Rainbow 6
Rainbow Six Siege and Brazil are practically synonymous. There are several Brazilian names spread across the world competing in the game, in addition to the various international titles won by the region itself. For the Atlanta Major the teams representing the renowned region and looking to lift another trophy are w7m, FaZe Clan, Ninjas in Pajamas and LOS.
w7m esports
The bulls started the year by winning the first international title. The team captained by Gustavo "Herdsz" Herdina beat their rivals from the same country, Team Liquid, 3-0 in the final of the Copenhagen Major. Their consistency in 2022 was maintained in 2023, even with the departure of Julio "JULIO" Giacomelli and Gabriel "volpz" Fernandes.
The signings of Felipe "FelipoX" Lucia, coming from MIBR, and Felipe "nade" Ferreira, signed from Black Dragons, maintained the team's stability, and unlocked the next level by winning an international competition after second place in the Six Invitational.
Coach Igor "igoorctg" dos Santos is part of w7m's evolution in the game in recent years. Credit: Ubisoft/Saymon SampaioExpectations for Atlanta
Inevitably as champions of the last Major and without any change of players, the expectations for w7m at the Atlanta Major are to win. Even though the team lost the regional final to FaZe Clan, they’ll still arrive with high expectations. However, history works against w7m — so far no team has managed to repeat the feat of winning two Majors in a row. Even if they don't win, the key for w7m is "consistency", so a great run is expected from the team.
FaZe Clan
It was in 2021 that FaZe Clan won the Major in Sweden. This year was historic for the Brazilian region, with the two Majors and the Six Invitational all won by Brazilian teams.
From that winning 2021 squad, only Jaime "cyber" Ramos and Lucas "soulz1" Schinke remain, however the younger names that joined the team haven't disappointed. In addition to those already mentioned, plus Victor "VITAKING" Santos and Thiago "handyy" Ferreira on board, FaZe won both regional finals against Team Liquid and w7m in 2023, teams theoretically considered the favorites in both finals.
FaZe Clan maintains dominance in regional Brazilian competitions. Credit: Ubisoft/Toni FerreiraExpectations for Atlanta
FaZe's participation in this year's Copenhagen Major ended in the semi-finals. Since then, the only thing to note is the departure of coach Matheus "Ramalho" Gonçalves, who left for G2 and was an important part of restructuring the team as well as leading the team to titles and supporting good international runs in previous years. Rafael "RafadeLL" Oliveira took his place, and the level of FaZe seems to have remained high.
It will be interesting to follow FaZe in this tournament without Ramalho, but at the same time there’s high morale after their victory against w7m in the regional finals.
Ninjas in Pyjamas
Champion of the 2021 Six Invitational but discredited in 2022, the start of the 2023 season was a rollercoaster for the Ninjas. In the first stage of the Brazil League, NIP didn’t get beyond a poor last-place finish in the group stage. However, the team turned things around and secured a spot at the Copenhagen Major through the Last Chance Qualifier, taking the region's fourth and final spot in the tournament.
In the Danish tournament, the Ninjas were eliminated by Soniqs in the quarterfinals, but the signs of the team's resurgence and improvements were clear.
The second stage of the Brazil League was peaceful for them. First place in the group stage and third place in the playoffs, with the team guaranteeing a place in the Atlanta Major.
NIP's cpatain Gustavo "Psycho" Santos once again put NIP in a good place. Credit: Ubisoft/Saymon SampaioExpectations for Atlanta
The evolution of the team is evident and even with changes in the lineup compared to the squad that had great international performances, the team still maintains elements that know what it means to win.
Revived and in great shape, Ninjas in Pajamas will be a serious candidate to go far in the competition.
LOS
The performance shown at the Six Invitational and the team's atmosphere excited fans, but the team was eliminated by Astralis in the second round of the Lower Bracket. Still, these signs showed hope for LOS in 2023.
Qualifying for Copenhagen Major was a mix of emotions. The team ended up finishing fourth in the Brazil League playoffs and failed to beat NIP in the LCQ, leaving them out of the international competition. For the second stage, LOS made changes with the departure of Renato "rhz" Luiz, who moved to team analyst, and the entry of Gabriel "cameram4n" Hespanhol, a player who was part of the Major-winning FaZe squad.
The second stage of the Brazil League was poor for the team, managing just one victory and adding three defeats — a performance well below expectations. There was only the LCQ left for LOS to qualify for the Atlanta Major. Even worse was having the mission of overcoming Team Liquid in the first game to keep Atlanta's dream alive. Against all expectations, LOS not only beat Team Liquid but also won the LCQ, taking Brazil's last spot in the Major.
Emotions dominated LOS' players after the LCQ finals Credit: Ubisoft/Mateus SilvaExpectations for Atlanta
Although the team has the experienced cameram4n, they’re still young, despite their international experience. After this rollercoaster of emotions in stage 2, LOS arrives excited after exceeding all expectations. We always expect a lot from Brazilian teams, but LOS arrives without the fans' expectation to lift the trophy, but of at least reaching the playoffs.
Talking about Brazil in R6 is talking about good performances and titles. Still, it remains to be seen whether the four classified for Atlanta will add yet another title to the region.
