Pretty sure PRX just win everything this year. No other team looks close.

Calling Diamond high rank, especially in an esport forum is brave stuff

After they dropped JonahP and tried to shift to double duelist, they forgot who they were. No team identity. The project is a failure. Scrap it and start over.

Genuinely feels like their calling (Valyn + Trent) takes a nosedive at internationals

Same: https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

Of course they do

I didn’t say they were random. I said there’s more variance. You could have a better pistol round plan and still lose to a lucky right click.

See you in the GF frfr
https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

No shit. There’s just higher variance with pistol rounds

Yeah but G2 didn’t get a single pistols while GE got 4/6.

Better to shit talk before the game and risk egg on your face than to only do it after you win.

Yep

G2 losing completed my pickems

Nothing to laugh about. This was expected:
https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

G2 is ass

Papa?

I’m a dumbass lmao. Fixed

https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

I do. Been a TGRD fan since 2022

HEY! STOP JINXING US

Now that’s a delusional take

I said y’all were a 1-team region like China. I was wrong.
China is a 0-team region.

I would like to formally redact my apology.

Trent, Brawk, and Crashies have all had that international success. Trexx is a fraud and Shao was only relevant when Fade was broken.

NA (Americas technically) has more world class initiators and IGLs

Valyn, JohnQT, Ethan, KiNgg, Boostedio, FNS

Only one of those is a Champion frfr

They have one of the highest floors in the whole scene. The issue they have is that they can’t seem to rise to the occasion to reach their peak during tournaments when the stakes are highest. Had they hit their peak in that GF, I firmly believe they 3-0 T1.

Unfortunately, they had a rather average performance compared to their form during that time while T1 was firing on all cylinders — especially Leaf who had a massive stinker.

Can’t really say that given the Bangkok GF. A coin flip of a clutch one way or the other and G2 walk away with the trophy. Their ceiling is absolutely enough but they’ve just had historically rough matchups early on, often against the eventual tournament winners.

It only has variance. Top teams slip up and give away games to mid table teams at a much higher rate than other regions. 3-4 different teams can win a trophy at their absolute peaks but outside of PRX, most of them sit well below that on an average day.

Y’all just aren’t consistent and your floors are embarrassing low — enough to lose matches to China.

Sayonara of course. Issue is that we’re out of a Skye Meta and in a double duelist one so it’s not as obvious

1. PRX: 5 of the top 5 players in the world
2. TH: 2nd Place Merchants
3. VIT: FNC Superteam core: Derke, Chronicle, Leo 2.0
4. FUT: Just beat the reigning World Champs
5. EDG: Champs 2024 form and Smoggy Phoenix is legit
6. LEV: Insane firepower but rookies and bright lights
7. XLG: Lotus looking kinda nice
8. G2: Bad starts, choking internationals, Fat, and No Tejo

Yeah but then knocking out every EMEA team, then China’s last hope, and finally PRX

Nah, looks like a cop out.
https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

G2 lose to XLG and drop to the lowers, only to send every EMEA team home one after another before facing PRX in the GF and taking home their first trophy.

Just had to acknowledge the possibility

Bangkok GF

https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/62aa68bc

Valid point. Definitely counts as an upset in my books though since I could have seen NRG going on a run but I don’t see FUT pulling it off.

FUT aren’t beating TH. I can see them upsetting VIT which is why I didn’t include VIT on the list.

Does FUT winning here realistic increase EMEA’s chances of taking the trophy? I don’t think they can win when compared to the rest of the field so it doesn’t really move the needle.

They’re just not beating PRX, G2, LEV, or TH.

Replacing Babybay?

Pick Pearl and run Jett/Phoenix fr

Who is going to entry for Team 1 though?

Will you be joining under our banner if things go awry tomorrow brother?

It was inevitable. Pacific is a one team region and they won’t show up until Playoffs

I don’t agree. I just don’t understand NRG’s comp. They could have easily ran a meta comp with some role swaps.

Mada : Jett
Keiko : Phoenix
Ethan : Fade
Skuba : Astra
Brawk : Vyse

NRG are international merchants. They never peak against Americas teams but show up at internationals.

It’s because they’re very competitive intra-region. All the close, scrappy games makes their mid table teams look decent when the whole region just lacks depth.

Kinda like China y’know?

More scrappy doesn’t mean better quality of play.
EMEA is closer to CN than it is to Americas

What’s the point of running an international if it’s all regionals?

Both one team regions. The difference is that EMEA cycles who that team is every year.