GotFrag - Matt "PaTyoJoN" Iantosca is no stranger to the US Counter-Strike community, having paid his dues with teams such as xeno, F1, D!E, u5, Rival, WeW, and more. His latest team has dominated the US CS 1.6 scene lately. x3o placed first with an impressive performance in the first GotFrag Revival Tour Tournament and just won Season 8 of CEVO Pro CS 1.6.

GotFrag had a chance to speak with Matt after his outstanding performance in the Grand Finals of the GRT #1. Iantosca discusses his performance in GRT, his opinion of the old Euro vs. US debate, his thoughts on CS 1.6 and more.

You have been named MVP in the Gotfrag Revival Tour Tournament #1. You had an incredible performance in the Grand Final. What made this performance stand out in your mind and how do you rate your own performance in this tournament?

Well getting named MVP is great because I don’t have to listen to impulsive say he’s the best player in the world every 2 seconds because I’m the MVP so I’m obviously better right? Overall as a team we played very well, I came up big in some clutch situations which is probably the reason I stood out from the rest of my teammates, but that’s just part of my role on the team.

What in-game moment stands out in your mind in the first GotFrag Revival Tour tournament?

Probably winning a 1v3 or 1v4? Pistol round against GR as T on train. T side on train can get ugly if you have a bad start, so winning this pretty much kept our confidence up and let us win the match easily.

You recently replied to a comment in an article on GotFrag where you stated "I can guarantee you that USA teams can compete with European teams, and its shown from the very few events that American teams have been able to attend." Do you truly believe that American CS players are on the same level skill wise and can compete with the Europeans on a level playing field?

Every international event we have played at we have performed somewhat well, either beating some European teams or coming very close and usually losing to the tournament winner. Same with EG.usa, they have shown on numerous occasions that they are able to compete internationally. After this summer LAN season I am sure that everyone else will see what I mean.

Do you believe that the level of skill in CS has evened out over the years. Are the teams competing now in CS 1.6 better or worse than the teams that played the game in 2003-2004?

I think that the skill level has evened out over the years, but the teams competing now are just as good as the teams of the past. The style of play and teamwork has been constantly changing, which is why the game is still so fun and interesting to play/watch.

How would you rate your present team against say an SK or 3D of years past?

I know that we could compete against them, I never played SK so I can’t really comment on that, but last ESWC we tied NiP (some old SK players) and last CPL we beat 3D, so I think that shows we are able to compete with those teams.

Are there any younger, up and coming U.S. players that you believe could carry the torch, so to speak, or that can play at a level consistent with the top teams in the world?

There’s really no one that stands out in my mind, I’ve been telling people to watch out for impulsive for a while and I think just now they are starting to realize that he’s a good player.

What does the future hold for you? With a lot of the old school U.S. players now competing in CGS and CSS, will you continue to play 1.6 and do you think there is a viable future as a pro eSports player in CS 1.6?

Well now that I’m out of college and working full-time counter-strike is what I do on my free time. I will continue to play 1.6 as long as I am having fun and have time for it, and being that there are tons of tournaments coming in the next few months the future of CS 1.6 looks pretty good.

What effect do you think a pro PC gaming circuit could have for CS 1.6 in the U.S.? What do you think is needed to push CS 1.6 or Counter-Strike back to the forefront of eSports professional gaming in the U.S.?

A pro PC gaming circuit sounds like a pretty cool idea, but in order for it to work I think that the players would have to get paid a realistic and livable wage. There’s a huge difference between barely getting by financially (making 24k a year) and living comfortably. If you are in high school or college you don’t really need to make that much money to support yourself, but once you are out and have to pay your own rent and all the bills, money is what determines many players' decisions. I think the same goes in order to push CS 1.6 to the forefront of professional gaming in the U.S. In my mind the CGS is the only reason anyone plays source, so if that were to change to 1.6 or go away completely, 1.6 would be just as alive and kicking as ever before. It will also take a lot of time, but it is moving in the right path.

Who would you say is the best overall Counter-Strike player in the U.S. right now?
Someone from my team

Do you think you are a better player now than ever or is the desire, skill and practice regimen slowed over the years?

My desire to play CS 1.6 has slowed down a little because of the lack of teams to practice against, but I still feel like I have as much skill as ever before I just use it differently. Instead of running around and killing everyone I allow my teammates to do that and leave me for the 1v XX situations where I can outplay the other team.

What events are you looking forward to the most this year in terms of you and your team?

I am looking forward to ESWC, ESWC Masters in Paris (if we get invited), WCG and of course the best of them all X3O Dust-Off Championship Finals.

Anything you would like to say in closing?

I would like to thank our head sponsor Dust-Off, also nation-voice and xreg servers



Related Links:
GotFrag Revival Tour Tournament #1 Melee/Scores
GotFrag Revival Tour Tournament #1 Team List
GotFrag Revival Tour Edition
GotFrag TV