Cementing the UAE’s rising status in the world of esports and competitive gaming, Abu Dhabi is set to host the Blast Premier World Final 2022 this month.
This weekend, the world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams will compete for a $1 million prize pool at Etihad Arena. Ahead of the event, we spoke to one of the star players from the highest-ranked team FaZe Clan. In May, they became the only international team to win a major Counter-Strike event, the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 in Belgium.
Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken is one of the most recent additions to the team. He started playing Counter-Strike in 2014 and rapidly rose through the ranks — going pro the next year and joining the best North American squad, Team Liquid, before moving on to join FaZe Clan in January last year, who he describes as “the best international team to ever exist in Counter-Strike”.
“We start practising at around 11.30am or 12pm, then we go over stuff as a team for an hour or so.” After this, the team plays five “scrims”, or practice rounds, against other teams.
“Then, usually there’s individual practice afterwards too, playing whatever you can really in Counter-Strike and then probably going to bed somewhere around 1am or 2am. Obviously, there's food in between — we're not robots."
However, for pros at the highest level, there is no strict cut-off point. “It's however long you make it. Some players simply just practice with their team, and that's it, they don't do anything else but practice routine. So it depends on where the work ethic is at.”
Though it sounds gruelling, Van Dulken says motivation is not a struggle “when you actually love your job and you're passionate about it”.
One of the challenges of being part of an international team is a lack of physical headquarters. “When we're not at an event, we're all practising from home. And then when we have an event, they’re often very long, so it can be seen as a kind of boot camp. We make the most of it while we're together.
“Luckily, there's tonnes of esports locations that want to help supply players with a boot camp facility, and we can still usually get around three boot camps per year.”
First released as a fan-made modification to the hit first-person-shooter Half-Life in 1999, Counter-Strike was later incorporated into the series — to become one of the most enduring and competitive online video games of all time. While there are other gamers who have been playing for longer, Van Dulken says there are a few important details that separate great casual players from top-tier professionals.
While great players might generally just wake up and play all day for fun, for teams like FaZe Clan, he says it is a “constant grind”. Van Dulken adds: “We have to work to stay on top, especially when you become the number one team. It's much harder to keep the number one spot than it is to get there in the first place. And the special part about Counter-Strike is that it's an ever-evolving game.”
There is a $1 million prize fund on the line for the competition at Etihad Arena. The top teams, which also include NAVI, Team Vitality, Outsiders, Heroic, G2 Esports, Team Liquid and OG Esports, not only practice “scrimming” but “anti-stratting” — studying one another’s play styles, looking for weaknesses and figuring out how best to exploit them.
“You purely want to counter your opponents in as many ways as possible, while trying to play your own game still," says Van Dulken.
However, he says that among the elites, the edge comes down to psychology.
“You have to be able to adapt on the fly, not be afraid of using new ideas,” he says. “There’s obviously five finals in this game, and you have to play a potentially very long match with a lot of stressful moments. So it's really just about how your body reacts to it. Maybe for some people, it's extremely exhausting. Maybe you get really tired, maybe the adrenaline isn't enough to keep you keep you in the moment.”
Van Dulken’s coach, Robert "RobbaN" Dahlstrom, is a veteran of the game. Having started playing Counter-Strike in 2000, he went pro a few years later and played at the top level of competitive esports during its formative years for more than a decade. He’s been coaching FaZe Clan for five years now.
Going into Abu Dhabi as the favourite is a double-edged sword, Dahlstrom says. “We know that every team is studying us, and looking into how we're playing all the positions, how to distract us when we're playing.
“We have to make sure that we're not repeating habits all the time. Because when you play so many matches, and you win so many tournaments, there will be patterns in some of the positions you play and people will try to abuse this.”
While it’s one thing to reach the top, it’s another entirely to stay there. Dahlstrom says this is something that requires dedication and “extreme motivation” across the entire team.
He adds: “It's a lot of work outside of what people see. We have a lot of tactics, there's a lot of talking about theory. You need to focus, most of all, you need the will to win, and you have to work for it. And if you work hard enough, you will get it.”
Coaching, he says, requires a totally unique skillset from playing. “Now my job is to be a leader for the boys, to get them prepared and have their playbook ready for everything. Also, I make sure that everyone is 100 per cent confident going into matches.
“When I was a player myself, my only job was to play well. These days, people have way more staff behind the teams. We have analysts, we have sports psychologists, we have managers, we have amazing support. We even have fitness people helping us.”
When Dahlstrom started out, he says there would be only 15 people watching local network tournaments — a far cry from Etihad Arena. “It was just a dream back then that we could play in stadiums and fill arenas with 50,000 people. No way. It’s a dream come true.”
The BLAST Premier World Final will be open to the public at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi on December 17 and 18. Ticket prices start at Dh115 per person, with a discounted rate of Dh50 for students. More details are available at etihadarena.com
Scroll through images of Abu Dhabi's new gaming hub Pixoul below
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
The years Ramadan fell in May
Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come
Roll of Honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
Fixtures
Friday
West Asia Cup final
5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy final
3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles
Friday, April 13
UAE Premiership final
5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
