The dust has settled on what was a hectic rostermania period. Several teams have made changes to their team and Seattle will be the first opportunity to see them in action. For the first time this season, there will only be three teams starting in pool play, with a team from the relegation tournament and an open bracket team joining the pool.

FaZe Clan

FaZe are one of the few teams that have not made a change ahead of Seattle. Coming off the back of an incredible series against OpTic Gaming in the finals of the Stage One playoffs, the stage one winners will be looking to consolidate their position as the top team in Call of Duty with another victory in Seattle.

In order to win back to back titles, James “Replays” Crowder will have to put in another stellar performance like he did at the stage one playoffs. His unmatched ability to clutch when it mattered kept the red militia alive against the green wall.

Rise Nation

Rise Nation were the first team to make a roster change, dropping Anthony “Methodz” Zinni for former Team Envy superstar and 2016 world champion, Austin “Slasher” Liddicoat. The change came after Rise placed in the top eight, a huge shock for a team that was expected to contend for the victory.

Seattle will be a chance for them to return to the top but it will not be an easy task. With at least three other teams more than capable of taking home the title, Rise will have to be at the top of their game. The addition of Slasher to the roster is only going to send this team to the next level and have to be considered as a contender for the championship.

Echo Fox

Change has also occurred for Echo Fox ahead of the tournament. Replacing Adam “Assault” Garcia is Donny “Temp” Laroda. Billed as one of the next hot prospects for North American CoD, Temp failed to shine under Team Envy and has moved to Echo Fox in an attempt to re-establish himself as one of the top SMG players in North America.

After Jared “Nagafen” Harrell substituted in for Renato “Saints” Forza back at CWL Birmingham, Echo Fox will be back at full strength for Seattle, giving them the best possible chance of placing well at the event. This is a team which certainly has the capabilities of making it into the top eight teams.

Predictions

It is hard to look past anything but FaZe and Rise Nation securing the top two places in the pool. Echo Fox could give them a run for their money but I think FaZe and Rise have them covered.

As for third place, it could get very interesting depending on which relegation team and which open bracket team joins the pool. Say if Mindfreak and Lightning Pandas make an appearance, the battle for third place could be a close one.

1st: Rise Nation

2nd: FaZe Clan

3rd: Echo Fox

4th: Open Bracket Team

5th: Relegation Team