With Season 6 of the ESL Pro League underway, we are starting to get a look at who’s been practicing in the off season and who needs a refresher. Smack dab in the middle of Week 2 we have DreamHack Masters Malmo 2017. Malmo is host to the top of the top and we will see the best teams in the world compete for their share of $250,000 USD.

Ninjas in Pyjamas won DreamHack Masters Malmo 2016

Malmo

This is a classic style tournament with four groups fighting double elimination style matches with a Bo1 and a Bo3. The top two from each group will move on to the playoffs, which will be single-elimination bracket style best of three matches.

The tournament will start on August 30th and will run until September 3rd.

Group A will consist of: SK Gaming, North, Cloud9 and B.O.O.T-dS

Group B will consist of: Astralis, Virtus.Pro, Natus Vincere and Renegades

Group C will consist of: Gambit Esports, FaZe Clan, Ninjas in Pyjamas and mousesports.

Group D will consist of: Immortals, G2 Esports, Team EnVyUs and Fnatic

Who To Watch

I can tell you right now that SK Gaming and North will make it out of Group A. Cloud9 might stand a chance but sorry B.O.O.T-dS, you do not.

Group C is going to have the closest outcome and the best matches to watch. Gambit has been a strong underestimated team all year and have proven themselves time after time after being constantly counted out. FaZe Clan is constantly a top 10 team, that is until the recent horrific showing at PGL Major Krakow 2017.

FaZe and Gambit have both made recent roster changes but FaZe’s hasn’t been nearly as dramatic. Another team to fall short in Krakow was mousesports.

The micemen are consistent as a middle of the pack team. They sometimes squeeze into a larger paycheque but aren’t usually on the podium. They have performed well in the ESL but this is LAN play and speaking of middle of the pack teams… Ninjas in Pyjamas.

The Ninjas seem to ride in the top 10 quite often and then when you least suspect it, they come out with a big payoff. DreamHack Valencia 2017 was their most recent payout and it’s giving them a slight edge coming into Malmo.

I think Group C is the perfect amount of skill mixed with a lot of mental determination on the line. All of these teams have placed first and they have all been rummaging around the top 10 this year. I look forward to watching what I suspect are going to be close matches at DreamHack Masters Malmo 2017.

follow the dreamhack masters