Last weekend ended the eleventh season ESL Pro League Season 11 by CS: GO, which was forced to take place online. The tournament showed that some teams were not ready to play online, while others lacked a LAN. About controversial performance Natus vincere, the best players and who will be most affected by the nerf SG553 – in our material.
What did ours show?
The CIS was a little lucky to get four slots in the league at once: at the beginning of the year there were rumors that the ESL Pro League would start working on a franchise basis, and those who were supposed to get places in the tournament based on the results of previous seasons of the EPL and ESEA MDL would be left with nothing. However, in the end, the operator (whether Valve did it or not) is not taking drastic measures and most likely avoided big scandals and community indignation – we all remember what happened when BLAST did not call for the 2023 series Fnatic and mousesports.
As a result, in addition to the obvious NAVI, in the eleventh season, Team spirit, forZe and Virtus.pro. All teams are different, everyone has their own problems, and three out of four performed at the tournament rather satisfactorily than well, but VP has not yet figured out how to revive the game.
Our teams very often talk about big ambitions – everyone is tagged at the top of HLTV.org. And I must admit that in recent years the level has really grown: NAVI take the top 1, forZe butts with grandees on equal terms, and Team Spirit systematically cleans everyone on the shooting range 2. However, none of our teams were able to take a step forward at the ESL Pro League, and NAVI fell short in comparison with what was shown in Poland.
Don’t get it wrong, ours performed well, even Virtus.pro didn’t say that it completely failed (there were victories over Og and Tyloo) But apart from thoroughly biting the favorites, nothing came of it: VP and Spirit flew out at the first group stage, forZe – in the replay for leaving the second (the team lost the chance Faze clan), and NAVI in the second group indistinctly played with mousesports and Fnatic: as always, only Alexander s1mple Kostylev.
Our expectations, of course, are our problems. A lot has already been said about the competition in CS, but still I want the CIS teams to outgrow the “we can, but not always” stage and get on the same level with the tops. There is potential, but not enough.
In what form are the rest?
Let’s start with Europe. Here, as always, the struggle was incredibly dense. Only a little disappointed G2 esportswhich after the most beautiful IEM Katowice 2023 even the first group stage of the EPL did not pass. But do not forget that the team Kenny KennyS Shrub ended up in the “death group” with FaZe and mouz, so it’s too early to judge whether the team has passed the peak of form.
If you look not at the final standings, but at a series of victories and the difference between won / lost rounds, then impressive results showed Astralis. The Danes, although they took only third place, but in the vast majority of matches, they performed very collectively and in an organized manner. Still: since July, no one is guaranteed a place in the main squad – Patrick es3tag hansen will be ready to rush into the replacement at any time.
Otherwise, as usual, first-class CS was shown by Fnatic and mousesports, periodically by FaZe and NAVI, but the latter lacked stability. Disappointed ENCE eSports, Complexity gaming, North and Big: to compete with the teams from the top 10 they still can not afford. Under the question mark Team vitality and Ninjas in pajamas: the former have recently lost the leader of the game, while the latter have not yet figured out how to play without Patrick f0rest Lindbergh.
Since the ESL Pro League is divided into divisions, it is difficult to assess how America feels Team liquid and Evil geniuses. Collective Nick nitr0 cannell was more stable than the others (for example, in the playoffs he won four of four cards), but not to say that he was head and shoulders stronger than other participants.
There was a very intense fight in America, and this is not surprising: matches between local teams are always extremely unpredictable, because they know each other too well.
EG are still in a dismantled state: at the end of last year, it seemed that they could become the new top-1 of North America, because for this there was everything – a good captain, a proven trainer, and in addition to them – world-class statistics, which once it helped Cloud9 take home major. But as it turned out Chet Imapet Sin didn’t work out with Peter Stanislaw Yarguz and Tarik Tarik Entirely. As a result, EG took Wilton zews Pradobut whether he will help the roster is a big question: in MIBR, for example, failed.
Compared to other participants, she showed herself well FURIA Esports – the best Brazilian team at the moment (sorry, Fallen) Inappropriately in this tournament she lost only Swole patrol, but with all the others, butted on equal terms and, as a result, entered the top 3, overtaking both MIBR and 100 thieves.
Goodbye Krieg
Did you miss the talk about meta? Valve again gave occasion to debate: finally, the nerf got the SG553, from 1.6 times known everywhere as Krieg. It is possible that the ESL Pro League Season 11 will be the last tournament where this rifle was regularly bought by teams.
However, in Europe they began to abandon it even before the nerf: judging by statistics, the teams bought it less often than the AK-47, and SG did not, and the second – it was ahead of the M4. In America, the situation is different: SG still rules the ball. What is more interesting, American teams began to play more often with Galil and FAMAS, while Europeans from these two rifles buy only the one that is available in defense.
It is very interesting how now the teams will adapt to the meta with weakened SG, cheaper M4A1 and buffered Desert Eagle and Tec-9. On some teams this can affect very seriously. Fnatic immediately comes to mind, where Ludwig Brollan Brolin, in fact, made his name and reputation precisely due to the filigree performance with SG. By the way, on the EPL he became MVP in the European division. And what did the rest show?
Which players dragged?
The portal HLTV.org recognized as the most valuable players in the American and European divisions EliGE and Brollan respectively. But you can’t say that they looked several goals higher than the rest.
For example, in Europe, many players outperformed Brollan in average. Looked cool ropz, Niko, s1mple, device, KRiMZ. Of those who flew out at an early stage, – huNter, Plopski and kennyS.
There were also disappointments. Already once terribly played olofmeister. Among our worst Perfecto, flamie, AdreN, Sanji and chopper. To make you understand, even karrigan passed them by rating.
In America, everything seems to be mundane. The best was EliGE, in good shape NAF and kscerato, and from veterans surprised jkaem: The 26-year-old Norwegian entered the top 5 by rating, ahead of stars such as jks, Twistzz and Ceq
Worse were two MIBR players – Taco and argentinian meyernwhich had high hopes. Alas, the MIBR finally lost the status of the Counter-Strike elite.
What’s next?
ESL Pro League has clearly demonstrated the balance of power in the global Counter-Strike at the moment. It was at the tournament from ESL that all the best teams of the world performed, so the alignment in the long-suffering FLASHPOINT Season 1 not so interesting.
In general, top teams have confirmed their status, and outsiders could not jump above their heads. It seems that similar results can be expected at the first qualifying tournament for the major – ESL One: Road to Rio, which will begin on April 22.
So far, it can be stated that a big six teams have formed in Europe, one of which is likely to win the next major – Astralis, NAVI, G2, mousesports, FaZe and Fnatic. In America, Liquid, EG and 100 Thieves look better than the rest, but what they show in games with Europeans is a big question.
But the bigger question is when these games will take place in principle and how the lack of competitive experience against teams from other regions will affect the teams. In the meantime, stocking up on antiseptics and toilet paper – there are many online tournaments ahead.
Preview photo material: ESL / Helena Kristiansson
