GotFrag eSports recently sat down with our very own Counter-Strike 1.6 player Matt "PaTyoJoN" Iantosca. In this interview are some great questions and even better answers regarding the well-being of Counter-Strike 1.6 in North America. Many topics were discussed, ranging from the recent GotFrag Revival Tour tournament to the events x3o CS 1.6 plan to attend within the next few months. It's a short, yet fairly informative interview - check it out!

Excerpt from GotFrag.com's interview with Matt Iantosca :
How would you rate your present team against say an SK or 3D of years past?

I know that we could compete against them, I never played SK so I can’t really comment on that, but last ESWC we tied NiP (some old SK players) and last CPL we beat 3D, so I think that shows we are able to compete with those teams.

Are there any younger, up and coming U.S. players that you believe could carry the torch, so to speak, or that can play at a level consistent with the top teams in the world?

There’s really no one that stands out in my mind, I’ve been telling people to watch out for impulsive for a while and I think just now they are starting to realize that he’s a good player.

What does the future hold for you? With a lot of the old school U.S. players now competing in CGS and CSS, will you continue to play 1.6 and do you think there is a viable future as a pro eSports player in CS 1.6?

Well now that I’m out of college and working full-time counter-strike is what I do on my free time. I will continue to play 1.6 as long as I am having fun and have time for it, and being that there are tons of tournaments coming in the next few months the future of CS 1.6 looks pretty good.

What effect do you think a pro PC gaming circuit could have for CS 1.6 in the U.S.? What do you think is needed to push CS 1.6 or Counter-Strike back to the forefront of eSports professional gaming in the U.S.?

A pro PC gaming circuit sounds like a pretty cool idea, but in order for it to work I think that the players would have to get paid a realistic and livable wage. There’s a huge difference between barely getting by financially (making 24k a year) and living comfortably. If you are in high school or college you don’t really need to make that much money to support yourself, but once you are out and have to pay your own rent and all the bills, money is what determines many players' decisions. I think the same goes in order to push CS 1.6 to the forefront of professional gaming in the U.S. In my mind the CGS is the only reason anyone plays source, so if that were to change to 1.6 or go away completely, 1.6 would be just as alive and kicking as ever before. It will also take a lot of time, but it is moving in the right path.

To read the rest of the interview, head over to GotFrag.com!