DreamHack Atlanta is an event filled with teams from outside the top tier looking to make a name for themselves, and Group A is certainly chock full of such squads searching for success – and the $50,000 first prize.
The top two in each group of four will progress to the semi-finals.
compLexity Gaming headline Group A – they are the second favourites in Dafabet’s outright market at 4.930 – although the shine of their top-eight performance at the Major is deteriorating as time goes on.
compLexity had a chance to be the next big thing, with two stars in yay and ANDROID surrounded by savvy veterans, including in-game leader stanislaw. However, the team has failed to deliver on the potential shown in London, struggling even in tier two.
This is the type of opportunity compLexity cannot let slip by, especially given their mediocre performance at an event with a similar composition of teams just a short time ago, namely cs_summit 3.
The brains behind this squad are provided by the aforementioned Stanislaw, who will be key to their success as he was the third breakout performer during their run at the Major.
Changes at eUnited
eUnited, 10.670 shots for the title, enter this event following a pair of recent roster changes, with FNS and Cooper- joining in place of Ace and Relyks. This represents a complete shift in the direction of the squad.
FNS is an in-game leader who, when given time, has performed well with what he is given, especially in terms of tier-two talent. However, perhaps more impactful for eUnited will be the acquisition of Cooper-, a North American primary AWPer who made a name for himself playing alongside his brother freakazoid in Swole Patrol.
Quality North American AWPers are few and far between, and if Cooper- can show continued excellence as he rises through the ranks, eUnited could be set up for the future.
This is the type of event that can build confidence for their younger players as they look to make a larger impact down the line.
Luminosity face problems
After some time away from a LAN environment, Luminosity Gaming are hoping to turn a new leaf entering Atlanta.
Having struggled thus far online in both the ESL Pro League and ECS, Luminosity still have a dangerous group of players highlighted by steel, HEN1 and LUCAS1, known best for their days on Immortals.
The issue for Luminosity has been finding consistency, especially from their stars who are notorious for their highs and lows. This does make them dangerous in this type of event, given the right hot streak from the likes of HEN1 could lead to a deep play-off run. They can be backed at 7.460 to win the event.
Something to keep note of for Luminosity is their ability to pull out a double AWP set-up and secure the CT (counter-terrorist) side, something that has been seen in a number of Brazilian line-ups previously.
Slow start for Envy
After returning to the CS:GO landscape, Team Envy are still looking to find their footing after a slow start to their latest campaign.
Recently benching SEMPHIS with Pollo coming in as a stand-in, Team Envy were a disaster in Pro League before back-to-back wins over Cloud9 on October 30 brightened spirits slightly.
The project has been a dud thus far, with a 4-16 record and limited showings outside of qualifiers and online leagues. However, they still do have some quality on the roster, with the likes of Nifty and jdm64 still seen as solid contributors.
These players were brought in to be star players of this squad, but have thus far only shown glimpses of their former stardom. This is reflected in their market position of rank outsiders – they are offered at 27.740 in the outright betting.
If ever there were a time for Envy to turn things around, it is now, here in Atlanta, surrounded by a host of other squads with just as many questions marks as themselves.
