German Counter-Strike content creator ohnePixel is throwing his hat into the ring for the Perfect World Shanghai Major this September, with the streamer planning to “coach” a new squad that will aim to qualify for the pinnacle CS2 tournament.
The 26-year-old streamer has listed himself as the coach for a new CS2 team on Aug. 12, led by former Monte captain Volodymyr “Woro2k” Veletniuk. Woro2k was benched by Monte after a two-year stint that included a historic playoff run at the BLAST Paris Major in 2022 as well as several smaller tournament wins. The in-game leader is yet to find a new home, but in the interim, he’s agreed to lead ohnePixel’s new project.
Joining Woro2k is fellow Ukrainian Vladyslav “Kvem” Korol, French-Morrocan star Ali “hAdji” Haïnouss, and Israeli duo Tal “meztal” Hahiashvili and Meytar “AMSALEM” Amsalem. The majority of the squad hails from and plays in Europe, but thanks to hAdji’s dual nationality, they’ll be able to compete in the Middle Eastern qualifier.
Winning in the MENA event would get the squad to the Asia-Pacific RMR, arguably the “weakest” of the regional qualifiers for the CS2 Shanghai Major—but their road to China will be far from easy, with many pundits calling this year’s APAC qualifier one of the toughest there is. Three spots are up for grabs, but with the likes of The MongolZ, FlyQuest, TYLOO, and more vying for a spot in the region’s first “home” Major, ohnePixel’s squad isn’t a sure bet to go all the way.
It’s highly unlikely ohnePixel will actually stand behind the players when it comes to crunch time, though nothing’s confirmed there yet. Either way, his presence has certainly elevated interest in the squad thanks to his popularity in the CS2 community. Expect to see many tune in to the qualifiers to catch the squad as they battle for a spot in the APAC RMR.
The Middle Eastern open qualifier for the Shanghai Major APAC RMR commences in a little under two weeks, leaving little in the way of practice time for the team—but at least each player will have a totally decked-out inventory to compete with.
