Report: M80 targets highly-touted American ECL prospect

Last month, Dust2.us reported that G2 were in the hunt for M80's star rifler Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa. With this move completed a few days ago, all eyes were on M80 to sign a new fifth. With the talent pool in North America growing shallow and the team already comprising a German duo, meaning a European import was not in the cards, questions surrounded who would get the call up.

Sources now tell Dust2.us that M80 have tapped Mason "Lake" Sanderson as their new fifth for the Esports World Cup. His status on the team, whether stand-in, trial, or permanent member, is unknown. All that is known is that M80 have penned his name as malbsMd's replacement for the Saudi event, beginning in just two weeks.

Until now, Lake had played with Carpe Diem for the majority of 2024. It was during this time that Lake really popped onto the radar of many NA CS viewers, dominating his opponents in style.

Since joining Carpe Diem in January, Lake has posted a 1.13 Rating alongside a 1.32 Impact rating and 85.2 ADR. His solid performances, despite his team's middling results, awarded Lake with a spot on Dust2.us' Best Players of ECL S47.

Despite his near complete lack of LAN matches, Lake has been floated by the community as a malbsMd replacement not only for his stat-line but also his play style. In ECL, Lake attempted nearly 30% of his team's opening duels, showcasing an aggressive side that M80 lack with the departure of malbsMd.

The move to M80 will clearly be Lake's biggest challenge yet, as prior to Carpe Diem, the 19-year-old had only played for Unjustified, Snakes Den, and a for-fun mix team. While it is unknown if he will take a permanent slot on the roster, we will see Lake's ability on the big stage in Riyadh.

Dust2.us has contacted M80 for comment, but they did not respond by the time of publication.

M80's roster for the Esports World Cup 2024 is as follows:

• Michael "Swisher" Schmid

• Ethan "reck" Serrano

• Fritz "slaxz-" Dietrich

• Elias "s1n" Stein

• Mason "Lake" Sanderson

• Rory "dephh" Jackson (Coach)