Hvad er medlemmerne af gruppe B ved at forberede til os den ESL Pro League Season 16

Very soon, ESL Pro League Season 16 will open the first matches in Group B. Six teams will fight for three tickets to the championship playoffs. Participants include FaZe Clan, BIG, MIBR, G2 Esports, Outsiders and FTW. Obviously, the group has its favorites and outsiders, but, based on the experience of the previous sextet, we should expect surprises from teams that are just rolling into the new competitive season. In this article, we will go over the participants and try to understand which of them has a chance to shoot, and which one to fail.

FaZe Clan

FaZe Clan did not show the most confident start in the new season, having managed to bounce back at the flag as part of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022. At the same time, the team admits that during the break they were unable to come up with new tactical ideas, while the individual shape of the leaders leaves much to be desired. The result is predictable - the team is mired in instability.

But if Copenhagen can be called a warm-up point, then in Malta no one will forgive mistakes. At the same time, FaZe Clan has one obvious drawback - a layer of information. And if the opponents continue to analyze the demos of the team and carefully prepare for the matches, then the favorite may have problems.

Verdict: FaZe Clan will be able to leave the group, but will make one or two misfires.

BIG

The German team failed at the same BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022, where they managed to take away only one victory. Moreover, the changes that BIG made in the offseason inspired optimism. But in reality, the team again looked confused and drooping, making countless tactical blunders along the way.

Nevertheless, the team sat tight and prepared for the next championship. However, given the experience of previous years, as well as not the most successful relationship between the tag and LAN tournaments, you should not count on BIG too much. Yes, the team will score its points, but it is unlikely to be able to compete with the leaders. At the same time, there are a couple of interesting “dark horses” in the group who will be ready to prick the leaders and contribute to the final alignment of forces.

Verdict: BIG will fight for getting into the TOP-3 of the group.

MIBR

The Brazilian team arrived in Europe two weeks ago to prepare for big tournaments. At the same time, MIBR qualified for the RMR tournament even earlier, which deprived the team of an unnecessary headache. The day before, the guys became the winners of the CCT Central Europe Series #1, having raced through the local TIER-2 scene.

And yet there is no particular confidence in the Brazilians. Yes, MIBR can try their luck with the favorites and try to steal a card. However, it is hard to believe in the ultimate success of the team, because after one or two rounds they will begin to look closely at it.

Verdict: MIBR will not qualify for the playoffs with 3-6 points.

G2 Esports

Another problematic team that, during the past BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022, dug up their game and even made it to the autumn finals. But for now, G2 Esports leaves too many questions, since the team's game is entirely tied to the shooting of the leaders. And if one of them starts to turn off, then there will simply be no one to pull the blanket over.

Nevertheless, the level of opponents favors the team, which should take their ordinary points and go to the playoffs. Only a meeting with the leader of the group raises concerns, but even there G2 Esports should not fall flat on its face.

Verdict: G2 Esports will leave the group, but will make one or two misfires.

Outsiders

The Outsiders team will roll into the new season right during ESL Pro League Season 16. At the same time, the team still leaves conflicting feelings. On the one hand, dastan's players usually score points without any problems in matches where they are favorites. On the other hand, their style of play no longer surprises the leaders, so they will have to surprise them.

In any case, Outsiders can show up in matches with teams like BIG and G2 Esports. Of course, it's not worth hoping for five out of five in the group, but the team will cling to a place in the playoffs. It remains only to understand what form the team is in at the start of the season and figure out how Jame can surprise at all.

Verdict: Outsiders will fight for the top 3 of the group.

FTW

Well, the main outsider of the group is considered to be the Portuguese team FTW. Yes, the team made it to ESL Pro League Season 16 from the Conference on its own, but has since sold its leaders. In addition, at the start of the season, the Portuguese did not surprise with anything, failing to qualify for the RMR tournament, as a result, failing all the qualifiers.

As for FTW's prospects in Group B, there are concerns about the team's real chances. It is unlikely that the Portuguese team will be able to take away at least one victory from Malta, but at least they must cling to the cards in matches with Outsiders and MIBR.

Verdict: FTW won't make the playoffs without earning a single point.

ESL Pro League Season 16 runs from August 31st to October 2nd in Malta at the Salini Resort. 24 teams from Europe, CIS, North and South America compete for a total prize pool of $835,000. The winner of the tournament will receive the main prize of $175,000, as well as tickets to BLAST Premier: World Final 2022 and IEM Katowice 2023.