The rise of Brazilian Counter-Strike is a (long) story of contradictions.

The South-American country is known to give the world exquisite footballers (soccer is neither a sport nor is it a valid word in any language), clean shaven women, miles upon miles of sunny beaches and the infamous caipirinhas, dreaded by hung over tourists from Thule to Isla de Fuegos. It is also a country and society plagued by vast social inequalities.

The difference between the rich and the poor can startle any first time visitor. Still, the Brazilian people will always seem happy and content with life despite the challenges many of them face in everyday life. Sports and cultural events are ways to escape them and to rejoice around the commonalities of being Brazilian.

Owing to this joy of sports and competition, the Brazilians respect people that take their shot at becoming the best they can be in anything they commit to. Still, Raphael "cogu" Camargo (22) is a new kind of role model in the Brazilian experience. Camargo is a Paulista, born and bred in the mega city of Sao Paulo. He is also an ESWC champion, Counter-Strike superstar, and the team captain of Made in Brazil, proudly waving their flag, and echoing the words «Ordem and Progresso» (order and progress) at e-sport events around the world.

Breaking with tradition

Traditionally, g3nerationX is Sao Paulo's team, and G3X traveled to Dallas in the summer of 2002 to make their debut on the international stage. Carlos "KIKOOOO" Segal was already a Brazilian star and on that team but Camargo was too young. He was considered a hot prospect and his time would come.

"KIKOOOO" was soon picked up by the team that would become MIBR and together they would take the first faltering steps towards making Brazil renowned throughout the globe for their quality players and teams. Camargo was watching and waiting in the wings before he finally joined the squad in 2003.

- I was very good friends with KIKOOOO and even back then the professionalism and sponsor situation in MIBR was very good. MIBR is mainly supported by DBA.com, Nvidia and Sennheiser. The brand is also a company that solely focuses on the Counter-Strike team.

- We have paid professionals in the squad as well as in the operational and organizational part of the company, Camargo says.

Professional to his talented fingertips

In his early twenties, Camargo is a star. Despite his status, he continues to work hard at the chores and responsibilities vested in him. It’s not something he takes lightly, and the success of winning titles has not changed his personality. He is currently the in-game captain for his team, a position he, by his own admission, dreads.

In a competitive environment where the cut-throat-stab-in-the-back-mentality reigns supreme, Camargo redefines the expression of "taking one for the team."

- I lead in-game.

- We work with two pairs. "Brun0" and "bit" team up together, as does "nak" and "cky" while I’m usually the wild card. We plan our strategies together during our practice sessions. At tournaments we decide what to do for the pistol rounds and the 4th round. I’ll remark whether we will play aggressively or defensively. The rest of the team tries to help out with the tactical decisions in the heat of the moment, Camargo explains.

The "wild card" aspect of the Brazilian’s game is something most teams struggle to find the answer to. "cogu" is famous for picking off opponents early, breaking up strategies before they can evolve into dangerous situations. His sniper-play with the AWP is very accurate and thus it’s a hot topic for conversation for fans and adversaries alike. Camargo shrugs it off and says he doesn’t do anything special to maintain his level with the lean, mean, and green fragging machine. It seems embodied into his individual style of play.

- In Counter-Strike Beta 5.2 the AWP had a crosshair even when unzoomed. You could shoot while jumping and moving without it impairing the shots direction and that’s why I enjoyed playing with it so much. Despite all the changes to the weapon I decided to stick with it. I do play a lot though before big tournaments.

If famous for anything beyond "cogu’s" AWP, MIBR became infamous for switching players frequently. The team broke through internationally during the summer of 2003. Some months later they brought home the first prestigious placement, a fifth place from a stacked Winter CPL in Dallas.

Many observers and fans expected the Brazilians to grow from the experience, but the opposite happened. Several roster attempts failed and at one point in 2006 the team’s owner, Paulo Velloso, had enough. Three teams were playing with the MIBR tag and he created a tournament where the teams would compete to see which line-up held the most promise. Camargo’s Sao Paulo-based team won what must be described as the ultimate prize, the continued financial support of Velloso and his company DBA. This also meant MIBR’s geographical base would switch from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo.

- It was a way for the organization to make sure the line-up would be more constant and more solid. The tournament was a huge challenge to each of the groups with the MIBR-tag and in the end we were the strongest team, Camargo explains.