Mindfreak captain and frontman Tyler “tucks” Reilly is committed to buying the dip that is the OCE CS scene, believing the region is well-placed for massive growth over the coming seasons.
He and the Mindfreak squad gave EPL a real crack in early March. Against insurmountable odds and facing teams like Eternal Fire and Nemiga, tucks and the boys pushed the Europeans to their limits. Now, they’re back home, bringing with them the energy and attitude they believe will reinvigorate competitive CS Down Under.
“We were very lucky to have Mindfreak be able to pay for a boot camp for us for a week before, it was awesome,” tucks said to DFRAG. “We got really comfortable competing against Europeans so there wasn’t really that much of a significant difference in how we play, the skills that we have in us winning rounds with each other.”
“That's just the difference when you play against the European teams; it does come down to repetition when you're scrimming and playing. I felt like we should have done a lot better. Everyone felt like we could have done a lot better and we've there to win, but it was still a good experience.”
Mindfreak suited up at the DFRAG Invitational this week, a rare return to LAN play for the region that has been almost devoid of offline competition for an age. Tucks acknowledged the scene had taken a step back from the days of 20-plus players on full-time salaries, but the growth is well and truly there.
He credits the adaptability of the remaining veterans and teams finally committing to longer-term goals instead of breaking up after a month. “I think personally it's recovering really well. You have actual teams that have stuck together for a really long time now and actually have a bit of history with each other,” he said.
“Teams are sticking together, they're making decisions, they're actually trying to get better and to win with a team. A LAN like this is awesome, but importantly teams and their attitudes are playing really well. People are trying to get better, people are trying to win.”
Tucks knows the introduction of the VRS system will throw a spanner in the works, but at the same time this growth period didn’t start overnight, and with the right management, there’s no stopping the return of OCE CS. “I think this has been building for the last few years.”
“Teams are just sticking together, they're watching other teams stick, they're competing with each other. They understand that if you stick together and you make roster changes, you can be good.
“I think we just got f****d really bad with all the money leaving and all the experienced players that were really good just left because there was no money, so there was no one to pass down any of the knowledge.”
It’s been a slow burn and a long road back, tucks believes. With the region as a whole essentially relearning the basics, the expectation of a fully operational OCE CS in the short-term isn’t realistic.
“Naturally, we're just going to keep getting qualifiers and other events and I think that's a really good thing,” tucks said. “Being able to compete against Asian teams and compete for international qualifiers. There's a lot of opportunity and there's a lot of games being played.”
“My expectations are [that] teams will stick together and keep playing because they want to win and they will want to compete. The TOs will be there: DFRAG is obviously really awesome, hopefully we can get more LANs out of this because it's really important even just for VRS points. Between that and ECL, I think we have a pretty good balance right now.”
The missing piece that could have accelerated this growth: good coaches, those from the previous era that would have passed their knowledge down to the next generation. Tucks believes the attitude of the scene at the time didn’t suit growth—but times have changed.
“I also don't think the mentality of a lot of the players at the top was very good back in the day,” he said. “Back then, no one really cared about teaching people or showing people how to play; it was every man for themselves. I feel like that is the one thing that's significantly missing in our region—good players transitioning into coaches.”
“I'm not a huge doomer on the OCE scene. We are in a growth phase and people can only get better if they keep trying really hard and putting in the effort.”
Tyler "tucks" Reilly, Mindfreak
Coaching is something tucks has experienced already, but it’s something he wants to get back to doing long after he hangs up the mouse and keyboard—specifically as he believes a solid coach is more important than any gun player.
“For me, I have always, always, always loved coaching. I'm a big fan of team sports, how teams operate. I'm always the biggest fan of coaches rather than star players because I feel like they bring the team together.”
For now, however, tucks is committed to seeing Mindfreak rise to the top of the OCE CS food chain. Mindfreak wrap up at the DFRAG Invitational this weekend before preparing for the Austin Major MRQ and a shot at the big leagues once again.
