Braxton “Swag” Pierce, by most accounts the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player in North America, has been traded from Complexity to iBUYPOWER, a source with close knowledge of the issue confirmed to the Daily Dot. In return, Complexity will be picking up Todd “Anger” Williams from their rivals. The trade between two of the top teams in the United States has the potential to shake up the Counter-Strike landscape.
Pierce led Complexity to solid finishes at the recent Katowice championships and DreamHack Winter in December 2013, racking up the team’s best statistical performances in both tournaments. He’s also only 17, making him one of the youngest players competing at the top tier of the game.
IBUYPOWER, widely considered the number two team in the nation, took home the $20,000 ESEA-Invite championship in January with big wins over Complexity and the French team Titan. Complexity has had the last laugh, though, finishing in 5th place at EMS One Katowice while iBUYPOWER was eliminated early.
There are more roster moves for iBUYPOWER on the horizon after Eric “adreN” Hoag, one of the team’s top players, left iBUYPOWER after taking a job outside of esports just last week. iBUYPOWER now has only four of the five players required to compete.
Pierce’s departure from Complexity was initially misunderstood by some staff and fans to be a unilateral removal by Complexity management. In fact, Pierce chose to leave his team for as yet unknown reasons. Complexity and iBUYPOWER management spoke at length about the issue and came to the trade agreement for Pierce and Williams yesterday.
This wasn’t a trade in the traditional sense. Instead, while Pierce was transferred directly from Complexity to iBUYPOWER, Williams was released from iBUYPOWER into free agency and then quickly picked up by Complexity.
Williams has been hinting at the move on Twitter for days now.
Everyone will know whats going on soon enough.
— Todd Williams (@goanger) March 21, 2014
RIP @iBUYPOWERCSGO
— RyuLAN (@RyuLAN_) March 21, 2014
Complexity and iBUYPOWER are slated to play each other twice during this season of ESEA Invite, the highest level of play in the United States.
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