GUARDIAN RETURNS AS COACH OF NEW BC.GAME TEAM

Ladislav "⁠GuardiaN⁠" Kovács has announced his return to competition as the coach of a new team formed under BC.Game, a crypto casino platform that announced its entry into Counter-Strike esports on Monday.

The Slovak is the only member of the new team to be unveiled. The lineup is currently in the process of being finalized, and it is expected to be announced by the end of June.

When quizzed about the players GuardiaN and BC.Game will have on the roster, the 32-year-old offered the following in a comment to HLTV: "I am building a team with players who have not yet had the opportunity to play in their optimal roles and who deserve more chances to showcase their true potential. With my extensive experience of both the highs and lows in the world of CS, I believe I can guide and support them on their journey to achieve their best."

GuardiaN made his name as one of the best snipers in CS:Source in the late 2000s and went on to make a highly successful transition to CS:GO, representing the likes of  Virtus.pro ,  Natus Vincere  and FaZe and winning 17 international lan titles in 2014-2019.

After making his last professional outing as a player with Sampi in late 2022, the 32-year-old now ventures into coaching as he makes his first steps in Counter-Strike 2.

"It took a while for me to imagine myself in the role of a coach, but life is about experiencing new things. With all the knowledge and skills I've gained from playing in teams, I'm excited to pass that on to the players I'll coach. I've been enjoying life for quite some time now, but I realized I missed the excitement of esports," GuardiaN says in a comment to HLTV.

"For the start, I cannot expect anything as this is a completely new journey for me, so it's hard to set specific expectations," he continues. "However, I will do my job as well as I can and with the same passion I had as a player. Regarding goals, they remain the same: reaching the best possible results. I have the trust of the organization and will do my best not to disappoint anyone."

"Me and BC.Game are thinking long-term and aim to create a supportive environment for players. While qualifying for a Major is a bonus, BC.Game wants us to play the best we can, improve as a team, participate in tournaments, and have fun along the way."