I'm cheering for Lev and Sen. Lev are sick as fuck and I'm trying to hop on that hype train. Not even worried about them losing early, I BELIEVE IN THOSE MFS. Then Sen just look too good on paper not to cheer for. Fnatic, Navi, and Liquid are a bit too boring for me, BUT I will be cheering for exclusively Sayf. Not Liquid, just Sayf. Why? Funny lad. Sen are multiple funny lads, so I cheer for them.

I like the funny lads, that's why I like PRX.

C'mon now bro, leave this shit for the 2 cm peter's in EMEA.

Don't really care, just cheering for LLL. Same region homie.

I'm just excited to see Lev diff Navi.

rip detonation

Bro and Sentinels ain't even played yet, that gonna be a million.

(Sentinels is the most popular team of the region with the most viewership)

I fucked up R1 but I got what I needed right for the second half
Won't lie, had no clue who Giants had and said "fuck it, JAPAN!"
Also had some Keloqz copium
Prx just disappointed me

https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/9e9a4185

SS Tier: 100T, Loud
S Tier: Sen, NRG, Lev
A: C9
B: EG, Furia
C: Kru, MIBR

Sen only in S cause they have proved nothing yet, but by end of the year I think they'll be #1 AM.
Tiers aren't ordered btw

Do I dare bro?

On paper Sentinels and 100T should both be better than NRG. By the end of the year, both should dust NRG as long as the teams get along.

You are part of the problem.

My favourite part of VLR is how mf will look at a series with 2 seperate OT maps and not realize those teams are, at most, a 55:45 matchup.

Gen.G would have won if Loud didn't abuse bugs

C9 played too individualized imo. Every highlight was from an individual play, whereas teams like NRG or LOUD have a many of highlights with teamplays. Is that a good measurement? Nah, but it does illistrate that C9 is unsuccessful at working as a team to create value. They have to change the culture of their players and create a team that uses their team to win.

Even compare how they use Yay. Same roles as on OpTic, but they don't bend the map as much to force people into Yay or to create space for him to take a 1v1. Optic did that, and were 3-0 vs DRX this year. OpTic were great at making them play around Yay instead of on C9 where Yay is playing around them.

They fix those two problems and maybe they can get passed being the 6th best team in America's, because with that level of problems, I expect match 1 Sentinels to dust what C9 showed. Same with new 100T and Lev.

Imo, Map 2 and 3 were just super complete from DRX. C9 played too individually. I expected this shit. I'm glad they lost by such a margin to DRX so they re-evaluate their playstyle to work as a team and use Yay better. Aye, C9 most definitely #6 America's tho, this game confirms that.

1. Not my Region
2. AM took 4 main cores and turned it into 6 great teams. EMEA took the best players and put them on 3 GREAT teams and 3 good teams. The 1-3 of EMEA is better than 1-3 of AM, but the 4-6 of AM is better than the 4-6 of EMEA. Like, Koi, Vitality, and Giants are good but not to the same tier as the top 6 AM teams. But, Navi took the best EMEA core and gave em a great Op-er, Liquid just grabbed the straightup talent, and Fnatic grabbed the (debatably) best two players in EMEA at their positions. Worst case, Leo is 2nd in EMEA as a recon, but Chronicle is both the best and most versatile flex in the region. AM split the loot more evenly.
3. Yeah the worse teams repersent the region, but your basing the region on it's worse qualities rather than it's best. It's a very pessimistic view. It's like having a ten course meal and complaining about some of the dishes not being as good as the others, rather than being happy about the best 3 dishes.
4. Yeah it's a little copium, but obviously on paper Omega was a significantly stronger bracket for both AM and EMEA. The on paper, best 3 teams of each region are all in Omega. If anything, Asia should get more flack. Going into lock/in, I had Gen.G, DRX, PRX, and Talon as top 4 from Asia. I still believe that the top 4 is true. Zeta might show up, but their chamber play was their defining feature. without that, it's a different team.

Basically the I AIN'T READING ALL THAT version is: EMEA 1-3 > AM 1-3. EMEA 4-10 <<< AM 4-10. That's just how it be when you load 3 rosters and the 5th and 6th best roster is put against NRG in 2 straight rounds.

Omega Upper Bracket

Literally 3/4 of the top EMEA teams are in the Omega upper bracket.

I did that on purpose. Rnakins are better than rankings.

So, I think I've seen enough from the Alpha teams to at least throw them into tiers. I'm not going to throw in the Omega teams as they have no real feats.

America's
S Tier: Loud, NRG
A Tier: C9
B Tier: EG
C Tier: MIBR

MIBR was the worst of the America's teams.
EG has a huge weakness on attack, hopefully they can overcome that before regional leagues. Was impressed by Ethan and COM tho.
C9 lacks teamplay. When s0m gets an ace, it's usually because the team is supporting him in his position. When Xeppaa gets an ace, it's because HE flashed for himself and HE took the correct fights. They're still playing like C9 did in S2 of last year: extremely individualized. Even with Yay, he was a solo lurk on Optic to get picks. Now, instead of being expected to get 1 and then join back with the team to get 2 more, he's just straight up expected to get his 3 kills along. C9 have a huge potential to move up, but it's more about a culture shift with the team to get a better playstyle. If I had to include Omega bracket here, I'd throw C9 at 6th. The 3 big Omega teams are just equally or more talented with a significantly better culture in their core compared to C9.
NRG looks great. I don't care that they lost to Giants on a map. They are a team who EXCELS at counterstrats. Playing a map for the first time and losing because lil bro decided to drop 35 is excusable.
LOUD has a champions core, similar to NRG, and somehow found 2 great replacements for amazing players. I am so impressed by the two new members, and I love how LOUD look in their games.

Bruh I missclick i was bout to do the other regions but ig just AMerica's LOL

Also,
SS Tier: Top 5 team in the world
S tier: Can compete for an international Lan
A tier: Can make an international lan
B tier: Can do well in their region
C tier: Bottem of Region

I agrue that, because Navi and Liquid are two insane teams, whichever one wins will have to show a full maps worth of playbook. Basically, neither team can affort to pull a single punch. Add in the fact Suygetsu and Nats are two of the most sneaky and smart players in the world, whichever team wins will show some cracks and timings for Lev. Lev is already a super strong team, just adding in the fact they a) get to prep against the EMEA style with Vitality the match before and b) their opponents WILL show holes in at least one map, I got Lev winning off prep. Teams are too close in skill, so giving Lev that advantage is enough to get them a win IMO.

Easily, and I mean easily, gonna be a top 3 match of the tourney. I don't think the Grand Final will beat it.
Sen and Fnatic are historic rivals, all the way back to M2 the first international lan. Tenz, Boaster, and Derke are the only ones left from that match. Sentinels and Fnatic, on paper, are definitely the top 2 teams in terms of pure talent.

Head-to-head

Sacy and Leo are both top 3 in AT LEAST their regions as recon players, debatably both are top 5 globally. Sacy gets an edge here because, when he is playing well, he can diff Yay 12-3 (Real Stateline, Champs GF map 1, Sacy went 12-3 against Yay, when yay still dropped 27 so he was farming). Leo is an incredible talent and will likely make his full mark as an initator this year.

This is a double decker: I've decided to lump in Deph + Pancada against Alfajer + Boaster. It's fair to say that Alfajer is now a primary sentinel, so he's kinda matched with Deph, whereas Pancada and Boaster kinda line up as controllers. It's hard to say which combo is better. I'd give it to Sen here since I think Deph is closer to Alfajer than Boaster is to Pancada. Just, Pancada is debatably a top 2 controller globally, that's hard to match.

Next is Derke and Tenz. They equal. They are both the most mechanically gifted here, they do the same thing. Moving on.

Then it's Zekken and Chronicle. I remember prime Gambit where, at times, Chronicle was the one being called the best player in the WORLD. He still has the same ceiling. Zekken is amazing, don't get me wrong, but he's still growing as a player. We've seen Chronicle play to a level that very, very few players know.

Basically, Sentinels and Fnatic comes down to one single thing, and it isn't anything to do with the players.

TLDR Sentinels vs Fnatic comes down to Mini vs Syyko, and the subsequent reads that Deph and Boaster get. Which team implements better, which team communicates better, which team vibes better. The most level plain of players that we have in Lock/in, it'll come down to who called better.

Nah, I'm joking. Probably just going to come down to whoever of Tenz and Chronicle play better, and I'm fully prepared for that too.

It was a good watch

I got Lev beatting whoever wins out of Navi and Liquid. Why? Lev gets to play Vitality, who is good, but will not require Lev to use their whole ass playbook to win. Navi and Liquid will have to show EVERYTHING to win that matchup, which Lev can counter. I think Lev is probably slightly worse just on paper compared to the two, but with the superior prep they'll get, they should win.

All great teams tho. Just the hardest bracket in the tournament.

Top 4 vs my top 4

My top 4 is
Lev
Fnatic
DRX
Loud

The top 4 is
Loud
Navi
Lev
Liquid

Fnatic gonna throw, drx gpnna throw. Navi and Liquid have to face eachother then get counterstrated by Lev, thats why I have Lev winning the matchup.

Japan pretty and organized and shit

EMEA maxes out historically with 4 good teams in 2022 and that was too weird, so its back to their max of 3 good teams.

Mine is borderline racist, even tho I'm white. That's how bad it is.

it's hard when your region decides to make the 3 strongest superteam and exports one of it's best players. America's did it smart, we separated good teams to make like 6 great teams and it'd didn't even tank our T2 scene. Broke up Loud, Kru, Optic, and XSET to build 6 borderline superteams is worth more than just creating 3 whole ass superteams in the longterm. Thank god for Carlos and Tate so G2 lost their slot. Imagine if XSET stayed together, Sen is way weaker, 100T probably gets Yay? Insane. I like what America's got.

Didn't know bout that.

Whelp

I heard it was weed / withdrawl symptoms but don't take my word until there's an official statement

I understand that but from now until the next international lan I will be trolling with

If Loud didn't abuse bugs, then GenG would have won.

And I think, personally, that is humorous.

Would have beat loud if they didn't abuse bugs

Tbf tho, it's a much bigger bug then a turret shooting 1 bullet in the wrong direction, but it doesn't get replayed? Kinda dumb

I'd like to clarify I'm hard trolling

Second: Fracture door decided not to close in a meteor vs aspas 1v1 so meteor was watching an open door and sands when Aspas was on the other site. Bodies and Guns are not supposed to keep the door open, thus bug. Would it have mattered? No. Am I mad? No. Will I say Gen.G could have beat Loud if they didn't abuse bugs? Yes, cause its funny.

Gen.G would have won if Loud didn't abuse bugs

Gen.G would still be there if Loud didn't abuse bugs

Smoking upon the devils lettuce

then stop and underperform from cold turkey I guess, just what i've heard

Gen.G #1

Would have beat loud if they didn't abuse bugs

Aye if Loud win Lock/in all I'm gonna be saying is

"Gen.G would have won if LOUD didn't abuse bugs"

IN EVERY GODDAMN SHITTERS POST

I just tested because I legit didn't know if the could but

No, guns don't hold the door, neither do bodies. It's a bug

Yall remember the round where Gen.G were on an eco or a force, and it was down to Aspas and Meteor, Aspas clutched out the round. Yall saw the open door with Aspas in spawn, is that not a bug? Led Meteor to believe Aspas was either near or in the door, cause I'm a little sure that dead bodies are not supposed to hold that shit open. Of course, Meteor could have lost the round without that, but Riot has ran back rounds with lesser bugs. A single bullet glitched from a turret is fine, but a whole map feature being used wrong is fine?

Correction, Aspas was not in spawn. He was B Main already

See here

I was gonna argue against this then I realized KC was able to get passed the first round.

100% the easiest group.

1. Alpha Upper
2. Alpha Lower
3. Omega Lower (2 top 6 AM, top 3 EMEA + EDG)
4. Omega Upper ( 3/4 top 4 EMEA, good asian teams, plus Lev)

Basically,

Loud 2-0 with very, very, very low difficulty.

Literally a 5v4. xms and newazera barely equal 1 person.

It looked like they, in their first game, had to go against a team who's core won champs with two new players that performed great at their new roles.

it's copeium but true.

AYE LETS GO NA AND EMEA ARE EQUAL NOW!

Can't wait for Sen and 100T to lose to Fnatic.

NA Shitters: EMEA always gets special treatment
EMEA shitters: Riot hates EMEA

The bad EMEA teams got an easier bracket, the better EMEA teams got harder brackets.
You could say a similar thing for NA, where NRG and Loud (Cores of Champs grand final) have to face each other to get top 4, EMEA just has to do it one round earlier.

Every region has a reason to be mad.

He flashed, didn't reach. The angle Aspas held is fully susceptible to Main so he probably didn't expect that spot.

I just need one round, and it'll be a banger of a round.

Bro got tub thats the best you get in Val

Literally don't care as long as the main event is Vanity vs Deph. Both bulky boys, both IGL's, both on Rival NA squads. Perfect matchup.

Don't care, still my goat also, bottem rating not KDA or ACS

Believe in he mans