win.gg
Win.gg Counter-Strike Lazarus Esports beats New Identity in debut WINNERS League NA final

Lazarus Esports beats New Identity in debut WINNERS League NA final

Jared Wynne
Jared Wynne Published 04/07/2019
Google Preferred Source

Lazarus Esports has been crowned the inaugural champion of WINNERS League’s debut North American invitational tournament after a thrilling grand finals victory.

Lazarus defeated New Identity in the final series by a 2-1 margin. The finals included overtime, comebacks, and big individual performances from some of America’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive talent.

New Identity got off to a promising start on Overpass. The team played Lazaraus to a standstill, trading rounds back and forth through the end of regulation. Lazarus’ Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik found 36 frags in the game, but New Identity still managed to close the map out in the overtime period for a 19-16 win.

New Identity seemed prepare to win the series outright in game two on Mirage. The squad at one point rattled off seven consecutive rounds in the first half and held a 9-6 advantage at halftime, eventually extending that lead to 11-8 in the second half.

But Lazarus took over from there, winning 8 of the next 10 rounds to seal a 16-13 victory and keep the team’s hopes alive.

The closeness of the series was defined by a clutch round win from Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker during game two in which he was forced to charge through a smoke to stop a late defuse attempt.

yay was again the impact player for Lazarus in game three as New Identity seemed to lose a measure of hope. Lazarus pushed for a 10-3 lead and set up match point at 15-5. New Identity hung on for a few rounds longer, but the quality of Lazarus ultimately shone through as the side closed the game out 16-8 to finish the series.

Subroza and yay were the top performers for Lazarus Esports, netting 74 and 71 frags in the series respectively. Veteran player Skyler “Relyks” Weaver was the only New Identity player to crack 60 with a score of 64, and was also the only member of New Identity to avoid a negative K/D differential.

Lazarus Esports coach and former star player Daniel “fRoD” Montaner gave insight into his team’s approach to the game after the victory, speaking to Lazarus’ focus on its own play above that of its opposition.

“Counter stratting isn’t something I believe in, so I make sure we know what we need to about specific players, teams, and more,” fRoD said. “When you focus more on yourself, prepare your game plan, and worry solely on executing it, things will flow easier.”

The coach also credited WINNERS League with providing a great competitive environment as his team has reached new heights, calling it “some of the most enjoyable times I’ve had in Counter-Strike.”

Those are big words coming from an accomplished pro player like fRoD, and they carry a lot of weight.

WIN CEO Serge Vardanyan expressed his appreciation for the participation of all of the teams in the debut North American season of WINNERS League, as well as his admiration for the newly crowned champions at Lazarus.

“We’re proud of all the teams who competed,” Vardanyan said. “We’re excited to continue providing Lazarus, New Identity, and other teams, pro and amateur alike, with a premier competitive experience.”

Jared Wynne Jared Wynne
About Jared Wynne

Jared Wynne is the Editor-in-Chief at WIN.gg, overseeing its content. He has been working in digital media for over two decades, most often in and around the gaming industry. His all-time favorite games include Baldur’s Gate, Doom, and Counter-Strike, but he’ll play just about anything that seems interesting. His previous credits include The Daily Dot, The Esports Observer, GameLand, and more.

View full profile
Read Also
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...