jks: Split roster, limited practice leave FlyQuest demotivated

Justin “jks” Savage, FlyQuest’s in-game leader, said the team’s split Europe–Australia roster, limited practice time and an 85th VRS ranking have left players demotivated as they bootcamp in Europe ahead of the Cologne Major. The organisation has played 46 official maps in 2026 and has not attended a tier-one event this year.

Three players-Aaron “AZR” Ward, Savage and João “story” Vieira-are based in Europe while the rest of the roster remains in Australia. The geographic split has reduced regular five-player practice and contributed to inconsistent results, Savage said. He estimated the squad has managed roughly three full weeks of European practice together this year and made multiple trips to China for events and practice; those sessions did not replace regular team training.

FlyQuest lost to 5star, JiJieHao and Alter Ego at recent events. Savage said the team needs wins at smaller LANs to accumulate VRS points that support invitations to larger tournaments. “At the end of the day, we just have to win these smaller events so we get the VRS points, right?” he added.

Ahead of Cologne, the squad spent about two weeks training at a European office provided by a partner. Savage said the bootcamp focused on correcting small errors that appear after long periods without playing together. “We’re definitely more well-drilled and prepared at least,” he said, noting the work on the team’s strategy book and on basic in-game routines.

FlyQuest have limited recent match footage available publicly, with roughly 45 maps visible this year on common match trackers. Savage said the lack of tape can make the team harder to scout but also limits FlyQuest’s experience against many European opponents. He suggested that most of their competitive matches in 2026 have been against teams from China and Mongolia, where the style of play differs from European competition.

The situation has affected morale. Savage described the season as “a little bit demotivating” after years at the top, and said he has taken on more of a mentoring role with younger teammates. Story characterized the squad as being in “survival mode” on a podcast, indicating pressure ahead of qualifiers and the Major itself.

Off the field, Savage raised concerns about a new in-game sticker system that could reduce revenue for organisations that do not attend every event. He criticized what he described as limited advance notice from the game’s developer about the change, saying he did not believe organisations were given a heads-up before the rollout.

FlyQuest enter the Cologne Major with limited recent top-level exposure but with extra practice from the European bootcamp. The team’s immediate objective is to convert training into wins at smaller LANs to climb the VRS rankings and regain access to larger events. “Hopefully people can see when they watch our games that we’re not just like playing like a PUG team,” Savage said.