Esports Transfers Team Spotlight - B8

About B8

Today, we're excited to shine the spotlight on the B8 team. B8, started by famous Ukrainian Dota 2 player Danil 'Dendi' Ishutin in 2020, expanded into CS:GO in 2021. They've come a long way, and we want to tell you their story.

They started in ESEA Main Division (season 35) and worked hard to reach ESEA Advanced by Season 39. What makes this spotlight special is their coach, Ivan 'Maddened' Iordanidi, who began his CS:GO journey with Esports Transfers when we were just getting started.

Maddened became the youngest coach in the top-100 HLTV rankings at only 21 years old when B8 achieved their first RMR. They were so close to having in-game stickers at the IEM Rio Major and the BLAST Paris Major qualifier.

Their journey had ups and downs. They did well against tough teams like MOUZ and VP but faced challenges against Fnatic,ITB, and Apeks.

B8 recently signed npl, a former NAVI player, making waves in the CS:GO transfer market.

But before we jump into that - here is an article you can read everything about how we evaluate the players:

npl

B8 made a smart move by acquiring npl after his time with NAVI didn't pan out. Despite being just 18 years old, npl already boasts significant professional experience. Officially, he's on loan according to Liquipedia but let's not get bogged down in legal details.

When it comes to the transfer price, NAVI is known as a major player in the business. So, it's safe to assume that the full contract price was well over $100K. However, our analysis tells a different story.

We compared npl to similar players of his age and experience, and it became evident that setting his price at $100K+ might be a stretch. Let's compare him to another talent, Drop:

From this table and our analysis of demos, it's clear that drop has the edge. Considering media presence and social impact, drop is in the upper tier. While we don't want to dwell too much on npl in this team spotlight, if you'd like a comprehensive report with detailed comparisons and explanations, let us know in the comments here or on Twitter.

In the coming week, I'll be focusing on a Player Spotlight, but I'm still deciding on the player.

It's worth noting that since August, npl has shown improvement, even when facing tough opponents. Given his youth and room for growth, our estimation is $65K, although our model predicts slightly less. In this case, the real price is likely 100% higher than our estimation.

cptkurtka023

Let's kick off our exploration of cptkurtka023 by highlighting some of his strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

• In the past 6 months, cptkurtka023 boasts an impressive headshot percentage of 0.59, ranking at #20 among all the players we track (400+).

• He's a skilled eco-fragger, contributing significantly to his team's economy with 73 SMG kills in the last 3 months, earning him the #17 spot in this category.

• When it comes to clutch situations, he's a reliable performer, winning 65% of his 1v1 encounters in the last 6 months.
• His FACEIT ELO of 5471 places him at #26 among the players we monitor.

Cons:

• If we examine his overall stats, cptkurtka023 falls into the category of an average player, considering his age of 24 and his team's performance.
• His media presence stats are relatively low, which is a common trend among B8 players.

In summary, we believe that cptkurtka023 is currently experiencing his prime career years with B8, and we don't anticipate a long line of teams vying to acquire him if things don't go as planned with his current organization. Therefore, we've evaluated him at $50,000, considering him an average player with RMR experience who came close to securing a spot in the Major. Had B8 advanced to Contenders in Paris, his price tag would likely have soared to around $120-140K

OWNER

Let's dive into the story of OWNER, who joined B8 from Team Spirit Academy in January 2023. Interestingly, Mykhailo had a previous stint with B8 in 2021. At just 20 years old, he's shown potential by trying out for teams like HellRaisers and Spirit Academy.

During the Paris RMRs, Owner was part of the B8 lineup, but at IEM Rio, the team played with Hkta, who is currently seeking a new team.

In terms of individual performance, OWNER's track record in crucial games hasn't been exceptional, particularly in recent RMRs.

Although his latest performances have improved, they are still a work in progress

However, when facing teams they might encounter in RMR competitions, likeBad News Eagles, OWNER has shown inconsistency.

We must also consider demand. While European and North American teams are eager to acquire young talents from Eastern Europe, especially those with a media presence, OWNER might face challenges finding a new home for himself. It's worth noting that he had a four-month break between HellRaisers and Team Spirit Academy at just 19 years old.

Given these factors, we've evaluated OWNER at $30,000. However, we'll be keeping a close eye on his performance in CS2 to reassess his value in the evolving esports landscape.

amster - IGL

Amster played a vital role on the team during both RMR events, delivering a performance that, while generally solid, sometimes dipped slightly below the team's overall average.

When we examined his 6-month LAN stats, a standout statistic emerged – amster ranks among the top 7-10 players in the "0K rounds" parameter. In simpler terms, he secures zero kills in approximately 60% of the rounds he participates in.

What's interesting is that he finds himself in the company of tier I IGLs like HooXi, Aleksib, and Karrigan. However, the key distinction lies in the supporting cast each IGL has. The aforementioned tier I IGLs typically have more star players and impact dealers on their teams compared to Amster.

While most of Amster's other performance metrics are either average or slightly below average, we do consider his wealth of experience, particularly his valuable RMR experience, especially considering his age. As a result, our evaluation places Amster's value at $45,000.

R1nkle - AWP

Meet R1nkle, the rising star of B8 and the standout player during the BLAST RMR. What sets him apart? Not only is he an exceptional talent in the game, but he's also quite active in the media scene, and this aspect holds significant weight when it comes to determining a player's market value, especially for young AWPers.

Over the past 3 months, R1nkle has dedicated a total of 56 hours to streaming, with an impressive average of +13.3 new followers per hour. These numbers suggest that he's on the right track, and with more dedication, his growth potential is substantial.

Let's not forget his outstanding performance in the last RMR campaign, where he achieved a remarkable 1.08 HLTV rating against some of the toughest opponents in the scene.

If you're interested in a comprehensive, in-depth report on R1nkle, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments. Factoring in all the statistics, model recommendations, media presence, and his top-tier event performances, we've assessed his market value at a noteworthy $225,000.

So the total B8 roster value according to Esports Transfers is $415K.

If you have any questions - feel free to ask them.
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