- Apeks plans to dominate the upcoming Major Qualifiers
- It will rely on the skills and experience of CS:GO veteran Richard “shox” Papillon
- He says he is eager to work with his younger teammates
Norwegian esports organization Apeks finalizes its CS:GO roster with Frenchman Richard “shox” Papillon, one of the best veterans of the sport.
Apeks Signs Shox
Top-ranking players in any game are in short supply and their skills and experience are highly south-after. However, Norwegian esports organization Apeks recently hit the jackpot by signing a deal with Richard “shox” Papillon, a top-20 player and one of the most recognizable faces in professional CS:GO.
By signing the 30-year-old veteran, Apeks finalizes its international its CS:GO veteran in its attempt to become a tier one team. This deal is part of the organization’s rebuilding after an underwhelming sixth-place ESEA performance.
After signing, the 30-year-old veteran commented he aims to share his breadth of experience with the younger players on the team and help Martin “STYKO” Styk transition to the in-game leader role. “After my time in Team Liquid, I needed a break to recover from the exhausting schedule we had,” shox said in a statement on the team’s website. “I needed to make sure my head was healthy before joining a new team.”
Apeks Plans to Dominate the Upcoming Qualifiers
Apeks’ team had already been practicing with shox a few days before the official announcement came. The deal with the Frenchman comes just in time for the start of the Major Qualifiers next week. The organization strongly hopes that shox is the last missing piece in its plan to dominate the upcoming events.
“After a disappointing spring season, we realized we had to make changes in the team,” commented Head of Esports Anders Kjær. “We did a lot of research in the market to find the right players so we can reach our ambitious goals. There have been a lot of discussions and meetings, but we are extremely happy with the signing of both “jL” and “shox”, but also “kuben” in the coaching department. This combination gives us hunger and experience – which is something we need in the team. We’re looking forward to this fall – I am extremely excited.”
Of course, it will take a lot more than the addition of legendary players for Apeks to perform as they want to. The French veteran still has a lot of work to do with his new younger teammates in order to push Apeks further forward. The organization’s current CS:GO roster looks like this:
- IGL: Martin “STYKO” Styk
- Rifler: Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad
- AWP: Tim “nawwk” Jonasson
- Rifler: Justinas “jL” Lekavicius
- Lurker: Richard “shox” Papillon
- Head coach: Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński
- Assistant coach: Pål “Polly” Kammen
