The Benches

A series in 9 parts, in reading order.

Episode 0: Counter-Strike's biggest storylines, argued on a staircase

Stazione's new flagship series. Livewire hosts, the whole panel sits on two rows of benches, and each episode works through one great Counter-Strike storyline, from 1.6 to this week's patch. Eight episodes, all out now.

The Benches

Episode 1: The "Thrown Away, Won Anyway" special

karrigan, Zeus and Aleksib were all discarded before their biggest wins. Livewire puts the panel on the benches to work out why teams keep throwing away champions.

The Benches

Episode 2: The Cursed Finals special

NiKo waited sixteen Majors. FaZe lost three finals in eighteen months, then didn't qualify. Liquid lost nine finals in a row. The panel works through Counter-Strike's longest droughts, and who's still stuck in one.

The Benches

Episode 3: The Borrowed Players special

Both 2017 Kraków finalists leaned on players on loan. The greatest player of all time spent a year in temporary jerseys. Taiwan's first Major player was the assistant coach. Weekend Warrior still doesn't understand loans.

The Benches

Episode 4: The World Outside the Server

A Major cancelled by a pandemic, a war told in four chapters, a Saudi-owned team winning a Saudi-owned organizer's Major, and a visa that knocked out the world champions. The quiet episode: Livewire turns the telops down.

The Benches

Episode 5: The Map of the World special

China has sent 25 players to Majors and none has reached the playoffs. Germany has never played a final. Turkey just made its first semifinal, and Mongolia went from no organization to a Major final in two years. Plus Dusty's segment on the nation nobody puts on the map.

The Benches

Episode 6: The Dynasties special

The Polish core that won under five names. The forgotten first draft of the Astralis dynasty. The coach with more Majors than any player. And the one roster statistic everybody gets wrong.

The Benches

Episode 7: The Scandals, Skins and Money special

A match-fixing scandal paid in skins, a boost that caused the first forfeit in Major history, 37 coaches banned over a spectator bug, a $5 billion gambling boom, a market crash Valve caused itself, and two lawsuits filed this year. The Prosecutor has waited the whole series for this.

The Benches

Episode 8: The Game Right Now (finale)

Not history: the Counter-Strike you're playing this week. A new mode broken within an hour, a slow silent reload, a grenade cap, test commands that aren't live, bunnyhopping made official, and how the community is taking all of it.