The tournament saw its ninth and tenth eliminations as Aurora and BetBoom Team bowed out, leaving Xtreme Gaming as the last non-European Dota 2 team standing.

Aurora faced Xtreme Gaming in a fierce lower bracket showdown.

Game one was a one-sided stomp in favour of XG, but game two was much more competitive.

Aurora’s Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong debuted the first Lycan pick of the tournament, using Alpha Wolves and a Nullifier to counter XG’s Pugna.

On the other side, Wang “Ame” Chunyu’s Faceless Void constantly pressured Aurora’s Artem “lorenof” Melnick on Storm Spirit, neutralising his impact.

Despite Aurora��s valiant efforts to hold out for nearly an hour, XG’s aggression proved too much, ending Aurora’s run with a seventh-eighth place finish and marking the end of South-east Asia��s presence at TI13.

It was the final series for Aurora at The International 2024, as they have been eliminated by Xtreme Gaming. Despite their efforts, Aurora��s journey ends here. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/ELYYL8nHVh

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

Meanwhile, BetBoom Team also met their end at the hands of Team Falcons.

The series was tightly contested, with game two being particularly intense.

After a strong early-game performance from Falcons, BetBoom fought back with a high-ground defence led by their safelane Medusa, who bought a Divine Rapier to turn the tide.

However, a critical misplay during a push��where Medusa had her Black King Bar (BKB) in her backpack��led to her being taken down twice.

This swung the game in Falcons’ favour, and they closed out the series, eliminating BetBoom from the tournament.

Falcons’ Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen, a veteran of The International, reflected on the win and the experience of playing alongside debutant mid-laner Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak, praising his energy and adaptability.

BB Team couldn't keep up with the pace set by Falcons, and it's time for them to exit the tournament. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/dZRHM9cxks

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

As the tournament continued, the upper bracket saw dominant performances from some of the top teams.

Team Liquid faced off against Cloud9 in a two-game series.

Game one was all Liquid, as they dominated from start to finish.

Game two; however, saw Cloud9 put up a stronger fight.

At one point, Cloud9 even took down a tier 4 tower, but Liquid’s buybacks and a miraculous play from Micha? “Nisha” Jankowski on Puck turned the tide, securing Liquid��s spot in the upper bracket finals.

Gaimin Gladiators then took on Tundra Esports in another upper bracket semifinal.

The Gladiators showcased their prowess, with Erik “tOfu” Engel on Lone Druid and Quinn on Storm Spirit leading the charge.

Game one was one-sided, but game two was even more of a rout, with GG cruising to a 26-3 victory in just 24 minutes.

With BetBoom and Aurora eliminated, Xtreme Gaming remains the only non-European team in the tournament.

XG will face Tundra Esports in the lower bracket, while Team Falcons take on Cloud9.

At the top, Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators are set to clash in the upper bracket finals, ensuring both teams a spot in the top three.

As The International 2024 continues, each remaining team fights to have their names immortalised on the Aegis of Champions, with millions of fans watching their every move.

Gaimin Gladiators put on a dominant display against Tundra, securing their spot in the Upper Bracket Final. They will now face Team Liquid #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/lP5zv2vBxc

— The International (@dota2ti) September 13, 2024

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Filling in for the Russian Counter-Strike 2 team will be 3DMAX, as per the ESL Pro Tour’s Team Replacement Rules.

Unfortunately, @BetBoomTeam have been unable to obtain visas to travel to #IEM Cologne and have been replaced by @3DMAXGaming as the next eligible team based on our Team Replacement Rules. pic.twitter.com/25kb62Tq02

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 5, 2024

BetBoom had earned a spot in the play-in stage of IEM Cologne via the ESL World Ranking.

The tournament would have been their first of the season, following their last official match in June at YaLLa Compass.

BetBoom had also planned to attend the Skyesports Championship but withdrew, citing unmet conditions and fairness concerns with the Indian tournament organiser.

3DMAX, who recently won the Skyesports Championship and achieved their peak world rank of 18, will take BetBoom’s spot in the play-in bracket, facing 9z in the first round of the double-elimination stage.

Additionally, Herioc announced that Volodymyr “?Woro2k?” Veletniuk will replace Abdul “?degster?” Gasanov, who also faces visa issues.

Woro2k, known for his time on Monte and their underdog run to the BLAST.tv Paris Major quarter-finals, will join Heroic in their play-in stage match against MIBR.

winning Cologne with the stand-in buff pic.twitter.com/u1n23twFa1

— HEROIC (@heroicgg) August 5, 2024

It’s unclear if degster will miss the entire event as Heroic awaits visa approval, ready to fly him in if circumstances change.

Visa issues have increasingly impacted Russian players in the CS2 scene.

Earlier this year, Team Spirit’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Boris “magixx” Vorobyev missed the BLAST Spring Groups 2024 due to similar problems.

These visa challenges continue to hinder one of the most talented regions in the scene, preventing players from participating in major tournaments.

Heroic’s IEM Cologne 2024 line-up

• Ren�� “?TeSeS?” Madsen
• Rasmus “?sjuush?” Beck
• Guy “?NertZ?” Iluz
• Damjan “?kyxsan?” Stoilkovski
• Volodymyr “?Woro2k?” Veletniuk
• Coach: Eetu “?sAw?” Saha

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Despite a shaky start on Inferno, G2 forced overtime and secured an 11-round streak on the CT side to eventually close out the map.

It's a DOMINANT second map from @G2CSGO to close out their opening #ESLProLeague S19 playoff match against @BIGCLANgg

19-16 Inferno
13-4 Ancient pic.twitter.com/p4kcIavTyV

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 7, 2024

The slow start was partially due to a lacklustre performance from Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov and Nemanja ‘huNter-‘ Kova?, but Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kova?’s stellar play helped G2 turn the tide.

BIG missed key opportunities, and G2’s individuals came alive, particularly Nemanja ‘nexa’ Isakovi? with crucial multi-kills.

The following map, Ancient, saw NiKo back to his best with impressive plays, including a memorable Deagle quad-kill and ace.

G2 dominated, closing out the series 13-4.

FlyQuest secured a spot in the second round of the playoffs at the Counter-Strike 2 event with a 2-1 (11-13, 13-9, win over BetBoom.

After losing on Vertigo, FlyQuest rallied with wins on Mirage and Anubis.

Jay ‘Liazz’ Tregillgas’s consistent performance and Kirill ‘Magnojez’ Rodnov’s solid play justified his recent signing for FlyQuest.

BetBoom struggled with their T sides, leading to their downfall.

Paid by the round.

48 rounds played and it ends with a 2-0 victory for @virtuspro over @GamerLegion who will be eliminated from #ESLProLeague S19.

13-11 Anubis
13-11 Mirage pic.twitter.com/3Irxq6jbcr

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 7, 2024

Virtus.pro advanced to the next round with a hard-fought 2-0 (13-11, 13-11) win over GamerLegion, sealing victories on Anubis and Mirage.

Despite a less than inspiring performance in the tournament so far, Virtus.pro managed to overcome GamerLegion, who showed promise with strong fragging performances from Henrich ‘sl3nd’ Hevesi and Andreas ‘aNdu’ Maasing.

FaZe Clan faced a tough challenge from Monte but secured their spot in the next round with wins on Vertigo and Mirage.

Despite a loss on Nuke, FaZe’s resilience, especially Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants’s standout performances, helped them edge past Monte, who showed great potential with their new players.

FaZe will need to step up their game for their rematch against Natus Vincere in the next round.

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Despite playing four games in the bracket stage compared to BetBoom��s one, the Falcons dominated with a clean 3�C0 sweep.

Coach Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling attributed the victory to widespread underperformance among their opponents.

The Falcons, a newcomer to the Dota 2 scene, made a resounding entrance last November by signing experienced players alongside 19-year-old prodigy Stanislav ��Malr1ne�� Potorak.

With their victory, they sent a clear message: they are a force to be reckoned with.

Congratulations to our #ESLOne Birmingham Champions, @FalconsEsport!

They've just won themselves $300,000 and 6400 EPT Points! pic.twitter.com/JzwkqkcPyL

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) April 28, 2024

Aui_2000 admitted to facing challenges in maintaining a stable mentality during games, especially in dealing with taunts, trash talk, and losses.

Despite these obstacles, the team performed well when it mattered most.

Aui_2000 also emphasized their ��super easy integration�� into the new organization, thanks to past relationships.

Game two showcased the Falcons’ scalability as they turned the tables on BetBoom’s early lead with strategic drafting and teamwork.

Utilizing Sven’s brutal damage, they gained a significant advantage in fights and secured their second win decisively.

Despite BetBoom’s underperformance, Aui_2000 acknowledged Falcons�� strengths and their thorough preparation for various scenarios.

This victory marked their third event win of the year, solidifying their position as a top contender in the Dota 2 scene.

The atmosphere in Birmingham was electric, with fans witnessing some of the best Dota 2 action in years.

Falcons’ dominance was evident throughout the series, with BetBoom unable to find their stride.

Despite some adjustments, BetBoom couldn’t match the skill and coordination of the Falcons.

Falcons showcased their depth and versatility, with players like Sneyking shining on the new roster.

The team’s cohesive gameplay and strategic draft choices overwhelmed their opponents, leaving little chance for a BetBoom comeback.

As ESL One returned to Birmingham after five years, the event lived up to expectations, setting the stage for more exciting Dota 2 and esports events in the future.

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Counter-Strike 2 commentator Henry “HenryG” Greer lauded TheMongolz’s performance, acknowledging Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez’s statement that it wouldn’t be fair to solely attribute the victory to G2’s underperformance.

CONGRATULATIONS @1mongolz

They are the FIRST team from group B to be guaranteed a spot in the #ESLProLeague Season 19 Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/ofOAzR99BR

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 25, 2024

Indeed, while G2 struggled throughout the series, TheMongolz showcased exceptional skill and coordination.

G2 found themselves outclassed on both maps, managing only a minor resurgence on Anubis.

None of G2’s players managed a rating above 1, while every member of TheMongolz surpassed 1.25.

Notably, AWPer Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch stood out with a remarkable 1.51 rating, 37-16 KD, and 89.2 ADR, showcasing his prowess despite being overshadowed by his rifling teammates.

One highlight for G2 was a standout play from Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, whose quad-kill on the A site with a scout briefly sparked hope.

However, G2 failed to capitalize, and frustration mounted as TheMongolz maintained their dominance.

TheMongolz displayed composure in a relatively low-stakes match, with more challenges ahead in the upper bracket final.

Meanwhile, Team Vitality secured their playoff spot with a comfortable 2-0 (13-4, 13-9) victory over BetBoom Team, setting up a seeding match against TheMongolz.

Vitality’s resurgence, particularly the improved form of Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, was evident throughout the tournament.

The second team from group B to be confirmed for the #ESLProLeague Season 19 Playoffs is @TeamVitality!

Congratulations pic.twitter.com/JhUTPubdLc

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) April 25, 2024

After a shaky start against Sharks, ZywOo’s stellar performances against BetBoom signaled his return to form.

Dan “apEX” Madesclaire credited Vitality’s success to strategic rest and preparation, highlighting the team’s dominance on Mirage and their proactive approach on Anubis.

As Vitality faces TheMongolz in the upper bracket, both teams aim for a spot in the quarterfinals, while BetBoom hopes to avoid elimination in the lower bracket against Falcons.

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While they dominated on Mirage, experiencing a smooth win, the battle on Ancient proved challenging as TheMongolz staged a comeback from 12-8 down, only to fall short in overtime.

Boris “magixx” Vorobiev, reflecting on the match, expressed mixed feelings due to some shaky moments.

Despite beating Apeks and TheMongolz, magixx acknowledged tougher challenges ahead but remained confident, stating that replicating their practice game performance would make facing stronger Counter-Strike rosters in the group stage manageable.

.@Team__Spirit manage to fend off the @MongolzCs in OVERTIME to close out the series 2-0

13-2 Mirage
16-14 Ancient#IEM pic.twitter.com/Ww6AboBNdq

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) February 1, 2024

In another matchup, Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski’s strategic brilliance propelled GamerLegion to a 2-1 (13-3, 5-13, 13-9) victory over Virtus.pro.

Sebastian “volt” Malo? credited a well-prepared game plan, Snax’s exceptional calling, and Frederik ‘acoR’ Gyldstrand’s AWP prowess for their success.

Virtus.pro faced difficulties on Vertigo, with GamerLegion dominating and securing a convincing victory.

Despite Virtus.pro’s comeback on Inferno, GamerLegion closed out the series with victory on Overpass, advancing to the group stage in Katowice.

.@GamerLegion close out the series against @virtuspro 2-1 and advance to the #IEM Katowice 2024 Group Stage!

13-3 Vertigo
5-13 Inferno
13-9 Overpass pic.twitter.com/0IE6xxoI7v

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) February 1, 2024

M80 asserted their dominance against Rooster in a 2-0 (13-3, 13-7) victory.

Head coach Rory “dephh” Jackson, filling in for in-game leader Marcus “?maNkz?” Kjeldsen, showcased improved performance.

M80’s strategic prowess and individual displays led to victories on Inferno and Vertigo, earning them a chance to qualify for the IEM Katowice group stage and ultimately eliminating Rooster from the Play-In stage.

Cloud9 faced a challenging battle against BetBoom, recovering from a quadruple overtime loss on Overpass to secure a 2-1 (22-25, 13-6, 13-7) victory.

Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov’s improved AWP performance played a crucial role.

Cloud9’s resilience and strategic developments were evident on Anubis and Ancient, securing comfortable victories.

After two underwhelming performances from BetBoom Team, they have found themselves eliminated from the IEM Katowice in 13-16th place.

In a highly anticipated showdown, ENCE delivered a decisive 2-0 (13-10, 13-4) victory over Astralis, eliminating the Danish superteam from IEM Katowice early in the tournament.

The matchup held extra significance as Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander faced his former teammates, including Nicolai “device” Reedtz.

The Finnish squad showcased their prowess on Vertigo, outplaying Astralis with superior mid-rounding.

Krzysztof “Goofy” G��rski and Pawe? “dycha” Dycha provided crucial individual moments, securing ENCE’s victory on the first map.

The real standout performance came from gla1ve on Ancient, where he delivered a rare carry performance with an exceptional 2.25 rating.

His dominance haunted Astralis throughout the map, leaving the Danish squad seemingly broken.

With this victory, ENCE keeps their hopes alive for advancing to the main event.

Apeks triumphed over FURIA with a 2-1 (13-9, 10-13, 13-11) victory in the Play-In stage.

Dominating on Inferno with a 10-2 lead, Apeks eventually closed the map 13-9.

Mirage saw a stellar performance from Tim ‘nawwk’ Jonasson, but FURIA mounted a comeback, winning 11 rounds in a row.

The series concluded on Ancient, with Apeks securing a 9-3 lead at the break and ultimately eliminating FURIA.

With one day left in the IEM Katowice Play-In stage, four series will take place on Friday, where the winner of each will advance to the group stage and the loser will be eliminated.

Friday’s IEM Katowice Play-In matches

• Virtus.pro ($1.61) vs Cloud9 ($2.20) @ 4:30pm CET
• TheMongolz ($2.50) vs ENCE ($1.50) @ 4:30pm CET
• BIG ($1.60) vs Apeks ($2.30) @ 7:30pm CET
• Rebels Gaming ($2.90) vs M80 ($1.38) @ 7:30pm CET

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This will mark the first meeting between Eternal Fire and BetBoom Team, and according to the betting odds, the Turkish side is expected to start their Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024 campaign with a win.

Eternal Fire are higher rated on the global Counter-Strike standings, albeit by just one position, and both teams are 3-1 since the turn of the year. Over that stretch, Eternal Fire beat Pera, IKLA, and MOUZ, while BetBoom Team defeated Zero Tenacity, BIG, and OG, which was a slightly tougher schedule.

There’s very little to separate the teams, and it’s tough to justify why EF is priced at $1.72. As a best-of-one series, this one can go either way, making it easy to pick a side.

Astralis had an explosive start to their BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 campaign last week when they defeated Team Vitality and Team Falcons en route to a fifth-sixth-place finish. With those wins, Astralis are 6-2 since the turn of the year, albeit with just two notable wins.

Heroic haven’t looked great since the recent roster rebuild and recently lost to Cloud9 and BIG at Spring Groups. Before that, they defeated IKLA and SYnck, which is hardly something to celebrate.

Astralis have looked much better recently and field better players, but this is a regional derby between two rivals who know each other well. So, as much as this is Astralis’ game to lose, it’s fair to expect a close match.

BIG left a strong statement at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024, where they defeated Heroic and Cloud9 and played close series’ against Virtus.pro and Astralis. It was a much-needed bounceback for the German side, who went 0-3 in PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier A earlier this month.

BIG’s strong showing at Spring Groups is a big reason why they’re priced as favourites against ENCE. The other is that ENCE lost most of its top players to Team Falcons at the end of 2023 and has since played just one official match.

It’s tough to say how good ENCE will be with the new-look roster, but this is a competitive lineup that deserves some respect. The lack of official matches is concerning, but $2.20 is a very generous offer for a best-of-one series against a team that has produced only a few good games over the last month.

Team Spirit finished BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 in 13th-16th place with defeats against Team Liquid and FaZe Clan. In their defence, Spirit were without Boris “magixx” Vorobyev and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, so those results don’t hold much weight.

Prior to BLAST Premier, Team Spirit held a 6-1 record and produced a near-perfect run through the European PGL Major Copenhagen qualifiers.

Apeks used to be very competitive at the top level, but the departure of top players left the squad scrambling to find traction. This year, Apeks have played just two official matches, a 13-5 win against EC BANGA and a rough 3-13 defeat against For The Win Esports.

Apeks are not in a good spot and haven’t shown anything memorable since early December. On the other hand, Team Spirit has been on an upswing over the last month and is rightly priced as a favourite to win on Wednesday.

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BetBoom Team exceeded all expectations with their performance in the group stage, where they defeated Team Vitality (16-14) and GamerLegion (2-0) and played a very close series with the reigning ESL Pro League Season 18 champions, MOUZ.

The transition to Counter-Strike 2, which has introduced some volatility, seems to have greatly benefited BetBoom Team; however, according to the offered CS2 betting odds, the Russian squad is not expected to make it any further.

Like BetBoom Team, Complexity also outperformed expectations en route to the knockout stage. However, unlike BB Team, Complexity have had a fairly easy road, with wins against Monte (13-9, 2-0) and Cloud9 (2-0).

Both teams have earned their spot in the playoffs; however, it’s tough to explain why Complexity are priced as the favourites. It might have to do with the fact that Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 is the only tournament of the year in which BetBoom Team have looked good, but that’s a poor excuse to bet against them.

ENCE last met with FaZe Clan during Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2023 in June, winning 2-0 and 2-1. The latest odds suggest ENCE should win again; however, past results, especially those from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive games, don’t mean much.

ENCE have looked decent so far in this tournament. They placed second in Group B, where they beat Lynn Vision (13-6) and Fnatic (2-1) and lost against G2 Esports (9-13, 8-13).

FaZe Clan, meanwhile, placed third in Group A with a loss against GamerLegion (15-19) and three straight wins against Team Vitality (2-1), Natus Vincere (2-1), and GamerLegion (2-1).

FaZe Clan have beaten stronger teams than ENCE, but they didn’t look much cleaner in their wins, which leads us to believe that this is a 50-50 match. Knowing that the teams are fairly equal and still shaky on the game’s newest version, taking over 2.5 maps makes the most sense.

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Before the last day of the group stage, we knew that BetBoom Team, MOUZ, ENCE, and G2 Esports were already locked in for the playoffs, but there was one more spot to fill from the lower-bracket of each group.

FaZe Clan faced GamerLegion for the final playoff spot in Group A.

FaZe was seeking their third straight win and revenge for their double overtime loss in the first round.

FaZe defeated Team Vitality and Natus Vincere in their previous two series, while GL lost 0-2 to BetBoom Team and defeated Apeks 2-0.

After FaZe won GamerLegion’s map pick (Ancient), GL won FaZe’s map (Inferno) to send the series to Nuke.

After defeating FaZe on Nuke in the first round, GamerLegion entered the final map with confidence, but FaZe won 13-6 and qualified for the playoffs.

In the lower-bracket of Group B, Complexity and Monte won their respective semi-finals against Cloud9 and Fnatic, setting up another opening round rematch for the lower final.

Much like the opening round fixture between these two (13-9 Complexity), the lower-bracket final was close on both maps of the series.

Complexity won each map 16-13 after Overpass and Ancient went to overtime, where they surged in the final rounds to qualify for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the upper-bracket finals in each group took place, with the winner of each series earning an extra day off by qualifying for the semi-finals on Saturday.

MOUZ would defeat BetBoom Team 2-1 in a close, back-and-forth series.

G2 Esports remained unbeaten at IEM Sydney after recording a dominant 2-0 victory over ENCE to qualify for the semi-finals.

MOUZ awaits the winner of the ENCE vs FaZe Clan quarter-final and G2 Esports will clash with the winner of the BetBoom Team vs Complexity series.

THE #IEM SYDNEY 2023 PLAYOFFS

6 Teams

First CS2 LAN champions

First time seeing the Australian crowd in 4 years

October 20-22 pic.twitter.com/YGBD0iHdHU

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) October 18, 2023

IEM Sydney Quarter-final matches

• BetBoom Team ($2.00) vs Complexity ($1.72) @ 4:30pm AEDT
• ENCE ($1.72) vs FaZe Clan ($2.00) @ 7:30pm AEDT

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As the inaugural premier tournament of Counter-Strike 2 approaches, the spotlight is on IEM Sydney, starting on October 16.

However, the reaction to this format choice has been predominantly negative, with prominent figures like Robin “?ropz?” Kool expressing their displeasure on Twitter.

ropz re-tweeted the groups announcement with a quote saying, “BO1 MR12” followed by three crying emojis.

The group stage format for this $250,000 tournament will consist of opening round best-of-one series, followed by best-of-three matches, with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals, while the second and third-place teams in each group earn a spot in the quarter-finals.

In the playoffs, a single-elimination, best-of-three bracket will determine the champion.

It includes Team Vitality, the winners of the last CS:GO Major (BLAST Paris) in front of their home crowd, MOUZ, the recent champions of ESL Pro League Season 18, NAVI, who are seeking a resurgence with a revamped roster, the perennial contender FaZe Clan, and the formidable Apeks.

One of the most intriguing opening matchups will see Vladislav “?nafany?” Gorshkov’s new BetBoom squad facing off against the world number one, Team Vitality.

This comes at a time when Vitality is facing further challenges with the impending departure of coach Danny “?zonic?” S?rensen in November.

However, after the announcement, Vitality have firmed with most esports betting sites into an outright $3.75 favourite to take out the IEM Sydney title.

Group B also features an exciting clash between Fnatic and Cloud9.

The Russian superteam, Cloud9, is still in the process of finding their form after making significant roster changes during the offseason.

Looking at the groups, Group A stands out as the “group of death.”

On the other side of the bracket, Group B appears to be less competitive but not to be underestimated.

ENCE, recent finalists in a grand event and IEM Dallas champions, are part of this group, along with G2, a talented yet inconsistent team.

Cloud9, aiming for top-tier status in 2023 following a complete Russian roster rebuild, is still finding their footing.

Complexity is North America’s best hope, although they are still developing as a team and managed to reach the semi-finals of Pro League.

There is a growing sentiment among the community that it’s time to move away from best-of-one MR12 matches now that this format has been introduced.

It appears contradictory to address concerns about match duration and then opt for best-of-ones instead of the more competitive best-of-threes.

Regardless, fans are looking forward to the start of the CS2 era, hoping that any minor issues will be resolved before the tournament kicks off.

THE #IEM SYDNEY GROUP STAGE!

THE FIRST CS2 LAN GAMES UNVEILED

GROUP A@TeamVitality@BetBoomTeam@GamerLegion@FaZeClan@natusvincere@apeksgg@VertexESC@mousesports

GROUP B@ENCE@Lynnvision_@FNATIC@C9CSGO@Monte_Esports@Complexity @grayhoundgaming@G2CSGO pic.twitter.com/trWWmJoE1p

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) October 3, 2023

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