fragster: compLexity Gaming did have success in Starcraft 2, especially with Heart and GanZi. Why did coL decide to not exceed the contracts of both Koreans?
Jason Lake is the founder and CEO of the well-known American organisation compLexity Gaming which has been in the gaming scene for more than ten years.
Jason Lake: Yes, overall we were pleased with the performances of GanZi and Heart. GanZi struggled with his health during the second half of the year which was unfortunate. For 2013 both players were offered contracts. GanZi decided to decline his offer and Heart chose to join his roommates over at Axiom. We're grateful for the hard work both players put in during their time with us.
Lately, coL signed TheStC who formerly played for Quantic Gaming. What was the reason for that step?
Jason Lake: We've always been a fan of TheStC and believe his best days are ahead of him. When Quantic closed we immediately began talks with him and Illusion. Fortunately, we were able to come to terms with TheStC and are excited to have him on board.
The non-Korean players of compLexity did not perform that well in 2012. Is coL still okay with the performance of the players?
Jason Lake: It's always our goal, of course, to have playes in the Top 4 and on the main stage. Our American players were not able to reach that goal in 2012 but we're still proud of the growth we saw and especially proud of how the compLexity Academy is locating new NA talent.
goswser was the Academy player to really show amazing performances. Did coL try to exceed the contract with the player?
Jason Lake: We made an offer to Michael but he decided to expand his horizons with a move to Europe. Who can blame a young man for wanting to train and live in such a great place? We wish him the very best and are proud that he's a compLexity Academy alumni.
Concerning the Starcraft 2 lineup. Are there any more players planned to be signed?
Jason Lake: Right now we have open conversations with a couple players but are in no hurry. With the shift to HotS and the large number of top players on the open market we feel it's wise to wait and see how everything transpires. We're devoted to SC2 and will continue to support the game but believe the wise move is to move slowly in 2013.
With the team house shutting down, will all the players play from their homes again?
Jason Lake: I think the SC2 community vastly overestimated the importance of the house closure. It was simply a business decision. The goal was for a certain ROI from the investment. We weren't getting the ROI so we closed down the project. Nothing more, nothing less. We still believe in team houses and plan to have different ones in the future.
Jumping over to MOBA games. You currently only have signed a HoN lineup. How about expanding in League of Legends (The interview was held before coL announced the addition of 'The Brunch Club') or Dota 2?
Jason Lake: We've had LoL and Dota 2 squads in the past and are interested in having them in the future. We've spoken with lots of teams over the past few months, trying to find the right fit. I'm confident both games will continue to be staples in eSports and it's our goal to field teams sooner rather than later.
Apart from the major eSports titles at the moment, how does coL feel about signing a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team in the next months?
Jason Lake: On an emotional level we're obviously quite tied to Counter-Strike. CS is the reason compLexity was initially founded. However, on a practical level the business side needs to make sense. Five man CS squads that need to travel the world are very expensive. Right now the CS:GO numbers are not impressive, sadly. The investment just doesn't make sense as of yet. Personally, I'm pulling for the game but we can't invest large amounts of money just because it's called "Counter-Strike".
In the mind of Jason Lake which games will be the dominating ones in eSports for 2013?
Jason Lake: LoL, SC2, Dota 2, CoD, and HoN. Hopefully someone gets a PC FPS game into the mix, because I sure as hell miss watching them.
How do you feel about the position of compLexity Gaming in terms of importance concerning the worldwide eSports scene?
Jason Lake: I don't know that we're "important" to the global scene but I hope we've earned some respect over the past ten years. We're very passionate about gaming and try our best to appreciate our fans and take care of our sponsors. In North America there are only two "big" organizations left standing and we're grateful to be one of them.
Any thoughts about the development of compLexity in 2012?
Jason Lake: We've just released our new website and a fresh new look for 2013. We're excited about what the future holds. ESports keeps growing and we're honored to be a part of it. Thanks very much to our fans and sponsors: Sound Blaster, QPad, Twitch, PNY, Origin, G8 and NationVoice. Thanks for the interview!
