Hiko, peacemaker set to join OpTic

6-2-2017 18:11

North American veteran Spencer "Hiko" Martin and Brazilian coach Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu have been added to OpTic Gaming's roster for ESL Pro League Season 5.

Spencer "⁠Hiko⁠" Martin has been linked with Liquid's exit door since the recent signing of Peter "⁠stanislaw⁠" Jarguz from OpTic, which left the team's roster with a total of six players.

With the Canadian's departure, OpTic lost their ingame leader, with team member William "⁠RUSH⁠" Wierzba admitting that it would be difficult to find a player to fill that role.

Hiko and peacemaker join OpTic's Pro League roster

And it seems that the ELEAGUE Season 2 champions will make do with a coach, having brought in Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu, who had been looking for a new challenge after leaving NRG Esports over different visions about the project.

Prior to his brief spell with NRG, peacemaker coached a number of top teams including Liquid during their incredible run at ESL One Cologne 2016.

OpTic are expected to formally confirm the additions of Hiko and peacemaker soon, with the team due to face Selfless in the Pro League on Tuesday.

With the two new arrivals, OpTic will have:

Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic
William "⁠RUSH⁠" Wierzba
Tarik "⁠tarik⁠" Celik
Oscar "⁠mixwell⁠" Cañellas
Spencer "⁠Hiko⁠" Martin

Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu (coach)

GL ma boy hiko

2017-02-06 18:11

14 replies

expected

2017-02-06 18:12

5 replies

GL to Optic, they were promising, hope they keep improving with the new changes

2017-02-06 18:21

4 replies

get lowel on a team with mixwell, maybe -naf +lowel

2017-02-06 18:37

1 reply

It doesn't work...they hate one another!

2017-02-06 23:12

Going to need a second fridge in the Optic gaming house.

2017-02-06 20:45

lol

2017-02-07 05:29

rip optic

2017-02-06 18:18

Hopefully peacemaker can add some more depth to optic's strats along with Hiko =)

2017-02-06 20:01

They better get another fridge in their gaming house.

2017-02-06 20:44

Reported xD

2017-02-07 02:20

Green hiko will come :D

2017-02-07 09:12

2 replies

shrek?

2017-02-07 09:33

2017-02-07 18:42

what do u mean

2017-02-07 16:28

LUL EXPECTED

xD What you mean? xD

2017-02-06 18:52

WOW ! NICE !

This is extremely expected :/

nice

Nice one! Good luck Hiko!

awesoem!

LUL hiko

yup.

loool

NO WAY!

expected?

hi guys

woooooo GL PEACE

lul

gratz

Holy shit! Always a pleasure for BRAZIL!!! We smart, we loyal, we friendly, we are from Brazil! Kreygasm

WUUUUUUT

peacemaker and Hiko <3

GL Papa Hiko <3

peacemaker best coach ever

This team just keeps on getting better and better!

7 replies

wot? Hiko is a terrible IGL stanislaw > Hiko thus Liquid > OpTic

2017-02-06 18:15

6 replies

Hiko > stanislaw

2017-02-06 18:17

lul stan is better IGL, no doubt about it just watch Liquid matches from Atlanta... terrible strats and calls

2017-02-06 18:19

Stan is better igl, but not better overall player. Plus liquid sucks pretty bad. Optic would win a bo3 against liquid, I'm sure

2017-02-06 19:30

3 replies

who cares if Hiko is a better player? he will be an IGL in OpTic Liquid sucked because of Hiko

2017-02-06 21:33

Liquid sucked because of their "stars" nitr0 and Pimp kind of, lol.

2017-02-06 21:37

I'm just saying, he could perform well with Optic. Maybe their chemistry will be really good. And I think the remaining 4 optic players will be easier to call for. Just optimism lol, really Liquid just sucks

2017-02-06 22:39

still t2 team

2017-02-06 18:13

NA hope

unexpected

New squad new tactics new trophies

GL Hiko I want to see that old form. With a new team around him I think it will happen.

good luck boys! this team have all for stay in top5 for sure

rip liquid

OpTic N1 NA

Optic is better now .

2017-02-06 18:14

Best NA team ?

nahh

2017-02-07 14:16

rip optic xD Liquid > OpTic stanislaw > Hiko

Liquid sucks lol

because of Hiko's in game leading Astralis also sucked with karrigan before they've changed to gla1ve

2017-02-06 18:23

not exactly, astralis was awesome in the first months with karrigan and won several events in spring/summer 2016 before they went "off"

2017-02-06 18:55

Yeah exactly, Liquid was only good at majors last year that's it. Plus liquid just got raped by immortals

2017-02-06 22:19

Honestly Hiko's whole career path and trajectory was to win a major he admitted multiple times that if he doesnt win a major he has wasted his time playing cs. so even though he is essentially getting kicked from his own team... at the end of the day the team he is going to be playing for (If it indeed ends up being OpTiC Gaming) is actually a team in better form currently and in my opinion is on the upswing with better chances of winning a major if the qualifiers started tomorrow hypothetically of course. Perhaps playing on a new team with a system designed for this 5 with peacemaker... Hiko can show glimpses of that old form AND still be a top support player.

2017-02-07 00:25

stanislaw shoud be a coach because his firepower is shit or less

agreed. he got so overhyped recently. tfw you get rekt by IMT... twice...

2017-02-06 18:25

half expected

hiko? bad move peacemaker? good move seems like they are equals now.

2017-02-06 18:16

I guess he really does like the color green

GL peace :)

So hltv is now reporting based on a ESL roster? Hiko might actually just be a standin and not even joining the lineup (per sources)

maybe, but roster get locked or no? so it is reasonable to asume its definitive

They are correct in saying he is "set to join OpTic". Whether it's for a month or a year we will see

2017-02-06 18:24

-hiko +elige

igl? turok LUL?

2017-02-06 18:36

Hiko is probably one of the best NA players so it should be good move. He's definitely better than Stanislaw. We will see...

2017-02-06 18:20

What a narrow minded view.

2017-02-06 18:22

Why? Arguments pls

2017-02-06 19:57

LOL Hiko has been shit for ages

Hiko will be given chances in the following order: 1) Optic 2) CLG 3) Echo Fox 4) Ze Pug Gods 5) Desk analyst

Gonna be hard for OpTic to get back to their EL S2 level

If Peacemaker understands the pieces he has, and what has worked for OpTic in the past... I still see them being a very good team. Tgwri1s released some statistics on Support players at the major and Hiko, in this new role, was still near the top. He may not be the player he once was, but taking a gamble on Hiko becoming Hiko again is worth it.

2017-02-06 18:26

he already proved that he can't IGL and frag at the same time so this still leaves OG without an effective strat caller

2017-02-06 18:27

He also wasn't in a frag-heavy role while calling for Liquid, and Tgwri1s's statistics showed he wasn't a pushover by any means (Although, it did feel like on CT sides he was still hot-or-cold). He certainly wasn't no Blad3 when it came to calling. While Stanislaw was very good at mid-rounding, studying his opponents, and adapting on the fly. They still ran a very loose system to begin with (edit: peacemaker is also the king of grinding out demos), so it'll be interesting to see how they progress with this new lineup.

2017-02-06 18:39

While its possible that a change spurs Hiko to get back to pracc and try to regain the form that was missing for most of 2016, I don't see his IGL abilities as having much potential with the coaching rule change, Peacemaker won't have a heavy impact either so to me this puts OG firmly out of the top 10. TL on the other hand might find more success eventually as they have clear cut roles

2017-02-06 18:40

It's hard to make a projection about Liquid, they certainly have their flaws and work cut out for them. Since Pimp joined the team, I've watched them consistently make the same mistakes and not just tactically. They still feel like a roster change away from hitting their peak. People thought the NACS/EUCS gap was closing, but here we are. Facing darkness once again. FeelsBadMan

2017-02-06 18:54

stop reading at "puts OG firmly out of the top 10" i died from autism

2017-02-06 21:40

peacemaker should go to sk..

So we had a great team which achieved something (optic) and another okayish team for NA standards (liquid). Now we have 2 shit teams.

interesting

2017-02-06 18:28

Hiko > Stanislaw

2017-02-06 18:29

gg optic, it was fun while it lasted

niceee lul

2017-02-06 18:30

RIP

2017-02-06 18:31

unexpected... HIKO ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? hikoW No but really, GL to my boy Hiko <3 also GL to peacemaker, probably my fav coach just behind starix :) Hope we see some vintage coL/C9 Hiko <3

2017-02-06 18:32

EZ OTPIC NEXT MAJOR

2017-02-06 18:34

from hi tier 2 to tier 2-3 without a proper igl rip NA with washed up hiko

2017-02-06 18:35

ez for optic

nice Hiko

ARE U KIDDING ME HIKO!!!!

GL in Major qualiffy NA 4head

im so tired of this guy 'peacemaker' moving like a bitch

2017-02-06 18:45

2017-02-06 18:49

-NAF +Simple and EZ TOP-1

Optic top1

i hope optic will rape liquid next time they meet.

2017-02-06 18:57

Rip Optic!

2017-02-06 18:58

gg optic hiko > stan

2017-02-06 18:59

Find it hard to believe they couldn't find anyone better than Hiko ... look internationally like you guys did with mixwell. Hiko, like GTR and Happy and all the other 2015 "lurker" players are beyond washed up.

LETS GO GREENWALLL!!!! optic vs liquid NOW!

2017-02-06 19:00

when did pm leave NRG? Never saw a news about it

hltv.org/news/19533-nrg-reveal-new-roste..

2017-02-06 19:42

oh well that was fast from them i guess I thought he was still coaching them

2017-02-06 19:43

lmao 4 skinny ass dudes and then theres hiko lol

rip af

2017-02-06 19:01

- tarik + Scream why not?

2017-02-06 19:04

Cause Scream can play for FaZe?

2017-02-06 19:06

Optic w/ Scream > FaZe w/ Scream

2017-02-06 19:17

FaZe aizy > FaZe scream

2017-02-07 00:22

Top4

2017-02-06 19:09

xDs in chat gl hiko + peacemaker

2017-02-06 19:10

he not stop TKing us, he never stops TKing us

2017-02-06 19:13

rip adri :(

2017-02-06 19:15

2017-02-06 19:26

w0w , n1ce! GL Hiko! :-))

2017-02-06 19:27

Optic > NA scene /now

2017-02-06 19:40

GL Hiko

2017-02-06 19:49

an era ends

2017-02-06 19:51

hiko fave color green. Optic jersey green. easy prediction

2017-02-06 20:00

Peacemaker nice coach

2017-02-06 20:02

lets go Hiko!

2017-02-06 20:12

right decision !! the manager of liquid is a b@stard !! He would scream at hiko during a game ...totally unbelievable. Hiko needs to focus on games

2017-02-06 20:26

RIP OPTIC

Bringing in an infamous choker into the team? Good one

2017-02-06 21:06

2017-02-06 21:39

dumb hiko, go to EU you idjut

Best NA team

2017-02-06 21:47

Hiko, are you kidding me?

2017-02-06 21:48

people tryin to say dekay is wrong, psshhh

2017-02-06 22:03

boy this team is just strong!

2017-02-06 23:01

this one for ma boy hiko

2017-02-07 00:12

OpTic already top 2. RIP Fnatic, Astralis and SK.

2017-02-07 00:15

not bad

2017-02-07 00:19

Nice move hector.

2017-02-07 00:35

Lucky Optic. Hiko will do great there!

2017-02-07 01:32

backstabber hiko changes team again, will leave again when things will go to shit, waste of time

2017-02-07 01:34

tbh it wasn't really his choice. TL kicked his under performing ass it seems

2017-02-07 02:18

Optic are suffering from waaaay to much hype

2017-02-07 02:12

I still think liquid should of dropped n1tro tbh.

2017-02-07 02:17

They are not going to fly high but it seems like they going to be top1 NA team so gl to HiKo

2017-02-07 03:07

Sit back and enjoy the show boys---Hiko incoming

2017-02-07 03:35

hiko in 2017 LUL rip optic

2017-02-07 03:45

Too bad Hiko can't IGL. He can clutch but his skills are diminishing at a rapid pace. Optic are poised to make a sharp decline in performance. Unfortunate.

2017-02-07 05:11