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FlyQuest have announced the benching of Alistair “aliStair” Johnston, who is the first player to step down from the Oceanic Counter-Strike roster since the lineup came together in March.
The news comes after a turbulent season for the Australian outfit, who finished the year with an early elimination from Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.
AliStair was one of the best-performing players and a key factor in FlyQuest’s highs this season, which included two ESL Challenger League titles.
The 26-year-old posted a 1.12 performance rating in FlyQuest’s successful run at ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2024, while he held the second-best average of the squad at the Shanghai Major (1.01).
“Without Ali’s [aliStair’s] heroics, we would not have become the first Australian team to win an international tournament since 2017 at DreamHack Atlanta, nor would we have been able to return to the Major after the heartbreak of Copenhagen,” said FlyQuest’s Chief Gaming Officer, Christopher “PapaSmithy” Smit.
With aliStair’s departure, FlyQuest must find a replacement AWPer to fill in the gap before the 2025 Counter-Strike season.
Their next confirmed tournament appearance is set for March in ESL Pro League Season 21.
