AI In The Arena How ChatGPT Influenced A CS Roster

Love "phzy" Smidebrant has made a dramatic return to the Wildcard CS team, marking the end of a turbulent roster shuffle that saw the organization face widespread criticism from the community. The controversy began after the post-Major benching of phzy, Tim "susp" Ångström, and Peter "stanislaw" Jarguz, a move that sent the team's rankings plummeting and alienated fans who saw them as a rising international squad.

In a candid interview, phzy shed light on the chaotic internal decisions, including a shocking revelation that a manager allegedly used ChatGPT to brainstorm new player acquisitions.

A Tumultuous Return to Wildcard

Returning just hours before their Fragville tournament campaign, phzy expressed mixed feelings about being back. While he enjoyed his recent success with the team 9INE, he was also glad to reunite with his old teammates.

Well it's a bit of both [feelings]. I really enjoyed playing with 9INE and I feel like I fit in great there, we had a lot of good results. It's nice to meet the team again. I like stanislaw, JBa, and vinS and it's nice to meet the new guys as well.

A Successful Stint with 9INE

During his time away from Wildcard, phzy had a brief but highly effective period with 9INE, an organization he had played for previously. He credited the team's open and welcoming environment as a key factor in their rapid success. However, the move was overshadowed by the uncertainty of his contract status with Wildcard.

I knew it for quite a while. I don't know if I can say how long due to contracts between 9INE and Wildcard but I knew it for quite a while. I think that made it hard for me at 9INE, having this uncertainty over whether I would go back or not.

It was tough on me mentally I would say.

Despite the challenges, phzy believes the experience of playing under a different in-game leader has given him a new perspective he can bring back to help what he calls the "sinking ship" at Wildcard, a team that went from Major Legends to 60th in the world rankings after the roster changes.

The Post-Major Fallout

The decision to bench three core players after a successful Major run shocked the entire CS community, and the players were just as surprised. phzy confirmed that the team was not consulted and he was blindsided by the news.

Yeah, I think I knew a day before they announced I was benched. It was a bit of a surprise and it was done at the end of the player break so I didn't have a chance to find another team. It was handled very poorly.

He noted the irony of the situation, as the team had far exceeded the organization's initial goals, making the subsequent dismantling of the roster all the more confusing.

The ChatGPT Bombshell

When asked about the logic behind the changes, phzy confirmed that a single individual appeared to spearhead the decisions without consulting the team. He then dropped a startling piece of information regarding the methods used to find replacements.

We as players didn't have much say, especially not me because I got benched. I'm not sure what happened, I heard ChatGPT was involved a bit with making suggestions for players...

This seemingly absurd use of an AI for critical, high-stakes roster decisions in a professional esports team highlights the chaotic management that led to the team's downfall.

Rebuilding Trust and Looking Ahead

According to stanislaw, the management responsible for the debacle has since changed, which paved the way for phzy's return. However, the damage to his trust in the organization remains.

It's something you always have in the back of your head... I feel like I got a bit betrayed by the organization obviously and then getting benched. It's tough giving them another chance but there's not much else I can do, right? I've got to focus on playing and that's it.

Despite his apprehension towards the organization, his faith in his teammates, particularly leader stanislaw, remains strong.

First Impressions and Fragville Goals

Now back on the active roster, phzy is getting to know his new teammates, Peeping and F1KU. He noted that F1KU is very vocal and actively helps with in-game calling, which has been a positive first impression. With virtually no practice time, the team's goal at Fragville is to rely on individual skill rather than complex strategies to find success.

Currently, phzy and Wildcard are competing at Fragadelphia Fragville, where they are set to face off against Fluxo.

You can find the complete interview on YouTube.