https://www.vlr.gg/team/3311/i-need-girlfriend

Korean team, the original girlfriend-needers

They'll probably do it over two or three weeks instead of one.

they play on Hong Kong servers.

I'm expecting them to take the results of Masters Reykjavik and Berlin and tweak seeding and team allocation a bit. I'm surprised we have baseline allocation to go off already tbh.

Yeah they're definitely the riskiest here but I really liked their look in Challengers Finals. The Yoru on Haven strategy worked out really really well and I want to see more of that kind of creativity from that team. With all the time they've had and still have to keep developing stuff, I think they can turn out better than people think this stage.

Liquid are really good and I'd probably put them around 5th, but I think they've hit a FaZe-like hot streak that's gonna be hard to replicate. I don't forsee them falling off quite as hard as faze did but the inevitable meta shift and the promise that other top EU teams have showed is enough to nudge them just out of top 4 for me.

Yeah, Nth released Nerufi so I'm really hoping for a big signing to take them over the top. Seoldam and Meiy are so so good and can carry that team far if their fundamentals and support line improves. They've already progressed a ton since stage 1, so depending on who their signing is, I'm hopeful.

Yeah emea is, fwiw I don't think any of those rosters as rumoured could challenge the top 4 but nothings been finalized. For KR, I'm really skeptical of VS' move to add two duelists to replace their IGL, and DK have made great moves since Challengers as well by adding iNTRO. But who knows. I just love speculating about what these later tournaments might look like.

My best guesses:

EMEA:
Fnatic
Gambit
Guild
FunPlus Phoenix

NA:
Sentinels
Version1
Cloud9 Blue

KR:
NUTURN
DWG KIA

JP:
Crazy Raccoon
NORTHEPTION

SEA:
X10
Paper Rex

BR:
Team Vikings
FURIA

LATAM:
KRU

I know most aren't expecting much from Crazy Raccoon, but I really hope for Japan's sake they do well. The scene has potential to be so big there and if CR can put up a good performance it would help so much.

ex-THESPIKEGG employee here, can confirm from what I've heard that vlr are fine.