After the exciting denouement of groups A and B in which we saw the demise of many favorites such as Falcons, Eternal Fire and Fnatic, it is the turn of groups C and D, after which we will have all 16 participants in the playoffs of the 19th season of the ESL Pro League.
Despite the fact that in the new format of the competition teams are only eliminated after three defeats, it seems as if we have seen more surprises than expected. In group A, the new system brought luck to Virtus, who lost to the teams Fnatic and FaZe, but in the end, through SAW in the fight for fourth place, they still reached the playoffs, while in group B, a similar fate was experienced by G2, who had to struggle as much as possible. to advance, knocking the Falcons out of the tournament along the way.
In groups C and D there is a slightly weaker competition when everything is put together, but precisely because the favorites are clearer, at first glance it seems as if the fight for third and fourth place will be much more uncertain and that a large number of teams can claim them. .
Group C is led by MOUZ, the absolute favorite for the first place, which according to everything shown this year, should have no problems with any of the rivals. The rest of the group consists of teams that are in poor form and for whom this is an ideal opportunity to improve their impression, such as ENCE, GamerLegion, FURIA and Team Liquid.
These teams should be in the lead in the fight for the playoffs, and it remains to be seen if Monte and FORZE Esports can surprise, as well as Bad News Kangaroos, from whom not too much is expected.
In group D, the situation is similar. The current Major champions Natus Vincere are convincing favorites, and Complexity and HEROIC stand out from the teams with greater potential. According to certain rumors, this tournament is crucial for Complexity, that is, for whether there will be changes in the team, and HEROIC finally has the opportunity to fight for a better result over slightly weaker competition.
FlyQuest will have the opportunity to continue the good games it showed at IEM Chengdu 2024, and BIG, which is in a severe result crisis, is also looking for an opportunity to redeem itself. Among the well-known names there are also Ninjas in Pajamas, who today are far from the role of favorites wherever they compete, and the group is completed by BOSS and Pera Esports.
Group C and D matches will be broadcast on the Arena Esport YouTube and TV channel, and registrations are open for the Arena Esport HLTV Fantasy League, which you can sign up for at the link below.
