Thanks to Ryan “BaN4na” Ng for translation assistance.
It didn’t take long for new Only One Word star Cheung "Freeman" Wing-hei to get a taste of real Counter-Strike in Australia. Freeman and the OOW squad suited up for their group stage matches at DFRAG Invitational on March 20 and, as Freeman said to DFRAG, the team was a little rusty.
“Our communication was a bit rough, but after the first series we adjusted,” he said. OOW took on SemperFi in their group stage opener and were cruising to victory on Dust 2 up 11-4. However, SemperFi mounted a nine-round comeback, shattering OOW’s hopes of an early advantage.
They’d come to rue the lost opportunity, going down 13-7 on Inferno and were forced into the lower bracket where they met Justice For Tomorrow. “The first map [against SemperFi] we thought we were going to win but our comms were off so we got punished for that.”
“Going into the second match we learned from our mistakes and kept our comms up and then felt a lot better,” he added. OOW survived the JFT battle to fight another day, but Freeman admitted prep for the event has been rought. “We just don't have enough practice time.”
It’s a big change of scenery for the 25-year-old star from Hong Kong who linked with OOW in late February. Inside of a month, he’s upped from home to travel Australia, then headed straight with the squad to Mongolia for the MESA Asian Masters.
The whirlwind month comes after some time off from CS after 2024 with Alter Ego. An experienced roster with the likes of XigN and BnTeT, Alter Ego failed to make the Shanghai Major.
“The contract with Alter Ego ended and I had free time, so I wanted to travel to Australia,” he said. “I’ve known some of the players like BaN4na and Terryyy for a while, so I get to play some CS with the boys.”
He said he’s locked in for at least six months and is certainly committed to OOW in the short-term, hoping his time in teams like TYLOO and ViCi is beneficial to the young amateur squad.
“Everyone else [on OOW] aren’t even considered semi-pro, they’re just like pub players, so map and game knowledge isn’t at the same level,” he sad. “I'm trying to bring that knowledge, experience, and what I learned from pro teams in the past to help the team improve and play better.”
“We're not a pro team. If we can put in more time and more work in and if we qualify for the major, we'll get more time to stay or at least consider more about staying longer.”
OOW will have their work cut out with the likes of FlyQuest, Rooster, and SemperFi but with time and practice Freeman is on board. If he plays anything like he has so far at the DFRAG Invitational—he’s one the event’s top-rated players right now—they’re a true dark horse both here in Brisbane and in the wider OCE scene.
As for beyond? A possible return to the top of Chinese CS or even something elsewhere down the track? Freeman wants to remain in the game for as long as his heart is in it.
“I am going to keep playing until I lose all my passion.”
OOW wrap up their DFRAG Invitational campaign this weekend before preparing for the Austin Major MRQ in mid-April.
