Esports News: The Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark is the location for a potentially fascinating Major event as the Blast Pro Series shapes up to be one of the best Counter-Strike: Globe Offensive events of the year.
Only six teams have been invited, but all have justified hopes of claiming first place, as all are considered top teams. Astralis, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports and SK Gaming are joined by Ninjas in Pyjamas and North, both of whom are currently on an upswing.
NiP are Red Hot
Fresh off a victory at IEM Oakland this past weekend, 3-2 over FaZe Clan, Ninjas in Pyjamas are an incredibly hot team entering this event. The combination of REZ’s emergence as a star, coupled with the rekindled play of f0rest has many believing that NiP can continue their run of good form. Even with a first-place finish at Oakland, NiP are still considered an underdog at this event given their limited time at the top.
North have also been on an upswing ever since the addition of valde to the roster. The concern for North heading into a tournament of this calibre is the reliance on superstar k0nfig, who essentially has to carry his side to victory map after map. While k0nfig has shown the capability to achieve such Herculean feats, given the level of competition, North should struggle to perform.
G2 Consistent in Their Inconsistency
G2 are the most inconsistent team of the year, following up event victories by dropping out in the following event’s group stage. Dubbed the French super team, kennyS and company have the some of the highest peaks in all of CS today. G2’s weakness is their shot-calling and inability to make smart economic decisions, as time after time, the French side will force-buy in an attempt to cripple the opponent. If G2 are able to kick their force-buy habit, they will be a dangerous team moving forward.
After falling to NiP in the finals of IEM Oakland, FaZe Clan are in a slight period of uncertainty. While dominant for the past few months, losing on three different maps shows a vulnerability about their play. FaZe are still considered the best team in the world, yet the Blast Pro Series could be a turning point for the squad if their opponents are able to exploit their weaknesses.
Health an Issue for Astralis
Astralis’ hopes of making it to the finals of the Blast Pro Series are completely reliant on the health of superstar AWPer dev1ce. Forced to miss his initial flight (and subsequently, the first match) for IEM Oakland due to illness, dev1ce’s health remains a primary concern for the Danes. Not only do Astralis need dev1ce in order to make it through, but they need him firing on all cylinders if they are to make any headway at such a stacked event. Astralis are a complete wildcard for this event, given the uncertainty that currently surrounds their star man.
TACO a Concern for SKG
SK Gaming have been a top-three team in the world for some time, continually performing at the most difficult of events. However, support player TACO’s struggle in recent months has many concerned for the future of SK. While TACO do deserve some slack due to swapping positions on many maps to suit newcomer boltz’s skillset, the fact that the side have a clear-cut weakness is a concern. While almost always a lock to make it to the finals, SK did fall to NiP in the semi-finals of Oakland, further justifying concern for their future.
SK Gaming appear to benefit the most from the Astralis uncertainty, as one extra win could be the difference between being left behind in groups and making it to the finals.
This is the best of the best competing for a first-place prize of $125,000 in what shapes up to be an epic showdown in Copenhagen.
