Heroic – Another day, another chance?<\/h3>\n
Heroic started 2023 on the right foot, qualifying for the BLAST Spring Final even after a harrowing loss to EG’\u0099s talent pipeline and cruising to the IEM Katowice final with a single map lost to their name. The squad is still a ways away from dominating Big Events, as it quite frequently tends to suffer upsets, but the impressive consistency shown by Rasmus ‘\u009csjuush<\/strong>‘\u009d Beck and his teammates make Heroic a safe pick for a top spot.<\/p>\n Triumphing in Malta, thus securing the organization’\u0099s second ESL Pro League title, would give some more substance to Heroic’\u0099s deep runs and bring them back into contention alongside G2 and FaZe for the upcoming BLAST Paris Major. The key to such triumph would necessarily be a strong performance by Jakob ‘\u009cjabbi<\/strong>‘\u009d Nygaard, as the young Dane has shown to be capable of elevating the team to new heights in Poland, forming a deadly duo with Martin ‘\u009cstavn<\/strong>‘\u009d Lund.<\/p>\n Group B’\u0099s lack of elite teams will allow Heroic to gradually get accustomed to the event, as the Danish side will start their campaign against Movistar Riders, who recorded just four wins in their last twenty matches. First place in the group is thus all but certainly in the Danes’\u0099 hands unless we see a collapse of epic proportions.<\/p>\n On the opposite end of the spectrum, FURIA are staring down the barrel of roster changes if they cannot prove able to consistently stay at the top of the scene. The quintet squandered their chance at a home Major title in Rio, collapsing in a semi-final thriller against Heroic after leading 1-0. In Katowice, Andrei ‘\u009carT<\/strong>‘\u009d Piovezan’\u0099s men couldn’\u0099t even get past the Mongolians of IHC, failing to make the Main Event altogether.<\/p>\n As the team recorded just three Big Event top-four placements in the entirety of 2022, EPL Season 17 could be a chance for the squad to gain much-needed confidence in time for the Major qualification circuit. The Brazilians need to show a substantial tactical overhaul, as they were outclassed on Ancient, Nuke, and even on their home map of Mirage despite an excellent Kaike ‘\u009cKSCERATO<\/strong>‘\u009d Cerato.<\/p>\n ESL also dealt FURIA quite a bad hand, as the team will start their campaign with a Brazilian derby against an in-form Imperial. In-Game Leader arT and his teammates will ultimately need to avoid falling to the Lower Bracket, as teams like Complexity and MOUZ could also suffer upsets and will prove tough opponents for the struggling FURIA.<\/p>\n Complexity remains a difficult team to assess, capable of taking the fight to the most consistent teams in the scene but seemingly always falling at the last hurdle. Even H\u00c3\u00a5kon ‘\u009challzerk<\/strong>‘\u009d Fj\u00c3\u00a6rli’\u0099s career-best form couldn’\u0099t push the team to the Katowice Playoffs, with an uninspired Inferno T-side causing the quintet’\u0099s elimination against Outsiders. Johnny ‘\u009cJT<\/strong>‘\u009d Theodosiou’\u0099s calling was subsequently also exploited by MIBR, who took home the NA IEM Brazil spot<\/a> by beating Complexity twice.<\/p>\n The North-American outfit’\u0099s sights are naturally set on the Paris Major, as the team had failed to qualify for Rio in a shocking twist, but a good showing in Malta is basically a requirement to avoid going into the ever-competitive Americas RMR unprepared. Justin ‘\u009cFaNg<\/strong>‘\u009d Coakley and Ricky ‘\u009cfloppy<\/strong>‘\u009d Kemery are the ones to watch, as Complexity’\u0099s upwards trajectory is directly dependent on the end of their LAN struggles. If the duo can translate their high peaks into a consistent form, Complexity will become a real threat.<\/p>\n Group B looks like the perfect environment for such a change, as the North American outfit will face a collapsing BIG in their opening match. Even assuming JT’\u0099s men drop into the Lower Bracket after a loss to Heroic, a Playoff run is still very much possible with MOUZ and FURIA as the North American’\u0099s main rivals.<\/p>\n Imperial have elevated themselves from little more than a retirement home to a true contender in South America with the signings of Marcelo ‘\u009cchelo<\/strong>‘\u009d Cespedes and Jhonatan ‘\u009cJOTA<\/strong>‘\u009d Willian. Their ESL Pro League Season 17 campaign will be the organization’\u0099s first non-Major outing since the IEM Cologne Play-In, and an open Group B will allow the Brazilians to contend for a Playoff spot.<\/p>\n The key behind the project’\u0099s success, two-time Major winner Gabriel ‘\u009cFalleN<\/strong>‘\u009d Toledo, will be aiming for his first big-event Playoff appearance since October 2019, and leading Imperial to a deep run will further cement his legacy as one of the game’\u0099s longest-lasting elite players. Imperial realistically won’\u0099t reach the heights of previous Luminosity, SK and MIBR rosters, but they have the potential to establish themselves as a solid upset team in Malta.<\/p>\n To prove their worth and make a deep run, Imperial almost necessarily have to beat FURIA in their opening match, not an impossible feat considering the two quintets’\u0099 recent results. If they do, with JOTA and chelo in good form and sporting a good mix of structure and individual prowess, FalleN’\u0099s team won’\u0099t be intimidated by MOUZ, SAW or Complexity either.<\/p>\n MOUZ’\u0099s 2023 brought back shades of an extremely streaky 2022, in part overshadowed by the international side’\u0099s top-four run at the Rio Major. \u00c3\u0081d\u00c3\u00a1m ‘\u009ctorzsi’\u009d Torzs\u00c3\u00a1s and Jon ‘\u009cJDC<\/strong>‘\u009d de Castro both struggled in Katowice, failing to contribute as the team narrowly fell 2-1 to both OG and Complexity. Furthermore, Christopher ‘\u009cdexter<\/strong>‘\u009d Nong’\u0099s leadership and individual level have raised much criticism.<\/p>\n![\"CadiaN'\u0099s](\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/d83cda79655500df.png\")
<\/span><\/div>\nFURIA – A fistful of disappointment<\/h3>\n
Complexity – A lone star team?<\/h3>\n
![\"One-time](\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/6ef82812596af42f.png\")
<\/span><\/div>\nImperial – March of the Green Knights<\/h3>\n
MOUZ – Unnecessary tension?<\/h3>\n
![\"Despite](\"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/b5d1407d8828a92e.png\")