In a twitter message, Wizard could announce that they have nailed this spring’s Counter-Strike squad. The team surprised most with a strong second place in the autumn’s Telialiga, and ran over the advance favorites from Skade X in the semi-finals before the Apeks Rebels battled all the way to the door in a hugely exciting final.
Ready for new challenges
Led by captain and now playing coach Daniel “Zykes” Jensen, Wizard is ready for more good atmosphere, and new challenges during the Telialigaen and Bergen Games.
Wizard has managed to keep four of the players from last year’s playoffs. Swedish AWP player Alex “PALM1” Palm signed after the playoffs for 777, and has been replaced by Simen “sido” Rem.
With him on the team, Wizard has managed to bring in the veteran Kristian “KORN” Hokland. Hokland, who in the play-off final delivered one of the all-time single performances in a play-off game in the Telialigaen, will thus take another season at the highest level in Norway, and will be an important piece for Wizard in 2023 as well.
Kristian “KORN” Hokland will continue for Wizard.
Eivind Vond Døhlen/Good Game
Ambitions to win
We got in touch with Wizard co-owner and head of Counter-Strike, Fredrik Øvrelid, to hear his thoughts on the team and what kind of ambitions they have set for the coming months.
– Well, the ambition is to win the whole shit then (Telialigaen, editor’s note). We still have very limited resources to be able to bet properly and to give the players professional contracts with salary arrangements. From a sporting point of view, there are quite a few changes.
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Øvrelid can still say that Daniel “Zykes” Jensen has signed a short-term contract as playing coach.
– As of now, we have signed a contract with Jensen where he will have a coaching role, but at the same time be part of the playing squad.
Daniel “Zykes” Jensen steps into the role of playing coach at Wizard.
Sindre Stien/Good Game
Looking for sponsors
Securing sponsorship funds for Norwegian e-sports clubs can be difficult. But with a fresh second place from the Telialigaen in the box, Øvrelid can say that there are several sponsors who have shown an interest in the organisation.
– I can say apart from the sporting aspect that we have come into contact with various sponsors, and have received a lot more attention after a nice second place in the Telialigaen last year, but no agreements have been reached yet.
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He still hopes to find a sponsor or partner who can help Wizard take the next step.
– The goal is to find a sponsor or partner who can help us take the next step, develop our brand, and not least establish a more sustainable development for the sporting world.
In conclusion, Øvrelid pays tribute to the collaboration with Jensen and the rest of the team.
– We are very happy about the good contact we have made with Daniel “Zykes” Jensen and the rest of the guys in that sense. But both for us and for them, it is not quite optimal to continue like this indefinitely, we must try to make the country somewhat more viable in the long term.
Wizards’ lineup for 2023 thus looks like this:
Daniel “zykes” Jensen
Simen “sido” Rem
Kristian “KORN” Hokland
Bjørnar “bfr” Fauske Røn
Jon Erik “ztk” Øygarden
