Pinnacle’s Player of the Month for May is Jake ‘Stewie2k’ Yip. Despite winning the Boston Major with Cloud9, he decided to take a leap of faith and join the Brazilian side of SK Gaming in March 2018. What makes Stewie2k one of the most exciting players in CS:GO? Read on to find out.
Jake ‘Stewie2k’ Yip is a 20-year-old North American CS:GO player, regarded as one of the best players in the world despite playing CS:GO since just 2014. Seen initially as a reckless player, his play style adjustment demonstrates a maturity beyond his years. Playing a variety of roles, he has excelled as an in-game-leader and a secondary AWP.
Stewie2k burst onto the scene playing ESEA pugs (pick-up games), gaining notoriety for his exciting gameplay. His utilising of smoke grenades was something few had experimented with and he earned a reputation amongst his peers. His unique game style and confident attitude enticed potential teams.
Kyle ‘OCEAN’ O’Brien was a veteran of the scene, famous for developing younger players. He was the perfect mentor for an inexperienced Stewie2k. Taking him under his wing for SKDC, Stewie2k continued to grow as a player, posting impressive numbers (1.02 rating on HLTV) before the top sides of NA started to take notice.
On January 11, the prominent team in North America, Cloud9, announced Stewie2k was their new player. Professionals and analysts criticised the decision but Stewie2k took the criticism in his stride and demonstrated to the world what an exceptional talent he was.
In the four years Stewie2k has played CS:GO, he has AWPed, entry fragged, been an in-game-leader and a playmaker.
Stewie2k became their in-game-leader (IGL) after joining. Taking on such responsibility at a young age was impressive. Many people doubted his ability to lead a top team due to his lack of experience, but he spent multiple hours on improving his own game and studying others to become a successful IGL.
After spending two years in Cloud9 and winning his first Major title in Boston, Jake took the bold step to leave the team and join the former Major champions from Brazil, SK Gaming. SK had been in a slump for an extended period but were still one of the best teams in the world. With their players all originating from Brazil, many had doubts about how the team with the obvious language barrier issue - this is something that continues to trouble SK.
The initial results have been weak, but with Jake demonstrating a work ethic few rival, it’s a matter of when, not if, SK reaches their former glory, with Jake spearheading their revival.
Despite Jake’s young age and lack of experience, he has many impressive victories to his name. Below is a list of his results:
In addition to an impressive list of achievements, Jake’s stats are phenomenal, highlighting what a talented CS:GO player he is.
2018
Career
All stats sourced from HTLV.org
Stewie2k’s biggest strengths are his diversity and his worth ethic. In the four years he has played CS:GO, he has AWPed, entry fragged, been an in-game-leader and a playmaker. Players usually learn to excel in one role, but he has shifted his game and found a way to perform well in multiple roles.
Stewie2k’s work ethic is relative to the success he has achieved and it’s a testament to what’s possible when a player dedicates their life to their craft. In his short but lucrative years, he has won more tournaments than many players have won in their entire careers.
As with all players, he does have some weaknesses. He is an inexperienced player and in certain situations his lack of knowledge hampers his decision making, but this will improve over time. His desire to win is a double-edged sword as he becomes frustrated quickly. Channelling frustration into something positive is the primary task facing Jake in the near future.
Jake’s reason for being picked this month is because of his bold decision to leave the current Major Champions. Roster moves this dramatic rarely occur, with players wanting to avoid the same level of risk Jake has decided to take early in his career.
A player risking everything is admirable and highlighting the man behind the name is a fitting tribute to his past success and future endeavours.
If success is found wavering, he will reflect on this move as one of the biggest mistakes of his career. How he handles failure, if it happens, will be intriguing as he will need to find the motivation to work harder and become a stronger player as well as a stronger person.
We will be back next month with another player profile. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!
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