ESL Pro League,Counter-Strike – ESL https://esl.com/pl Feel the passion for esports Tue, 22 May 2018 13:09:29 +0000 pl-PL hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://esl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ESL-Favicon-green-512-150x150.png ESL Pro League,Counter-Strike – ESL https://esl.com/pl 32 32 The ESL Pro League Season 7 Finals survival guide https://esl.com/pl/article/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-finals-survival-guide-2/ Tue, 22 May 2018 13:09:29 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/05/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-finals-survival-guide-2/ Everything you need to know about the tournament in one place.

]]> Season 7 LAN finals of ESL Pro League are upon us. 16 top teams from regions across the world begin their battle for the staggering US$1,000,000 prize pool, the coveted trophy, and a win counting towards the Intel Grand Slam. Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.

Key information

  • When: group stage – May 15 to May 17; playoffs – May 18 to May 20
  • Where: Verizon Theatre, Dallas, Texas
  • Tickets: available here
  • Streaming hub: here; how to watch guide: here
  • Event guide: here
  • Official website: here

Tournament bracket

Please note that HellRaisers have been directly replaced by Heroic.


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Schedule

Please note that HellRaisers have been directly replaced by Heroic.


Click to enlarge

FIND THE FULL SCHEDULE HERE

Broadcast team

  • Host: Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
  • Interviewer: Tres “Stunna” Saranthus
  • Desk host:Alex “Machine” Richardson
  • Analyst: Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
  • Analyst: Janko “YNk” Paunovic
  • Analyst: Jacob “Pimp” Winneche
  • Commentator: Henry “HenryG” Greer
  • Commentator: Jason “Moses” O’Toole
  • Commentator: Harry “JustHarry” Russell
  • Commentator: Jordan “Elfishguy” Mays
  • Alex “Rushly123456” Rush
  • Observer: Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo

Social Media coverage

Follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook for all updates, highlights, spicy memes, exclusive content, and more.

See you in Dallas or on one of the streams!

]]> The dust has settled, all finalists and relegation teams have been determined – let the finals commence! https://esl.com/pl/article/the-dust-has-settled-all-finalists-and-relegation-teams-have-been-determined-let-the-finals-commence-2/ Mon, 21 May 2018 06:08:20 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/05/the-dust-has-settled-all-finalists-and-relegation-teams-have-been-determined-let-the-finals-commence-2/ Check out the results and final standings of Pro League Season 7 in our recap.

]]> The online portion of ESL Pro League Season 7 has ended. The teams have gone through two and a half months of relentless EPL action and the best 13 teams of Europe and North America will meet up in Dallas on May the 14th with MVP PK and Grayhound Gaming from the APAC region and a yet-to-be-determined team from South America to battle for the crown.

In EU, the final week saw some high profile teams fail to qualify for the LAN event, whereas in NA all favorites made it through in the end.

In the bottom of the standings it is LDLC in Europe who will get directly demoted and in NA Team Dignitas have to bid farewell to Pro League.

Let’s look at both regions on more detail.

Europe

Before the final week started, NiP, Na’Vi, Space Soldiers and Astralis had already qualified for Dallas. Mouz and FaZe however were in great positions to clinch their tickets to Texas as well, both requiring only two points. chrisJ and his boys won two maps against Space Soldiers on Monday for their berth. FaZe also faced the Turks on Thursday, they also won both maps and also snatched their berth.

Which meant there was only one berth left to distribute and four teams had realistic chances of claiming it – G2, Heroic, Hellraisers and North. In the end, the Hellraisers were successful, but it couldn’t have been any closer as Hellraisers and Heroic both have 39 points and the Danes were already on match-point against AGO. Had they won in regulation, Heroic would’ve ended the season with 40 point, one ahead of Hellraisers and in the Finals.

Both G2 and North also had the chance to surpass Hellraisers, but the French lost their decisive map against Na’Vi and North against Hellraisers. The guys around ANGE1 got a little lucky in the end, but it always finishes like that in EPL.

In the relegation battle, EnVy and AGO will fight against relegation against the number two and three seed from MDL. LDLC will be demoted directly. It has to be said, all three teams played underwhelming season and deservedly find themselves in the cellar.

Match Of The Week Recap – G2 vs. Na’Vi

For the CIS mix this encounter was only about which seed they will get in the end. But the French still had a shot at making it to the playoffs if they 2-0’d Zeus & Co. here.

But their dreams were already crushed on the first map. Another electronic & s1mple show ensured Na’Vi a 16-13 win on de_mirage. G2 played well, and even had a lead late in the second half, 13-12 as Terrorists, but that’s when Na’Vi won four rounds in a row to get the W.

Next up was cobblestone and this time G2 manages to get the victory on the back of a mixwell show, who finished with 31 frags and a 1.80 HLTV rating. Unfortunately it was already too late at this point and the French will miss their second Pro League Finals in a row.

North America

Team Liquid has been the definition of dominance in the online portion of this season. They are 10 ahead of NRG in second, the only two teams that had prematurely secured their tickets to Texas ahead of the final week.

Still, NRG is THE surprise team of both regions. They played extremely good Counter-Strike all around and it’s going to be super exciting to see them play in front of a huge crowd in Dallas.

OpTic and Cloud9 remain on ranks three and four respectively. They had a comfortable lead heading into the last week, and they took care of business. Renegades did the same, they are fifth with 40 points.

The final berth goes to SK Gaming. They faced the Renegades on the final two maps, and the Aussies actually had the opportunity to spoil the Brazilian’s season. Had they won just one map, Rogue would’ve slipped in ahead of FalleN’s boys. However, it is a good and fair thing that SK made it to Dallas after all. The Brazilians were forced to forfeit three maps and played their series against NRG from Europe with a horrible ping. They are after all one of the strongest teams in NA and it’s good to see them at the LAN, especially after their disappointing premiere with Stewie in Marseilles.

Team Dignitas has to bid goodbye to EPL as they will get demoted directly. Splyce and compLexity occupy the relegation ranks. In a last-ditch attempt, Ghost Gaming managed to squeeze by compLexity to avoid the relegation battle.

Match Of The Week Recap – Sk Gaming vs. Renegades

After Luminosity lost their matches on Monday against Ghost Gaming, SK regained control over their own fate. Winning both maps against Renegades would ensure them LAN participation.

First the Brazilians and Aussies met on de_train and it was quite the nail biter. After a very strong T-side, after which SK led 11-4, jkaem & Co. showed that they too know how to play as Ts. Renegades won 11 rounds in a row beginning on the T side, leading 15-11. That’s when SK started their comeback, winning the remaining four rounds to get to OT, and then closing it out 19-15. Had SK lost that map, they wouldn’t have made it through to the playoffs.

On cache, SK put on a clinic, dispatching of the Aussies with 16-3. Stewie2k had 25 frags in 19 rounds and only seven deaths for an HLTV rating of 2.20.

Good to see both teams in Dallas, a lAN both can use to redeem their underwhelming performances in Marseilles.

Highlights Of The Week

It’s Finals time, baby!

On the 14th of May, the world’s best teams will descend upon Dallas to battle for glory and the coveted Pro League trophy.

Tune in here, if you don’t want to miss any of the action at the LAN Finals in Texas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> Representing the new generation of high skilled Danes – Kjaerbye, Magisk & k0nfig https://esl.com/pl/article/representing-the-new-generation-of-high-skilled-danes-kjaerbye-magisk-k0nfig-2/ Fri, 11 May 2018 12:37:53 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/05/representing-the-new-generation-of-high-skilled-danes-kjaerbye-magisk-k0nfig-2/ Right before the start of Pro League’s Season 7, this trio explored new avenues in their careers. Let’s see where it led them after three months.

]]> Denmark, a country for young men. When it comes to Counter-Strike, Sweden has overshadowed their Danish neighbors for almost the entirety of the game’s existence. The game’s stars and best teams all hailed from Sweden and they collected all the trophies – NiP, Fnatic, SK Gaming, Begrip. HeatoN, Potti, GeT_RiGhT, f0rest, SpawN, friberg. The list goes on and on.

But the winds of change have blown over Scandinavia over the last two years, and now Denmark calls the best teams and players their own. Of course, we’ve had Astralis (formerly TSM, Copenhagen Wolves) amongst the world’s elite since 2013. But today Heroic, North, OpTic (soon to be all Danish) and even the Fragsters have joined the ranks.

Kjaerbye, Magisk and k0nfig stand for this change like none other. They initiated Denmark’s rise in 2016 and in their footsteps many of the up-and-coming Danish players are treading.

All three have gained international recognition in the past two years, playing with one another in either Team Dignitas or North under Denmark’s very own star-maker, Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen, who taught them the ropes and then sent them out into the world.

First, Kjaerbye left Team Dignitas, where he played with MSL, to join Astralis. Only a few months later, Astralis won their first CS:GO Major at the ELEAGUE in January of 2017 and Kjaerbye was named the MVP of the tournament.

Magisk and k0nfig continued to play for MSL under North’s banner in 2017 and grew the team into a true international contender that challenged for titles. Especially k0nfig drew attention to himself through his flashy, aim-heavy and at times cocky play. He almost single handedly shot his team into the finals of the ESL Pro League Season 5 Finals in Dallas, where they lost to G2.

Magisk on the other hand never managed to crawl out from under k0nfig’s shadow during these times in North, as he wasn’t able to keep up his great individual form from the previous year. This led to Magisk’s benching halfway through 2017 and ultimately to his transfer to OpTic Gaming. A short, unsuccessful project that ended right before Pro League Season 7 and set in motion the carousel that sent this trio onto their current journeys.

It came as a shock and surprise to Astralis, when Kjaerbye announced this February, mere days before the trade deadline that he would team up with MSL and North once again. Without time and too many options, Astralis signed Magisk. And k0nfig decided to give the NA route a shot by signing with OpTic.

Three months later, it is quite clear who of the three had been dealt the best cards. Magisk is flourishing under Astralis once again. Even though the team did not intend to replace Kjaerbye, in hindsight it was a blessing. The synergy and team play that made Astralis so strong in the past has returned to the roster. With Magisk in the line-up, device and dupreeh have returned to form as well. After a superbly dominant victory at DreamHack Marseilles and a strong campaign in Pro League, Astralis is the strongest contender to claim world number one status in the uncertainty era.

The grass is not so green on Kjaerbye’s and k0nfig’s side. Especially the former had high hopes after reuniting with MSL to bring North back to the top. It has to be pointed out, those hopes have been crushed severely. Every single LAN North has attended in 2018 has been disappointing to put it lightly. At least in EPL they are still in the running to make the playoffs. They have a chance to qualify for Dallas if they win two maps against the Hellraisers tonight.

K0nfig sits in a similar boat. He has managed to qualify for the Pro League Finals in Texas with OpTic, but just this week the org announced that Snappi and Jugi will come in to replace stanislaw and ShahZaM. Again, k0nfig will be in an uncertain situation, forced to rebuild and start from scratch. In the long run, the change to an all Danish line-up is probably a good thing, but a long and hard rebuilding process starts anew with no certainty of it working out.

Just three months ago, Magisk was clearly in the worst position out of these three players. The tides have now turned, and he is the one smiling from the top of the mountain that is Danish Counter-Strike.

Kom så, Kjaerbye, Magisk & k0nfig!

Tune into the stream here to watch Kjaerbye battle for a spot at the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> The final showdown begins as teams battle for their ticket to Texas in the last week of ESL Pro League Season 7 https://esl.com/pl/article/the-final-showdown-begins-as-teams-battle-for-their-ticket-to-texas-in-the-last-week-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-2/ Mon, 07 May 2018 08:40:52 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/05/the-final-showdown-begins-as-teams-battle-for-their-ticket-to-texas-in-the-last-week-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-2/ Check out our preview for the final week of Pro League, in which we’ll focus on the battle for the remaining playoff spots across both regions.

]]> Thirteen teams across both EU & NA battle to claim one of the seven remaining playoff tickets to qualify for the LAN finals in Dallas, Texas on May the 14th.

AGO and LDLC are entangled in a tight battle to avoid direct relegation, whereas Team Dignitas in NA is an almost certain lock for demotion.

Let’s get right into it by looking at both regions more closely.

Europe

Space Soldiers, NiP, Na’Vi and Astralis are already through to the playoffs however, for seeding advantages they still want to stay focused and win the remaining matches.

NiP and Astralis clash on Thursday. The Danes can still surpass the Swedes if they manage to take three of the four remaining maps against NiP and EnVy. With the way Astralis played this weekend at the DH Masters in Marseilles, this is a likely outcome. Finally, device & his boys look like their Major-Winning selves again, after complete and utter domination in France.

Space Soldiers square off against FaZe and mousesports. If they manage to take two maps, it should cement their position in the top three. But the Turks had a tough time in France after a run of extremely good form online. In Marseilles, Astralis and Gambit completely destroyed Major & Co. Hopefully this won’t discourage the Turkish Soldiers from Space.

Na’Vi plays Fnatic and G2, who are both still in pursuit of the playoff ranks, guaranteeing spicy matches and no easy wins. The Ukrainians played well in France, continuing on their upward trajectory, only losing to Astralis. There are no more superlatives to describe how S1mple has been playing in 2018. His current peak is arguably even beyond neo’s in CS 1.6.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Ranks five through eleven all still have the potential to drop into/out of the playoffs.

FaZe on fifth face the Space Soldiers and one map win guarantees them Playoff participation. But even if they lose both maps, they most likely go to Texas.

Mouseports sit in the same boat. With matches against Space Soldiers and EnVy, they need one more map to clinch their ticket.

The real tension lies between North, G2, Hellraisers, Heroic and Fnatic. North and Hellraisers clash on Thursday and the CIS mix needs to 2-0 the Danes. Not an impossible task considering MSL’s team is in the worst shape we’ve seen them in for over a year. Before that match, ANGE1’s boys face EnVy in another must win series, if playoff hopes are to stay alive.

G2 only has one series against Na’Vi remaining. A 2-0 here is mandatory for the French and they still have to hope for the other teams to stumble, as 39 points is the most G2 can reach, and all of the other playoff contenders can top that.

Heroic have arguably the easiest route to the playoffs with matches against EnVy and AGO. With four victories here they’ll reach 40 points, which may be enough to qualify. Still, EnVy and AGO won’t be easy to beat, as they themselves are fighting for survival in the relegation battle. I don’t see Heroic winning all four maps, and as a result, I don’t see them qualifying for Dallas.

Last, it’s Fnatic with series against AGO, LDLC and Na’Vi. The Swedes need at least 5 out of those 6 maps. It would be a minor miracle if they can pull it off, especially after struggling in EPL so far. They were great this weekend in Marseilles, but this seems like an insurmountable challenge.

At the bottom of the standings we have EnVy, AGO and LDLC, and they are separated only by three points. EnVy has a tough schedule ahead against Heroic, Astralis and mouz. AGO plays Fnatic and Heroic. And LDLC faces Hellraisers and Fnatic. The race here to avoid direct relegation will be just as tense as the battle for the playoffs. Do not miss!

Check out the full standings for ESL Pro League Season 7 Europe below:

Match Of The Week – G2 vs. Na’Vi

…or Day vs. Night. Both these teams competed in Marseilles past week, and while Na’Vi look rejuvenated after the botched SK deal, G2 played lackluster, missing a fighting spirit.

The French absolutely have to get the 2-0 in this series on cbble and mirage. They know how to play on both maps, and this is the time to show that bringing in mixwell was a good move.

NBK & Co. seemed to profit off of the move right at the beginning, climbing up the standings after a poor start into EPL, but the performance at the DreamHack Masters leaves much to be desired.

On the other hand we have a Na’Vi that looks to challenge for world number one status. It’s easy to overlook their remaining players with the way S1mple has been playing, but electronic, Zeus and flamie are solid as well. Especially electronic is a huge fragging support.

NBK will have to come up with some convincing strats if he wants to stop the S1mple train dead in its tracks, because winning only one map here won’t be enough. I’m curious to see what G2’s new IGL can come up with.

North America

Team Liquid and NRG Esports have claimed their playoff berths as the only two teams ahead of the final week, with Liquid most likely keeping top and NRG second seed.

OpTic (35 points) and Cloud9 (34 points) sit on ranks three and four, with a comfortable lead to the following teams. OpTic has their chance to solidify their position against Dignitas and C9 play Rogue and Splyce for what should be an easy path to Dallas.

SK Gaming and Renegades, currently sitting on fifth and sixth place, clash this week on Thursday in a season defining series. The Brazilians currently don’t control their own fate however, as they already have 20 maps played. FalleN and his boys desperately have to collect 6 points in their final series against the Aussies and hope for Luminosity to blunder, who themselves are looking to win their remaining four matches. If SK manages to get the 2-0 versus Renegades for 36 points in total, Luminosity can only surpass their Brazilian foes if they win four out of four (against Ghost & NRG), for 37 points.

Renegades play Dignitas and Rogue besides SK, so their path to the playoffs should be manageable. The main battle will be between SK and Luminosity. Again, if SK beats Renegades on both maps, Luminosity needs all four maps.

Rogue also still have theoretical chances with three remaining series against Renegades, Cloud9 and Dignitas. If they win at least five maps, they may get there.

In the relegation battle, as already mentioned, Dignitas only has theoretical chances of moving up the standings with ten points behind Ghost Gaming, who are second to last.

Check out the full standings for NA’s Pro League Season 7 below:

Match Of The Week – SK Gaming vs. Renegades

SK need six points in this series whereas the Renegades have the luxury of gathering the missing points to guarantee playoff participation against Dignitas and Rogue.

SK & Renegades competed in Marseilles past week, and both were eliminated in the group stage. Especially SK hoped for a better start with Stewie in their line-up. The Brazilians lost in a close series against NiP and then got recked by mouz in the BO3 decider.

The inconvenient questions immediately started pouring in. What part did the language barrier play in their poor play? Was it the right move to bring in another fer-like player in Stewie, when in the past SK struggled with two aggressive players on the roster (fer-felps). How will Stewie be integrated socially, out of the server, when his teammates speak Portuguese most of the time? It won’t be good for team chemistry if he feels excluded. SK needs to attend as many LANs as possible to get all the answers.

Renegades had a tough group draw against Fnatic and Na’Vi. Their chances of making it past the groups where slim from the start, but I’m sure they hoped for at least one map win against the favorites.

Train and cache are going to be the battlegrounds for this clash, which means no excuses for FalleN and his boys. They play well on both maps, and while Renegades are obviously a strong opponent, the Brazilians always aim to be number one. In such a dire situation, a victory is simply obligatory for a team like SK Gaming.

Welcome to the final Week of Pro League Season 7!

As always we will be returning with more EPL action from both regions on Tuesday.

Tune in here to watch your favorite teams battle for a spot in the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> Week 6 sets us up for pandemonium that is the final week of Pro League with seven playoff spots still up for grabs across both regions https://esl.com/pl/article/week-6-sets-us-up-for-pandemonium-that-is-the-final-week-of-pro-league-with-seven-playoff-spots-still-up-for-grabs-across-both-regions-2/ Thu, 26 Apr 2018 11:56:16 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/week-6-sets-us-up-for-pandemonium-that-is-the-final-week-of-pro-league-with-seven-playoff-spots-still-up-for-grabs-across-both-regions-2/ After week 6, six teams have prematurely secured their ticket to Texas. Check out all the results, hot matches of the week and the updated standings in our roundup here.

]]> Team Liquid, NRG Esports, Space Soldiers, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Na’Vi and Astralis have claimed their playoff spots for the LAN Finals, starting on the 14th of May in Dallas.

In Europe, three more spots are available and in North America four, meaning we will get crucial and tense matches in the final week of Pro League.

The race to avoid relegation promises just as much tension. EnVy had a strong showing, as they managed to move up the ranks a bit. Dignitas remains the most likely team in NA to play relegation, but at least they have secured their first points of the season.

Check out what’s happening in both regions in more detail.

Europe

The leading quartet of the Ninjas in Pyjamas (46 points), Space Soldiers (46 points), Na’Vi (43 points) and Astralis (42 points) are through to the playoffs.

All four had a solid week, but the Turkish Soldiers had to concede two losses to Astralis, perhaps indicating a bad match-up for XANTARES & Co.

Na’Vi also faced Astralis and managed to take both maps on train and inferno. An interesting dynamic between the European elite could develop on LAN, seeing how the Ukrainians split maps with the Space Soldiers. Also nice to have Na’Vi back at the Pro League Finals after their unsuccessful campaign in Season 6.

FaZe (41 points), mousesports (40 points) and North (35 points) currently occupy ranks 5 through 7. FaZe aren’t yet through mathematically, but a single point in their remaining two matches against Space Soldiers would seal the deal, and even if they lose both maps, only extremely bad luck could prevent them from going to Texas.

The same goes for mouz. Their participation at the Finals is almost a guarantee, one map against EnVy or Space Soldiers will ensure their LAN spot.

And the final seventh spot is tightly contested by North (35 points), G2 (33 points), HellRaisers (29 points) and Heroic (28 points). North and G2 have two maps remaining, HellRaisers and Heroic four.

HellRaisers and North still face one another. G2 has to deal with Na’Vi and Heroic faces EnVy and AGO, the easiest route of the four teams. Who will go through is anyone’s guess, the only certainty is that it’s going to be tense.

Especially as EnVy and AGO are deeply involved in the relegation fight, meaning they won’t be giving up points for free.

Check out the full standings for ESL Pro League Season 7 Europe below:

Match Of The Week Recap – G2 Esports vs. HellRaisers

Being in the thick of the playoff race, both teams could have made a huge step towards qualification with a 2-0 here. In the end, the situation for both teams didn’t drastically change, as they split maps 1-1 on inferno and mirage.

First up was mirage, where I saw the HellRaisers having the upper hand. Especially with the way woxic has been playing recently, the map is perfect for a dominant sniper like him. But after a decent start on the terrorist side, winning 7 rounds in the half, kennyS & Co. completely shut down the HellRaisers in the second half, not allowing ANGE1s boys to get on the board a single time, for a final score of 16-7 for the Frenchies.

On inferno is was a different story entirely, as the HellRaisers turned it up a notch and took the map with a 16-10 victory. Again it was a close first half, which G2 lost 7-8 and on the terrorist side, HR dominated on the server, only allowing the French team three rounds. It was an extraordinary team performance by HellRaisers where each player was rated at an HLTV rating of 1.24 or higher.

North America

Team Liquid (48 points) and NRG Esports (44 points) are so far the only two teams through to the finals in NA. Liquid was inactive past week, so we didn’t get a chance to see them play with TACO yet. But their first place is almost guaranteed.

NRG on the other hand showed some weaknesses for the first time this season. They lost both maps against the Renegades, split maps with OpTic and won against compLexity. One more match against Luminosity, should see them head to Dallas as the second seed.

OpTic (35 points) and Cloud9 (34 points) comfortably sit on ranks three and four. Both need only one victory on their remaining four matches to qualify for the LAN finals.

SK Gaming (30 points), Renegades (30 points), Luminosity (25 points) and Rogue (21 points) are engaged in the battle for the final two spots.

The problem for the Brazilians is, they have only two more maps left to play against Renegades, which they absolutely need to win. They beat Dignitas 2-0 and split maps with coL 1-1 past week. The loss to coL is something a team of SK’s calibre cannot afford in a situation like this. Now they don’t control their own fate. If Luminosity wins all of their remaining maps and Renegades win against Rogue and Dignitas, which is quite likely, SK would be out.

Even Rogue can still make it into the playoffs if they win all six remaining maps.

It took a while, but finally Team Dignitas collected their first points of the season with map wins against Splyce and Ghost Gaming. Unfortunately it’s a bit late, and most likely won’t be enough to avoid having to play in relegation.

Check out the full standings for Pro League Season 7 North America below:

Match Of The Week Recap – OpTic Gaming vs. Luminosity Gaming

Both teams were at the brink of the playoff ranks at the start of the week with a tremendous chance of pulling ahead with a strong performance in this series.

The NA-EU mix from OpTic did use the opportunity to cement their position in the playoff race, and with two map wins here are almost certainly going to Dallas. Luminosity on the other hand are in a difficult position now, but at least they still control their own fate. They have four matches in the final week and can guarantee qualification by winning all of them.

In this series the teams started out on de_train. The Brazilians started on the T-side and raked in a respectable 6 rounds, a good result on the tougher side. But Stanislaw pulled the strings like a true puppet master and dismantled Luminosity’s defence. A quick and easy 16-8 by OpTic, with cajunb leading the way.

We got to see more of the same on inferno. OpTic again pulled off a strong T-side, winning 10-5. gade then propelled his team to a 16-7 victory with 26 frags in 23 rounds.

Highlights Of The Week

Do not miss the final week!

After a one week break, we will be returning with more EPL action from both regions on Tuesday the 24th.

Tune in here to watch your favorite teams battle for a spot in the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> Epitácio “TACO” de Melo – A TACO sandwiched between Burgers and Poutine https://esl.com/pl/article/epitacio-taco-de-melo-a-taco-sandwiched-between-burgers-and-poutine-2/ Thu, 26 Apr 2018 06:01:18 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/epitacio-taco-de-melo-a-taco-sandwiched-between-burgers-and-poutine-2/ TACO leaves SK Gaming to team up with ESL Pro League leading Team Liquid. Let’s take a look at the move.

]]> Past week, TACO parted ways with SK Gaming, the team he helped grow into one of CS:GO’s all-time great squads and two-time Major winners.

When he and fnx joined FalleN, coldzera and fer in Luminosity in 2015, it immediately propelled the Brazilians into the highest spheres of Counter-Strike.

Typically, when a team brings in two new players, an adjustment period of three to six months is required to reach its full potential. Oh boy, did Luminosity demonstrate what’s possible with exactly zero days of practice before competing in the FACEIT Stage 3 Finals in 2015 right after TACO and fnx joined.

Unforgotten is their run into the finals of FACEIT Stage 3 after getting stomped 16-0 by Fnatic in the opener, laughter was abound, and the always quick to judge community already deemed the roster move a failure. What followed was one of the most memorable and miraculous runs in CS:GO, where Luminosity made it out of groups, ahead of NiP and Team EnVyUs, two of the strongest sides back then, before beating Team SoloMid in the semi-finals (karrigan, device, dupreeh, cajunb, Xyp9x), another top five team at the time.

In the finals the invincible boys from Fnatic awaited again, again proving too much to handle in a tight three map series. Still, with a second place finish at their first tournament with the world’s elite teams in attendance, TACO and his boys left an impressive mark.

And only five months later, TACO & Co. won their first Major at MLG Columbus, the beginning of utter Brazilian dominance in the first half of 2016. Gold medals at DreamHack Open Austin and ESL Pro League Season 3 followed, a second place finish at the ECS Season 1 finals and after the move to SK Gaming the Brazilians won their second, back-to-back Major title at ESL One Cologne 2016 against Team Liquid.

After that title, TACO’s team fell into its first slump. For the remainder of 2016 no more trophies followed, which led to another roster change – felps joined SK to replace fnx. The move reanimated the Brazilians as they collected five more titles in the first half of 2017 (cs_summmit 1, IEM Sydney, DH Open Summer, ECS Season 3 Finals, ESL One Cologne 2017).

With boltz in the line-up, who rejoined the roster to replace felps, another three titles at EPICENTER 2017, BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen and ESL Pro League Season 6 Finals were added to the cabinet.

In total, TACO collected 13 titles since 2015 with Luminosity and SK Gaming, more than any other team in that timespan, making him a crucial part of one of CS:GO’s all-time great teams, alongside Fnatic and NiP. An argument for any of those three sides to be the GOAT can be made.

Finally, after an underwhelming start into 2018, with an unacceptable group stage exit at WESG China, TACO noticed he was no longer happy playing for SK and felt that change was needed to boost his state of mind again.

In hindsight, it is admirable TACO stayed with SK for as long as he did. As SK’s support player, fragging wasn’t his responsibility. That’s why he became the team’s scapegoat every time they lost. It really is a testimony to the strength of his character, how well he dealt with the often vicious and unbearable abuse he received from fans of the Brazilian team.

Especially when we consider how underserved that abuse was. TACO is the quintessential embodiment of a support player. He’s willing to sacrifice everything for the success of the team. He’s a very intelligent player who rarely blunders. He can lurk and entry kill. His aim is underrated, especially on the Deagle he is amongst the world’s best.

Often overlooked is how clutch TACO is, with a clutch percentage as good as coldzera’s. He doesn’t get nervous and doesn’t whiff when it matters most. Just think of his 1v1 against karrigan at ELEAGUE’s Major in 2017 to force OT.  

Now, when it comes to Team Liquid, it seems odd they would undergo a roster change after having evolved into NA’s number one team in the past six months. They are dominating in ESL Pro League Season 7 and probably still haven’t reached their full potential.

And Zews did go on record to state that, in fact, Liquid weren’t looking to change players, as there is no reason to change a winning team. It was just a lucky coincidence that TACO was available after Lucas “steel” Lopes announced his wish to leave the team, due to personal reasons and unhappiness with his individual performance.

Indeed, it is a blessing for Team Liquid that TACO was available. He’s a similar player to steel, and Liquid may get away with not having to change too much in their system. Even though it is always difficult to predict how a move is going to impact team dynamic, TACO is even an improvement when it comes to individual skill.

Through his likeable and easy to deal with personality, his integration into the team should also go smooth. There will be no language barrier, as TACO’s English is already decent, and through rankS and FPL he’s used to English call-outs.

On paper, TACO joining Liquid looks like a slight improvement that shouldn’t affect the team too much. But so many small factors can potentially decide over the teams fate, a prediction is difficult to make.

If the personalities match, TACO will be able to add another layer to Liquid’s game, as he is more versatile than steel. It’s quite possible that by leaving SK Gaming and joining Liquid, TACO is now part of the better team. Who would’ve thought that six months ago!

Let’s go Team Liquid!

Tune into the stream here to watch TACO, nitr0, ELiGE, Twistzz and NAF defend their number one seed for the finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> The Space Soldiers have conquered the throne in EU, while Liquid continue to dominate in NA after Week 5 of ESL Pro League Season 7 https://esl.com/pl/article/the-space-soldiers-have-conquered-the-throne-in-eu-while-liquid-continue-to-dominate-in-na-after-week-5-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-3/ Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:21:26 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/the-space-soldiers-have-conquered-the-throne-in-eu-while-liquid-continue-to-dominate-in-na-after-week-5-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-3/ Check out all the results, hot matches of the week and new standings in this week’s roundup.

]]> After another busy week, with 36 total maps in EU and 18 in NA, Pro League Season 7 is racing towards the finishing line.

Some of the favorites are struggling tremendously in both regions. Most notably, FaZe has dropped out of the playoff ranks, and Fantic continue to struggle. At this point it’s likely we won’t see the Swedes in Dallas.

Cloud9 on the other hand leapfrogged forward in the standings and find themselves sitting on third place. SK did what they could to stay relevant in the playoff race, but it’s going to be difficult.

Let’s see who else saw action across both regions in more detail.

Europe

What a pleasant surprise having the Space Soldiers (13W-4Ö-1OTL), who qualified for Pro League through MDL, on top of the European division. The Turks continue to show impressive CS online as well as offline, and deservedly lead the league. They won three out of their four maps past week against Fnatic and North, and are a almost certain lock for the playoffs.

Following suit are the Ninjas in Pyjamas (12W-1OTW-4L-1OTL) on second place, after winning all four maps against FaZe and Na’Vi. dennis continues to impress as fragger and IGL. The Ninjas are almost certainly going to Dallas and I’m looking forward to seeing them confirm their form on LAN.

Na’Vi (11W-1OTW-6L) lost three out of four, dropping down to rank five. Even though Zeus suggested the attack on S1mple and flamie will make the team stronger, another possibility is that after hearing that S1mple in fact wanted to leave, it could have a negative effect on team morale.

FaZe (8W-8L-2OTL) have had an underwhelming start with Xizt. After splitting maps with North and losing to NiP, they are at risk of jeopardizing their strong start into the season with a tough schedule ahead, including matches against Fnatic, Space Soldiers and Hellraisers.

G2 (9W-1OTW-11L-1OTL) on the the other hand have fought their way back into the top 7. After losing both maps versus North, they picked up four in a row against LDLC and Team EnVy.

Check out the full standings of Pro League Europe below:

Match Of The Week Recap – Astralis vs. Fnatic

In the northern battle, the Danes came out on top of the Swedes. Ever since their victory at WESG China, Fnatic are in a severe slump and their Pro League season seems beyond salvageable, whereas Astralis look to be challenging for world number one status again after adding Magisk.

The two teams had their first rendezvous on de_inferno, a map I expected to go Fnatic’s way. JW’s boys started out on the terrorist side, and right from the start ran against the Danish wall. Device & Co. picked up the pistol and stormed off to a 6-0 lead. Fnatic managed to get back into it, picking up four rounds of their own, but towards the end of the half Astralis reclaimed dominance for a 10-5 lead. device, who dropped 26 frags, took over in the second half and helped Astralis to get the 16-9 victory.

Up next, de_overpass, which we might as well just call de_astralis after years of Danish dominance on it. gla1ve started out leading his boys on the more difficult terrorist side, but made it look easy. Astralis got the pistol and from there on out executed a fast paced, controlled style, not once allowing Fnatic to get back into it with 11 T-side rounds won. After the switch, Fnatic weren’t ready to bow out right away. Golden put up a good fight, but after some adjustments by the Danes the inevitable loss came at 16-9.

North America

Team Liquid (15W-1OTW-1L-1OTL) is demonstrating impressively how front running is done. With 48 points and rank one, their finals are guaranteed. Another five out of six maps against Splyce, Ghost and NRG won, clearly indicates that Liquid is number one in NA right now.

NA’s surprise team NRG (10W-2OTW-2L) only played against Liquid past week, splitting the series 1-1. They still square off against Renegades, compLexity, OpTic and Luminosity. They will be favored in each of those series, and we will most certainly see daps and his boys in Dallas.

Cloud9 (9W-5L-2OTL) finally seized control of their season, coming out victorious on all four maps against Luminosity and Dignitas. After losing Stewie and adding FNS in his stead, C9 look to compete in Texas after already failing to qualify for LAN in Season 6.

SK Gaming (7W-9L) had a patchy start with Stewie, but at least their hopes of making it to Dallas are still alive. They won four out of six maps past week against Splyce, OpTic and Ghost Gaming which puts them on rank eight. In the remaining matches against Dignitas, compLexity and Renegades, they cannot afford a single map loss.

Team Dignitas are still without a single map win. They have only played ten maps so far, which gives them twelve more to get that W!

See the full standings for Pro League NA below:

Match Of The Week Recap – Team Liquid vs. NRG Esports

NA’s two hottest teams clashed past week, and at least on the first map, de_train, the match delivered.

NRG started on the T-side and after winning the pistol round, got to a quick 4-0. Liquid then answered with four rounds of their, tying the score at 4-4 and taking control over the game, only allowing NRG two more rounds for the remainder of the half. In the second half, it seemed like a quick affair. Liquid won the pistol and six out of the first seven rounds for a lead of 15-7. Then NRG came back into it, stringing together eight rounds in a row to force OT, where they managed to get the W in double overtime.

On de_mirage it was always going to be difficult for NRG, as it is one of Liquid’s strongest maps. But nobody could have seen the degree of Liquid’s dominance coming. Starting on the T-side, nitr0 led his boys to a 14-1 halftime score. Closing it out on the CT side was a mere formality, and the match ended with 16-7 in favor of Liquid. nitr0 and Twistzz put on a clinic, both with a 1.55 HLTV rating.

Highlights Of The Week

Don’t miss out on Week 6!

As always we will be returning with more EPL action from both regions on Tuesday.

Tune into the stream here, to watch your favorite teams battle for a spot at the LAN Finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> StewieSK – A Gringo amongst Brazilians https://esl.com/pl/article/stewiesk-a-gringo-amongst-brazilians-2/ Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:25:39 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/stewiesk-a-gringo-amongst-brazilians-2/ One of the most exciting roster moves in CS:GO history raises countless questions. Let’s examine Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip teaming up with SK Gaming.

]]> Cloud9 drafted Stewie right out of rankS in 2016. The predominant consensus among pundits and even players was that the young kid with the cheeky smile and attitude was just another pug-star. That his reckless play in and around smokes wouldn’t work against seasoned pros. That the potential reward of picking someone so completely untested against the world’s best didn’t warrant the risk.

Oh boy were they wrong. Not only did Stewie show right from the start that he belonged among NA’s elite, but through his likeable, light-hearted persona, he also brought back that long lost positive energy.

At the time, Jordan “n0thing” Gilbert was IGLing for C9 – a role he never felt comfortable in and it showed. While Stewie2K already excelled individually, the team looked disorganized and results were lacklustre.

So young Stew did, what young Stew had to do. He took matters into his own hands, taking away the reins from n0thing and becoming the team’s IGL himself.

A testament to his character and his confineless belief in himself. We’re talking about an 18-year-old kid with zero experience leading a team, who’s not even one year into his professional career. Only seen as a fragger up to that point, Stewie demonstrated his in depth understanding of the game as well, and soon thereafter led Cloud9 and North America to its very first tier-one tournament victory in a decade at the ESL Pro League Finals Season 4 in São Paolo against none other than his new team, SK Gaming.

Today, Stewie2K is a well-rounded, complete player. Strong with rifles and on the AWP. He doesn’t shy away from taking over responsibility, he keeps his cool under pressure and thrives when things get hectic in late round situations.

He of course also is a Major winner. In January, he and his boys from Cloud9 became the first NA team in CS:GO history to achieve that feat after winning the ELEAGUE Major.

It was an unlikely but magnificent run to glory in Boston. A run so overwhelming, that Cloud9’s shortcomings in the following months were too much to handle and ultimately made this move possible.

SK Gaming too has been struggling in recent months to live up to their clearly defined and unforgiving goal – to be #1 in the world – nothing else counts.

So what can we expect from StewieSK? What should we expect? With all the risks this move entails, the answer is easy – greatness.

How is the new team going to overcome the language barrier? It takes time to override years of conditioned habits. In this case, the players will have to get used to making call outs in English instead of Portuguese. In top-tier Counter-Strike every split second counts towards winning or losing. That could be the split second boltz needs to remember the English name of an area on the map in a late round 2v2 with Stewie.

Stewie stylistically is the opposite of TACO, which makes you wonder how the roles within SK will be distributed. The most obvious choice would be to allocate boltz into an even more passive, supportive role. Or to take away some of fer’s aggression, which in the past already proved to be a bad idea when SK had an identity crisis with felps and fer in the line-up.

All eyes are on Stewie again. Every bad game he plays will be scrutinized, every questionable decision he makes, condemned. He has shown he can handle pressure well in the past, but this will be a different kind of beast. Under Cloud9’s banner, the performance pressure wasn’t even comparable to SK’s aspirations. When you play alongside someone like coldzera, you better not slack.

In addition, SK has to find answers to all of these questions asap. With only 5 wins out of 14 matches in ESL Pro League Season 7, their chances of making the playoffs are still possible, but dim. Losses are no longer an option if they want to compete in Dallas, which I’m sure they do.

Their overall skill has improved with this move, but as we know it’s not always about more skill. Team dynamic is just as important.

Ultimately, no one knows how this move will pan out, but I’m a believer for one simple reason – FalleN. Time and again Counter-Strike’s godfather made the tough, often criticized decisions, and invariably he proved he knows better.

Vamo que vamo, SK Gaming!

Tune into the stream here to watch chrisJ & Co. battle for a spot in the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> Chris “chrisJ” de Jong – The Dutch Deity https://esl.com/pl/article/chris-chrisj-de-jong-the-dutch-deity-2/ Fri, 13 Apr 2018 14:24:17 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/chris-chrisj-de-jong-the-dutch-deity-2/ A look at mousesports, one of the hottest teams in EPL, with a focus on chrisJ.

]]> Since October the 21st in 2013, the date chrisJ joined mousesports, he has remained the one constant in an ever-changing line-up. Under the mouz banner, Chris played with an incredible 22 different players, including legends like gob b, NiKo, karrigan, allu and Troubley to name just a few.

All these years, mousesports hoped to reclaim the glory their Counter-Strike 1.6 roster bathed in back in the days. And all these years, one theme remained unaltered – each new mouz roster reincarnated and ultimately failed at satisfying said hope.

But that may now be over. chrisJ has teamed up with oskar, ropz, suNny and STYKO, and glory lies within reach, ready for the taking.

A lot had to change for the winning conditions to materialize within mousesports, and it was certainly chrisJ who had to change the most. After years as the main AWPer, Chris not only transformed to a rifle, secondary AWP and entry-fragging hybrid, but he also successfully transitioned to becoming the team’s IGL – the most difficult role in Counter-Strike.

In fact, chrisJ already seems more adept at IGLing than some of his peers who have been at it for years. Sergey “lmbt” Bezhanov, mousesports’ coach and former in-game leader himself, certainly played a big part in this smooth and speedy transition. But chrisJ also excels at the most obscure and difficult part of IGLing, mid-round calls – reaching a decision based upon incomplete information, and whoever averages fewer mistakes typically gets the W.

Of course, none of mouz’ recent success would be possible if Chris didn’t know some of the world’s most talented players by his side, who fit the traditional Counter-Strike roles to a T.

In oskar, mousesports can call one of the world’s top AWPers their own. Only s1mple and GuardiaN are currently a notch above. oskar consistently tops the scoreboard for his team, he rarely has an off-day, and when he does, it’s usually ropz or suNny who take over. This is also where chrisJ’s years as main AWPer come in handy, when mouz goes for the most deadly double AWP set-up in the game right now.

On the rifle, a lurker/late-round clutcher, we have ropz. Less than year ago completely unknown, today one of the best there is. He rose through the ranks in a flash, and at only 18 years of age plays a role that’s commonly reserved for more seasoned pros.

suNny is mousesports’ playmaker, famous for his infamous connector play on de_mirage, one of the main reasons mouz is considered the world’s best team on the map.

Last but not least, in the all-important support role, STYKO. He’s a TACO-esque kind of player, who gladly sacrifices individual freedom for team success. Especially after recent rumors surfaced about dennis replacing him, STYKO has stepped up his game, now looking sharper than ever.

Ever since these five boys from all over Europe teamed up, they’ve been steadily improving. They won ESG Tour Mykonos in an epic final against Liquid last year, then they finished second at the ECS Season 4 Finals in December in a loss to FaZe. 2018 has seen chrisJ & Co. coming out of the gate even stronger, reaching the playoffs of the Boston Major before their biggest success to date only a few weeks back, gold at SL i-League in Kiev against Na’vi with a s1mple in god mode.

mousesports’ start into Pro League Season 7 has also been very convincing. They have entered Week 4 leading the league, and have already faced most of EPL’s toughest teams, with 2-0 victories over FaZe and Fnatic.

The future looks bright for the European mix. They play smart CS and their style appears sustainable, unlike so many teams we see that appear at the top seemingly out of nowhere and just as quickly vanish again.

Especially mouz’ strength on mirage will serve them well going forward, as most top-tier teams prefer to leave the map in the pool.

Yes, glory lies within reach for chrisJ’s mouz, but they haven’t taken it yet. Only with consistency over a prolonged period of time can they come to own it. Otherwise it’s nothing but hot air.

Auf gehts, ab gehts, mouz gehts!

Tune into the stream here to watch chrisJ & Co. battle for a spot in the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> Time to step it up a notch in the second half of ESL Pro League Season 7 https://esl.com/pl/article/time-to-step-it-up-a-notch-in-the-second-half-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-2/ Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:57:26 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/04/time-to-step-it-up-a-notch-in-the-second-half-of-esl-pro-league-season-7-2/ Check out the latest news, hot matches and everything else you need to know in our preview for week 4.

]]> WESG China has concluded this past weekend, and after IEM Katowice, the Swedes from Fnatic take their second international title in as many weeks. Contrary to the rumors surrounding Golden, it seems as though he will now remain in Fnatic and not get replaced by Xizt – a huge relief for many fans of the Swedish org.

Finally, the extremely busy tournament circuit of early 2018 is slowing down, allowing teams to fully focus on EPL for the upcoming month. Especially the North American part of EPL will have time to catch up to the European region, where the league has progressed at a faster pace.

Let’s take a closer look at what to expect from both regions in the upcoming week.

Europe

Arguably the four strongest European sides currently lead the league. Mouz on top, followed by Astralis, FaZe Clan and Na’Vi. The only hot team missing from that group is Fnatic, but they only played 8 maps, and after their encounter with North on Thursday, they should move up a few ranks.

Na’Vi has a chance to cement their position at the top with matches against the struggling teams from LDLC and EnVy. Granted, the latter have only played four maps, but their recent performances don’t suggest we should expect great things from them. They played miserable at WESG and got completely rekt by Team Russia’s mix.

We will get a first look at G2’s new roster with mixwell on Tuesday against Heroic. Obviously, the team had no time to practice yet, with mixwell competing in China. But practice is also a luxury the French aren’t afforded. Their season is already on the line, every points counts, which makes this a precarious moment for mixwell’s integration. Let’s see how they deal with the pressure. The Danes from Heroic themselves are in an unpleasant situation. They sit in seventh place, but are only a couple map losses away from dropping out of playoff contention.

Our two teams from MDL are clashing this week too. The premise for both couldn’t be more different however. The Space Soldiers could make their way into the top 4 with wins against EnVy and  AGO, whereas the Poles are in desperate need of points if they want to avoid relegation.

Check out the standings for ESL Pro League Season 7 below:

Match Of The Week – Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Heroic

The fifth placed Ninjas are going to encounter Heroic, currently seventh, in a battle that will certainly be crucial to each team’s season.

We didn’t get to see too much of the Ninjas after they added dennis mid-February to replace Xizt. They occupy a respectable fifth rank in EPL with 6W-3L-1OTL. We’ve seen them once on LAN at IEM Katowice, where they finished in 5th-6th place – a good showing all things considered.

There’s no doubt that dennis, arguably the world’s best pistol player, is a skill upgrade for NiP. But it seems as though the root cause for NiP’s problems over the last years remains the same even after this roster move. The team lacks a strong tactical foundation. So, while this was a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen if they can develop further under their new coach pita.

The Danes from Heroic on the other hand are playing a truly surprising season with some refreshing Counter-Strike. Especially the victories over their Danish foes from North and Astralis stand out. JUGi is the standout player, with a 1,13 K/D ration in EPL. If he keeps playing like that, Heroic will be hard pressed to fend off all the offers from some of the bigger orgs.

There really isn’t a clear favorite in this match-up. Both teams are well-versed on Inferno and Train, which should serve as the perfect foundation for an exciting series. I predict a 1-1 here.

North America

NA will pick up speed in the upcoming week with 24 maps in total and a bunch of crucial matches.

After conceding four losses in a row due to the boot camp in Germany, SK Gaming is looking to get back on track against Rogue on Wednesday in an absolute must-win series. The Brazilians are eleventh with 2W-6L, they cannot afford any more losses against weaker teams. It’s on for FalleN and his boys.

Also from Brazil, but on second place is Luminosity Gaming with 6W-3L-1OTL. Slowly but surely the boys surrounding NEKIZ have fought their way into the upper echelons of NA CS. They will face Liquid and Splace this week with a chance to strengthen their position at the top.

Liquid and NRG are looking to keep their clean slate. Both will be in action, and both are facing tough opposition. Let’s see if both can keep a clean record.

Still at the very bottom with six straight losses and no win is Team Dignitas. They are facing NRG on Wednesday. A tough task, and most likely two more defeats added to the loss-column.

Check out the full NA standings going into week 4 below:

Match Of The Week – NRG vs. Cloud9

Cloud9 returned to the cold and harsh reality of life in Counter-Strike after their miraculous Major victory. A 9th-11th spot at SL i-League, 5th-6th at IEM Katowice and an unacceptable loss to Team One at the WESG finals last weekend for a 5th-8th finish. Voices are being raised that their Major victory was a fluke, and who can blame them. The five players who showed such incredible performances against FaZe in Boston went AWOL and we need them back. They can start by fighting their way back top the top in EPL where they belong, after a bad start into the season. everybody knows they are way too good to be spending their time at the bottom of the league. That said, with NRG a new, forceful opponent awaits that won’t simply gift away points.

NRG beat Splyce, Rogue and SK cleanly this season. And past weekend they even won the iBP invitational over Liquid, proving they rightfully reside among NA’s elite. daps has formed a strong unit, and CeRq rocks an unbelievable 2,02 K/D ratio in EPL, with nahtE, FugLy and Brehze not far behind. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions too quickly though. There’s a huge difference between winning a few online games, and actually proving it on LAN against the elite. But it’s safe to say NRG has heaps of potential as they have turned into an exciting to watch team.

It’s vital for C9 to win both maps here, but I don’t see it happening. NRG is too strong right now, and something seems off in tarik’s team.

Welcome to Week 4!

As always we will be returning with more EPL action from both regions on Tuesday.

Tune into the here to watch your favorite teams battle for a spot in the offline finals in Dallas. If you want to watch the season finals, you can purchase tickets here.

For all the latest updates on the ESL Pro League, be sure to follow ESL Counter-Strike on Twitter and Facebook.

]]>