In his early years as an esports athlete, Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz was known to crumble at the biggest stages in Counter-Strike history as his teams never reached the grand finale of a major CS:GO tournament. His reputation plummeted and fans began branding him as choke artist or a walking voodoo doll since his teams would either end up destined finishing in the quarter or semi-finals. Not even a change in scenery could address this issue given the number of disappointing finishes across multiple teams.
It was clearly evident that the bad luck that he and his teammates accumulated would affect their morale as the end product has always been lackluster. But things changed when his team Astralis made a crucial decision in hiring a sports psychiatrist. From there, everything was left to dust as Astralis established a dynasty that could never be rivaled by any team in Counter-Strike history. The outcome not only propelled Dev1ce in being one of the greatest Counter-Strike players of all time but also one of the richest as well.
DEV1CE'S NETWORTH STANDS AT $1.8 MILLION
Trophy after trophy to infinity, Dev1ce's Liquipedia page is filled with glitz and glamor of a certified winner. The excel sheet looking esports page suddenly evolves into a gold mine as you are left amazed with his accolades. It started with a New Year's bang in 2017 when he helped Astralis won the Atlanta Major which earned him $261,000. His winning ways carried on in 2018 where he garnered $730,000 caused by his victory in the London Major. He fell short in reaching his quota in terms of winnings in 2019 where he only acquired $428,000 even though he won two major trophies in Katowice and Berlin, nevertheless his streak of victories alone speak wonders.
And he doesn't just rely on the majors as he even treated the S-Tier tournaments as part of his investment portfolio.
THE PATH CHOSEN
In his early years, Dev1ce juggled between being a professional Counter-Strike player and being a badminton player. It was no easy task for him to choose one over the other as he has been recruited by organizations to pursue a career in both of these ventures. Given his 50-50 commitment, Dev1ce's first esports team the Copenhagen Wolves, removed him from the roster.
Suddenly, a knee injury took place where Dev1ce was forced to let go of his badminton dreams for a shot at being a professional CS player. This led to his return to Wolves. He was initially criticized for his poor work ethic as he tended to skip practices which led to him getting sacked for the second time. He made amends to improve on his maturity and Wolves reacquired him.
It was an enlightening experience for Dev1ce who learned that being the best means pursuing a defined path and learning from a coming-of-age encounter. He went from leading a pack of Wolves to reaching the biggest tournaments from these revelations.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT MINDSET
When Dev1ce and his teammates were fed up from the curse bestowed upon them, the team realized the need for an improved mindset. When they hired Mia Stellberg, a renowned Olympic psychologist, to salvage what's left of their self-esteem came a new breath of life that defined their legacy in the succeeding years. After her arrival, Dev1ce won his first ever major in 2017 when Astralis stood victorious in Atlanta.
But it wasn't a fairytale ending that would last until another year as Dev1ce was diagnosed with a nagging bowel illness where he was forced to remain as a bystander. He watched in agony as his teammates struggled to make an impact without him. They even failed to qualify in the playoff rounds of the Boston Major in 2018. When his teammate Markus Kjærbye left, it seemed as if the team was destined for a collapse.
However this never dampened his spirits as he changed his lifestyle where he incorporated physical activities in his regiment. This in return improved his physical conditioning and his mental fortitude. When he returned to the competitive scene, the new and improved Dev1ce was a catalyst for Astralis to dominate the CS:GO scene.
His teammates would not only praised his mechanical skills as his leadership was integral for the team's overall success. He was the source of the team's optimistic mindset during and in-between matches.
This ultimately proves that skill alone isn't enough to transcend in the esports scene as there are other factors that define a player.
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