Advertise on podcast: Talking Counter

YNk, SPUNJ, and moses are Talking Counter with Yekindar for FOUR HOURS AND FORTY-ONE MINUTES Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, too heavy too quick 13:00 Yekindar origin story 26:00 Ability to articulate high game IQ 41:00 Lessons learned from IGL stint 46:00 Dealing with social media pressures 57:00 Getting brainwaves studied for game improvement 1:02:40 Burnout into FURIA opportunity 1:07:30 Similarities between Jame and Fallen 1:15:00 Practice during the hectic schedule 1:29:00 Nerves during IEM Cologne Major Grand Final 2:20:00 IGL’s getting targeted and abused 2:54:30 International vs National rosters 3:21:30 Defining roles I stopped taking timestamps at some point. HF

’Twas the night before playoffs, and all through the hall, Not a keyboard was clicking, not a mousepad at all; The headsets were hung by the monitors with care, In hopes that a trophy soon would be there. The players were nestled all snug in their chairs, While visions of aces danced up in their glares; YNk in his hoodie, and SPUNJ in his cap, Had just settled down and moses is still bald TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 10:10 - Thunderpick World Championship 2026 11:05 - Bucharest vs Bounty 28:10 - Valve stopping region swapping 58:45 - Astralis roster changes 1:18:00 - EPL Playoffs preview 1:43:45 - Rinkle 1:47:40 - NAVI should make a roster change Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya

YNk, SPUNJ, and moses are reunited in Katowice, Poland. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, all about fish, 6:00 ESL Pro League in Katowice 19:30 Biguzera files pt2 34:25 The last month of VRS 48:30 Are we still in the Vitality Era? 1:02:30 How important is EPL and who do we want in the playoffs? 1:24:00 News from around the scene

YNk, SPUNJ, and moses are Talking Counter. Or trying to. Doing our best, really. This episode was recorded PRIOR to the most recent update to CS2 - therefore the update is not discussed. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya *I REPEAT THE RECENT CS UPDATE IS NOT DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE* 00:00 Intro, 7:00 Is it VRS crunch time yet??? 26:00 FPG2 and assessing Legacy 39:40 NaVi may not qualify to the Major for the first time EVER 1:00:20 Ynk’s homework on paiN 1:18:50 StarSeries 20 results 1:36:20 the state of FURIA

Janko is back from ANOTHER vacation so we can all get together and Talk Counter. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, Janko's vacations and the best behavior of CS talent 07:15 Eating your CS vegetables 14:10 sidde's interview with HLTV and FURIA's travel schedule 19:50 The importance of China to CS esports 31:25 Stagnant rosters need changing 40:40 The latest CS update brings childhood nostalgia 49:30 Which IGL's play the hardest positions? CT positional philosophies, targeting weak players. It's all there to take you to the finish line. gl hf

We're all back home Talking Counter Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, Chad's show and tell clip 25:30 Discord Question: discussing a team’s “form” 32:00 What role does Vitality play for the rest of the season? 46:25 A Counter-Strike haiku 48:30 That’s a good looking FUT 54:45 NaVi: To make changes, or not to make changes 1:14:30 Monte video dramas 1:40:00 Hally’s coaching POWERS Team Spirit to EWC title 1:43:40 “Have FURIA ruined the opportunity for a historic last year for FalleN?"

We're Talking Counter in the City of Love at the Esports World Cup. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, the EWC Player Lounge, American education and Serbian driving 12:00 What the EWC event experience has been thus far 36:30 Length of average pro player career; highlighting s1zzi as a young talent 47:30 Spirit and Vitality stumble in EWC groups 1:03:35 Trials and tribulations for Vitality and FURIA this season 1:19:40 Running through the EWC playoff bracket

YNk- is quite literally back from vacation, so we're all Talking Counter. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, The Cold Open, the two things you NEED in life 8:50 EWC Qualifier and EWC 33:30 EWC is CRUCIAL for Vitality 48:07 Falcons at EWC 1:03:25 MOUZ beat Spirit to win BLAST Bounty 1:24:00 jL standing in for Vitality for two events 1:34:23 Vibes on Liquid after loss in Grand Finals

SPUNJ and moses are enjoying the slow news off-season as online CS eases us back into the swing of things. YNK is on a beach somewhere. Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, Rushly joins us and Get Animated! updates 37:40 BLAST Bounty format change for 2027 51:15 Sticker money catastrophe 1:08:30 Upsets at BLAST Bounty 1:26:10 Aurora +ash, +jimmphat, +kyxsan

SPUNJ, moses, and YNk are BACK 00:00 Intro, the last Major glaze 20:25 FURIA in the Final 28:30 Game updates: Cache is in, New bomb explosion 39:40 BC.Game +mzinho +magisk 52:50 MOUZ +PR, GamerLegion +FL4MUS 1:01:20 G2 +r1nkle -sunpayus 1:04:45 Legacy +try +n1ss1m 1:08:10 Liquid +jorko +JT(?) 1:13:20 Astralis +neo -ruggah

ALL INFORMATION and HOW-TO-ENTER THE PICKEMS CONTEST CAN BE FOUND ON OUR DISCORD https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya We'd like to thank the following partners for helping us with supplying prizes for the giveaway: Wooting (wooting.io) for their amazing keyboards AceZone (AceZone.io) for their awesome headsets CS.Money (https://cs.money/r/TalkingCounter) for all the beautiful skins 00:00 Intro, the illness, two weeks into the Major, casting a Major 04:45 PICK'EMS CONTEST PRIZES 10:35 Working the Major, casting the Major, and the Major experience 32:22 Lopsided playoff bracket, looking back on older Major Playoff brackets 40:55 Legacy's coach ADR disqualified, the coach rules at Majors 51:10 Adding details into production for viewer experience 57:05 Legacy targets insani for n1ssim, Ruggah departs Astralis 1:04:36 MOUZ and NaVi at IEM Cologne Major 1:10:44 Major Playoffs seem wide open? Who wins?

ALL INFORMATION and HOW-TO-ENTER THE PICKEMS CONTEST CAN BE FOUND ON OUR DISCORD https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya We'd like to thank the following partners for helping us with supplying prizes for the giveaway: Wooting (wooting.io) for their amazing keyboards AceZone (AceZone.io) for their awesome headsets CS.MOney (https://cs.money/r/TalkingCounter) for all the beautiful skins 00:00 Intro, Ash on the desk, Janko’s apology 01:30 PICK’EMS CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 06:35 Players/teams receiving abuse on social media after elimination 15:30 Astralis eliminated in Stage 2 20:00 No more NA teams or players left in the Major 38:50 Spirit and Donk’s dominance, BetBoom continues, FUT looked great 45:13 Vitality tangent 56:50 Stage 3 Pick’ems and conversation 1:08:30 Assessing G2’s chances 1:12:40 Can Legacy test this mouz lineup? and more opening matchups

YNk- and moses and SPUNJ are TALKING MAJOR COUNTER Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro 01:40 WATCH THIS BEFORE SKIPPING TO TIMESTAMPS 07:12 Looking ahead to Stage 2 -- "First" part of the podcast begins now (lower audio quality moving forward) 34:30 Tyloo v Lynn Vision, adjusting expectations for Stage 1 56:00 Valve at the Major? Or not at the Major? That is the question 1:17:30 Finalizing our look back on Stage 1 of IEM Cologne

YNk- and moses and SPUNJ are TALKING MAJOR COUNTER Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, Chad's travel woes, Janko's microphone woes 18:30 The Major is FINALLY here 28:50 New sticker money split 42:00 THUNDER dOWNUNDER 52:00 Consequences of skipping CAC 1:02:45 STAGE ONE PICK'EMS 1:27:15 NiKo's miss, NiKo vs Ropz, NiKo Karrigan and Falcons

THE MALBS FILES HAVE BEEN UNLEASHED *****This episode was recorded on the 14th of May BEFORE the playoffs of PGL Astana and IEM Atlanta****** Join our Discord to talk Counter with other followers of the podcast and of Counter-Strike. Participate in giveaways and watch parties throughout the season. https://discord.gg/DaFHsaq5Ya 00:00 Intro, getting into CS and early career 13:55 Playing with coldzera in 00Nation 19:05 Experiences on M80 and G2 33:40 Individual struggles in 2025 after NiKo's departure 41:40 The State of CS - animgraph updates and map rotation 45:30 Joining Team Liquid, time in roster so far 52:55 What is TaZ like as a coach? 59:35 Current (aka week-old) Counter-Strike and the dominance of Vitality