Part 1: The Legacy
From the very dawn of professional Counter-Strike, a number of countries have always been proudly represented not only by their shining individuals, but also by their remarkable national teams and unique identities: the Danes and Swedes with their intelligent, calm, and innovative style of play, the Germans with their precision, revolutionary utility, and fundamentals, Brazil with its flamboyance and strong leaders, the entire Eastern European region with its undeniable work ethic and drive. And then there was one more—the scene that dominated Counter-Strike: Source and gave birth to players who possessed just about the right amount of brilliance, passion, and pure skill to break the game in many ways.
The year is 2013, and Jönköping is hosting the first-ever Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major tournament—DreamHack Winter 2013. In an era ruled by Scandinavian CS, Sweden, with its undeniable dominance thanks to hegemons like Fnatic and NiP, was the country with the highest number of representatives—21. Denmark, with n!faculty, SK, and Reason Gaming, was second with 17. Then there was France with 12. The scene that had more than dominated CS: Source brought in three teams, two of which (Recursive eSports and VeryGames) made the playoffs. With young stars like apEX, kioShiMa, kennyS, NBK-, shox, SmithZz, and minds like Happy—plus the Belgian support of Ex6TenZ and ScreaM—the French scene was thriving.
They might’ve had to wait until DreamHack Winter 2014 for Team LDLC, led by Happy, to win France’s first CS:GO Major but with the 2015 Cluj-Napoca Major title for Team EnVyUs & the 3 French team appearances across the first 7 Major finals, French Counter-Strike was undeniably in its “Golden era”, with the trio of Happy, NBK- and kioShiMa leading the parade. These defining years will always be remembered by every French fan.
Sadly, from that point on, things started to slowly go downhill. In fact, Cluj-Napoca 2015 was the last time a team with a core of three or more French players attended a Major final. There were attempts: after EnVyUs and LDLC’s respective fade-aways, G2 Esports became the new home for French superstars, with over ten different players joining the organization between 2016 and 2019, when G2 took a turn and brought in the Balkan duo huNter- and nexa in pursuit of expanding its options for players on the international market.
The legacy was later carried by Vitality. Created in October 2018, Team Vitality’s first French lineup consisted of Happy, NBK-, RpK, apEX, and the wonderchild of French CS—18-year-old Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Vitality remained a French-speaking team for three years, and it would be a massive lie to say they did not have their moments. Yet, after making three Majors and not being able to surpass the “Quarter-Final hurdle,” changes seemed unavoidable. With the blockbuster signings of the Astralis trio—dupreeh, Magisk, and zonic—the “French era” of Vitality was officially over, even though the team was still represented by three Frenchmen. To this day, it still has the now two-time Major champion and legend of the game, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, and ZywOo at its helm.
Over the next couple of years, there were numerous attempts to resuscitate the French scene with a fully French lineup. Legacy organizations like LDLC, Heretics, and 3DMAX, as well as teams like HEET, DBL Poney, and even Falcons, tried multiple mixes with both newer and familiar names. Still, things did not seem to work as intended, leading to apEX and ZywOo being the only two French players taking part in the first CS2 Majors—the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Majors 2024.
Part 2: The Problem
What was—and probably still is—standing in the way of French Counter-Strike returning to its previous glory? Has the golden generation of talents like NBK-, shox, SmithZz, Happy, etc., simply faded away without leaving a trace? The transfer of knowledge between generations is always tricky in national teams, and there have been many attempts involving some of the aforementioned names, but not many succeeded. Meanwhile, games like League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, and Fortnite have been winning the hearts of young gamers in the country, which, as anyone might guess, has not necessarily helped the development of “fresh blood” in French CS. This means there are fewer and fewer prospects, leaving it up to the “old guard” to fight for greatness once again—or, as we will be referring to 3DMAX from here on out, “The Young Old Guard.” These are players who, despite not being in their early twenties, are only now getting their first taste of Tier 1 Counter-Strike and are ready to give it their all.
Part 3: The Hope
After many years in the doldrums of online Counter-Strike, a new champion arose. Wandering among the above-mentioned teams for so long, a group of players formed the newest iteration of 3DMAX. The HEET and LF0 quartet of AWP and IGL Bryan “Maka” Canada, ex-G2 Esports player and veteran Lucas “Lucky” Chastang, and sharpshooters Pierre “Ex3rcice” Bulinge and Thomas “Djoko” Pavoni was at the heart of the project. They were later joined by 20-year-old French talent and ex-GenOne, Run&Kill, LDLC player Filip “Graviti” Brankovic.
The trio of Djoko, Ex3rcice, and Lucky instantly caught the writer’s eye. Their versatility—how they all seemed able to fit into any position and role—makes 3DMAX incredibly hard to read and counter, while individually they are difficult for most Tier 2 teams to match. Lucky’s desire to prove himself once again after his unsuccessful stint with G2 in 2018/19 and Ex3rcice’s raw mechanical ability and willingness to put his body, stats, and pride on the line for the team were obvious.
What can one say about Maka? A player who has always been known as a great leader and competitor in the French scene, but who had never before hit the level he reached in 2024. One of the biggest concerns about the 27-year-old marksman was—and probably still is—his ability to hold his own on LAN. However, 2024 provided a turning point in his career that seemed to change things. On May 8, 2024, Maka and 3DMAX faced off against—and lost to—G2 Esports in the second playoff round of ESL Pro League S19. For Maka, this game was a proving ground, an opportunity to show himself and the world that he can hit hard, and when he does, he’s incredibly difficult to handle. Leading 3DMAX to a map win and going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the world at that time made Maka even more confident in his hyper-aggressive AWPing style.
“His style can be risky, but it’s also what makes him so dangerous. When he’s confident, he’s a real threat. Bodyy’s arrival is likely pushing him even more and I have faith in him”, said French Commentator & Streamer – Alexis “aunni” Dorey.
Then there was the duo from GenOne—Gravity and wasiNk. Growing up as an IGL, Gravity was many French fans’ hope of finding “the next apEX”. A player who never backs down and possesses a true warrior’s mentality, proudly showcasing it both inside and outside the server. He would gladly do the “dirty work” in the team and is always eager to learn and listen, but also keen to keep the team’s energy intact—even if it means saying some not-so-nice things to the opposition…
The team adopted a new way of thinking—team first, positive, sincere, and emotional in the best way possible—thanks to the arrivals of both Gravity and wasiNk, who, despite not achieving much as a player, had enough experience to develop a great mind for the game and for what a team should look like.
Not only did this squad play eight LAN events in 2024, but they also participated in two consecutive editions of ESL Pro League—making the playoffs in one—qualified for the IEM Cologne Play-In, played in two RMRs, and, most importantly, became the first French-speaking team since Vitality and G2 Esports to qualify for a Counter-Strike Major after beating Sashi, Heroic, and Passion UA at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 RMR. Yet, even that did not seem enough.
With 3DMAX on the rise and seemingly ready for an even more successful 2025, it felt like the team was on an upward trajectory. Then the change happened. Replacing a key player like Djoko with the 28-year-old veteran and ex-Fnatic, Falcons, LDCL, and G2 Esports player Alexandre “bodyy” Pienaro felt like a bolt from the blue—the kind of move that either helps a team surpass its limits or completely kills its momentum and development. It is safe to say that the staff and players took a big chance by bringing in bodyy, but as the French say, “Battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud”—or, “Strike the iron while it is hot.” When the team is showing progress and is hot on its heels, bring in another active element: an experienced figure who can IGL if needed and who, during his stay in the French Falcons, was considered one of the best—if not the best—French players outside Tier 1. He could hardly be blamed for the lack of success of a Fnatic roster that never seemed to click on any level.
With that being said, 3DMAX is still far from becoming a consistent Tier 1 contender and reaching the heights of the French Vitality or the “G2 French Superteam,” but it is already well ahead of many other French projects in the last seven years. PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 was truly a trial by fire for bodyy and company, and the loss against SAW in the 2-2 bracket Main Swiss game was not ideal. Still, making it to the second stage of ESL Pro League while beating teams like Heroic, Eternal Fire, and Falcons shows promising signs.
Moreover, with the team getting more chances to participate in LAN events, courtesy of its #11 position in the Valve World Ranking, the future is undeniably exciting for this new iteration of 3DMAX. And yet, the story does not end there: the love for the game that spurs the creation of teams like NBK and afro’s Mercenaries; the struggle and hard work of JACKZ and GenOne; the undeniable potential of what could be the next big French Counter-Strike superstar in Ryan “Neity” Aubry (ENCE); and the rising interest of organizations like Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp are all good signs that we may be witnessing the dawn of “The French CS2 Revolution”.
