Last week I covered the first half of the 8 pools that will be duking it out at CoD XP in two days. After carefully analyzing some of the past Optic and Faze rivalries it’s pretty easy to expect both of them moving up. However, there are a lot of really great teams that might have a shot at upsetting some of these legacy giants. Let’s take a look at the second four brackets Post Draw:
Pool E
Faze Clan is a solid to make a top 4 appearance this season. With an extensive top 4 and above streak at ESL and UMG rounding out their top 4 placements at MLG Orlando last month, I expect them to sweep two of their games but have some trouble with Elevate. Elevate is another top-notch team that has been right there at the top with Faze. It’s a shame that these two teams are both here because that pool round should be a bracket game. Fans should rejoice at getting to see these two giants duke it out early. Most wanted has been shake this season, ranging from 1st at AGN Indy to only two 9-16th finishes at MLG events. They had a lack luster 21-24th run at Orlando and qualified through the NA CWL qualifier. Giants Gaming is a Spanish team that has been up and down this year, placing everywhere from 16th to 1st. They have a solid roster with great chemistry, but will that be enough to pull them into bracket play? We’ll find out this Saturday.
Favorite to Win: Faze Clan
Pool F
Infused is one of the UK’s gaming powerhouses and the team coming to CXP is no exception. Coming in with 12 top 2 placings this year, I’m excited to see Zer0 and Urban shred the competition. Team Kaliber looks a little thirsty after only placing top 5 once this year. After a disappointing run at MLG Anaheim (29-36th) and a 9-12th finish at Orlando, they are looking to go as far into brackets as possible. The heavy underdog that I think will surprise everyone is of course, my team Lethal Gaming. Being the only team to put up points against OpTic at MLG Anaheim these guys have placed in the top 30 consistently, with 2 top 10 finishes. With the new roster coming into CoD XP, I’m excited to see how they can stand up against teams that have been dominating for extensive amounts of time. This pool is rounded out by Tainted Minds, an ANZ team that has never placed lower than 5th (not including their lack of Qualification). Keep an eye on Guydra, this guy is an objective monster that can ninja his way through maps and take care of objectives with minimal effort.
Favorite to Win: Infused
Pool G
NV is coming into CoD xp after a 2nd place finish at Orlando and victories at both the CWL stage 2 playoffs and the 500 CWL pro series. NV is one of the household names in eSports and the JKap SlasheR combo has worked extremely well for them. These two balance out their team by bringing dynamic map control and well-rounded slayer capacity across all game types. Orbit is coming in with significant success, not placing lower than 8th in the past year. Nimble and Swiftaz0r are the JKap SlasheR of Australia. Cloud 9 is another Na powerhouse that has quickly expanded across every possible genre possible. They’ve been all over the place in terms of standings this year, ranging from top 25 to 1st. Can Adam “Assault” Garcia keep the team reigned in and make it into bracket play? They might come in as an underdog with Vitality. Vitality is this brackets veteran. Does Wailers Locart have the experience and depth to bring his team to victory over NV and Orbit? There are a lot of great games that are going to take place in this bracket and that second spot is open to anyone.
Favorite to Win: EnvyUs
Pool H
OpTic gaming. Need I go further? The top place is theirs for the taking and they are the favorite to win the entire tournament. Complexity entered into the fray with ten top 10 finishes before qualifying earlier this month and look to be a solid pick for the second spot. What really surprises me about this is Pnda Gaming. They have a solid roster that has been consistently top 10. Have I mentioned they have the best logo ever? Check them out on twitter @PndaGaming. There is nothing better than an angry Panda. The final team here is LDLC, a French eSports team led by slayer Niall. Definitely the Pool H underdog, they lack the experience that the rest of the pool brings in.
Favorite to Win: OpTic
Final Words and Bracket Predictions
Pool E will be represented by Faze and Elevate
Pool F will be represented by Infused and Lethal Gaming
Pool G will be represented by NV and Cloud 9
Pool H will be represented by Optic and Complexity
Underdogs – Pnda Gaming and Team Vitality
To read Part 1 of my preview of CoD XP click here
Written by
Jesse “Antifreke” Mayer
Professor of Cyber Security at Monmouth University, he currently resides at Lethal Gaming where he is a competitive Battlefield player. While awaiting the Battlefield 1 release he spends his time dusting off old video games and streaming various FPSs.
