its weird bc you don't have to show anything "new new", but wouldn't you want some momentum going into stage 2?

As long as one of G2/SEN get top 2, the MiBR should be able to make it comfortably off champs points. Imma just chalk the master's performance up to jitters, it was everyone's first event outside of aspas.

That would be pretty dope for the asuna to show his haters up

• SEN/FNC win: Only org with 3 international trophies, chron will get his 4th which would be pretty sick
• EDG win: Only team to win 2 champs trophies
• MiBR win: ASPAS gets his 2nd champs
• Any pacific team: To complete the clean sweep for the entire year (I hope this happens)

I'm just thinking of IMO cool storylines

I've AFK'd including this one, 3 times this week. One was my fault, I went to go do something. Second was a power restarted during a storm and the last was this. Outside of the last one, I was never gone more than 3 rounds, also I never got like a 30 minute penalty, just straight to this LOL

but it is what it is

I got an AFK penalty when riot kicked me from the game. I got a vanguard restrictions warning bc I didn't have IOMMU enabled, which didn't what it was (don't know shite about computers). I haven't made changes to my PC for months and literally played a whole match prior to me getting kicked mid match. Logged back on to see a 3 day penalty....... bruh

Its a very hard map, granted I've never looked at the map up until this point.

• The "A" choke point is such a weird area, you have to commit a smoke to take the area. Then to even get on the site is another challenge.
• Retaking "B" was hellish, if your B player dies. It takes too long to rotate around to B tower, so you have to re-clear all of tower/elbow before you retake.
• We didn't attempt to take mid, but I don't know immediately what util to use for it, probably just one window smoke. However, trying to B split doesn't seem fun
• X-hair placement was a nightmare with the constant elevation changes
• In ranked with randoms, this map won't be fun.

it should be a lock for them, unless hmfi really can elevate EDG again

can we just appreciate this real quick?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBKrLNc7ulg

Most hyped EMEA prospect, amazing shanghai run. Then kinda disappeared under the radar. Apparently doesn't want to run duelist or learn lineup for initiator, but not sure if factual just a rumor

Maybe just no team success so it doesn't reflect well on him neither

If only there was another player on the team who is a comfortable duelist and was pretty damn good on it...

I don't get my team :(

Man if only they had a player with 2000+ rounds on sova and 2nd most played agent on their team......

Normally yes, but I think their iso/yoru comp has been fleshed out quite abit, like they lost their last 2 matches on haven. Compared to FNC historically have always been a great icebox team. SEN have a pretty good haven, which is why I'm shocked that they floated icebox when they have never been strong on it

The only reason I can think for the split ban bc they just got smoked by PRX and FNC run the same comp, but the haven ban has no legs behind it at all

GG's to FNC

But I still don't get why kaplan chose to float icebox, when historically have never been a good icebox team (most recently lost to BLG) and ban haven, when they have a good comp along with have played the FNC comp multiple times. Plus FNC have lost the last 2 haven maps with alfa not performing well on ISO.

Also wtf was that ascent comp?

This might be a cold take, but I've been pondering this for awhile. I can't help but think that SEN aren't using him properly. His impact comes from his midrounding and util, so why stick him on the most solo-dolo agent?

Senti has be redefined to a high fragging lurker that can solo win you rounds off timings, so why put your weakest fragger on the role? If this is how they use him, why not get a more traditional senti player, then transforming your flex?

Given the extra week, if they played "off-meta" stuff. Its an easy win

If they play normal comps, they might lose

Its definitely not a disadvantage, but isn't as big of an advantage as people think expeciallly if you use it like G2, XLG and RRQ are. Bringing in very standard stuff

they choked :(

Obviously I've never been apart of a pro team. When the meta switches especially a big one like this, you spend most of your time developing your own stuff, so I doubt any teams tried to do any heavy anti's. Similar to any sport, practice is way different from game time, reactions are different especially with something new (comps). Like if it was still the Tejo meta, then the 1st seeds would have a massive advantage IMO bc you spend most of your time watching vods and setting anti's

All I'm trying to say is that, its not surprising that the first seeds lost, even with extra week of prac. IDK if any of this made sense but in my head its does LOL

whats even funnier is that both g2 and xlg played really standard comps so the extra week of prac means nothing

when its a meta switch imo.

PRX played extremely well today and compared to their first match, its night and day. The group stage helped iron out their "new" strats, while the first seeds don't know if their stuff is even workable in the server. G2 and XLG looked so rough today while sen and prx were in their comfort zones.

Alot of good young players but no one super standout imo, majority I would say are duelist players if anything like paint, infiltrator, satellite

No high stakes or good "storylines". Majority of people don't know the teams or players. So not surprised that streamers aren't watching

So they weren't throwing on purpose (apparently) and their gameplay still looked like that..... thats tough

That one series is keeping his career afloat

funny enough, as much as people shit on dsg yay, his stats weren't that bad with a 0.97

in AMER, its gotta go to TDAWGG

Never have I watched a pro player and actually been shocked if they win a gun fight. If you look at his stats, he legit can only play sova like what changes between the agents? They aren't small dips, its goes from good sova to dogshit everything else LOL

With the addition of skuba, I think this team can make champs. The first 3 teams are locked, MIBR, SEN and G2.

100T don't look that strong. KRU, c9. Currently I will rate EG as the best chance for champs, just bc their improvement is impressive

on pearl, it'll forsure be a kayo.

Track by Track

Am I tripping for wanting Zellsis back on flash ini, its not that john is bad on it, but zellis's util has always been phenomenal.

I just feel like the team will have a higher ceiling with john on senti by increasing the overall "firepower" presence across the map. I know it won't happen bc john prefers to call on ini

whats that overcook? you know b is empty, that is literally a guarantee

its bc they're "boring"

atleast its the phantom and close range.

shhhh... we don't talk about that game. lost in the ether

If they don't make it far in Toronto, they'll probably make a change, but rn it seems like john really only struggles to call against valyn

They understand john's calling too well. Bigg props to valyn/joshrt, their prep is crazy good

but the no 1 seeds, get an extra week of prep I believe, and the tejo nerf is before the event, so being the 1 seed is a huge advantage.

Plus sunset is coming back

g2, they got far asf with icy, which is the same as no duelist

This team is just too good. Unfortunate, but look forward to Toronto

I don't even watch him. It's just mad confusing why people care about other people's interest. Watch shanks, tarik, sliggy, or fns, just watch what you like and who cares about others

People like background noise? Not everyone sits there and analyzes the game
They've watched him from his cs days?
They genuinely like him?
Most watches him when you plays, so they watch him while vct games are on?

It doesn't matter, people watch who they like to watch and you watch who you watch. Just bc he's boring to you doesn't mean hes boring to everyone else

Am I tripping? Or are scrim leaks not that surprising? I'm sure this has happened in cs way before. Friends on opposite teams will always talk about other teams and discuss strats, this also happens in IRL sports, where teams would discuss gaps in other opponents.

There's probably alot more that I'm missing, right?

Tenz's playstyle is more flashy vs aspas is just more stable

That could be it, strat book is looking thin rn

Has kinda gotten alittle worse, no? Pressure getting to him? Fragging has gone down too. IMO they aren't playing as adaptive as they did in the beginning of the year and sorta full reverted back to the slow heavy default like 2024.

Maybe i'm reading too much into it

Young and Inexperienced. Sometimes a call is made that is meh, but a plan is better than no plan so they full send

it'll kinda fk'd if they change it for vct right before a master's, but it'll be kinda fun to see how teams adapt