BDS is one of the premiere European teams. With a star studded lineup, the frenchmen are one of the top teams in the world, consistently getting to the main stage of international events. This is a team with downright legendary names. Shaiiko, a phenom, BriD, a legacy support always able to clutch up, Rafale and Renshiro, The best role players in the French scene, and of course, Elemzje, the playmaking IGL. This team has dominated EUL off and on for the better part of two years, able to 3-0 a Team Empire destined for the Grand Finals of SI22, a month earlier in the EUL Finals. Empire barely managed to win 5 rounds in those 3 maps… So when Majors and Invitationals start coming around, this team isn’t expected to just appear on the main stage, they’re expected to win it.
Or so the narrative goes. The undeniable fact is that this team has an issue. They simply cannot perform on the main stage. For the past 2 years BDS has been a dangerous team right up until they get out of the group stage. The average placing at an international event is 5/8th, save a single 3/4th finish in the Mexico Major and an early exit when coach BiOs had to sub in for the 2022 Six Invitational. For obvious reasons I’m excluding that result. This isn’t even a crowd problem, almost all of these Majors were during lockdown. Theres no intimidation from noisy fans to explain away BDS falling on the big stage. After a year and a half of no roster changes and no progress, it’s fair to say that a something needs to happen.
The lifespan of a team
Normally teams need time to grow into a competitor on the international stage. Look no further than Major winners DarkZero; they had dismal international results immediately after picking up Canadian, but gradually improved as the roster was given time to settle in. This culminated in their recent victory at the Charlotte Major, but they gradually improved each event to justify staying together. In general, a team’s lifespan is around 6-18 months. In this time, the team has different phases: the incubation period of bedding in new players, ramping up and hitting a stride of results that creates the baseline for the team, peaking for a month or two, and the eventual comedown until changes are made. Honeymoon period not optional. This life cycle is slower in Siege compared to other games here, most roster changes are given 3-12 months in a game like CSGO, and it can be pretty cutthroat .
But if you look at BDS, the team has had the same 5 players for 2 years. Thats plenty of time to figure things out. But if you look at BDS’s results, it seems like they peaked early on when BriD and Elemzje first joined and haven’t improved since. In 4 international events with this roster, they have won their quarterfinal match once, with caveats up the wazoo. For a French superteam, this roster’s kryptonite is playing against opponents in the same room as them. Not a good sign given how majors work. It may seem harsh to say given the name value these players have, but when a team stops progressing the players, coaching staff, and org have to realize that a change is needed before things really start going downhill.
On paper this is an insane statement to make. Where would you even start? Shaiiko is the star player of the team, you can’t just get rid of him. Similarly BriD is a spectacular anchor and a solid second star. Elemzje is the IGL and playmaker of the squad, so unless you want to uproot everything about this team, he probably isn’t on the chopping block. That leaves Renshiro and RaFaLe, but once again, on paper these two are the best at what they do in the French scene. Plus, we know how important RaFaLe is given how badly BDS did when he wasn’t present at SI22. Similarly, Renshiro is Mr. Consistent, removing him could cause a structural collapse similar to what Rafale’s absence caused.
This is the hard part of making cuts on a super team: everyone isn’t just good, they’re all great. There are few if any direct upgrades player for player, and by getting rid of a player you risk giving other teams a powerful piece to upgrade themselves. As BDS, if you remove BriD from the team, what are the chances he goes straight to the Wolves lineup and energizes that team? Or what about removing Elemzje, someone who has a history of playing on English speaking rosters? Do you really want to give G2, Rogue, or Heroic that kind of veteran IGL while you gamble on someone less proven?
What complicates this even more is that BDS is a French team, and as far as esports is concerned, that makes it a snake’s den. Petty disagreements can ruin potential lineups and careers. In Counter Strike there were always 2 French lineups because there was always some sort of spat going on between superstar A and superstar B. Hell, it even happens in Siege. In Year 2 there were 4 French teams in Pro League, yet none of them could beat Penta or win a single tournament. I mean, Falko was the most successful French player and he was playing for Penta! You don’t think out of those 20 players in the Pro League there wasn’t enough talent to at least challenge Penta’s throne?
Politics has always been the weakness of the French scene, and it could easily be the reason that BDS further stagnates if they’re not careful. One option is to try and subvert this issue by going international and speaking English, but the effects of such a choice are long lasting. Look at the current Vitality lineup in CSGO. Every player involved has had a huge dip in form. Transitioning to English isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when a match gets close and you start feeling the pressure. One slow call because you forgot the English word for “Close Left” and you’re out of the tournament. No, BDS has to remain French. But who would you even pick up and who would you drop?
To start, the obvious pickups are all on Wolves, the other french roster in EUL. There’s a few different players that could be interesting to pick up, but all of them come with risks. I’m going to be operating under the assumption that Shaiiko’s role and resources will not change from these hypothetical roster changes because, well, why mess with the superstar?
Mowwwgli would be a good upgrade if BDS decided to increase firepower, but he’d have to be moved onto a new role, likely pushing someone like Elemzje into a more supportive position. This isn’t a bad thing given his willingness to make plays, but gambling on a young player isn’t always a slam dunk. If you want a change in leadership, both Bastien “Biboo” Dulac and Valentin “risze” Liradelfo are solid options. Both are tenured veterans that have experience in both supportive and playmaking roles, as well as an equal, if not greater amount of experience at the international level compared to Elemzje. The issue is that these players were certainly part of past dramas in the French scene, and it’s hard to know if by-gones are by-gones from the outside. On top of that, I’m not entirely sold on Biboo in the role he has in Wolves, he’d really have to enable the other BDS players to justify the move given his current level of performance or be swapped onto a new role. Another gamble to be wary of.
Of course, BDS could also choose a player from Challenger League or below. While I previously said the odds of it working out are low, that doesn’t mean BDS is inherently going to get unlucky. It’s simply more of a risk than poaching a somewhat proven Pro League level player. Of course if DZ, OXG, and other NA teams are anything to go off of, the reward for picking up that unknown talent can take you to the top if you beat the odds.
Whatever path BDS goes down, they need a shake up. For a team with this much talent it’s unfathomable that the semifinals are impassable. DarkZero wasn’t considered the best in NA, yet won a Major finals, TSM won the Six Invitational from losers side of the bracket. Championship teams must be able to overcome hardship to earn their prize. BDS has yet to prove they can get past the first hurdle with this current roster. We’ve seen these 5 play it out time after time with no changes. As painful as it is to say, if BDS truly wants to lift trophies, they have to make a roster change.