One of the biggest teams in Germany has returned after reeling from a cheating scandal.
Simon “smn” Beck was at the heart of the a spate of cheating bans that rocked professional Counter-Strike over the past month. His team, Alternate, were quick to drop him after learning he’d been caught by ESEA’s anti-cheat client during a pick-up game.
The incident was a black eye for Alternate. And it only grew worse as information used from Beck’s ban led to other professional players getting caught red-handed.
With questions hanging about how a team could play together without realizing one of its own were cheating, it was no surprise when Alternate opted for a clean slate and parted ways with the remaining members of the team.
Now, Alternate have made a quick return.
The new team is built around a core of players, Niclas “Enkay J” Krumhorn and Flroian “Syrson” Rische, who most recently played for fellow German side Mortal Teamwork. When that organization decided to move in another direction last month, Alternate were free to pick from the players made free agents.
Also joining them is former Wild Fire player Patrick “Kraueterhumpen” Jakobi, who previously played with Krumhorn on a squad that claimed an ESL Pro Series championship.
In an official statement, Jakobi expressed optimism regarding the new roster.
“We are a colorful mix of veterans and rookies, which in my opinion is a good mix that will come through early,” he said.
Jakobi also asked that the team be given time to gel before being judged on their quality.
They won’t have long to come together before their debut, as Alternate will be attending the Take TV Invitational this weekend in Krefeld, Germany. There they will match up against such teams as Virtus Pro and Mousesports, providing the new German side with an immediate test in their home country.
Image via Team Alternate/Facebook
