Berlin International Gaming’s Ismailcan ‘XANTARES’ Dortkardes has been credited as a major reason for BIG’s recent online CS:GO success, and his stats show just why fans shouldn’t be quick to call him an “onliner.”
In January 2020, BIG dropped to No. 46 on HLTV’s rankings, the lowest in the organization’s history. But, thanks to an upsurge of play during the online era, the organization has reached No. 1 on both HLTV and ESL’s lists.
Unsurprisingly, detractors have looked to discredit one of BIG’s most improved players, XANTARES, as solely talented in online play — a criticism that statistics actually prove to be unjustified.
As someone who has only played 44 LAN events in his career, the Turkish-Macedonian has a small sample size for comparisons between online and offline play. And it is true that he is exceptional online, as the rifler has never gone under a 1.14 yearly rating.
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But despite the small sample size and consistent online excellence, his LAN play has not been as inferior as detractors seem to believe. For example, looking back at 2016, XANTARES posted an impressive 1.21 yearly rating in online play, but also a formidable 1.35 on LAN, meaning he played just as well, if not better, at actual events.
Ultimately, BIG will need to prove this form can last into offline play, but the critiques that their star is solely an onliner appear widely, unjustly exaggerated.
