by Esports organization Apeks has finally put the finishing touches to its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive lineup by signing on on Richard “shox” Papillion.
The Frenchman was added on Thursday as the franchise prepares to compete in the IEM Rio Major Open Qualifiers. The event will kick off on August 15 and will be Apeks’ first Counter-Strike game as a five-man team.
He was previously a part of North America’s Team Liquid for a short while. However, after a disappointing tenure, the 30-year-old was more than willing to strive for better results upon his return to the European scene.
Shox commented on the signing and revealed he was excited about the new experience. He wrote, “Happy to be back on track. Took care of myself as needed. I feel fresh and ready to compete again with lovely guys. I can’t wait to discover more. Excited to play our first official tomorrow.”
The player also explained that he needed some time off from the competitive scene after his time with Team Liquid. The official statement on Apeks website read, “After my time in Team Liquid, I needed a break to recover from the exhausting schedule we had. I had to make sure my head was healthy before joining a new team.”
Shox further revealed that he was glad and thankful for the opportunity to be in the group. He added that he looked forward to collectively working with the team to achieve better things and “make this journey together a beautiful story.”
As a veteran of competitive gaming, shox will share his experience with the younger players in the Apeks lineup, including Tim “nawwk” Jonasson, Justinas “JL” Lekavicius, and Martin “STYKO” Styk. The Frenchman will aid the STYKO’s transition into his role as the in-game leader in order to give the team a better chance at achieving its tier 1 team goal.
Shox said, “I will try to bring my knowledge and experience of the game to help “STYKO” in his new role. I know he can become a great in-game leader. Also, supporting and helping the youngest players is something I like to do so they will become even stronger. My goal for this team is to create good chemistry between everyone and work step by step to become a solid tier 1 team.”
The recent changes in Apeks’ lineup come on the back of the team’s performance in the ESEA tournament after placing sixth. Shox’s signing is aimed at giving the team a better chance in the second half of the season.
The rest of the international squad includes Tim “nawwk” Jonasson, Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad, Justinas “jL” Lekavicius, the assistant coach P?l “Polly” Kammen and Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński, the head coach. Polly was the previous head coach, but he remained on the coaching staff after being replaced by Kuben.
At the moment, the esports organization is ranked #60 on HLTV. With the new lineup, the franchise hopes to move past the #28 mark in the future.
The Head of Esports in Apeks, Anders Kj?r, revealed that the season’s results were a disappointment to the team. He stated that it spurred them to take action. After the loss, Apeks carried out “a lot of research in the market to find the right players so we can reach our ambitious goals.”
Shox will make his debut in the franchise’s first fixture in the IEM Rio Major open qualifiers, as Apeks focuses on making it to the IEM Rio Major scheduled to be held in November. He will be expected to play a huge role in the team’s success in the coming open qualifiers.
