The second Counter-Strike Major of 2016 is at the group stage and we analyse the teams likely to go all the way
Fnatic
Was there ever any doubt? The second you saw the title of this piece, your mind went straight to Fnatic.
Hamstrung recently by the loss of the ‘world’s best player’ olafmeister to injury, they still came close to beating G2 in the ESL Pro League semi-finals.
Now that their superstar has declared himself fit for ESL Cologne, they rocketed to favourites – and are still the most Major-experienced team in the world.
In terms of stature and threat they remain ominous for their opponents.
SK Gaming
The team that joined the tournament with Fnatic in Group D, formerly known as Luminosity. They won this year’s first Major – MLG Columbus – and pocketed a cool $1 million.
This is a team that typifies the word drive. Since they won Columbus, they racked up two more tournament trophies, were runners up in a third and rebranded as SK.
Not content with being a runaway train of form and skill, they have endured a European boot camp to get into prime condition for Cologne.
Fnatic may be the historic champions, but SK Gaming are the best CS:GO team on the planet right now, by a mile.
Natus Vincere
They are struggling, but still winning. Isn’t that what champions do? Na’Vi may have papered over some cracks by winning ELEAGUE recently, but the fault lines are still there.
It’s clear that GuardiaN has been off his game, and now with flamie being sick and visa issues for seized several teams will be looking at them with bared teeth.
But that doesn’t mean they will be a walkover. Ever since the Malmo Grand Final, they’ve got some fluency back and we’re looking at least at another quarter-final berth here.
Team Liquid
The new era of Team Liquid started with the arrival of jdm. Out went koosta and in came their biggest roster upgrade in years.
It paid off immediately, a strong showing at the ECS Season 1 Finals at London’s SSE Arena the proof of the pudding.
Their problems will come when s1mple eventually leaves to join Cloud 9.
If he gelled well with new member Pimp at their boot camp this week and Liquid progress a fair way in Cologne, it will make the Ukrainian superstar’s departure all the more galling.
But with unpredictability comes the element of surprise. Plus they will benefit from inferno changing to nuke. Can they make a deep playoff run?
Astralis
Fancied by many as a dark horse in ESL Cologne, Astralis have already run into a brick wall thanks to Valve’s new rule change – specifically that their new player Kjaerbye cannot play for them.
Since the 18-year-old superstar qualified for the major with Dignitas, he’s banned from representing his new team in the main tournament.
Despite this, the Danes still have a strong line-up, particularly if gla1ve can step into the fragger role successfully.
Their showing at the ECS Finals will have given them plenty of confidence, and now they can look forward to showing the rest of Europe what they’re all about.
Outside of our five favourites, plenty fancy G2 to bring the thunder.
Currently ranked second in the world and on their best run coming into a Major in years, they look a force to be reckoned with – despite a tough group.
By contrast NiP still look jaded after their grand final loss to Luminosity (now SK) at the Summer Dream Hack Open, and ended up dead last in the ECS Season 1 Finals.
Who are you backing to dominate this weekend in Cologne? Let us know @BetwayeSports today!
