Movie inspired by ‘The Golden Five’ of CS 1.6 is in the works

Polish director Filip Syczynski's feature-length film titled Ghost is about an esports player that rises from zero to hero at a time when esports was in its infancy. In an interview with eweszlo.pl, he goes into a lot of detail regarding the project.

Although it's not a biographical tale is set around the time The Golden Five won their first major victory. The movie is bound to historic integrity, showcasing what it meant to be an esports player at the time, the stigma, and all. For those that grew up in the '90s and lived the golden age of CS 1.6, it will be filled with nostalgia, emphasizing emotion, and accuracy.

Ghost is a movie that's centered around historical esports events, and while it will be heavy on drama, it will also feature a lot of comedy as well. A common fear of fans when movies are made based on properties they're passionate about is that the production team, being non-fans, will fail to capture the real essence of the source material. Here, that's not the case.

Syczynski organized Quake II tournaments in internet cafes and played the game himself back then. As a fan on the outside looking in, he still remembers the pride he and the gaming community felt after Filip "NEO" Kubski and the rest of The Golden Five won their first international event that put Poland on the map, World Cyber Games 2006. Also involved in the production are Janusz "Hayabusa" Kubski (NEO's father) and Polish esports figure, Maciej "sawik" Sawicki. It was sawik that first approached Syczynski about the movie in 2018, and they've been working hard ever since to make it happen.

In a recent Facebook post, sawik talks about putting the pieces together to start the project. From his first conversation with Syczynski to what the movie embodies and his part in the production. "The film is supposed to be an emotional journey into the world of stuffy cafes and square monitors. This story will only conquer the hearts of viewers if it's credible. Reliable, consistent with gaming culture, the way it was, which is what? That's the question I'm trying to help answer," he stated passionately.

The Golden Five, playing under the Team Pentagram banner, won much more than just World Cyber Games 2006. They also seized victory at the first Intel Extreme Masters, Electronic Sports World Cup 2007, and many more tournaments, becoming legends and dominating the scene between 2006-2008.

Ghost, at its core, is all about the underdog, the invisible player that rises from obscurity to the top to grasp victory, recognition, and authority. Its a tale every gamer is familiar with, whether they've personally experienced it or not, and if Syczynski pulls it off, it will undoubtedly be a treat to watch.