Before the COVID-19 era, Australian Counter-Strike reached its peak. In 2019, a lineup of three Australians, a New Zealander, and a Norwegian made history under the Renegades banner. They became the first Oceanic team to reach the semi-finals of a Major Championship — a feat still remembered by fans.
Though they fell to Jame’s AVANGAR, missing a grand final clash with Astralis, their road was unforgettable. After losing both best-of-one games in the Legends Stage, Renegades fought back with four straight BO3 wins — an incredible comeback few expected.
From 100 Thieves to a Regional Void
After four consecutive Majors and two playoff runs, Renegades sold their roster to 100 Thieves. Under the new banner, results dipped. Within a year, the organization exited CS:GO, and Justin “jks” Savage left for Complexity Gaming.
The remaining players regrouped under EXTREMUM with BnTeT, but the project failed to take off. Soon, jks was chasing trophies with Complexity, G2, and Liquid, while others scattered across Asia and Oceania. The Renegades era had ended — and Australia needed a new champion.
FlyQuest’s Early Challenges
Fast-forward to today. The nation’s hopes rest with FlyQuest, a North American organization fielding a familiar mix — three Australians, one New Zealand, and one European.
At the start of 2025, Joshua “INS” Potter became IGL, replacing Christopher “dexter” Nong with 22-year-old Corey “nettik” Browne. On paper, the move looked bold. With Iulian “regali” Harjău on the AWP, Declan “Vexite” Portelli’s firepower, and INS’s leadership, the roster had upset potential. But consistency was missing. Across seven Tier-1 LANs, FlyQuest never reached playoffs. Their best showing came at IEM Melbourne 2025, where they beat Virtus.pro and stole a map from NAVI. Still, it wasn’t enough. Another change loomed.The Homecoming of jks
This time, the move wasn’t about youth — it was about legacy. After five years abroad, jks returned home to replace Jay “Liazz” Tregillgas. With two IEM Katowice titles, an IEM Cologne, and a BLAST World Final win, his return felt monumental. Though past his prime, his experience promised to steady the ship. At IEM Cologne 2025, FlyQuest didn’t advance past Stage 1 but looked revitalized. They defeated B8, challenged FURIA and Liquid, and jks led the team with a strong rating and 29% of CT-side opening duels. The excitement, however, didn’t last long.
Slipping Down the Ladder
FlyQuest’s struggles returned. Early exits at BLAST Bounty S2 and BLAST Open London hurt confidence. Meanwhile, regional rivals — The MongolZ, TYLOO, Lynn Vision, and Rare Atom — rose sharply.
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Despite minor success in BLAST Rising Asia S2 and a 2–1 win over Legacy, the team looked uninspired. Then came another major shift: the departure of Erdenetsogt “erkaSt” Gantulga, who simply said,
We didn’t see CS the same way.
Enter AZR: The Captain Returns
With morale dipping, FlyQuest turned to a familiar face — Aaron “AZR” Ward. The former leader of Vox Eminor, Renegades, 100 Thieves, and EXTREMUM took over as temporary head coach ahead of DraculaN Season 2.
Having led TALON’s short-lived CS project earlier that year, AZR was at a crossroads. His playing career seemed over, but coaching offered new purpose. With old teammates like jks and promising talent like nettik, it made perfect sense.
Results didn’t come right away — FlyQuest finished 7–8th at DraculaN — but the groundwork was being laid. Within a month, AZR was named permanent coach, and early improvements appeared. The team fought GamerLegion close and swept Fnatic 2–0 at PGL Masters Bucharest.
AZR’s Early Impact
Every coach has a unique philosophy. Some lead with emotion, others with theory. AZR, having captained for over a decade, brought both. Via HLTV he told:
It’s just what I expected from a coach when I was a player — leading the theory, keeping everyone on the same page.
He quickly diagnosed two key issues:
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- Map Veto – FlyQuest went into DraculaN 2 with a heavy reliance on Dust 2 as their pick and Mirage as their secondary option. However, the maps they were playing seemed too close for comfort, and against teams that shouldn’t be as close to taking the Aussies down. After losing a Mirage against the BASEMENT BOYS, and narrowly winning it against SINNERS & GenOne, the map looked solid, but not perfect. And Dust 2, regardless of the opening wins against Metizport and BB, was unreliable, especially considering the lack of consistency and initiative provided by regali’s AWP.
- nettik’s positions & personality – It’s no secret and I will not be trying to disprove the point that the 22-year-old is one of the most talented players on this team and has real potential to go far. But a player’s skill is not always matched by their character and personality. Considering his key spots on CT-sides, nettik had to be one of the most vocal players on the team — something that just doesn’t come naturally to him.
Should Coaches Hold Full Power?
In football, managers like Mourinho or Guardiola oversee every detail. Esports hasn’t fully embraced that model yet. Some teams give control to the IGL; others, like FlyQuest now, let the coach drive vision.
True leadership means setting strategy, building trust, and demanding accountability. It’s not glamorous — most praise goes to players, while failures fall on the coach. Yet, without that guiding figure, few teams find long-term success.
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Reigniting the Flame
Transitioning from player to coach isn’t easy. Many legends — B1ad3, NEO, TaZ — tried, and not all succeeded. But AZR’s case feels different.
His leadership, reputation, and deep bond with Australia’s core players give him something rare — authority that inspires belief. Six years after standing beside jks on the Berlin Major stage, AZR now leads from behind the monitors, not on them.
And maybe, just maybe, he’s the man to reignite Australian Counter-Strike once more.
