The EPICENTER 2017 tournament has two very diverse groups. While there are still two more teams to be added to the participant list in the form of Wild Card entries, the two groups have already taken form and shape with their existing teams. Group A comprises of once strong teams who are still struggling to get up decent performances. Group B, on the other hand, has three teams who all have a decent chance at topping the Group. As unlikely as it seems, this group is one where an upset is as likely as that in Group A.

The EPICENTER 2017 tournament has already been touted as the tournament which will clearly define the current CS GO world rankings. The players having enough time to form their team, their strategies and develop a playstyle. EPICENTER 2017 forms the first big tournament which will see them at full strength and be competing against each other.

Let’s take a look at the two groups as they are right now. Of course with One Wild card team yet to be added to each group, these groups might take on a new look very soon. The two wild-card teams that we expect will come into the tournament are Faze and Liquid.

Group A

Group A comprises of two of the most well-known teams in the world. These two teams are also the team’s who have been in a slump of late. Virtus Pro and SK Gaming have had their share of strong performances in the past. While SK Gaming has held the top rank in CS GO for a very long period (they recently lost their top position to Faze), Virtus Pro were the finalists of Last year’s Eleague Atlanta Major.

SK Gaming

For SK Gaming, their recent loss of the top ranking in CS GO only culminates several months of disappointing results. The team which was a strong contender in many tournaments up until the PGL Krakow Major, has only seen its results fall flat since then. There has been no leak or information about the problems plaguing the team. It could be due to internal communication issues, ego problems or just lack of form in certain players from the team. But the facts are there for all to see and it does not paint a pretty picture for SK. There are several rumours about a potential roster change in the near future for SK Gaming. Going by their past, roster changes have definitely helped turn the tide for the Brazilian roster. They have been able to put disappointing results behind them by a few roster changes. Will they be able to bounce back yet again with a roster change? EPICENTER 2017 will not see the new roster for SK Gaming and hence they remain a weak force.

Update : There has been a new update about the SK Gaming roster. The SK Gaming roster has now included Boltz as a member of the team. This is most likely a trial run for the team as they are looking for new players who would be a good fit on the team. SK Gaming still needs to figure themselves out and the announcement which comes just a few days before EPICENTER shows some last minute dealings. This does not drastically change our opinion on SK Gaming, but it definitely provides some more ammunition for the Brazilian roster.

Virtus Pro

Virtus Pro, on the other hand, is a team that has lost a lot of its direction. The team relies heavily on the individual confidence of its players. It is this confidence that has resulted in the seemingly dangerous and weirdly aggressive plays by the Polish roster. The talented individuals on the team always make such plays seem impressive. But with the recent loss of form, Virtus Pro has only fallen down into a downward spiral wherein they have lost their position at some prestigious online LAN events. In a recent interview, Taz mentioned how the players were being impacted by the negative reviews and comments from the community. Despite being together for a long time, the players have had to face criticism and negative attitude from their so-called fans. Virtus Pro is a team, which takes it tournament by tournament. While their online matches and previous results have been negative, they remain a team which can prove to be a major player.

The belief in Virtus Pro surprise comes from a look into their past. The Polish roster has always seen ups and downs, but they always seem to bounce back with a force. Just about a year ago, Virtus Pro seemed unstoppable in a run that led them to the finals of the Eleague Atlanta Major. But then they started their fall from grace and it has seemingly failed to stop.

Gambit Esports

How strong is Gambit right now? Without Zeus and Kane, the team lost a lot of its tactical strategies. But in return, they gained significant firepower. The Gambit roster looks a very potent roster right now with Finch constantly leading the scoreboard with his individual performances. Post the Major, we have not seen any significant lack of tactics or strategy from the team despite losing Zeus. They have obviously grown a lot under his tutelage and are seen to be extremely innovative in their approach to the game.

For this group, we believe that Gambit actually has a better chance at qualifying for the playoffs. Their two opponents right now, Virtus Pro and SK Gaming have not shown us anything to inspire confidence. While SK Gaming is definitely on the verge of a potential roster change, Virtus Pro remain beaten mentally. Gambit is a team that is striving to prove it’s worthiness despite not being under the leadership of Zeus anymore. This tournament provides them with a beautiful opportunity to present themselves as a top team. Admittedly they have been placed in the easier group of the two, but the team still requires to prove itself on the EPICENTER stage.

Group B

Group B presents teams from a different spectrum in terms of form. Each of the three teams involved within this group is strong and have the potential to top the group. They are also all strong contenders for the final trophy as well. Obviously, there are some teams who are more favourable than others. Specifically, Astralis and G2 are definitely the two tournament favourites as we start looking into the teams invited to the tournament.

Astralis

I don’t see Astralis slumping, they lose games in deep runs of the events.

Taz 2017

These are famous words by Taz as he strove to describe Astralis in a recent interview with Cybersport.com. It is true that despite not being able to finish in the top two of big tournaments, Astralis remain a strong team in contention. They have had several top finishes in recent months and the performance of the team has not been worrisome yet.

Astralis’ strength remains their strong map pool. With a depth that is unseen in many other teams, Astralis remain a strong team in the initial veto stage. Many of their matches can be decided in the map pool itself, with Astralis showing strong signs of tactical advantage. In cases where their tactics might not be as effective, we have seen the team execute brute force to perfection. Maps such as Overpass and Mirage are definitely strong for the team, but they also have hidden content in their arsenal. Train and Nuke are two other maps where the Danish roster has established its supremacy. While they might not always be the team to choose Train, it remains a map where the AStralis roster is extremely strong. From the current list of teams in Group B, Astralis will have to face against North Gaming at some point or the other. The Danish rivalry can be a double-edged sword as North are privy to Astralis practice and strategies. That being said, Astralis have almost always managed to quash any local challenge in the past. We don’t expect this event to be any different.

G2 esports

G2 are the team that is considered to be the favourite for this tournament. Unlikely as it seems, the team has simply not played enough Counter-Strike recently. They recently won the Dreamhack Masters Malmo 2017 in the presence of several top teams. They finished 5-8th in the Eleague CS GO Premiere due to their defeat at the hands of Cloud9. The series was extremely close and one which should have easily gone the other way were it for a few crucial rounds. But the G2 roster shows no signs of letting up and their talent along with form should see them easily go through this group stage.

The French roster has been a strong team, however, they have not had strong results so far. Eleague CS GO Premier presented them with a wonderful chance to make an impact on the international stage, but their close 0-2 loss to Cloud9 put a stop to their ambitions.

North Gaming

North recently placed in the semifinals of the Eleague CS GO Premier against the eventual winners Faze Clan. While they had no chance against Faze in that particular match, they have had strong results in their past few tournaments. Most notably, they were the finalists at Dreamhack Malmo 2017 and they also won Dreamhack Montreal 2017.

North is the team which can cause a big upset in this group. The team which is currently ranked #4 on HLTV, stands to make a point with this tournament. They have not won a big tournament which has seen participation from many T1 teams. MSL has carefully formed this team and his guidance serves the team extremely well. While MSL himself is not well known for being high on the scoreboard regularly, he is slowly starting to pull together as well. Once MSL starts performing average on the scoreboard, we have a team which can prove to be extremely successful and potent.

The tournament is one which will set the pace for the teams’ run towards Eleague Major. The upcoming season is going to provide us with a glimpse into teams and their performances into the future. Obviously its equally important for a team to peak at the right time. EPICENTER 2017 will provide us with a perfect visual into the upcoming season.