, long time.“I think once people kind of start getting used to it or understand the game a little bit or just the name, I think it really shows.
What did you make of the move from CS:GO to CS2?
I think the transition between CS:GO to CS2 honestly was pretty expected in terms of how it would go.
Personally, CS:GO was the first Counter-Strike I’ve ever played, so going to CS2 was a little bit of like, okay, maybe I’m getting a little bit older now in playing my second CS.
But I enjoy going into it, I definitely knew the game was going to be a little bit different. I wasn’t expecting anything too, too crazy. I do trust Valve though and their routine and how they go about managing the game, optimizing the game, working on changes.
I definitely didn’t think it was going to be something that happened instantly once CS2 arrived, but we’ve seen some change and we’ve seen the progression there. I think overall transition, it’s been, I don’t want to say easy, but it’s been pretty comfortable, I’d say.
It’s definitely not the same game as CS:GO, but yeah, that kind of just goes where you need to grind, need to put in the hours and figure out the little kinks and different mechanics and get that slight edge over whoever you’re playing against. But overall, I enjoy the game.
What do you make of the current scene in Canada?
The Canadian scene is interesting, obviously you’ve had the guys who’ve been holding down for a while being, you know, Twistzz and NAF. Both those guys are players I’ve looked up to when I was coming up.
Having the privilege to represent Canada as through not only just North American scene, but on the world stages, I think the scene is doing as well as it can right now,
I think there’s a lot of Canadian fans, launders himself who’s been doing a good job trying to put the name out there to help North America, but also the Toronto scene.
The Toronto scene has been pretty big historically for Canadian CS. Even just me coming up, getting used to how some of those Canadian dudes are, the players that would kind of participate.
Seeing them bring those back definitely helps and you can kind of see the fan base and the upcoming talent of players and people who want to get involved.
How important is support for young up and coming players?
It’s super important. I think it’s something as a player you want to be aware of instantly or just understand what you’re getting yourself into, but also understanding your resources and the people you have around you.
I think it’s very important to have a good group of people around you, whether it’s friends, family, just people that you can speak to or just get your perspective and can support you in that way, but also from a professional aspect, you know?
Using your resources, whether it’s within an organization, teammates, staff, all of that’s really important. You can see the evolution too from the early days in Counter-Strike, how it is now with, you know, your full kind of staff team is dedicating to, you know, making sure players are well taken care of, their mental health is good, whether it’s sports psychologists or direct coaches, whatever the case may be.
But I do think it plays a very big role and players, you know, need to be up to date with it so they make sure they’re the best in and outside the server as professionals.
Which three North American players would you love to be on a team with?
I think it’s a little bit different from the kind of pro side now for me versus when I was coming up. But a lot of the North American players I respect a lot, I’d say especially the veteran players.
There’s still a lot of players I haven’t had the chance to play, naming names on the spot, Stewie2k is always someone I looked up to, tarik is another one.
I think nitr0 another one too who’s currently still in the scene as well doing his thing, autimatic, just a lot of the vets.
A lot of the North American players that have come before me and have been able to do really good things, just having them in the scene I think is really good.
Who would be in your Mount Rushmore for Counter-Strike players?
If I’m doing my Mount Rushmore for our players, I could go old school, I could go a little new school. For me, it’s a little bit different how I view some of the players nowadays. But there’s someone I will put up there with no hesitation.
It would definitely be GeT RiGhT my number one for sure. He was probably one of the main players that got me into CS.
Honestly, I followed through and what he’s done in his career, I think, you can only really applaud it. I would go GeT RiGhT, definitely my number one up there.
Past that though, it’s a little weird. Some of these players might still be active, some of them may not. I’d have to throw Niko in there as well.
Competing on Falcons as a rifler, as an entry fragger, he’s really versatile in game and what he’s able to do for his teams.
I think he’s a little undervalued, he’s a super talented player, one of the best, honestly, best rifler in the world by far in my opinion, but yeah, the things he’s been able to do is honestly insane. So I’d have to throw him up there.
I think my next player is s1mple. He’s been a player for me I’ve looked up to for a super long time when he’s been playing. I think he competes very hard and he’s kind of set the stage for how to be one of the best players in the world and kind of what it takes and actively displaying that and showing that.
His worth ethic speaks for itself and I think he’s overall like goat overall icon for CS So I will put him there.
For my last player, I’d probably throw in a North American player. Probably between Stewie2K and tarik. I’d probably have to put Stewie2K there.
He’s player I took a lot of inspiration from.His impact from a play style perspective, but also his mindset. I think even though he’s not as competing now, he still tries to. do his thing for the North American scene and at least show his presence is still there and engage with the fans and everything like that. I do really appreciate that.
Speaking for the region, everyone appreciates that kind of stuff from a player that’s successful of that pedigree.
Who do you think will be chasing the big prize at the Thunderpick World Championship?
The Thunderpick World Championship is gonna be pretty crazy, honestly. Any team that makes it to the final stage of Thunderpick, I know they want to go all the way.
I’d say for any top teams that’s looking to compete in the event, it’s gonna be definitely one on their list that they want to go deep in, even for the teams that aren’t necessarily, I guess, top of the list in terms of world rankings or anything like that.
I think Thunderpick is just a good event to actually showcase yourself and prove that we can compete at the big stages and that’s going to be the first step for them.
What is the difference between good players and great players in CS2?
It definitely takes repetition, if you’re kind of a newcomer in the scene or whether you have some experience.
It definitely takes some time, but I think the biggest thing is overall is just the trust, the belief, the mindset going into whatever team, whatever tournament that you can perform the best of your ability and you can accept the result, but you know how you’re going to move on next, whether it’s with your team itself or your own individual goals.
You need to figure how to reach those while being top of your game and improving with your team.
It really does take practice, it takes repetition, but overall it takes trust because at that end of the day, mean, if you trust yourself, trust your teammates, if you go on the server and you can display some of that madness, that explosiveness that can surprise some of these teams and get some rounds, you can build your confidence up and who knows, you might surprise a team or two.
Do you feel nerves when going into big tournaments?
When you’re playing at tournaments you always, at least for me, I feel like it’s pretty natural to have some nerves to an extent. I think it’s pretty healthy. It shows the passion, everything you’re kind of working up toward, all the work you put in.
So I think it’s normal to have the nerves at the start, but as soon as that game kind of starts and once you’re in it, I feel at least for me, I’ve always been kind of locked in or just focused on each moment and doing your best in each moment.
So the nerves kind of disappear, but that energy and that presence, it’s always there in the wind. I think it’s pretty healthy as a competitor.
How important is being a good team player alongside being an individual?
I think especially in the North American scene right now I definitely think it’s something we need to be more aware of as a region, being a good team player.
If you maybe you want to be a top player or you have these certain aspirations for yourself, you can only go so far just by yourself, but when you want those results you want those accolades you want all you know all those things you need to play on a good team.
You need to play on a super impressive team and to do that you need to have good teammates and to have the trust and belief.
When you have that it’s a lot easier to not only just want to see yourself improve and hit those milestones, you want to see your teammates do it as well.
I think when you have that kind of environment and those teammates around you, it only makes you play better and only makes you work even harder because you have those players that want the same thing. When you have that, you can really do something magical for sure.
Have you ever splashed out after a big tournament win?
It has happened once, I don’t really go too too crazy. I think after one the first majors we won I actually purchased an M9 Ruby or something like that.
This was probably a couple years ago, but yeah, that was probably one of my biggest purchase at the time or even still till this day.
It was definitely a nice memory and I still have it. It was definitely a little investment in the skin department.
Would you like to see any changes to the game going forward?
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed is just the kind of the movement and the way the game’s led out from my understanding, it’s gonna definitely take some time.
I think when Valve wants to do any sort of change, they make sure they’re doing their due diligence and making sure everything’s, you know, as perfect as it can be.
I think the movement and certain aspects of the peeking is definitely something that they’re investigating and trying to work on. But that’s definitely something where I think that’ll add a whole layer to the kind of movement side and the whole mechanics to make the game a lot more improved.
You can have that kind of edge on players just by default and the way you move and everything like that and I think we’ll see a way bigger skill gap.
Another thing I think they can do is also manage the economy a little bit differently. I think there’s a little bit of different ways they can go about it, but basically make the games a little bit more competitive.
You’re not always watching a team save or double save or have these crazy fours that they’re trying to do some heroics in.
It kind of makes the game more even and more competitive with the MR12 front, but overall I think they’re doing a pretty good job. I think they’re trying to list the community and do things the right way.
Valve, they like taking their time on everything. So it’ll get there, but probably just with some time.
Where is currently the best scene in Counter-Strike?
I definitely have to say the CIS region for sure. They’re producing some super talents right now and overall the region looks pretty strong in terms of having healthy and competitive teams spread out some good organizations there as well.
I think they have a really good foundation to keep improving and keep gaining results with their teams, but also producing good talents and having a good ecosystem for their up and coming players and the community around them.
What are your current plans for your career?
Competing is my number one thing for sure. From my time in Tier 1, it was obviously amazing and trying to get back to there, it’s definitely had its own set of obstacles, especially navigating the NA scene at times with the support and everything like that.
But it’s something I’m trying to manage and overall just making sure my form is good. So whether it’s North America, Europe, I’m just ready to compete for the best team.
But overall, yeah, just doing my best. Right now, I’m basically just streaming until something pops up, but just being sure and staying ready.
I know myself as a player, I know what I can bring to a team. So just making sure I’m staying ready and ready for whatever opportunity presents itself.
Which celebrity names have you seen cross over into Counter-Strike?
I definitely think there’s a lot of celebrities or figures that play Counter-Strike or at least have heard about the game and maybe played a couple of times.
They’re just kind of getting their feet wet into it. The name that comes to mind is Neymar, he would hang out with a lot of the guys. I personally never had a chance to actually meet him at any events, but I know he would support them on any of the runs.
I think it’s super, super cool having that dynamic and whether from the football side to Counter-Strike, I think there’s a lot of similarities and he can see that and he can see the passion and everything those guys play with.
When I saw it, it was pretty dope. I do think there’s a lot of other kinds of celebrities too. It’s hard for me to think of many others but Neymar had some good highlights. He’s definitely had some good highlights.
Are any major sports teams in Canada making moves into esports?
I can’t say anything I’ve heard anything recently, my experience of seeing some of the you European football clubs and stuff get involved with some of the teams I think it’s you know I think it’s pretty sick I think with Canada though and the North American ecosystem right now it’s a little tough.
Shopify Rebellion is definitely one where I think they’re doing good things for the scene, the Canadian scene they’re not involved with yes, but maybe who knows you know down the line.
Toronto Ultra or Movistar KOI, there are big names.
I haven’t really heard anything know brands getting involved with CS or having some partners like that. But it would definitely be dope, not only just for Canada, but the whole CS ecosystem in general, I think would be pretty awesome.
What is your advice for young players that want to make a career?
Stay humble, stay passionate, stay driven. I think those are all things that’ll will take you and keep you going through the ups and downs.
If you just stay grounded, you stay leveled, you will really see the benefit with it. You need to trust in the process whether you’re on a team or not. You need to believe in your team-mates and push towards those goals.
Focus on a team, focus on yourself, be a good player and a good person in and outside the game and just enjoy the ride.
Q: What did you make of Dupreeh’s retirement?
Dupreeh’s a crazy one just because he’s played for so long. He’s actually another player I took a lot of inspiration from. It’s been said publicly, but I definitely think he’s one of the best entry fraggers of all time.
Undoubtedly, in my opinion, think five majors speaks for itself. He’s done amazing things in his career. Following his teams and stuff recently and just kind of where he was at, I’m not really surprised by it.
I could see a world where he’s playing longer, but he’s starting a family and everything, if that’s where he feels his life’s at or that he wants to move on to the next chapter.
It’s something you can respect, he had a tremendous career and accomplished some amazing things. You can only really applaud him.
How exciting is the upcoming Esports World Cup?
I think having that tournament organizer actually come in is super good for the scene. It’s unique in its own way.
I think they’ve historically done a good job in their production, it’s changing up and having a different kind of flair from some other tournaments in the space, overall it’s really good.
It gives other teams a chance to come in and try and prove something and have another shot at competing at the highest level.
Can the Esports World Cup get closer to the FIFA World Cup?
Never say never, it’s still in kind of the growing phase but who knows, in five or 10 years, we could really be seeing the growth each time they have a tournament.
I think down the line, they could definitely do something pretty cool.
Q: How do you rate the chances of legacy at the Thunderpick World Championship?
I think Legacy is a team, coming off the back of what they did with their major run, I think they’re super proud of themselves.
I think beforehand too, some of our results were a little bit wonky, but overall they were looking pretty well. Then going into the major and getting that result, I think they’re all pretty satisfied.
Coming after the break, they’re definitely going to be hungry and they definitely want more. I think they’re a team and they have some pretty strong individuals now.
They had some youngsters in the past get that experience and I think now they have a chance to kind of showcase it more so I think they’re going to be you know one those dark horses where they could definitely have a deep run in in Thunderpick for sure.
How do you rate the chances of Imperial at the Thunderpick World Championship?
I think Imperial could definitely do something as well. I think for them it’s a little bit different just because of the roster changes that they made. So they’re probably not going to be at a complete, I guess, 100 % or max capacity for where they want to be.
But I do think they made some interesting changes. cello coming back to the team as well, I think is pretty good, especially for him. I think he can bounce back a little bit individually and gel with those guys.
So I definitely think that’s a team where they could do something, but overall they’re just going to be looking at doing some damage and just kind of take it game by game and just see where they end up in the tournament.
How do you rate the chances of Na’vi Junior at the Thunderpick World Championship?
I actually haven’t had a chance to watch Na’vi Junior as much as I would like, but based on some of results and stuff I’ve seen, they’re definitely another dark horse.
I think that team is hungry. They’re excited just to be there to play and I think when you have that kind of energy in a team where everyone wants to just own and do the best they can.
Once you see them play, if you see that kind of confidence going, then the sky’s the limit, you just take it game by game. Once you start getting more confidence under your belt, they can unlock what they’ve been working toward all this year with the convincing tournament runs they’ve had.
Who do you want to see take home the big prize at the Thunderpick World Championship?
I would say any of the North American teams honestly. I think any of the North American that qualify, whatever their ranking, can go out there and show their best selves.
Whether it’s just getting good practice or actually proving themselves. I want to see the North American teams actually participate in these events and actually do some damage, not go there and kind of just get swept.
Just actually go to tournament, prove themselves and do some damage and put something on the map for North America.