HAVU, is the #1 ranked team in Finland and has used Skybox to perform tremendously in 2021.

Customer story: HAVU


_HAVU Gaming is a Finnish e-sports organization, founded back in 2017 by current CEO Lasse Salminen. Their goal was to become the best Finnish CS:GO team and help the young Finnish talent along the way with support and guidance. Today, they are the #1 ranked team in Finland and currently ranked as #34 in World ranking (source: HLTV. 24.8.2021).  Besides CSGO, HAVU has a top tier team in NHL and are looking to expand into other game titles moving forward._

We had a chance to ask HAVU coach Taneli Veikkola (disturbed) a few questions regarding the CS:GO scene in Finland as well as how Skybox has helped them with an impressive (so far) 2021.

![HAVU](/images/posts/HAVU1.jpeg)
​
### Finland and the challenges with the growing CS:GO community. 
For some time, Finland has experienced a growing interest in E-Sports, in particular, CS:GO. However, Taneli explains that there has been an issue with how the players could potentially move from casual gamers to a competitive level: **“Finland has always had a big player-base but the biggest problem we have is the lack of structure. Most people just play for fun without a goal and that’s why things have looked a bit grim for the past few years”**.

HAVU focuses on using national players on their roster, and do their very best to all the time scout for new and upcoming talents. This means that casual players with talent, now can aim to play for teams such as HAVU. HAVU is dedicated to help and support the CS:GO community in Finland, and as the best team in Finland, this is a great way of showing young talent that there is something to aim for. 
​
### Higher performance with Skybox. 
2021 has been a great year for HAVUs CS:GO team. Since early 2021 HAVU has been using Skybox to help them along the way. Taneli on Skybox and why it has been essential to the teams performance: **“We’ve used Skybox a lot for preparing for officials and to see where we went wrong in the rounds we lost. We use it daily to make sure we aren’t doing things wrong and to fix miss plays before those plays become a habit”.**

![HAVU](/images/posts/HAVU2.jpeg)
​
### Why teams should use Skybox.
There are several benefits for teams, when using Skybox compared to different tools. Teams that want to develop and play more competitive as well as professional teams can use Skybox for different reasons. Taneli explains: **“It’s a lot faster to use than CSGO’s demoui. You can watch like five demo’s in the same time in Skybox than one in CSGO demoui. Also you can speed-run through the demos if you want to see patterns by certain players you might face in the different sites”.**

Want to know more about HAVU Gaming? Go check them out!
- [Website](https://havu.gg/)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HAVUgaming)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChPzVNN1oVV1Sd41s1wQTkw)

An amazing journey started for 8 Ballers around 6 months ago when they started using Skybox as their analysis tool

8 Ballers Esports and their growth with Skybox


# 8 Ballers Esports and their growth with Skybox
_There are many ways of using Skybox to make sure that you grow and learn as a team. 8 Ballers from Australia is a great example of this. They started out as a CS:GO team back in the beginning of 2021, with the aim of promoting and developing amateurs to become as close to top level players as possible, with the right coaching and support. Through out the 6-7 months 8 Ballers exclusively used Skybox as a tool for demo reviews, analysis and tracking the team(s) progression._ 
​
_In the span of 6 months 8 Ballers went from playing in the open amateur divisions in Australia to now playing in the highest tier tournaments that is available in Australia. We had a chance to sit down and speak to _**_Mohammad Tizani_**_, coach for the CS:GO team at 8 Ballers and ask him some questions._ 
​
### 8 Ballers; their development and goals.

**Mohammed provides a bit of insight into why Skybox has been a great tool to use to achieve the goals the team have:**
_Our goals are to provide talented, passionate groups of players the necessary tools and support staff to succeed. With tools such as skybox, support staff in coaches, analysts and esports psychologists we aim to prove that success stories can be more commonly achieved._
​
Skybox has been an amazing tool to have at our disposal. Finding micro details in demos of the best teams in the world and implementing the theory into our game. The overviews and speed that you can repeatedly watch rounds is great. The portability is also amazing and we were able to use this tool at our bootcamp and on the road.
​

![ICL](/images/posts/8b-1.png)
​
### Development means more challenges and an increased workload.
_Making the transition from amateur to playing at very competitive tournaments is quite difficult._​

**How did Skybox assist you guys, and why is it that it can be a very valuable tool for other teams in your situation?**
Teams that have a similar vision as the 8ballers CSGO roster will greatly benefit from using Skybox to analyse top tier competition and review their own demos to correct mistakes, understand gaps in your playbook and get an edge over your division.

**What are the key areas that Skybox helps you at?**
The key areas Skybox helps us is finding the micro details, protocols and macro play in top tier competition. When analysing using Skybox it is much easier to identify these things and implement them into our theory.
​

![ICL](/images/posts/8b-2.jpg)

**There is a lot of challenges and areas that are important when developing an Esports team. Can you name a few that was key for 8 Ballers?**
Coaching, esports psychology and mentoring has also been a success factor. Having talented and passionate individuals are the ingredients and we are the chefs to cook it up.

8 Ballers socials:
- [Website](https://www.8ballers.net/)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/8ballersesports?lang=en)
- [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/7Ha7NfBYdZ)

ICL is an organization with members dedicated to help one another add value to the CS:GO communities in Ireland.

ICL - a small, but dedicated organization with multiple purposes


_The Irish Challenger League, also known as ICL is an organization with dedicated and involved individuals from all over Ireland. Skybox and ICL collaborated on a 24-hour charity event running from the 5th to the 6th of June 2020. Moving forward, Skybox and ICL has formed a partnership, hoping that the collaboration will help the CS:GO scene and communities in Ireland grow. I had a chance to sit down with _**_Adam Conway_**_, head Admin of ICL for a chat and ask a few questions._
​
### ICL and how it all started
​
**What is ICL and how did it all start?**
​
The Irish Challenger League (ICL) is the central hub for all things Irish Counter-Strike and has had multiple iterations over the years. Started as a passion project by Fletcher and DeanJB over IRC in 2016 in the form of the Irish Pugging Service (IPS) it has grown to become a whole lot more. Over the last year, as Irish Counter-Strike grew in the university scene especially, ICL took off in the hands of a large staff team and frequent tournaments with prizes. Prizes for each season were put up by staff members and community contributions, whereas prizes for tournaments were made up of entry fees. 
​
All of the staff members have been active in the Irish Counter-Strike community for years, and all of us are extremely passionate about the game and the community that has followed it. We all want the game to grow in Ireland and we are doing everything that we can for it to, especially because as we’ve demonstrated, the community that we have nurtured and grown over the last year especially is capable of doing so much more than just playing video games. We know that our community is passionate and caring, and that’s why we knew we could organize and pull off a 24-hour charity event.


![ICL](/images/posts/icl-1.png)

### A 24-hour charity event for a good cause 
​
**You guys decided to do a 24-hour charity event for a good cause. Can you elaborate on why this decision was made and what charity you chose?**
​
The charity we chose was Focus Ireland, and the reason for that is because of the current housing crisis in Ireland. According to Focus Ireland, in April 2021, the number of homeless families had increased by 232% since July 2014, which is when the Irish government began publishing homelessness figures. 
​
As Focus Ireland also points out, these are the “official” homelessness figures - the organization reports that there are large numbers of young people who do not count as “homeless” in the eyes of the government, but nevertheless do not have a home to go to. In April 2021, there were 925 families accessing emergency accommodation, and in 2019, Focus Ireland provided support to over 14,000 people across Ireland. It can be extremely difficult to find a place to call home in Ireland at times, and people can be searching for weeks, months, and sometimes even years to find suitable accommodation to live in. 
​
The housing crisis is a situation near and dear to many of our community members’ hearts, and given the Irish community’s support for this event, it is absolutely something we will want to do again in the future. If we can leverage our community for good, then we’ll be looking for every opportunity to do so. 
​

![ICL](/images/posts/icl-2.png)

_More than €3.600 was raised during the event and a bit over 4.000 people were watching. Impressive._

### Partnership with Skybox
​
**What kind of value does a partnership with Skybox present to ICL and what does this mean for you as an organization moving forward?**
​
A partnership such as ours with Skybox helps to give a unique spin on our event and provides new content that others may not have seen before. Furthermore, it encourages players to get involved, and can even help to raise the skill ceiling of the overall community in Ireland. A higher skill ceiling means greater competition, and the potential for Irish players to eventually compete on the global stage. There are many passionate voices in the Irish Counter-Strike community, and Skybox helps give them the tools to be heard.
​
​
#### Additional information
ICL is open to anyone who lives on the island of Ireland, or who lives outside of Ireland but is Irish. Players from other regions can also be vouched for by an existing Irish player in order to join and play in the hub. 
​

ICL's socials: 
- [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/67WZqKUb) 
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/icl_hub)
- [Faceit](https://www.faceit.com/en/hub/d9dba8bd-6bf9-435f-bdbc-808ae42d21bd/Irish%20Challenger%20League)

The CS:GO and the Esports scene in Peru is booming, and we thought it would be very interesting to ask Juan a few questions.

The growing CS:GO scene in Peru


_We had the chance to sit down (online, of course) with our partner in Peru, Juan. Juan has a massive network in Peru, and he now is leading the charge in setting up events all over Peru with big companies such as Claro and Logitech G behind him. The CS:GO and the Esports scene in Peru is booming, and we thought it would be very interesting to ask Juan a few questions._ 
​
### Juan aka BassKnockin
​
**Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in Esports and what your dreams are moving forward with Esports/CS:GO in Peru.**
​
I’m Juan Yepez known as Bass Knockin. I am a teacher and CS:GO caster. I got involved in Esports from I was 14 years old. I played CS:GO and Call of Duty back then, due to personal things I stopped playing, but still had the idea of returning to Esports someday. I started streaming a couple of years ago; different content from RPG games to adventure games and so on. 
​
One day I saw an add about a tournament called Lightspeed Cup by Logitech G. This tournament was looking for amateur casters to broadcast their  CS:GO games for some months in order to win some tools to become a better caster. I won and from that moment on my career as a caster started to grow. I participated as a caster for Claro in an event called MassGamers. In addition to this I kept working with Logitech G in different events. 
​
Nowadays, I help Logitech in tournament management and streaming. As to the dreams I have, the chance to have the opportunity to produce or broadcast a Major made in Peru and have the opportunity to interview top players and team managers from around the world. 


![Peru](/images/posts/peru-3.jpg)

### The development of the CS:GO scene in Peru. 
​
**How has the CS:GO scene developed in recent years and what trends are you experiencing?**
​
In Peru when you hear the word _Esports_ many people refer to Dota 2 as a popular game.  There is a big community, however during the past year the CS:GO community has started to grow. Many people have started to host community tournaments to produce new talent and there’s a pro league circuit we have in our country. However not all the teams are able attend it due to the level. 
​
Since we started our lockdown due to COVID-19 many Peruvian players started to play CS:GO again and that was kinda a push for many brands to start supporting events and tournaments. Nowadays, there are many amateur leagues and tournaments in our country which are sponsored by very important brands such Logitech G. 
​
In regards to the number of viewers we have in CS:GO, I have to say that the number has increased dramatically during these past two years. Many people cheer  for different teams now; anything from amateur to pro and that’s a great thing to develop a CS:GO community in Peru.  
​
![Peru](/images/posts/peru-2.jpg)

### Skybox in Peru
​
**How do you think Skybox can potentially help the CS:GO scene in Peru to grow and help players to reach a higher level of gameplay?**
​
When I first saw Skybox it was live on Intel Master’s, I was amazed  by the power of the tool and how easy you can analyze games you played in or other teams played. There were some teams aware of this tool but it was kind of hard to get into the Early Access stage, so that’s why I decided to reach out to you guys. I thought it would be very helpful and interesting to introduce Skybox to the Peruvian players and teams. 
​
Skybox can not only help players and teams with an amazing software, but furthermore Skybox can  provide knowledge to players and teams regarding worldwide tournaments and organization. I would be nice to see Skybox uniting the CS:GO Peruvian community with the international community due to the contacts SKYBOX has with other pro teams, tournaments and events around the world.
​
Skybox in my opinion is not only a software to analyze matches and track down data from players, but more importantly a platform that the Peruvian teams and players can use to achieve the dream to become pro players and tier 1 teams. 
​
​
#### Additional information
For the last event in Peru, where Juan used Skybox, more than 93.000 were watching, an event sponsored by Logitech G. 
​

BassKnockin's socials: 
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BassESports)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bassknockinoficial)

Skybox unveils it's CS:GO prediction tool, showcased at the BLAST Premier Fall Final.

CS:GO predictions at BLAST Premier Fall Final


We teamed up with BLAST and Business Development company Copenhagen Capacity to showcase a CS:GO prediction application that we for a long time have been wanting to do.
​
### It all began with an "AI Hackathon".
More than 373 participants from more than 20 different countries participated in the competition. Is it actually possible to predict the outcome of CS:GO rounds and matches? Algorithms were developed and the three winning teams were showcased during BLAST Premier Fall Final 2020. The result: an approximately 73% accuracy. The winning teams came from India, Slovakia and the United States. 

![Skybox Nuke with player paths](/images/posts/skybox-nuke.jpg "Skybox")
​
### Further development of the prediction tool in 2021. 
Moving forward, we will continue to develop on the concept and the idea, bringing in feedback from our fanbase. We were amazed to see how many participants were involved, which goes to show that the Skybox community is steadily growing. We are really excited to dig deeper into this amazing tool in 2021. These algorithms can be useful, within and outside esports. **Our CEO, Ethan Cooper explains**: 
​
> We are really excited about making the technology available to the broader CS:GO community next year (2021).  

​
If you are interested in reading more, please go ahead and click [here](https://esportsinsider.com/2020/12/csgo-prediction-tool-showcased-at-blast-premier-fall-final/) for the article brought in Esports Insider.

Mental health and high performance in CS:GO goes hand in hand. 

Mental health and CS:GO go hand in hand.


Mental stress and pressure is really an unspoken part of the game for many within esports. As a gamer, your mental health is just as important as your physical health. We all know physical injuries happen, just like in any other sport. However, gamers that do experience challenges with their mental health can actually see a big dip in their performance during matches and even more so during big events and competitions. 
​
For that reason, we  have decided to collect a few tips and tricks on how to improve your mental health and by that perform at the highest level possible:
​
- Sleep
- Unplug
- Exercise

_Should you need any help in incorporate this to your daily rutine, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for guidance._ 

## Sleep

![Sleep](/images/posts/sleep.jpg)

Yes, it is indeed a cliche - but sleep is important and especially for gamers that need to perform on a high level. And the best part of it, you don’t even have to leave the house (COVID-19 approved).  The benefit of quality sleep is not to be underestimated. It will depend on the individual on how much sleep is needed, but a good rule of thumb is to get at least 6 hours of sleep every night. Some might need more, say 8, 9 or 10 hours of sleep every night. The most important part is that you are consistent in your sleeping habits. Sleep improves our memory and learning ability as well as it is a big part of our emotional health. So if you ever wake up and feel grumpy and blue, more sleep more do the trick. 
​
As a dedicated gamer there is a good chance that you are playing between 5 or even 7 days a week. You are constantly learning when you play and you have to adapt to new strategies and ideas. This can be very exhausting and if you don’t get a good nights sleep you will have a hard time performing on a high level. This can lead to frustration and have an effect on your mental health. Furthermore, as a gamer you are constantly under a lot of stress to perform when it matters. You might even be in a position where your salary depends on your performance, which can lead to a stressful environment if you do not perform as excepted. Sleep helps and allows your mind to take a break and recover. **Oh, and the best part - its free!**

## Unplug

![Unplug](/images/posts/unplug.jpeg)

Getting away from all technological stimulation. Yes, that is correct - **no phone, no Netflix, no computer, no internet.** If you after reading this is thinking “No way I can do that”, then you definitely need to unplug. As a competitive gamer you are basically _plugged in_ as soon as you turn on your computer and before you start playing you have probably turned on your TV or scrolled through your phone. You may also feel stressed out or an additional amount of pressure when going through results and game analysis. You are probably being bombarded with information, some teams or players might perform better than you. This can indeed take a toll on your confidence and affect your performance.
​
Therefore, make sure that you unplug yourself every day. Go for a walk, read a book, go to the gym - the choices are many. Unplugging is not only for gamers, but for everyone who has a job where you are around technology all the time. Yes, it might sound boring and yes you might be bored to begin with. However, you will benefit from this, and your body and mind will _catch a break_ from your normal routines in front of the computer. Another thing you might consider is to put your phone away when going to bed or even better - leave it away from your bed so you do not get distracted or tempted to “just check a few things”. At the end of the day, unplugging is something you and your team should commit to do, together as a team. 

## Exercise

![Exercise](/images/posts/exercise.jpg)

**Oh man, what a surprise huh?** Exercise! Yeah, that is probably what you are thinking right about now. How many times have you heard that exercising is good for you? Probably more than we you can count. However truth be told,  exercising is a great way to improve your overall health as well as calmness. When you exercise you release endorphins and this will help you keep your spirit high and stay mentally and physically on top of your game. Exercising is key for having a strong mental health. We could go on and on in regards to why you should exercise, but instead we just want to put emphasis on how important it is for you and your performance as a competitive gamer. **1. 2. 3. GO!**

_We do understand and appreciate that players and teams are different. However, as a team, we do hope that you help one another to stay mentally strong and healthy. By doing so you will feel better and perform better._

Wolves Esports is a German-based e-sports organisation that strives to be a top contender in Germany.

Customer story: Wolves Esport


## Customer story: Wolves Esport
Wolves Esports is a German-based e-sports organisation that strives to be a top contender in Germany as well as Europe. Their CS:GO team is now preparing for their first season in ESEA Main, where the clear goal is to avoid relegation. Wolves Esports compete in different games such as League of Legends, Rainbow Six: Siege and of course CS:GO.

> Skybox allowed us to get a deeper understanding and keep track of our individual performances 

Wolves Esports has been part of the Skybox family since the early launch back in September 2019. This means that they have been able to experience the changes that has been made along the way, and themselves provided excellent feedback and ideas. We had the chance to speak to Andre Matuszak, the COO of Wolves Esports and ask him what Skybox meant to them and their team. He told us "Skybox allowed us to get a deeper understanding and keep track of our individual performances in matches and scrims. With the replay tool we’ve been able to identify mistakes, find and showcase solutions in a more efficient way. Being able to properly visualise important things for others is a welcomed feature we often make use of."

### Skybox will help in reaching longterm goals.

Even though Wolves Esports has in fact performed very well the lat few seasons, they strive for more. As mentioned about, to avoid relegation from ESEA main is the main priority. However, when it comes to Germany and the 99Damange league, the minimum goal is to qualify for Division 2-3 playoffs yet again. This will hopefully result in a promotion to Division 2. Andre has no doubt that Skybox will play a vital part of the ongoing success.

_If you would like to read more about Wolves Esports, below you will find links to their website and Social Media._

- [Website](https://www.wolves-esports.com/)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wolves_esports)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/wolvesesports)


Teknikum in Växjö Sweden, is offering e-sport to their students and has throughout the last year experienced an increased interest.

Skybox, an invaluable tool when teaching CS:GO.


## Skybox, an invaluable tool when teaching CS:GO. 

**Teknikum in Växjö Sweden**, is offering esport to their students and has throughout the last year experienced an increased interest in esport and especially CS:GO. It is an extra curricular activity that they offer their students where they implement areas such as physical and mental training. We had the opportunity to speak to Linus Glans, who is responsible for the e-sport profile and for teaching CS:GO. 
 
### Skybox makes it easier to understand and improve.

Linus explained that it can indeed be tricky and challenging to teach students, and when you have around 15 students at each class you have to make sure to utilise your time the best way possible. 
 
> Before Skybox it was really hard for me to assign my students to evaluate their own, and their team performances. With Skybox we have the ability to get an overview of our played games right away. We can look at rotations, flashes, smokes, defensive and offensive setups and easily tweak and change the things we need.  
 
### Easy to use - easy to understand. 
Skybox is a platform that makes it easy for teams to figure out, in detail, what happened during a game, round or a sequence. However, it is also a great tool to highlight great gameplay, which is an area that is key when you teach. Students have to be encouraged and excited to play.  When speaking to Linus about this part of the game, he agrees that it is a very important aspect of improving your game. 
 
> It’s really easy for me with Skybox to highlight good performances, both individually and as a team. Stuff such as grenade deployment and team play is hard for students to see and observe during the game and to have the ability to illustrate this right after a game is extremely valuable.  

### A platform for players and coaches. 

Skybox is meant as a platform that can help in various ways, for players that are playing the game as well as coaches that are observing. We are very happy that we are able to help schools making it easier for them to teach and help their students as much as possible. For Linus there is one particular area that has helped him tremendously.
 
> Another great thing is to use professional games in Skybox to illustrate detailed strategies and setups that you can’t really see when watching the same game on the regular broadcast.  
 
A big thank you to Linus and Teknikum for an interesting and inspiring interview. If you live in Sweden and want to read more about the program, click [here](https://vaxjo.se/sidor/forskola-och-skola/gymnasieskola/teknikum/program-pa-teknikum/e-sportsprofil.html). 


Blog

Customer story: HAVU

8 Ballers Esports and their growth with Skybox

ICL - a small, but dedicated organization with multiple purposes

The growing CS:GO scene in Peru

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