Each of the teams in the IEM Cologne playoffs can stake a legitimate claim for a potential title tilt, but five sets of fans are in for a rude awakening over the weekend. Who has the sweetest dreams and who will sleep well on Sunday night? We’ve collated the best arguments for each teams’ chances, though we can only hope they amount to more than mere dream logic.
Virtus.pro: maybe the past is present
Though VP were undoubtedly a part of CIS teams’ dominance of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive the second part of the online era, their results and performances have taken a sharp downward trajectory since.
The fact that they made it to the playoffs through the stacked field at Cologne is nothing to scoff at, a run that featured a comprehensive victory over device’s NiP and a successfully contested rematch against upper bracket nemeses BIG, another big name of the past year of CS. This suggests they might be finding their form just at the right time to contest the stage with the big boys.
FaZe Clan: veterancy and the long-awaited return
The homecoming of Finn “karrigan” Andersen promised so much initially, but the team’s online performances have been nothing short of woeful so far. Though the numbers and the eye test alike suggested an improvement on LAN (both the IGL’s individual number and the clear motivation issues showing among the veteran players), their Cologne showings so far have been a notch above even the more optimistic forecasts as well.
If they can fix their T sides and stop playing 4v5s at all times after a botched entry attempt by their IGL, FaZe could very well spring further surprises off the back of karrigan’s anti-stratting abilities. If they somehow make it past Gambit, then anything is possible.
Astralis: the FaZe story but infinitely better
Then again, if you believe in FaZe’s resurgence, every single one of the same arguments holds for Astralis as well, but with better individual quality and a superior IGL to offer – not to mention their clear-cut win over karrigan’s men in the opening round.
Their only defeat came to Na’Vi, a team they could struggle against even in their heyday, on a day when Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev went nuclear. They are clearly a cut below the rest of the field in the AWP department, but if there’s an IGL that can still make all this work, it’s Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander.
Na’Vi: the form argument
Speaking of the men in black and yellow, the scorching form of Na’Vi’s individual players make them instant championship contenders at Cologne. When s1mple and Denis “electronic” Sharipov go nuts, there’s little any opponent can do to stop them, and with Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi also coming online, the firepower on this squad is nearly unmatched in the scene.
Even so, they did drop a map in every series so far, but with only two series to win, there’s always the chance they might just roflstomp everyone on the way to the trophy.
G2: the function argument
Despite much fearmongering, the Kovac-infused G2 project seems to be working just fine. Having identified the elephant in the room in the form of Kenny “kennyS” Schrub’s poor showings, they successfully realigned the roster and the roles, and they’ve become a formidable foe in the servers. With well-established roles and clear chemistry, this team is ready to fight for the top spots now that LAN events have returned.
Gambit: the status quo is a heck of a thing
There’s also Gambit, the undisputed kings of CS in 2021, near-unstoppable to date. They may have wobbled against G2 but otherwise, they’ve weathered the storm of the LAN environment fairly well. Make no mistake: they are still the team to beat.
