Group C at DreamHack Masters Stockholm 2018 is filled to the brim with talented squads in search of greater success.
FaZe Clan enter with olofmeister attending only his second event since his return from personal issues, with his first having seen FaZe place 7th-8th at the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2018.
Even without olofmeister, FaZe were still considered one of the best teams in the world, performing well with multiple different stand-ins. Arguably the most talented team in the world, FaZe play a devastating form of Counter Strike built around their incredible aim and raw abilities.
FaZe have been vulnerable at times, however, falling to Fnatic and BIG in their last two events and failing to live up to expectations.
Anything outside of competing in finals is seen as a failure for this squad, although given it could take some time to reintegrate olofmeister into the team, those expectations should be slightly regressed for now.
Dangerous Fnatic
Fnatic are a team with loads of potential, placing 5th-6th or better in their last four events.
KRIMZ has maintained his world-class form all year, being a pillar for Fnatic despite their major roster move which saw the addition of both draken and Xizt. Draken taking the primary AWPer (sniper) role has allowed JW to see a rise in his play, with the latter having more freedom, especially on the CT (counter-terrorist) side.
The issue with Fnatic not getting over the hump and finding themselves in finals lately has been the play of flusha, who during Fnatic’s peak earlier in the year thrived as a late-round clutch player.
flusha’s play has clearly dipped in the middle of the year, with hope that he can find a similar resurrection to that of KRIMZ. Should flusha find his groove, Fnatic could become one of the most dangerous teams at this event.
Concerns for OpTic
OpTic Gaming are searching for answers after bombing out of ZOTAC Cup Masters 2018, falling to Ghost Gaming in their first series.
OpTic appeared to be getting on track after qualifying for the Major, with a shot of continuing that success after the player break at a wide-open ZOTAC Cup. However, OpTic once again faltered when expectations were placed on them and now they are entering Stockholm with major concerns.
cajunB has been the most productive player on this team, with the veteran player seeing a nice upswing in his play with his role transition away from the AWP. However, the likes of k0nfig and JUGi continue to come up short when it matters most.
This is difficult group for any team to get out of, but this now fully-Danish line-up needs to start producing and building positive momentum before the Major.
mertz adds strength
Heroic are attending this event with a brand-new line-up, with mertz coming on loan from North.
Heroic have had a long time to prepare for this event, with their last play in a large tournament being back at DreamHack Open Valencia on July 14 where they placed 3rd-4th.
They have been a staple in tier two for ages now, being a dangerous team in group stages before generally fading during the play-offs.
The X-factor for this squad is brought by mertz, with the young Danish talent looking to prove himself after up-and-down performances throughout his time with North.
The addition of a dedicated AWPer is a distinct shift for Heroic and it should help them anchor sites on the CT side.
However, given just how much time off they have had, Heroic are a bit of a wildcard here, with their opening best-of-one against FaZe Clan being a match to watch.
FaZe, Fnatic favourites
With tournament second favourites FaZe Clan and Fnatic in the group, this is very much one to watch at the Ericsson Globe venue in Stockholm.
FaZe – 4.750 in Dafabet’s outright betting and behind only Astralis in the market – are odds-on (1.900) to top the group, with Fnatic at 4.000.
Only two teams can advance and OpTic and Heroic will be looking to spring the surprise.
The odds suggest OpTic have the best chance – they are 5.000 to win the group with Heroic the 9.000 outsiders.
