SKT K were able to take down their sister team, SKT S, in order to secure a playoff spot.

The playoffs will kick off on Wednesday, April 16th at 6 AM EST with SKT K vs Samsung Ozone.

Image Credit: OnGameNet

0:19 - About Azubu 2.0

2:10 - Azubu’s eSports offerings.

3:50 - Azubu 2.0 and streaming for eSports. “Talent First."

5:50 - How can Azubu provide 24 hour live support? How many employees are there?

8:45 - Where will that $34 MM be spent?

10:45 - A more detailed money breakdown.

13:55 - Will Azubu ever reach a final state where you’re happy? “We have to strive to improve things on a daily basis.”

16:40 - Will the crowding in the streaming platform space be a problem? “Competition is the essence of the human experience.”

19:15 - The leaguepedia staff. “They bring us legitimacy. They bring us insight.”

22:40 - “We hope that we have distinguished ourselves from the other platforms out there.”

25:45 - About Azubu’s new investor, Sapinda.

30:15 - Sapinda seems mysterious, could that be a mistake?

32:45 - Why should a streamer go to the Azubu platform? “We want to form a partnership with you."

00:10 - Why did you drop Dota 2 from Anaheim? “We’re already looking at what we can do towards the end of the year.”

03:35 - MLG and WCS. “There were a lot of things playing out… behind the scenes.”

05:45 - Call of Duty. “It’s kind of an everyman’s game.”

07:45 - Call of Duty’s annual release cycle is “a challenge. There’s no doubt about it.”

09:50 - Console streaming numbers. A good third of CodChamps friday numbers were via the app.

12:30 - “We see up to 30% of our audience coming to us through connected devices.”

14:50 - Streaming Services are crowded. “The elephant in the room is YouTube.”

18:55 - MLG’s CPMs: Are they sustainable?

20:50 - Is Major League Gaming dropping its league component? “We talk about it a lot. How many events are the right amount?"

The end of the NA LCS Spring split came in the form of a ridiculous action-packed Super Week. Top teams Cloud 9 and Team SoloMid needed to wrap up the split in good fashion for the potential first-place. The bottom of the standings could still enter the playoffs and each and every match up allowed for the drama to build. The conclusion of the split was everything fans wanted.

Cloud 9 v. XDG - Cloud 9 wins at 35:18 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: It was a slow death for XDG, but at 34:00, Cloud 9 finally muscled their way through with a top lane push. A beautiful pillar allowed Cloud 9's Hai "Hai" Du Lam to clean up and scare off the rest of the XDG team fight back to their base.

MVP: An "Balls" Le for Cloud 9 took initiation seriously. He was the main player and tool to start fights and was easily the hardest champion to kill. His 11.00 KDA ratio was just further indication of his impact.

Team Coast v. Team Curse - Team Curse wins at 36:02 - Overall match rank: 3 out of 5.

Best play: An awful engagement from Team Coast in Baron at 31:40 ended any chance at winning the game. The lack of coordination and teamwork from Team Coast led to a separate team fight that was quickly dispatched by Team Curse. Team Curse took advantage of the mistake with a 2-for-1 trade and the Baron kill.

MVP: It's hard to ignore the nine kills that Team Curse's Joedat "Voyboy" Esfahani put up. He was the match's MVP, easily. He was consistently in safe spots during team fights and skirmishes and displayed the fantastic burst damage that his AD Carry could deal.

Counter Logic Gaming v. Cloud 9 - Cloud 9 wins at 43:25 - Overall match rank: 4.5 out of 5.

Best play: Cloud 9 took advantage of the greedy CLG Baron play at 32:35 with precise skill shots. From that point, it was a systematic hunt of CLG champions en route to the biggest lead of the match.

MVP: Cloud 9's Daerek "LemonNation" Hart was fantastic throughout the match. He played smart support, contributed to nearly every big engagement and most importantly, stayed alive. His two deaths was the big difference-maker for Cloud 9's team fights.

Team Dignitas v. Team Curse - Team Dignitas wins at 36:42 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: 21:31 was the big turning point for Team Dignitas. They were behind all game, but a risky play at dragon took care of any and all problems. Greyson "goldenglue" Gilmer's quadra kill after the dragon was all Team Dignitas needed to take all the momentum.

MVP: Team Dignitas' middle, Greyson "goldenglue" Gilmer, was the main beneficiary from each and every team fight. He was the last bit of burst damage in the majority of Team Dignitas' fights and created plenty of opportunities for his team to succeed.

Evil Geniuses v. Team SoloMid - Team SoloMid wins at 35:39 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: The most chaotic fight occurred at the 27:58 mark when Team SoloMid forced the action at the Baron pit. Evil Geniuses contested the best they could, but Team SoloMid took the Baron and traded kills, but took the gold and momentum lead.

MVP: Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg won his lane, was the main damage dealer in team fights, and benefitted the most in the KDA score. His cs score was 65 more than his counterpart and proved to be the big difference-maker between the two teams.

XDG v. Team Dignitas - Team Dignitas wins at 34:04 - Overall match rank: 3 out of 5.

Best play: Team Dignitas dominated from the start, but at 26:40, it was clear. Hooks and cocoons landing allowed for turrets and objectives to fall in favor of Team Dignitas and relegated XDG into spectators in their own game.

MVP: Michael "imaqtpie" Santana shined the brightest for his team in this romp. His beautiful Draven play proved too problematic for XDG in team fights as Santana ended the game with zero deaths.

Team SoloMid v. Team Coast - Team SoloMid wins at 41:46 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: Team SoloMid contested Team Coast's dragon attempt at 17:00 and made a close game into a wash. Team SoloMid separated Team Coast and took out each Team Coast member with advantageous numbers. After the fight, the kill lead expanded to 7-3 in favor of Team SoloMid.

MVP: Team SoloMid's support, Alex "Xpecial" Chu was special in this one. He was slippery and could not be caught in fights, but he also provided much of the damage in every Team SoloMid engagement.

Team Curse v. Counter Logic Gaming - Team Curse wins at 36:10 - Overall match rank: 3 out of 5.

Best play: A slow hit-and-run fight at 26:00 turned into a quadra kill for Team Curse. A great team fight spread and bait allowed for Team Curse's Caitlyn to shoot any and all targets on screen.

MVP: There wasn't a player more involved in team fights and kills than Team Curse's Michael "BunnyFuFuu" Kurylo. His insane 16 assists and only one death was absolutely the reason his team beat out the every-scary Counter Logic Gaming.

Team Dignitas v. Team Coast - Team Coast wins at 50:16 - Overall match rank: 4 out of 5.

Best play: The biggest kill of the game came from Apollo Price. The kill of Team Dignitas' imaqtpie effectively ended Team Dignitas' hope for victory. The 49:00 mistake from imaqtpie was too costly.

MVP: Someone other than Shiphtur and ZionSpartan took the crown. Team Coast's Apollo "WizFujiin" Price was a dominating killing machine. An insane 15 kills prevented Team Dignitas' strong composition from snowballing into a victory. His kill score was also the highest in the NA LCS.

Counter Logic Gaming v. Evil Geniuses - Counter Logic Gaming wins at 29:39 - Overall match rank: 3 out of 5.

Best play: Counter Logic Gaming made this game academic. A back-breaking fight near Baron pit at 26:00 crushed Evil Geniuses' hopes to winning the game. Counter Logic Gaming used a spread-out fight to take out any and all threats.

MVP: Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng played exactly like an AD Carry should. He dealt damage from every angle and took control of team fights with burst. He was a monster throughout the match and his zero death performance is a key indication.

Team SoloMid v. Cloud 9 - Cloud 9 wins at 32:36 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: 27:38 was the biggest mistake Team SoloMid made. An engage and then a disengage allowed Cloud 9 to group and take the biggest gold and kill lead of the game up to that point. It was a bully affair after the team fight.

MVP: Daerek "LemonNation" Hart was the difference again for his team. The main initiation and support for the team, Hart did not die to boot. His team proved to be the best in the NA LCS after their dissection of Team SoloMid.

Team Dignitas v Counter Logic Gaming - Counter Logic Gaming wins at 21:34 - Overall match rank: 2 out of 5.

Best play: If there was a play to symbolize the game, it was during the 13:00 mark when Counter Logic Gaming surrounded Cruz "cruzerthebruzer" Ogden and absolutely tore him up.

MVP: Counter Logic Gaming was the MVP. This was a stomp if anything.

Evil Geniuses v. Team Curse - Evil Geniuses wins at 32:40 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: 23:45 was textbook Evil Geniuses' initiation. They caught Team Curse off-guard in the middle lane in an objective push, but spread out to prevent any fallback attack or kills. The two-for-zero trade was indicative of the game Evil Geniuses played.

MVP: Stephen "Snoopeh" Ellis led his team to victory. His plays within team fights was the perfect complement. Whether it was initiation, ending damage, or starting burst, Ellis created space and advantages.

XDG v. Team SoloMid - XDG wins at 56:57 - Overall match rank: 4.5 out of 5.

Best play: XDG took advantage of Team SoloMid's greedy base push at 44:27 and ripped apart the attempt. The following chase and winning fight allowed XDG to assume map control and momentum. It was the moment XDG needed to take the upset victory.

MVP: Zachary "Mancloud" Hoschar played out of his mind and it was all necessary for the upset victory for XDG. He was the leading cs score for his team, the highest assist score, and the lowest death total. In short, Hoschar was the best player on the team.

Cloud 9 v. Team Coast - Cloud 9 wins at 40:48 - Overall match rank: 4 out of 5.

Best play: The backdoor of the NA LCS at 40:00 was all you need to see. Despite losing in overall kills and map control, Cloud 9 took the game with a great backdoor base race and crushed Team Coast's upset bid.

MVP: How could Danny "Shiphtur" Le not be the MVP? He was unstoppable with a 10-1-2 score. A playmaker from the start with his LeBlanc, Le showed that win or lose, he was the best player in the game.

XDG v. Evil Geniuses - Evil Geniuses wins at 47:00 - Overall match rank: 3.5 out of 5.

Best play: Evil Geniuses used early aggression to set the tone and none was more highlight-worthy than the 16:45 mark. A clone block, a double kill, and a turret dive was all you needed to know about Evil Geniuses' control of the match.

MVP: Tyson "Innox" Kapler was flawless. From damage, entering fights, and picking targets, Kapler made every right decision. He was 11-0-12 and was the clear MVP of the entire match.

Champion of the week: Corki

Whether it was played by Cloud 9's Sneaky or XDG's Zuna or Team Dignitas' imaqtpie, Corki was a damage giver. It could be the start of something absolutely new in AD Carry or it could be a fad, but Corki's impact in team fights was seen and felt in both losses and wins. The best example of a well-executed Corki was through Cloud 9's use of the champion. Kite and burst down opponents while staying near the team was the popular strategy.

Top of the week: Tyson "Innox" Kapler (KDA ratio 14.00)

Kapler was the pillar for Evil Geniuses. Whether it was through saving team fights or initiating, he made the best choice for the team's chances. The biggest highlight for Kapler was day 3 where he proceeded to play two games without a single death. His insane Lee Sin was a match up nightmare and it's a wonder where this version of Innox has been all season.

Jungle of the week: William "Meteos" Hartman (KDA ratio 4.2)

No, Hartman's overall ratios were not overwhelming, but the impact surely was. When a jungler is the reason your team wins a game, you're the top jungler. Hartman's amazing backdoor push against Team Coast was the difference in an entire match for Cloud 9. For that reason, he's in the discussion for best jungler.

Middle of the week: Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg (KDA ratio 3.8)

Bjerg was the most consistent of the middle laners during Super Week. He wasn't overly flashy or the biggest play-maker, but he was the safest player and easily the best. Bjerg will never disappoint fans with an "off" week because his play style denies the opportunity; much like last week.

Bottom of the week: Zachary "Sneaky" Scuderi and Daerek "LemonNation" Hart (KDA ratio 5.1)

Cloud 9 will be a force entering the playoffs. Hartman, Scuderi, and Hart compose three of the best at their positions. Scuderi and Hart complemented each other so well, it was hard to break the team apart because of it. Their record and execution is no fluke, their bottom lane can attest to that.

Summary of the week:

The spring split ended with a flurry of exciting matches. The bottom half of the standings stood their ground and did not fall to the top teams without a fight (with some upsets smattered across). Cloud 9 emerged from the rubble as the top North American team with the inconsistent week of Team SoloMid. Counter Logic Gaming ended the split with unsatisfying results. As for the rest of the pack, it may be good fortune that they're still in or the best could be played out.

Welcome to the Season 4 Spring Split Playoffs Coverage Center where you can find the schedule and results for the upcoming EU Challenger Series, Spring Split Playoffs and the Promotional series for the Season 4 Summer Split. Check out all the previews and recaps made by our staff and don't forget to check out our Media Gallery where you can find pictures and video's done on site!

Livestream:

Live again on the 11th of April at 18:00 CEST

Media Gallery

The ever-dominant LMQ faces down Curse Academy in the initial stages of the North American Challenger Series playoffs – the first step for either team in their respective bids for a hotly contested LCS seat.

LMQ

Former Tencent LPL team LMQ is considered an invasive threat for pretty good reasons: the Chinese transplants have found American waters much to their liking, sweeping the Challenger scene by large margins ever since they touched down. It's easier, in fact, to count the games they've lost than the number of teams they've torn down in 2-0 sets, and they are among the few teams expected to make it through LCS promotions after the conclusion of the spring split.

Notably, the team's performance back in China wasn't anywhere near as good as it is now. They stagnated in the lower third of LPL standings, despite taking the occasional game off veteran heavy-hitters like WE and Invictus Gaming, though the acquisition of former Royal Club and World Championship representative top laner Ackerman (formerly Godlike) has done much to patch key weaknesses.

But the real focus will be on XiaoWeiXiao (no relations to the Team WE AD player) and Vasilii, the latter of which has made a name as the North American Challenger scene's most aggressive bot lane carry. They might not have done well in the LPL, but their imported aggression – a notable feature of the Chinese scene as a whole – has proven near-impossible for North American Challenger teams to deal with. As the first place winners of both Challenger Series sessions thus far, they are the favorites coming into the playoffs.

Curse Academy

Curse Academy's been one of the highest-profile amateur teams since the start of the LCS, but they've found it difficult to translate notoriety into success. More than 20 players have called Curse Academy their home over the team's year-long history, while only Rhux remains as an original member – IWillDominate has since joined the primary LCS roster, and Pobelter's now with Evil Geniuses. But despite the many roster changes, their results have been consistent – that is, consistently short of a medal finish throughout their participation in premier-level events.

The start of 2014 hasn't been much more encouraging, with a defeat to their sibling LCS team in the first session of the North American Challenger League to usher in the New Year, then dropping out early to Determined Gaming in the first Spring Challenger Series. But it would be a grave mistake to write them off, as the talent of the current roster is very real. Their February acquisition of former Coast AD carry DontMashMe significantly strengthens their late-game power – a part of the game that LMQ's struggled with (if only because of how rarely they need to deal with it).

They also have more research material to work within in their fight versus LMQ, because the North American Challenger scene now isn't quite the pushover it was when the Chinese team first settled upon western shores.

What To Expect

"LMQ will win," expects Andrew "Glyceroll" Whitmore, LoLesports' Challenger Series specialist. "But it will be a solid set of games. Curse Academy is one of the top Challenger teams, and one of the few that can actually bring a decent fight to LMQ. But they're just not adept at dealing with LMQ's sheer pressure and aggression. If Curse Academy is absolutely on-point, I could it see it being close, but LMQ has been too dominant not to be my pick."

LMQ's dropped individual games in the recent past, notably to LoLPro and Team 8 – though their overall record against either team remains significantly advantageous. But they are still far short of perfect. "Their biggest weakness is their late game," said Whitmore. "If they don't snowball the game into a victory, they have a ton of problems."

Whether or not Curse Academy can isolate and exploit those problems remains to be seen. As the most dominant non-LCS team in North America, all eyes are on LMQ to make a tradition out of dominance.

LMQ and Curse Academy's showdown will be on April 12, at 2:00 PM PDT (11:00 PM CET).

Image Credit: LMQ, Leaguepedia

Patch changes play a major part in professional play. A strategy or team composition you had this week may not work the next week once the patch hits. It may also allow a team to bounce back, and move on from a patch they were struggling with.

Some players were critical of the major changes in patch 4.5 being released two weeks before LCS playoffs, and one week prior to major challenger events. I spoke with players and managers in the LCS to get their view.

Cloud 9’s Hai feels optimistic about the change, stating:

“I think the change is good for viewers! It lets teams have 2 weeks to figure out what is the good and bad. I'm excited to see what everyone will have learned!”

LCS caster, Joshua 'Jatt' Leesman, feels that players should adapt:

“I'm tired of pros complaining about the 4.5 patch changing too much It's 2 weeks until playoffs, adapting has always been a part of pro play”

Brokenshard of Complexity.Black, who plays in the NA Challenger Spring Playoffs semifinals this Saturday doesn't mind the change:

“If people would spend less time bitching about the changes and more actually figuring out what's good people would realize theres not much to be angry about.”

Copenhagen Wolves’ top lane, YoungBuck says players should stop overreacting:

''Players should stop overreacting, the real ''victims'' are challenger teams who had to play life changing promotion tournaments on patch 3.0 and 4.0 2 weeks after their release.”

SK Gaming’s CandyPanda shares the same sentiment:

“For the LCS playoffs I feel like its okay to roll out a patch 11 days before, but its not ok for the Amateur players to play on it right away.”

On the other hand, teams Curse’s manager, Steve Arhancet, thinks the change is “extremely frustrating.”

“Part of the game is being adaptable to the patch. This is something we're used to. Two weeks before relegation matches for this split, the huge Season 4 patch came out and then we had to play on that in the relegation matches. It's definitely extremely frustrating when there's so much on the line and most of the custom work that a team has put into the strategy/meta/rotations/champion practice and picks and bans gets shifted completely.”

Wickd, Alliance top laner, took his frustrations to twitter:

“The patch is amazing and I love it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's kinda stupid to release a big patch before playoffs.”

Riot Games did not respond to request for comment.

Image Credit: Riot Games

Jun was considered one of the absolute top pick-ups in the world in early 2014, following his jaw dropping double sweep of both WCS Korea and the WCS S3 Global Finals. Many heads were then turned when mousesports who have prided themselves on being a team consisting of European talent in SC2 signed the two-time WCS champion. Now it seems like the partnership between them has come to a close, and in the statements released from all parties the decision was mutual.

Markus 'MaX' Kemper, player manager:

Today we return to our original course and a fully European lineup. Some may consider this as a failure but for us, that's not the case. It was a great, instructive experience to work with an exceptional player like Dear and to be a part of the Korean community. Both sides have invested a great deal of effort to make this coorpoation worthwhile. Within the past weeks we however realized that we couldn't live up to our strenghts and needed to do a change. We truly see us as a European team and we feel it is our duty to support the foreign Starcraft 2 scene in this difficult time. Expect some more news from our team in the near future and watch out for our new fully foreign powerhouse! Our origin, our strenghts, our future!

Baek 'Dear' Dong Jun:

It's sad to be no longer a part of mousesports. It has been a really nice time with their StarCraft family and we all will further improve in the future. Special thanks to HasuObs, who is a very cool guy!

With the organisation's focus once again aimed at exclusive non-Korean talent, it will be interesting to see if the team can break the ongoing Korean dominance displayed in the SC2 scene today.

Photo Credit: This is Game, Kevin Chang

The player in question is Xu 'Lin' Ziyang, who according to LGD will be looking at becoming part of the team's active roster in the near future. LGD, who currently play host for a total of seven members will probably aim to replace their current offlaner Peng 'Icy' Weng with the former RattleSnake player. The replacement of Icy is not yet confirmed however, as LGD wrote on their Weibo that "the lineup will be announced after all determined, so stay tuned!".

Last year, LGD were placed in a similar position as they had to forfeit their direct invitation to The International due to swapping out a member of their roster after the invite had been given out. With recent results not shining for the division, as well as now switching up their roster again a direct invite to TI4 seems very unlikely.

Image Credit: scn.tv, t.qq.com/lgdgaming

Started by one of his many fans, the Facebook group 'HeatoN till Mästarnas Mästare' (which roughly translates in to HeatoN to The Master of the Masters) has accumulated close to 30,000 likes on the social network in hopes that SVT, Sweden's state-funded television network, would allow the esports legend to appear on the show which pits sports celebrities against each other in different kinds of challenges that require both brain and brawn.

The campaign that started on Facebook has since drawn the attention of several news outlets in Sweden, that end on both ends of the spectrum in terms of whether or not Christensen should be eligible to compete due to his background in esports. Now however, HeatoN will appear on the show's behind-the-scenes series, and will address the entire campaign and the reception it has attracted.

The show will air this Sunday at 21:00 CET.

Image Credit: svt.se, Hampus Andersson

Fnatic has recently announced their partnership with Azubu.tv. The organization's pro gamers will soon begin streaming on the platform, joining Counter Logic Gaming and Azubu-sponsored Taipei Assassins and Snipers. Neither organization's announced when the players will begin conducting streams, but the Azubu.tv 2.0 revamp is expected to be launched later this month. Said Fnatic General Manager Danijel Remus:

Today marks a new milestone for our organization as we begin a partnership with Azubu. We believe that, together with Azubu, we will be able to ensure the best experience for our fans when it comes to high quality streaming of our players. We also look forward to hearing your feedback as we embark on this new, exciting venture.

Azubu Media's come under scrutiny as its flagship platform's update nears its debut. OnGamers has recently interviewed Azubu CEO Ian Sharpe, touching upon both their recent hiring of Leaguepedia staff as well as the background on parent organization Sapinda Group. As discussed by Richard Lewis of Esports Heaven, the organization's come under controversy in the past: the company's Korean branch was suddenly closed in early 2013. Their recent acquisition of former Leaguepedia staff was not without controversy either, as access was revoked from site founder Matt Gunnin, and a portion of the staff split off to found competing site EsportsPedia.

The Fnatic and Azubu partnership comes just months after Fnatic's recent AVAST sponsorship.

MeetYourMakers and vVv Gaming today announced their new rosters for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a game that's esport potential has exponentially grown within the past couple of months. MeetYourMakers announced that they have picked up the former members of the team Phoenix, formed from former Denial Esports and Reason Gaming players, whereas vVv Gaming opted to pick up Team 5, which was also formed from former Reason Gaming and Denial Esports players.

With recent tournaments such as the Hearth2P EU vs CN Masters, as well as more seasons of IEM and ESGN Fight Night on their way, it will be interesting to see what the two teams can achieve.

The teams' rosters are as follows:

MeetYourMakers:

Lewis “Blackout” Spencer

Jan “Skip” Birkemeyer

Anton “Semijew” Holm Klang

Tobias “Kunzi” Kunzweiler

Asen “BlazingGlory” Bukov

Nuno “Ignite” Pinho

Thijs “ThijsNL” Molendijk

vVv Gaming:

Sebastian “vVv Spo” Sjöbeck

Paul “vVv Portex” Hoekstra

Sebastian “vVv Ostkaka” Engwall

Aleksi “vVv Wampie” Majander

Jökull “vVv Kaldi” Jóhannsson

Below are quotes from the two team captains, respectively:

"I see it as a great opportunity for both my team and the organization to grow immensely. I believe we've found our new home and together we shall accomplish more than any other team out there in the hearthstone scene." - Sebastian "Spo" Sjobeck, vVv Captain

“It really is an honour to be able to join one of the biggest, most well known organisations in Esports in Meet Your Makers. We have a great group of players here, all top European tournament players, and I see no reason why we can’t carry on with our success under Phoenix as well as much, much more under the MYM name!” - Lewis "Blackout" Spencer, MYM Captain

After a disappointing fifth place finish last season, CLG acquired ex-Lemondogs jungler Marcel “Dexter” Feldkamp during the offseason. Many people considered the well-regarded jungler, who played in the Season 3 World Championship, to be a solid upgrade to CLG’s roster. Going into the season, many people expected to see an improved CLG start out slowly but eventually contend for a top-2 finish in the spring split. Given that CLG finished the regular season in third place and will contend for a top finish at playoffs, CLG’s season seems to have gone as expected.

However, CLG took quite an unexpected path to get to this point. Due to his visa issues, Dexter did not play on the team for the first three weeks of the season. CLG used midlaner Austin “Link” Shin in the jungle and used substitutes George “HotshotGG” Georgallidis and Steve “Chauster” Chau in the mid lane in separate weeks. Playing with a makeshift roster for the first three weeks of the season, CLG earned a record of (4-5) which placed the team in the middle of the standings. Not only did CLG’s season get off to a slower-than-expected start, but CLG’s new roster (with Dexter) lost valuable time to synergize and to work through some of the early problems that many new rosters face – not to mention time to apply principles from Coach Christopher “Montecristo” Mykles.

Dexter resolved his visa issues and joined the team in Week 4. In the weeks since Dexter’s return to the jungle (and Link’s return to mid lane), CLG won 14 out of 19 games and steadily improved in a variety of areas. There are stark differences in CLG’s stats in the games with and without Dexter. This article analyzes some of the differences between the stats and highlights team and player improvements. This article focuses on the differences in:

• Basic Team Statistics, such as KDA and GPM
• Average Gold Leads/Deficits at 10, 20, and 30 Minutes
  • Dexter’s Early-Game (Pre-15 Minute) Jungle Pressure
• Kills/Deaths at 10, 20, and 30 Minutes
• Objective Control
• Team Gold Proportions per Role
  • Link’s Mid-Lane Proficiency

Basic Team Statistics

The table below shows the differences in a few of the basic team statistics. As you can see, CLG improved in each aspect, most notably in KDA and KAPM. Since Dexter joined in week 4, CLG earned an impressive (14-5) record in the last nineteen games, second only to C9 who earned a record of (17-2) and tied with TSM (14-5). Interestingly, CLG earned first blood in all but three games since Dexter’s return.

Average Gold Leads/Deficits

This section focuses on CLG’s average gold amounts relative to the opponent amounts at 10, 20, and 30 minutes. The graph shows CLG’s averages for before and after starting Dexter.

10 Minutes

Before starting Dexter, CLG averaged a 5.57% gold deficit (relative to the opponent) at 10 minutes. After starting Dexter, CLG averages a 4.83% gold lead at 10 minutes. CLG now averages one of the largest gold leads at 10 minutes among the NA LCS teams. Dexter’s early game shot calling and jungle pressure contributed to this large improvement.

Quantifying Dexter’s Early-Game Jungle Presence

The following table shows the jungle statistics in the nine games with Link and in the nineteen games with Dexter. The results in the table show that Dexter is a large reason why CLG now earns a large gold lead at 10 minutes. The statistics in the table below reflect results from the first 15 minutes of each game.

The results show that Dexter not only ganks more evenly across the map but also ganks more effectively. While Link and Dexter earned a kill or tower roughly the same percentage of time, Dexter forced more flashes/ultimates and failed less often. Dexter and Link averaged the same number of ganks in the first 15 minutes, but Dexter participated in a much larger percentage of first bloods. CLG secured more towers on average in the first 15 minutes as well. CLG became a much more proficient and objective-focused team in the early game due in large part to Dexter’s early jungle pressure.

20 Minutes

The graph shows that CLG now averages an 8.59% gold lead at 20 minutes, compared with averaging a 6.74% gold deficit in the first nine games. A team that consistently earns a large gold lead at 20 minutes does many things well, some of which are laning well, making good early game decisions, rotating well, and securing objectives. CLG obviously improved quite a bit in a few of these areas.

The 10 to 20 minute time span is a critical phase in many games. Teams that out-earn their opponents during this time usually make better rotations and objective calls and perform better in team fights. Opponents out-earned CLG by 7.73% during the 10-20 minute phase in the first nine games. Since starting Dexter, CLG now earns 11.77% more gold than its opponents earn during this phase. CLG now earns roughly 17,690 total gold during this phase compared with its opponents who average only 15,830. CLG’s statistics in this area show that the team improved in early-to-mid-game decision making and execution.

30 Minutes

This section focuses on CLG’s performance up to 30 minutes and on the team’s performance during the 20-30 minute phase. Like the conclusions in the other sections, CLG improved in this area. The graph shows that CLG now averages a large gold lead at 30 minutes with Dexter (+9.36%) compared with averaging a large gold deficit in the first nine games (-8.64%).

CLG out-earns its opponents during the 20-30 minute phase by a substantial margin. CLG now out-earns its opponents by 10.73% in this phase, which is a large improvement from being out-earned by 12.08% in the first nine games during this phase. CLG now earns 18,290 gold during this time on average. For reference, CLG earns the second-most gold in this phase among the NA LCS teams (TSM is first with an average of 18,840, and C9 is third with an average of 18,200).

Average Kills and Deaths

With the LCS season now transitioning into the playoffs, CLG has become one of the highest killing teams in the NA LCS. CLG leads the league in average kills at 10 minutes with 2.11. EG is second in this category with 1.79, and C9 is third with 1.71. CLG now averages the second-most kills at 20 minutes with 6.21 (C9 is first with 6.29) and the most kills at 30 minutes with an average of 12.09.

The two graphs below show that CLG increased kills and decreased deaths since starting Dexter. Better team play and better player performance most likely contributed to the improved statistics.

Overall Objective Control

Descriptions such as objective-focused and rotation-focused best characterize CLG’s new and improved play style. Since the arrival of Dexter, CLG secures more towers per minute (TPM) and dragons per minute (DRPM). CLG averages 0.24 TPM with Dexter, compared with averaging 0.18 TPM previously. For reference, TSM averages 0.25 TPM, and C9 averages 0.23 TPM. CLG now averages 0.06 DRPM with Dexter, which is almost twice as high as CLG’s rate of 0.04 DRPM in the first nine games. After being in the middle of the pack for this statistic after the first nine games, CLG is now third in DRPM, behind only C9 (0.09) and TSM (0.07). Improved team fighting, team rotations, and jungle presence contributed to the increased objective rates.

The graphs below show the objective proportions for CLG and opponents before and after starting Dexter. CLG secured only 18 out of 49 objectives (dragons and barons) in the first nine games. CLG secured 55 out of 96 objectives in the last nineteen games. As you can see, CLG now obtains a larger proportion of the global objectives.

Team Gold Proportions per Role

The following section shows CLG’s gold proportions for each role relative to the role averages. For example, top laners in the NA LCS contribute roughly 21.03% to a team’s total gold amount on average. If a certain top laner contributes 22.03% to his team, then his gold proportion is relatively 4.76% higher than the average top laner’s contribution to his team. Keep in mind that total team gold affects this stat. As a team earns more global objective gold (which CLG in the first nine games did less frequently), each role’s actual average moves closer to 20%. For jungle and support, moving from the role averages to 20% causes them to appear “above average,” because those two roles typically average below 20%. Whereas the opposite is true for the other three roles, as they typically average more than a 20% proportion.

The first graph shows that, during the first nine games without Dexter, CLG’s mid laners contributed well below the role average. During this time, CLG depended on increased proportions from Support and ADC. The second graph shows that CLG not only earned more global objective gold but also became a more balanced team. The table below shows the data used to make the two graphs.

Upgrading the Mid Lane

Link’s performance since returning to the mid lane greatly contributed to CLG’s improved record over the last nineteen games. The table below shows Link’s mid lane statistics in key areas compared with the statistics for HotshotGG and Chauster. While the statistics do not illustrate the entire story, they offer a small glimpse as to the extent that CLG improved in the mid lane. While Link’s shot calling and decision making improved, Link’s performance solidified his status as a top-tier mid laner this season.

Upcoming Playoffs

CLG faced unexpected adversity early in the spring split due to Dexter’s visa issues. After “keeping it together” for the first three weeks with a temporary roster, CLG started playing with Dexter in Week 4. CLG performed below-average in the first nine games, yet CLG markedly improved in basically every aspect of the game over the last two months. CLG now averages a slight gold lead at 10 minutes and continues to outperform opponents in the critical 10-20 minute and 20-30 minute phases. CLG secures a larger percentage of global objectives and closes out games faster.

After incorporating the European jungler into their roster, CLG earned the second-best record in the league and won games against powerhouses TSM and C9. Continued solid play from CLG’s three stable roles and improved play from the jungle and mid lane are large reasons why CLG became a top-3 team in NA. Given the steady improvement and recent track record, CLG is a strong contender to represent North America at the All-Star Event.

Data collected with help by the onGamers Stats team: Derek 'Kathix' Adams, Steven 'whedgehead' Falgout, Kent 'Traepoint' Frasure, Jake Morales, and James 'PelkaSupaFresh' Pelkey. Design by Ben 'Sarcasmappreciated' Li.

Galvin 'Meracle' Kang has over the past year risen to become one of the hottest young stars of the South East Asian scene, elevating his team First Departure to compete with teams like Zenith and Orange eSports in the run-up to last years International and then being invited to join RisingStars in China for the WPC ACE League during the fall of last year.

After RisingStars fell apart Meracle returned to SEA, joining Titan eSports before deciding to amicably split and return to create his current team, Scythe Gaming, along with some of his old friends from First Departure. Scythe has now become a powerhouse within the SEA scene and have even been argued by some to be deserving of a direct invite to TI4, and if not to be one of the front runners going into the SEA regional qualifier.

It is against this backdrop that we decided to reach out to Meracle to find out a bit more about where he thinks Singaporean Dota stands today, relating it to SEA and his experiences in China.

The Interview

Hello Meracle and thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Let's start with how you view the Singaporean Dota scene right now? How healthy is it and where do you see the scene in relation to the rest of Asia?

"Hello! I feel the Singapore Dota scene have a lot of talented players right now, and there are many more decent players that are getting better by the day, but unfortunately there are not many new teams which I strongly believe is due to experience (not enough competitions here in SEA). This applies to many of the other teams in Asia (other than China) as well."

You mentioned a lack of competitions in SEA. Is this the major thing holding the scene back, or are there other specific issues that relate to Singaporean teams?

"Lack of competition is one of the more major issues I suppose. Another would be that Singapore teams/players generally have less time to play as they have to commit to other things like National Service, school, or simply hanging out with friends."

National Service is indeed a major issue that often comes up when discussing Singaporean players. How many of your team still have this ahead of them and can you gives us a timeline for when you are due to start?

"All of our teammates basically, one of us has already started (chibix). As to when it is going to start for me, it should be around after TI or next year."

It also seems Singapore is going through a generation shift, with most of the old Dota 1 legends having either retired or left to pursue other challenges. Have legends like hyhy made a complete break from the scene?

"I believe most of them have made a complete break from the scene."

Do you wish some of those more experienced players were still around for you to talk to and to give you advice from time to time?

"Of course! That'd be great since some of them have been overseas to Europe etc. I'd like to know what are their experience like and how they cope with the pressure themselves."

Have you ever had a mentor of sorts in Dota, or how did you improve and learn when you were starting out?

"I was introduced to the original Dota by my brother back when I was 12 and he taught me all the basic stuff. After that it was basically playing the game and getting better."

Does your brother still play with you, or have you gotten too good for him? ;)

"My brother just plays Dota 2 casually, but we still play together sometimes(very little)."

Moving on, what was it like coming back from China? Did the experience you had there change how you view the SEA scene, the game or yourself as a player?

"It taught me a lot on how the game is suppose to be played. SEA teams are generally more messy and make funny decisions whereas the China teams I used to play against were extremely coordinated and make a lot less mistakes. The individual skill of both regions don't really seem to be too far apart, but in everything else, China is a level above."

Did this change of perspective play a role in your time with Titan? Can you tell us a bit about why you decided to go your different ways in the end?

"I guess it did to a certain extent, but I still took a lot of risk in some games than I did back in RisingStars. As for parting ways with Titan, I believe I wasn't really on the same page as them, they were all really nice people. They are also extremely serious and hardworking but I feel I wasn't, which I personally believe was not fair for them so I decided to leave."

How did this lack of willingness to work hard present and have you thought about what might be behind it?

"I believe it is more of myself, I like to do my own thing. I don't really enjoy being tied down to having a schedule everyday. (Which I believe is an extremely bad thing)."

How does that affect you now with Scythe? I would imagine with a player in the Service already you would need to schedule practice around when he is available?

"He comes out everyday in the evening so most of the time our trainings are held around evening to night time."

Who do you scrim mostly? Is it generally other SEA teams or do you try to get scrim time with Chinese teams as well?

"Mostly its just other SEA teams, but sometimes we do play against some Chinese teams on their server."

What do you think your chances are potentially going into the TI4 qualifiers and beyond that if you were to get to attend the event?

"I guess whichever team that get invited to the TI4 qualifiers/TI4 itself have to be confident with themselves to do well. If you are going in with a mentality to not get first, you probably won't."

What do you think of the split qualifier this year? Does it benefit SEA to play among themselves or do you feel the challenge of facing the Chinese would force teams to push themselves further?

"I guess it benefits SEA in terms of qualifying, but the challenge of facing the Chinese teams would like you said, definitely push themselves further knowing that we are not there yet at their level."

On a personal level, do you see your future as being within SEA or do you want to return to China at some point? As such a talented young player, is it inevitable that at some point you have to walk down the same path as Chuan, Mushi and iceiceice?

"As for now, I think I see my future more of being within SEA rather than in China. As for the other question....... it's hard to answer haha. It's still difficult for me to see what kind of player I'll become in the future."

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Would you like to give any shoutouts before you go?

"Thanks for asking me as well. I'll like to shoutout to all the people that've been supporting me. ^_^"

The winners of this match guarantee themselves a spot in the 2014 Summer Promotion tournament, and at least $10,000. The loser will have one last chance, in a 3rd-place match, to keep their LCS dreams alive.

Cloud 9 Tempest

Formerly known as The Walking Zed, Cloud 9 Tempest just missed out on taking down Team Coast last promotion tournament by one game. Since then, they have been a dominant force in the Challenger scene. C9T tied for first with Team 8 in the North American Challenger League Season 2 regular season. Eventually, they placed 3rd/4th in playoffs overall. One thing that is very clear about Tempest is that they continue to improve. Some Challenger teams will reach a peak, then remain stagnant while everyone else rushes past them. Not Cloud 9 Tempest. They have moved on since their loss versus Coast and have really made a name for themselves as one of the most consistently strong Challenger teams in North America.

In the mid lane, Bischu is a former top Korean solo queue player who is the poster boy for C9T. His impeccable Nidalee play will draw a ban almost every game, and has done so for some time now. But Bischu is anything but a one-trick pony - he can pick up anything that’s popular in the current meta and go toe-to-toe with any other Challenger midlaner. In the bot lane, Gleebglarbu is a master on support. Known for his Thresh and Annie play, Gleeb brings a presence in the bot lane unrivaled by another other support player in the Challenger scene. Accompanying him is TSM sub Altec. Even in a meta where marksmen don’t have the same impact they did previously, Altec can still mow down the enemy in a team fight using his superior positioning and game sense.

Overall, you can expect Tempest to put up a good showing versus Complexity Black. They have shown massive improvements since the first Challenger series and now hold second place overall.

Complexity.Black

Complexity Black has the longest history of any Challenger team in North America. Formerly known as To Be Determined, then Determined Gaming, and now CoL.Black, these guys have been competing together for quite some time. They have now made a mark on the Challenger scene as a top team. But Complexity can struggle with consistency. On one day, they make taking down Challenger gods LMQ look like a walk in the park. On others, they seem to have a breakdown in communication and team play. In this series, remaining focused and not going on tilt - like Brokenshard claimed they did in their promotion match versus Evil Geniuses - will be an extremely important factor in moving on to the finals.

Like Cloud 9 Tempest, Complexity also has a star in the midlane in Pr0lly. His aggressive play style strikes fear into his opponents and can often end up winning him the lane. On a champion like Ziggs, he can take a lead and run away with the game. Up in top lane, Westrice is known for picking an unconventional champion, grabbing a kill early and running away with the game. But picking things like Akali may not bode well for Complexity when they play versus more experienced teams. In this meta, especially in the top lane, playing for the team is vital so he may end up picking one of the more common top-laners.

Complexity has the ability to beat any Challenger team, they just have to show up with their mentality in check and refrain from tilting.

Next to the finals, this match is the one I’m most looking forward to. It’s almost impossible to call this one as both teams are evenly matched in skill and showcase unique dynamics in the Challenger scene.

Check out this match on April 12th at 3:00 PM EST on lolesports.com

Image Credit: Riot Games

The top amateur teams in Europe were almost at the finish line. With two matches left to go, Reason Gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Cloud 9 Eclipse and Denial eSports were all looking for the best possible seed in order to get into the LCS. Let us dive right into the first match up played on Friday.

Cloud 9 Eclipse vs. Denial eSports - Cloud 9 Eclipse win 2-1 - Overall match score: 3,5 out of 5

The first clash seemed very one-sided on paper to those not versed in the Challenger scene. However, the experience which the Denial roster has garnered during their entire career had a big role in the upcoming clash. Unfortunately, due to a school trip, starter support player p3rmm was replaced by veteran SuperAZE and that did seem to affect the Poles.

Best match: Definitely Game 2 takes the cake. A roller coaster of comebacks and throws, this game offered a ton of action and nice plays from both teams. Denial exhibited incredible composure and ability to create opportunities under pressure, while Cloud 9 did their best in their efforts to try and shut the determined Polish enemy.

MVP: Dutch rising talent Febiven is the MVP of the match. The youngster was merciless and made the best of all the chances k0u created, eliminating opponent after opponent to ensure objectives and map control. One thing we can all take from this match - ban Nidalee when you meet Febiven!

Trivia: Given the rise of Feral Flame, the new jungler item which adds quite a nice mix of offensive stats to your jungler, Master Yi was picked in all three games. Unfortunately for the expert swordsman, he was always on the losing side.

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Reason Gaming - Ninjas in Pyjamas win 2-0 - Overall match score: 4 out of 5

The titan in the Challenger scene was ready to go against Reason Gaming and justify all the praise from pro players, coaches and analysts. The featured match-up here was Trashy versus Hulberto, the battle of the junglers which could potentially decide the fate of the lanes and consequently, the game.

Best match: Given how one-sided this game turned out to be, the intricacies and mastery of the game flow, champions and map control from NiP raised the game score by 2 points. If you want to see a "perfect game", then the first match is for you. The ninjas completely obliterated the opposition, never lost a tower and all five members managed to stay alive the whole time. On the other hand, if you want to see devastation and non-stop action, then Game 2 will supply all that you need. A crushing victory for NiP left no hope for a higher placing and Reason were left to battle for the third spot.

MVP(s): It was a sight for sore eyes to see how easily a mid laner like Nukeduck can outplay an opponent and maintain lane control. However, the stars of this match were on bot lane. Mithy and Freeze exhibited a synergy like no other - crushing Krislund and BarneyD and completely outclassing them in every aspect. Unmoved even when outnumbered, the duo was always prepared, thus making all attempts by Trashy in vain.

Trivia: Nukeduck played an incredible set. The Norwegian ace never died during the match.

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Cloud 9 Eclipse - C9 win 3-1 - Overall match score: 4,5 on 5

The match everyone expected was upon us. Standing tall, NiP were eager to avenge their previous losses against the boys in white. Cloud 9 on the other hand seemed shaky after a 2-1 win against Denial and subtle signs pointed towards an NiP win. One thing was for certain, we were in for a show!

Best match: One of the best things about a powerhouse final is that it yields more than just a single interesting game. In this particular case, we had even distribution of "endless bloodbaths" and "tactical outplays". If you require edge-of-the-seat plays and godlike mechanics in combination with multiple kills and non-stop fights, then take a look at games 1 and 3. Conversely, if tactical dominance, calculated objective control and targeted shut down of a certain lane is your cup of tea, then games 2 and 4 will not disappoint you. Overall, NiP and Cloud 9 delivered a great series and have once again exhibited LCS worthy qualities.

MVP: Without a doubt, the prize goes to k0u. The Norwegian jungling beast was on fire during all four games, leaving Hulberto shocked and unable to assist his teammates. The youngster is a complete package - a deep champion pool (Evelynn, Shyvana, Lee Sin, Xin Zhao, Elise among others), calculated aggressive play style and creativity like non-other. Time and time again, k0u successfully bullied Hulberto around his jungle and was still a lane factor. The best player on the map for C9, the Norwegian was instrumental in their challenger campaign.

Trivia: We saw quite the number of Season 3 picks in the match: Twisted Fate, Rumble, Nocturne, Ahri and Fizz.

Final standings

1. Cloud 9 Eclipse - 16,000$ + EU Summer promotion spot

2. Ninjas in Pyjamas - 10,000$ + EU Summer promotion spot

3. Denial eSports - 8,000$ + EU Summer promotion spot

4. Reason Gaming - 3,000$

Potential outcomes

The LCS system function as follows: the 6th and 7th placed teams in the LCS will have to choose between the top three Challanger teams (Cloud 9, NiP and Denial, respectively). Below, we will detail the possible scenarios for relegation teams which will be determined in just a week. Given that there is no team in 6th place as of yet (the team will be determined as the EU LCS playoffs commence) we will use team X. Keep in mind, team X can by any of ROCCAT, Gambit Gaming, Alliance or Copenhagen Wolves.

Team X's choice options

Sixth place gives you a choice of opponent, a key component in surviving relegation. Unfortunately, the choice is between a lesser of three evils. The most likely choice for them would be Denial. Although the Polish squad boasts in experience, they are yet to play such an important match and this time, the opponent will be incredibly prepared. Definitely an obstacle for a Challenger team.

The second option would be Cloud 9 and the reason is simple - k0u will be ineligible to play in the Summer promotion given that he will be 16 at the time. This means that the winners of the Challenger League will be at a heavy disadvantage as one of their main play makers is not to take part. We are yet to see whether this is sufficient to potentially deny Cloud 9 an LCS spot.

Supa Hot Crew's choice options

As Team X has (in the most likely case) taken Denial, the only option for the Crew is Cloud 9. Although they are the winners of the Challenger tournament, the departure of k0u is enough of an argument to prefer them over the Ninjas. In addition, one could argue that Supa Hot Crew will have an easier time dealing with C9's solo laners given their lack of LCS experience. Thorough preparation and hard work are the only solutions for the Crew in this match.

This most likely leaves Millenium with Ninjas in Pyjamas. Many have stated on numerous occasions the impressive scrim record of NiP against LCS teams. Two factors can swing this match in either side - Kottenx's status and NiP's mental form. There were rumours going around the scene which whisper of a potential unnamed replacement of Kottenx. If this turns out to be true, then MIL will simply complicate their task even more which, in turn would be greeted with open arms by the Ninjas. The latter's mental status, however, has been their downfall not once or twice. Despite being an excellent squad of talented and capable players, the quintet has shown that mistakes on the big stage take a great toll on team morale. Unfortunately, this is the only thing MIllenium can hope to rely on.

The LCS action continues in just three days! The countdown continues as we are yet to see who will become the EU LCS Spring split champion.

Welcome to the Season 4 Spring Split Playoffs Coverage Center where you can find the schedule and results for the upcoming NA Challenger Series, Spring Split Playoffs and the Promotional series for the Season 4 Summer Split. Check out all the previews and recaps made by our staff and don't forget to check out our Media Gallery where you can find pictures and video's done on site!

Livestream:

Stream will be going live with the Spring Split playoffs!

Media Gallery

'Great games' is a series that looks back on the incredible games played in esports history. Games which have shaped the legends of professional players, elevated individuals to the level of heroes and to this day stick in the memory of aficionados.

The opening map of the WCG 2009 final between fnatic and AGAiN, played on nuke, is often cited in conversations over what the best game in the history of competitive Counter-Strike is. Both line-ups were teams for the ages, yet both came into the match from drastically different contexts. fnatic were the dominators of the scene, a monster line-up overflowing with star players, all in their prime, who had run over the elite end of the competitive scene all year, picking up title after title, and looked set to cement themselves as the greatest five man line-up in CS history. AGAiN were a team of five Poles without an organisation, having struggled all year with dipping form and organisational switches which had seen them wear the tags of three organisations already.

fnatic had stormed the tournament and looked set to add the WCG gold medal to an already overwhelmingly successful year, while AGAiN could be happy to have even made it to the final, battling through three straight three game series in the playoffs. The opening map of the tournament was so epic it could not be contained within the constraints of the standard 30 rounds of the MR15 (MaxRounds 15) format. Even 50 rounds were not enough to decide a victor, no, it would take 54 rounds of play before the winner of the opening map of the final was decided. fnatic gave up four map points in regulation, the Poles relinquished six of their own in overtime. In the end, it all came down to a single 1v1 between GeT_RiGhT, player of the year, and Loord, often accurately described as the least skilled member of AGAiN.

This is the story of a legendary game which will live forever in the minds of the players involved and the fans who watched it.

2009 - The golden year of fnatic

fnatic came into 2009 with a huge change to their roster, replacing departing veterans Archi and ins, both role players in their line-up, with rising aim stars in the Swedish scene GeT_RiGhT and Gux. Adding such talent to a line-up which already contained f0rest, the best aimer in the game's history, initially had many questioning how the team would function. It's rare that teams containing so many star players have been successful, especially with any degree of consistency, in CS history. What's more, this move meant dsn, a former star of the team, moving into a support role.

Initial concerns might have seemed warranted as fnatic finished fourth at their first tournament, the IEM III Continental final for Europe. Beyond that there would be no more questions asked, merely compliments and praise rained down upon what was fast becoming the best quintent to ever enter a CS server. fnatic won the IEM III Global Finals days after the European finals. From there on they ran the table on the scene, racking up the next three big offline events (ESWC Masters Cheonan, KODE5 and e-Stars Seoul).

The team was not without its slip-ups, they had lost in the GamesCom four team invitational, largely due to caring so little about the exhibition tournament that they had been out drinking the night before, having just swept most of the year's esports awards. Ten days later, they lost the final of IEM IV Chengdu, both maps going into overtime, to an SK Gaming side which had followed their lead and recruited two of the best aimers in the Swedish scene, face and kHRYSTAL, to pit against fnatic's aces. That adjustment and initial resistence proved ultimately unsatisfactory, as fnatic would utterly crush SK in the semi-final of IEM IV Dubai, just over three weeks later, en route to winning the tournament and their fifth significant title of the year.

Going into the World Cyber Games for 2009 it seemed almost a formality that fnatic were going to leave with gold medals around their necks. When they had lost, it had often been as a result of Herculian efforts from the underdogs, and at this point any team who entered the server against them were labelled as such. If fnatic were upset in map one, it had become almost routine for them to crush the next two maps in a row and take the series anyway. SK and mTw had both taken the steps of bringing in two new aimers to their line-ups, both looking to counter that aspect of the metagame of role balance.

With all their success from across the year, a WCG gold seemed not only assured but expected. fnatic leader cArn had even mentioned, in an interview in early October of that year, that this would likely be his final year in Counter-Strike, so winning the WCG gold medal, something no Swedes had done since SK Gaming's own incredibly dominant run of 2003, seemed like the perfect note for a legendary career to end on. Five first places of note, six times in the top two at the end of an event and seven times a top four finisher. Since the aforementioned SK team of 2003, no team had ever been a bigger favourite to win a WCG title.

"I mean my goal is always to win titles, this is probably the last year I’m playing, having such a great record is something I will be really proud of, looking back on this year."

-cArn, in-game leader of fnatic, on October 3rd, before the IEM IV Chengdu final (HLTV.org, 2009)

2009 - The Polish nightmare

The year had begun well enough for the Polish team who had famously won a WCG gold medal, two ESWC titles and an IEM already in their illustrious careers. At the end of 2008 they had experimented with changing their 'Golden five' line-up, replacing kuben with pionas, but results had not improved. Bringing kuben back into the line-up at the beginning of February, the team seemed to be a good place headed into the two IEM events of early March. Playing for Meet Your Makers, an organisation famously buoyed up by massive amounts of investor capital, they were earning one of the highest salaries in the entire world and could attend any event they pleased.

Results seemed to follow the reuniting of their classic line-up, as they finished third at IEM III Europe and then second at IEM III Global, losing the latter final to the new fnatic line-up. Nine days after that major final, the Poles world began to fall apart around them. MYM went bankrupt, leaving them to look for a new home, and this storyline would be a persistent one throughout the year, moving from one small organisation to another, attending events and yet being unable to get their salaries paid. The first point along their journey was joining up with German organisation WICKED. In early May, they attended ESWC Masters Cheonan and KODE5, falling in the group stage of the former and finishing third in the latter.

The Summer saw the team attending smaller events, winning a DTS Cup that didn't feature any elite teams and taking second at GameGune to a mousesports which had been struggling with performance all year long. For a team that had been contending for the first major of the year, back at IEM III Global, they were now being tested by teams levels of competition below. Their organisational difficulties continued, as WICKED closed four days after GameGune ended, on the 29th of July. It would take two months before they could find another home, this time ending up with Vitriolic, a team best known for their Norwegian line-up containing REAL.

With Vitriolic the Polish legends would play only a single event, IEM IV Dubai. Finally competing with the big boys again, they made a run to the semi-finals, only to annihilated by the breakout team MYM.se, representing their old organisation after it had resurrected from the grave, as bankrupt esports organisations have a tendency to do. After losing in vicious blowouts to a team filled with players new to the top end of the scene, they then fell to SK to finish in 4th overall. Seven days after those two series losses had eliminated them from the IEM in Dubai, the team left the Vitriolic organisation. With the organisation's primary investor having departed, there was no reason to stick around and not be able to attend events or earn money.

With the WCG coming up less than two weeks from that point, the Polish fivesome found themselves entirely homeless and eight months removed from their last significant high level final. Having spent 10 months without salaries, according to team captain TaZ, they would attend WCG in the hopes of winning some prize money and getting the attention of a new organisation. In an interview prior to the event, TaZ even stated that the team did not think of themselves as favourites for the title.

"Nope, I think that we should take it easy, play our game, have fun, get our fire burning and then we will see what happens. With a bit of luck and good spells we might show some great Counter-Strike."

-TaZ, pre-WCG 2009 on whether his team were favourites for the gold medal (HLTV.org, 2009)

How they got to the final

Before looking at the game this article is centered around, it's worth explaining the context of the tournament itself for both sides, so the story can be built of what kind of situation each found themselves in upon entering the final. The tournament had played out for the Swedes like a microcosm of their entire year, dominating and with only minor slip-ups which couldn't prevent them from ceaselessly moving forwards to the deeper rounds of the tournament. Despite a loss in the group stage, to the Brazilian FireGamers, they had moved on to the bracket stage.

Losing an overtime nuke opener to TeG in the Ro16 was quickly erased from memory as the Swedes erased all of the Singaporean team's players from the map, smashing the next two maps. In the quarter-final they won in two straight maps over Millenium to reach the final four and contest a medal, as expected. Their semi-final date saw them pit against the brand new mTw line-up, now featuring aim star trace and minet. fnatic would give up only 10 rounds total to the Danish side, brushing them off with an almost distainful ease. fnatic was through to the final and their opponent hardly mattered, the teams in the other half of the bracket would all be considered heavy underdogs for the gold medal.

AGAiN had crushed two of their group stage games and lost out to Chinese home team TyLoo on dust2, sparking rumours that they had lost on purpose to ensure they got onto the other side of the bracket from the scary fnatic team, who had played their group already. In the Ro16 series, NEO and company found themselves immediately tested by THREAT's H2K team, which had SpawN freshly added to it. Forced into three games, thanks to a second map loss, the Poles prevailed on the same dust2 they had fallen to the Chinese on earlier in the event. The quarter-final vs. Finland's PoweR Gaming was to be more of the same, winning the opener but then losing the second map and going to a third. This time they almost found themselves eliminated, winning only three CT rounds on inferno in the opening half. They would rally, as they famously always seemed to in the major tournaments, and overcome the Finns.

In the semi-final the Poles faced the rising force of CMAX.gg (formerly known as tp|uSports), featuring breakout Russian aimer Dosia. Again winning the opener, they lost the second map and had to decide their fate in a third. Winning out a close 28 round game, AGAiN had secured themselves a medal and a shot at the shiniest of them all in the final. Tested the whole way through the playoffs, their form seemed to have risen as each challenge met them on their way to a top two finish. All the same, how could anyone consider them favourites against a fnatic team which had not only crushed opponents in this tournament but all year had made a habit of humiliating even the world's best sides?

nuke - The impossible challenge

nuke has been a map famously strong for the best Swedish Counter-Strike teams, thanks to their strong sense of teamplay and good general communication, leading to quick rotations. Add in some of the best aimers in the world and it's easy to see why Swedish teams were seemingly always favoured on the map, with lockdown CT halves of 10-12 rounds seemingly routine for elite Swedish sides. fnatic were an entirely more scary proposition than even the historical national stereotype though, not only dominating nuke matches with great CT play, but also recording a seemingly impossible number of terrorist rounds with each. On one of the most CT sided maps in the game, fnatic would not only frequently put up 7 or 8 round offensive side performances, they had numerous times over the year been able to break 10 or more T side rounds.

With their combination of three great aimers, all in form, and two veteran players with tactical understanding, fnatic could win either half against any team and seemingly at will. Against the old mTw line-up, which had been the dominant force in 2008, they had put up an 11:4 first half T performance in the opening map of the semi-final of e-Stars Seoul. In the semi-final of IEM IV Dubai, fnatic had crushed SK, themselves a top nuke team, with 10 T rounds to open the second map of their semi-final. Even in the series fnatic had lost in the final of IEM IV Chengdu, they had managed 9 T side rounds against SK.

Perhaps the ultimate example of fnatic's prowess on the map came in the semi-final of the WCG, against the new look mTw line-up. fnatic's big three (f0rest, GeT_RiGhT and Gux) accumulated a first half terrorist score of 56 between them. GeT_RiGhT had led the way with what is one of the most underrated and forgotten great performances in history, going 26:4 on that T side. fnatic were one of the strongest teams on nuke in the game's history, this could not be questioned. As a result, they picked it for the opener against AGAiN.

For the Poles, nuke was a map which could spell a lot of trouble. Traditionally, due to their lack of aimers and more intuitive, rather than explicitly information-based, style of teamplay, they were not a strong CT side team. They had their strengths on T side, when their game was on, and could sometimes push the boundaries of how many rounds a team should get there, but their CT play was not as dominant and lockdown as even some of the secondary Swedish teams. Their nuke play had been a key component of their results that year, providing a marker for their highs and lows.

In the final of IEM III Global, they had given up 12 rounds to fnatic when playing CT side, so that even a monster T side run of their own couldn't prevent the new look fnatic size from taking the cup. An embarrassing loss to SK Gaming 4:16 on nuke had played a major role in their elimination in the group stage of ESWC Masters Cheonan, managing a pitiful single terrorist round in the opening half. Even at the DTS Cup, against a WeMade FOX side who had seen better days, it had taken a double overtime performance to win on nuke.

In Dubai, MYM.se and SK, the two teams to beat them on their way out of the tournament, had both allowed TaZ and his men to win only two rounds on each of the opening T sides of nuke in those series. Not only were AGAiN facing the best team in the world, perhaps the best in history, but the opening map seemed an impossible task to secure.

VOD:

Tournament: World Cyber Games 2009

Date: 2009-11-15

Stage: Game 1 of the final

Map: nuke

fnatic 26:28 AGAiN

-T 6:9 CT

-CT 9:6 T

-OT1 1:2, 2:1

-OT2 0:3, 3:0

-OT3 1:2, 2:1

-OT4 2:1, 0:3

The first half - The weight of inevitability hangs heavy

For all the fear the setup of the context of the opening game being on nuke might have put in the hearts of the Polish players, they began the half as if playing out a CT side against anyone. Winning the pistol round, they held off an early third round buy from fnatic and rushed out to 4:0 lead. On their first full buy round, the last having been galils, the Swedish side showed why they were a team to be feared on the harder side of the map, knocking off the next four rounds in a row to tie up the score. To give up four rounds in an entire CT half on nuke is considered acceptable, but to have given up four with seven left to play should have been a worrying side for kuben and the gang.

After the next two rounds were traded evenly, the Poles picked things up to put together another run of CT rounds, taking the score up to 9:5. The half had thusfar been about four round runs, AGAiN's second had ensured they'd win the half. fnatic's T side had slowed down as the half had gone on, which seemed to work the Poles' advantage, as their aggression made the Swedes even more hesistant about the fast and coordinated rushes which had seem them run over elite sides all year long. fnatic took the final round of the half after pushing the ramp room and destroying everyone in sight, the half ended 9:6 for AGAiN.

Holding fnatic to only six Terrorist rounds could be considered a great success, teams all year had buckled on the stronger side of the map and been unable to stop cArn's men pushing wherever they pleased and playing as if at a shooting gallery, seeing who could be the first to show off their precise aim. The problem for NEO and the others, was that they would need to be able to get seven rounds on their T side, a tall order against most good teams on nuke but a near impossible ask in light of AGAiN's own history, winning 1-2 rounds a numbers of times already that year in big games and facing a monster CT side team.

The second half - The impossible comeback

fnatic won their CT pistol round, NEO being unable to win a 1v1 at lower. Taking the two ecos, one with the Poles buying Desert Eagles, GeT_RiGhT and the rest of fnatic had now put together their second four round run, carrying over from the final round of the half, and the game was level once more, this time at 9:9. A successful push from AGAiN saw them take the lead next round, but then fnatic reasserted themselves to win three in a row and go up 12:10, marking fnatic's first lead of the match. After many upper pushes, AGAiN decided to go ramp on the next round, getting down to a 2v1 and bringing the score back to only a round difference, at 11:12.

Where the opening portion of the game had seen each team taking turns to put up runs, seemingly passing it off to the other in alternating fashion, fnatic were less generous on their CT side. Winning another three round spree, they hit the magical 15 rounds that signalled map point. With four potential map points on which to end the opening game, and on a heavily CT sided map like nuke, fnatic taking the opening map seemed all but assured. At this point something inexplicable and yet eventually wonderous happened over in the Polish camp: they stopped using strategies.

"We just decided 'we have to improvise', because it seemed like they were ready for whatever tactic we were going to do. The beginning of every round was the same, throw nades over there, go over here and maybe come back if it didn't work. It was pretty weird that we managed to win that final."

-NEO, addressing his team abandoning tactics on the T side against fnatic (SK, 2011)

The Polish side, whose play had often been based on getting rounds down to 1vX and 2vX situations, from which their clutch nature could either win them the game or their intuitive teamplay, built up off an unparalleled three years playing together, could give them the edge. Abandoning strategies, they each took up positions on different parts of the map and looked for 1v1 duels against the world's best aimers. Somehow, some way, this approach worked and they were winning rounds in the face of map point. On the 27th round, with a force buy of two galils, two AKs and a deagle, they managed to get lower, from ramp, and win out with numbers.

The next three rounds were classic 'Golden five' play, whittling their opponent down in 3v3s and 2v2s, somehow always coming out just ahead and winning the round. After so many failed rounds at upper early in the half, they now had identified that rotating quickly to ramp and lower was their best approach. Going into the final round of the half, still knowing that a loss would send them into map two at a deficit, they didn't look like a team playing CS' best ever side. fnatic were finally forced into a low money situation, force buying. The round came down to a 3v3, but the Poles capitalised from here on and took the round to force overtime.

Down 11:15, the game should have been over. On a map like nuke it's simply too much to ask that a team win four Terrorist side rounds in a half. Even the best teams would typically grind out their T side rounds here and there, rarely stringing more than two together. Somehow, the Polish team had overcome the odds and battled back to level the game. Heading into overtime, fnatic would know that they had blown a golden opportunity to move closer to the medal of that colour. Still, the game had now been reset and their advantages on each side should now have resumed.

Overtime 1 - No closer to resolution

Winning the opening round of the first overtime, playing as T, AGAiN got down to a 4v3, with the bomb planted lower, and forced the CTs to try and save. That round not only gave them the lead for the first time in 12 rounds, it also marked the first five round run for any team overall in the match. Anyone hoping that meant LUq and the rest were now to take control of the overtime was to be disappointed, instead each team would trade the following rounds back and forwards, with nobody able to win two in succession. The first half ended 2:1 to AGAiN, but fnatic replied with their own 2:1 to force overtime number two.

Overtime 2 - Convincingly ahead

For the second overtime the sides swapped, with AGAiN beginning on the CT side this time. Taking the opening round, AGAiN again would lead in the match. On the second round, an upper attack from fnatic would turn into a 2v2 at lower. Transitioned to a 1v1, it was LUq against GeT_RiGhT. LUq won out and AGaiN now led 20:18. The third round was a bloodbath, AGAiN smashing their way to a 4v1 and then the round, to sweep the CT half a clean 3:0. TaZ stood up and motioned to the Chinese crowd, which had been quiet for most of the Poles' comeback in the game, due to favouring fnatic, to cheer and they complied with some excitement and energy, appreciating the showmanship.

For the first time in the game, AGAiN would have their own map points, potentially three of them, from which to secure the opening game. Just as fnatic before them, they would find map points incredibly difficult to convert from in this game. The opening round of the second half came down to a 2v2 which Gux handled by himself. Rushing upper, AGAiN finally found themselves on the wrong side of the balance as the player numbers for both sides dwindled, eventually leaving TaZ 1v3. The pressure seemed to get to him, as he uncharacteristically grenaded himself to lower HP. He lost the round and fnatic were now one round from tying up the series for what would be the eighth time in the match.

From a 4v4, two kills apiece from NEO and Gux set matters to a 2v2. Planting lower and losing a map, it would be GeT_RiGhT who would end up killing both of the last Polish players, sparking fnatic leader cArn to jump up into the air and rush over to hug his young star. The player of the year had kept hope alive for his team.

Overtime 3 - More T side excellence

Starting overtime 3 as Terrorists, AGAiN went back to initially pushing upper, a strategy which had troubled them all game long, but this time found success. In the opener, they had managed to kill the first four fnatic players unanswered, again taking the lead. In the second, a fast rush on the site, they had gotten the bomb down 5v3 and all of the fnatic players attempted to save, only one dying in his efforts. The third round was a disaster for the Poles, so they would not be able to replicate their previous overtime performance of opening 3:0, as LUq team-killed TaZ and they saw fnatic grab a round to end the half.

The first round of the second half came down to a 1v1 between kuben and GeT_RiGhT, with one of AGAiN's role players able to win out over one of the world's best players. Once more the Poles had reached map points, this time potentially numbers five and six. fnatic had blown four map points and AGAiN had blown four map points. fnatic showed grit in taking the next round and the last would be a stomp for the Swedes. They had tied up the series yet again and survived another overtime onslaught from AGAiN, who had never been in danger of elimination in any of the three overtime sessions played thusfar. The fnatic team which had played four map points at the end of regulation, seemingly inches from victory, had since been simply weathering the storm.

In such circumstances, much as with the reset of making it to ovetime, the momentum and confidence levels can be flipped. When a team reaches the victory line, but cannot cross it, it can make them second guess themselves and hold in mind lost rounds rather than focus on the next to be played. When an underdog team makes an improbable comeback, as AGAiN had done, then the best teams of all time tend to know that they must simply survive and hang around for a while to eventually take the win. Those kinds of comebacks often involve improbable plays from the underdogs, pumped up by a temporary confidence over things going their way, so the team that can wait for that energy to burn itself out can them reassert their strengths and take over late to steal the win.

Overtime 4 - The battle decided, once and for all

Perhaps such thoughts ran through fnatic's mind, in some capacity, as the fourth overtime arrived. They won the opening round with an upper push and went up 25:24, their first lead in the entire overtime portion of the game. It had been 19 rounds since they had been able to experience a lead, now the Poles seemed to be coming back to Earth in time for fnatic to remind themselves that they were the best team in the entire world. Apparently AGAiN didn't get the memo, as they held on to tie up the score at 25:25 after 50 rounds played. The match had long since entered the realm of legend, an epic sure to be remembered for years, yet it was no closer to determining a victor.

Going down to a 2v1 for fnatic, the Swedish side managed to take the lead again, winning the last round of their T half. fnatic's T side prowess had been the crutch they had been able to rely on, winning two rounds in the first overtime, three straight in the second and two in the third. Now they had again won their T half, this time 2:1, and looked to finally be in position to win the game, going over to the dominant CT side. Colour commentator for the English broadcast, bsl, former professional player himself, remarked that he didn't expect the Poles to win the half or the overtime.

A 3v3 opener developed into a 3v2 at lower and eventually a 3v1 for AGAiN. GeT_RiGhT opted to save, but died all the same, and the score was tied at 26:26. To prevent a second overtime, one of the teams would need to win the next two rounds. With fnatic on the CT side, one could be forgiven for imagining only they could really consider that likely. On the 53rd round of the game, the Poles executed a fast upper push. Three kills from TaZ got them to a 4v2, but cArn answered back to bring the odds closer. cArn and f0rest were forced to save, with f0rest being killed anyway. AGAiN had reached their seventh map points of the game, one more round win would bring the nuke odyssey to a close.

fnatic's money was low and they were forced to buy famas, with only one colt between all of them. An upper push from the Poles seemed initially to have gone terribly, finding themselves down 2v4. Loord secured a kill to bring that to 2v3 and then a second to even up the man numbers at 2v2. The bomb was down in front of the squeeky door and while Loord headed up the right vent, team-mate TaZ was heading in the front door of upper. TaZ killed Gux, who was on the floor, but was snagged by GeT_RiGhT from the rafters. Loord pushed over and picked up the bomb, ducking behind the yellow hut. Facing GeT_RiGhT 1v1, he would seek to do what LUq and kuben had done before him in overtime: defeat the world's best player in single combat.

Loord moved over to the bomb spot, with GeT_RiGhT hiding above the ladder in the rafters. The Swede peeked out and Loord fired off an AK headshot which secured the kill, the round and the map. AGAiN had prevailed, overcoming an impossible situation down 11:15 in regulation, coping with wasting five map points and always leading over the first three overtime and now coming back from their first overtime deficit to win out and take the map.

Extracurricular activities

The implications of the map would end up counting for more than merely a great single game of play in CS' history, it also shaped the legacies of the two teams and caused a memorable but regretable moment between two of the players. Loord and GeT_RiGhT, the two men who had contested the last round of the fourth overtime, had again met in key rounds on the second map, train, with Loord again coming out on top. After the game, with fnatic coming over to shake the hands of the team who had slain them, Loord aggressively approached GeT_RiGhT and told him, in Polish, "What's up GeT_RiGhT, fucker?". The Swede looked visibly shaken and would later suffer an emotional breakdown in the hotel, the weight of a final his team had been expected to win and his personal interaction with Loord weighing upon him. Loord would later claim some of the Swedish players, including GeT_RiGhT, had made fun of him, which he was responding to in that moment.

The game would shape the way both team's stars were thought of the in context of CS history. The Polish team were never able to put together a consistent run of form until 2011, with a different fifth player than LUq, but always seemed to shine in major tournaments. By the end of the game they had won three WCG gold medals, two ESWC titles and two IEMs. fnatic, on the other hand, were the picture of consistency throughout their best years, running over medium-sized tournaments with ease, yet rarely could win big in the majors. They had only managed two such victories over five years with their core. Even switching over to SK Gaming, f0rest and GeT_RiGhT would find themselves haunted by the spectre of this final, frequently losing to the Poles in big finals, the WCG 2011 gold medal game coming to mind.

In the end, CS fans were treated to one of the best maps of CS ever played. It had everything, from teams battling back from seemingly impossible odds, to two of the greatest teams of all time repeatedly counter-acting the implied imbalance of the map to the CT side, winning T rounds that shouldn't have been possible, over and over again. AGAiN won the map, and the gold medals, but on that day, Counter-Strike won.

Photo credit: SK Gaming, ESL

Chinese scene overview

Whereas I've talked about the development of the scenes over time with South East Asia and North America, I feel this line of discussion doesn't hold up for the mature and vibrant scenes of China and Europe. There’s something to be said about the Chinese “talent pipeline”, but this discussion will flow naturally out of the latter part of this article and discussing the qualifier teams.

Instead I’d like to broach a subject that has been making the rounds a bit, the discussion of how many direct invites China deserves. The reason I believe Titan eSports will get a direct invite as the only SEA team has a lot to do with how China looks, and the balance between China and the West vs. East split in terms of direct invites.

Specifically, after the rounds of consolidation of talent that have taken place since last years International, China is down to five major players, which are so obvious I shouldn't even have to name them. The gaps internally between these five may shift over time and they may even be fairly large, but the gap between these top teams and the sixth team is big enough that outside of casters wanting to keep the hope alive, on average the sixth team on the list should lose an overwhelming majority of their games against any of the top five.

The argument by some has been that perhaps some of these top five teams are fledgling enough that they do not deserve a direct invite based on their play right now. This, however, is a false argument. The question isn't where they stand today, it’s which teams are most likely to be able to put up a fight at the International, and all five Chinese teams are by my estimation among the 12 or so teams that have a realistic chance to make the top 8, even if some of them are clearly among the lower percentage bets, so to speak.

With the structure of the qualifiers and the fact that it would be a less elegant solution to shift one of these invites to Europe and because SEA doesn't have any more deserving candidates for them, the question then becomes which four Chinese teams deserve direct invites and which is left to take the expected victory in the Chinese qualifier.

The direct invites

Again, a different format is justified as we are no longer talking about one or two teams which have to in some fashion justify their place here. The direct invites of DK and Invictus Gaming are among the most expected as the two sit atop their scene, and while they may drop games from time to time, in the long run these two teams will be the Chinese teams that set the bar for their scene and the ones to look out for at TI4. DK in particular with the addition of SEA superstars Chai 'Mushi' Yee Fung and Daryl 'iceiceice' Koh is predicted to be one of the strongest teams at this years International.

Having said that, I do think there’s some need to explain why Invictus Gaming is held to be so clearly ahead of the pack even though they've only played 20 matches together with the entire roster. Part of this is their 15-1-4 record playing together, and the other part is that it is largely a return to the iG that dominated during 2012. It may be sad to see Zhi Hao ‘Hao’ Chen go as I think he would have fit in perfectly with the return of Wong Hock ‘Chuan’ Chuan, but Yin Qi ‘Luo’ Luo made the carry position for the team his own and iG looks fairly comfortable even as they've fallen to become the second most aggressive team in China.

Of the remaining three teams, ViCi Gaming is the only one which has directly made their case through their play over the course of the past half year. They are a team which relies more on figuring out a style of play which is their own and which gives them an edge rather than beating other teams by playing within the meta, and this means that when they are deprived of that edge they lose a lot of the kick that they have. They had that edge towards the end of the previous WPC ACE season and they had that edge when they won EMS One last year, and they've earned the opportunity to see if they can time it so that they have that edge during The International.

Due to recent events, the last direct invite looks to be by default. NewBee may cling to being an improved TongFu of last year, with Zhang ‘xiao8’ Ning replacing Zhaohui ‘SanSheng’ Wang, but their disastrous start has squashed any talk of a “super team”. A 12-1-8 record does tell a slight redemption story as the team has been able to dig themselves out of that early hole, but overall there’s no argument that this team has proven anything yet. Even if LGD had not made yet another roster swap it would have been hard to argue that LGD were more deserving, but it should be clear that NewBee will get a direct invite based on a lot trust in the strength of their players and their organization.

Prospective qualifier teams

First ones on the outside looking in, LGD has had a troubled run ever since failing to make the top 8 at last years event. They were able to salvage as much as possible from the poorly handled exit of Liu ‘Sylar’ Jiajun, and Wang ‘Rabbit’ Zhang has shown himself to be a strong prospect for the future, just as LGD had hoped. Still, the loss of xiao8 to NewBee and the problems that caused Yao ‘Maybe’ Lu to leave the first team as well has lead to the kind of roster instability that bars you from a direct invite when it happens this late in the game. Xu ‘Lin’ Ziyang is another bet on the future by LGD but seems to be paying off fast, which puts the team still securely ahead of the rest of the qualifier pack.

It should also be said that if the rumoured LGD second team that the organization offered for Maybe to put together were to become quite a bit more substantial in time to receive an invite to the qualifier, they might well nudge out New Element for the final slot. Supposedly LGD currently has two players in mind in addition to the former main squad members Maybe and Peng 'Icy' Wang. They've said they'll announce a roster if and when they get a full five together.

If you haven’t yet familiarized yourself with this team, they are a mixed bag of players who ranged from the these days slightly less legendary Jian ‘ZSMJ’ Gong to the criminally underrated Xuntau ‘XTT’ Xu to less well known former DT^Club and RisingStars player Zhao ‘PrettyHaw’ Jiabin. Their victories over DreamTime recently look to position them as potential front runners among the “second tier” of Chinese teams.

Even though the name might not be familiar, DreamTime is the continuation of a number of incarnations spanning back across RisingStars to Wc3 DotA and the original DT^Club. Players such as Yin ‘Air’ Yuxiang hoped to make a big move after TI3, but ended up being left behind in the shuffle. With RisingStars experiment together with Singaporean prodigy Galvin ‘Meracle’ Kang not panning out, Air has reunited with his old teammates and represent the most conventional challenge to HGT in the fight for the second place of the qualifier.

An oddity among the qualifier teams, CIS consisted of a second experiment not unlike the original ViCi-Gaming which was able to upset big name teams before reality hit home in the Sina Cup. They've been on a losing streak since, but bringing in experienced German player Dominik ‘Black^’ Reitmeier, on loan from LGD, has slowly showed signs of paying off. With Black^ drafting and returning for the first time in years to playing the solo mid role, the teams looks to be coming alive, just in time for the qualifiers.

To say that Orenda is an unknown is perhaps being generous. They were an amateur team that qualified for the WPC ACE, meant to just be a punching bag for the real teams. And then they took two games off of CIS, and tied their series with Titan. With a grand total of five Bo2 matches under their belt in competitive Dota, Orenda is still an enigma, but one which can well surprised some teams in this qualifier.

Even though Speed Gaming lost their Western team, the money behind the venture is still there, and luckily the disgraced former manager Marco Fernandez is no longer associated with the team in any fashion. Instead we have a young and promising team that, under the leadership of Zhi Lei ‘BurNIng’ Xu, managed to help two DK players fend off Titan 2-0, while iG failed to do the same when only down one player. While the team lacks results of their own, the Chinese field gets very thin in general at this point, which makes them a likely qualifier invite.

The TongFu name just isn't what it’s been in the past. Currently the only team playing under this tag is TongFu.WanZhou, picked up in October of last year to be the organizations academy team. The team is still made up mostly of the original WPC Team A members from the previous WPC ACE season, and while they have considerably more experience than half a year ago, it’s still nowhere near enough to challenge the bigger names of the qualifier.

New Element isn't exactly something anyone is going to get excited about. The core is composed of former Wc3 Dota Ladder Top 10 players, with Zhang 'Zcd' Chengda being their stand-out player for the team as a very flexible core usually found on either the safelane or the offlane. They have eleven competitive matches on record in professional tournaments and have gone 1-3-7. Their best showing to date was the StarLadder Season 9 Chinese qualifier where they managed to tie their matches against HGT, DT and CIS, showing some ability to push back. All they are for the qualifiers however is a warm body to fill that final slot.

Let us know if you think we missed out any team that you think deserves consideration in the comments!

Previous articles:

International Hopefuls: South East Asia
International Hopefuls: The Americas

Samsung Galaxy Ozone versus SKT T1 K is hands down the most anticipated match so far in this season of OGN. This will be the first time these two Korean legends have faced off since SKT swept Ozone in the Grand Finals of Champions Winter 2013-2014. Despite entering this season as the undisputed best team in the world, T1 K scraped their way past the group stages. Meanwhile, Ozone has demolished their group, not dropping a single game. Ozone’s current performance is almost reminiscent of T1 K’s perfect season. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say whoever wins this match, could win the entire season.

Top Lane - Looper (8.14 KDA in 6 Games)

As Homme moved to the role of coach after the group stages of Champions Winter 2013-2014, Looper became a staple part of the starting line-up in the top lane. Looper had subbed in on Ozone before - most notably during the Season 3 World Championships. Considering Ozone’s dismal performance at the World Championship, he played well for his competitive debut. Like many other top laners around the world, he is sticking to the stale top-lane meta by choosing what works. For any competitive top laner, consistency is the most important factor, and Looper has always won, or gone even, in lane. But with 4-man pushes becoming more common in 4.5, Jax has inadvertently received a buff due to his passive making him able to take down towers quickly. If the time calls for Looper to play Jax, he will need to be ready, or risk losing an early game advantage.

Jungle - DanDy (6.40 KDA in 6 Games)

As one of the two original members of MVP Ozone, DanDy has created quite the name for himself. He’s picked up the nickname “King of Thieves” for his repeated abillity to steal Baron or Dragon right out of the enemy’s hand. Not only that, but he is also a master of counter-jungling. DanDy can often utilize his superior game knowledge in order to start off the game with three buffs. From there, he completely neutralizes any threat for an opposing jungler by securing vision in the enemy jungle and waiting to counter gank. DanDy is, and always has been, a playmaker for Ozone as well as a brilliant mind in terms of strategy. With the resurgence of Xin Zhao, Master Yi and Nocturne in patch 4.5, it will be even more important for DanDy to shut down the opposing jungler as fast as possible.

Mid - PawN (12.29 KDA in 6 Games)

The addition of PawN has been the most important roster change to Ozone in recent history. Dade simply didn’t fit the teams style of play, and his extreme inconsistency often lead to the team's downfall. Since joining Ozone, PawN has accrued the highest KDA of any mid-laner in Champions. His Nidalee play is simply unmatched, boasting a score of 19/5/39 over four games. Compared to dade, his more conservative play allows everyone on Ozone thrive in the way they want to play the game. This may end up being especially important in this match, as Faker obliterated Dade last time Ozone met T1 K. With a fighting chance in the mid lane, Ozone’s chances of taking this match increase significantly.

AD - imp (5.56 KDA in 6 Games)

The other original member of Ozone, imp, has been one of the strongest AD’s in Korea since joining the competitive scene. His aggressive play style allows him to gain an early advantage and carry it throughout the game. But he doesn't stop making plays after the early game. Imp’s stellar positioning and ability to make the correct decision in an instant allow him to be a defining factor in mid-game teamfights. As Jinx and Vayne become more prominent in patch 4.5, he will be able to show why he has the nickname ”doubleimp.” He’s also shown a stellar performance with Jinx, racking up a score of 14/1/7 versus Midas FIO.

Support Mata (8.00 KDA in 6 Games)

“If madlife is God then Mata is Buddha” has never been more true. In fact, it’s safe to say that Mata is the best support in the world. The number’s don’t lie, Mata has the highest KDA of any support in Champions. As the leader of Ozone, Mata is a brilliant shot-caller which is apparent in the team’s crisp rotations. In the lane, it’s clear that Mata’s aggressive playstyle fits imp perfectly. His Leona or Thresh can almost guarantee that Ozone will come out of a 2v2 ahead, or he can play Karma and exert strong objective control with the team at his side. Mata definitely has the upper hand over PoohManDu, who is slowly making his return back to the competitive scene after an extended absence.

This match will be the pinnacle of raw skill and overall team coordination. For the first time in what seems like forever, SKT T1 K is vulnerable. Samsung Galaxy Ozone could be considered the best team in the world if this match goes their way. This is a true clash of titans and a match nobody wants to miss.

Image Credits: OnGameNet,Team Acer, Riot Games