The ESL North American Pro League Season 7 gets underway next week, with 14 teams vying for a $125,000 prize pool and one of six places in the finals to be played in Dallas in May.
SK Gaming look tough
SK Gaming are in prime position to dominate the ESL Pro League Season 7, given their wealth of talent, experience, and overall consistency online. SK Gaming have long been a dominant force within the Counter-Strike scene, with star power backed up by brilliant tactics and a fairly deep map pool. SK are one of the top teams in the world, with an upward trajectory given the presence of boltz back in the lineup post-Major.
SK did find themselves in second place at the end of Season 6, but that was primarily based on the surprising play of OpTic more so than any flaws within SK themselves. One concern for SK could be the imported talent joining the likes of OpTic, who have completely retooled their lineup, but at present, they appear to be the most consistent team both offline and online.
Cloud9 have question marks
Cloud9 are riding high after their Major win, with hopes of redeeming their poor showing during Season 6 of Pro League. Arguably the most disappointing team in the league, Cloud9 found themselves in eighth place after a mediocre 14-12 season. Given the overall lack of depth during Season 6, Cloud9 should have easily claimed a top-four finish, but they have, at times, struggled during prolonged online events.
Cloud9 have a solid lineup that should see no issues moving forward, giving hope for the long season as many teams will end up swapping players over the season, thus losing many games when synergy is an issue early on. The only anxiety for Cloud9 will come from that poor showing last season, but given their current form, they’re still one of the favourites.
Changes will define Team Liquid
Team Liquid, fresh off of a lineup change, will look to prove themselves during the Pro League Season, while building off their solid third-place finish last season. Recently, Liquid announced the acquisition of NAF, formerly of Renegades, who was a star for the Australian side ever since his introduction into the team.
One concern for Liquid is their roles, with no true dedicated AWPer, yet the overall depth of talent appears to be their biggest strength. Liquid have multiple members who can single handedly carry games in this type of long season, meaning they are less prone to being upset as, if one player struggles, any number of others could step up and perform.
The key for Liquid moving forward is nitr0, who will be both AWPing and in-game-leading in an attempt to make the team work. If nitr0 can replicate even a fraction of the incredible form he displayed at the Major, then Liquid should be a top team.
Big changes for OpTic
OpTic have completely revamped their lineup, including bringing in multiple players from Europe in an attempt to rekindle their Season 6 success. OpTic struggled outside of Pro League, leading many to view their success during the online portion as a one-off. This lineup, however, has arguably more star power and stability than the previous rendition, with k0nfig as the star player and cajunb as the stability within the team. Acquiring stanislaw has allowed OpTic to have a true in-game leader, giving the team a structure to work around.
This lineup makes sense in terms of roles, but the players added appear to be a mix of players not wanted by other top teams, leaving concern of possible attitude issues. This iteration does have a similar build to the previous OpTic that dominated Season 6, but the likelihood they once again perform with a rag-tag squad is unknown. If OpTic show positive signs early – even close losses to the likes of SK, Cloud9, Liquid, etc. – then they have a chance to stun the league again in Season 7.
Early games and momentum will likely be very important this season, and it will be instructive to see the first four-week schedule when it is released. Until then, everything points to SK Gaming being once again the one to watch.
