x3o met compLexity in their first round of playoffs. The match was played on thursday instead of default, and the result being in favor of x3o, 16-9. x3o played very well, considering their new additions and trying to get used to playing with them and gaining chemistry. x3o finishing as the #1 seed is going to take on the winner of #5 seed WinOut, and #4 seed Gravitas. x3o looking to stay on the top of the winners bracket and hold to their duty as the #1 seed all the way to the finals. They have the talent to do it, now it is up to them to incorporate their heart, minds and team work into the game and continue it out until the end. The player to watch for x3o is “Hero” because he has some amazing talent and is a pleasure to watch.
iDemise is set up to play against Paragon of Virtue in the first round of the playoffs. Starting off strong in their season, iDemise won their first four matches, and in the first half their record was (6-2). The second match of their season was against Paragon of Virtue, and it was a nail biter, coming down to the last few rounds. iDemise had the strength and energy to pull through, and won 16-14. The second match vs Paragon of Virtue was the second to last match of their season. It was played on de_inferno, and again iDemise came out on top, but this time with some breathing room, 16-10. This should be a close match, looking at these two teams past results. The player for iDemise that earns the player to watch title is, Alex “hazard” Martins. Both times they have played PoV he was the man leading the way.
Evil Geniuses have been a powerful force in the CS 1.6 scene since the return. They looked to actually be unstoppable in the beginning of the ESEA-I season, with 8 consecutive wins. In the first round of the ESEA-I playoffs they will be facing off against Pandemic. EG earlier in the season came was matched up against Pandemic, and it was a tight match. EG.usa came out on top with a score of 16-12 on de_cpl_strike. They were again set up to play each other later in the season on de_inferno, but Pandemic gave away a forfeit win to EG.usa. EG.usa did not lose a single match in the first half of their season, but in the last eight games they had a record of (4-4), which speaks for itself. EG.usa will coast off of a forfeit win for their last match, before taking on Team Pandemic.
Gravitas Gaming had a very bumpy season. They finished with an excellent record of (11-5). Gravitas takes on the newly formed team, WinOut. This will be an extremely tight match, as both teams have showed an immense amount of talent, and earned their respect. Gravitas overcame WinOut in the beginning of the season, 16-6 on de_cpl_strike. The only problem with that result is it was not the same WinOut team. Gravitas Gaming is coming of a two match winning streak over the Evil Geniuses organization. Gravitas has failed to disappoint in 90% of their matches, and I do not expect it to happen now. They have great talent and it should be a very close match.
WinOut is a relatively new team when you look at it. They have had so many different roster changes throughout this season, but this one really seems to be working for them. Finishing as the #5 seed, they have to face off against Gravitas Gaming. They have been looking very strong in the last stages of their season, blowing out x3o 16-0. If they can keep that momentum and excellent play streaming into playoffs, they will have a very good shot at going all the way. The team’s new additions are powerhouses. Kevin “aZn” Wang and Dan “mehLer” Mehler have both proved themselves worthy of being on this team. The player to watch in their first match is going to be a tie between the two new additions, Kevin “aZn” Wang and Dan “mehLer” Mehler. They both are spectacular players, and if they are both on, they will not be an easy side to defeat.
Team Pandemic had a very odd and bumpy season. They started out by winning three straight matches, but then they lost three. It seemed they would always win the amount they lost, and that pattern continued throughout their season. They finished with a record of (8-8), which is not half bad. Pandemic is seeded #6 going into the playoffs, and they have to face the #3 seed, Evil Geniuses. Pandemic has yet to defeat EG.usa in ESEA-I, and they are looking to finally pull off the upset, and this would be the perfect time to do it. Pandemic is not a weak side by any means, and they are capable of winning the first round of playoffs if they work hard enough. The player on Pandemic that has really stood out has been Jimmy “foogz” Koller.
Paragon of Virtue looked to be having a very rough season in the first half. They lost their first 5 matches, which has to been a confidence killer. They finished (2-6) in the first half, just the opposite of their opponents iDemise. Picking it up a little bit in the second half, they finished with a record of (7-9) overall. PoV’s struggle started to show in their last final matches before the playoffs, losing two straight. Going into the playoffs on a bad note is not a good thing. Confidence is an excellent thing to have on your side, especially for big matches. Paragon of Virtue’s matches vs. iDemise have both been close ones, and I would not count them out in this playoff matchup. The player to watch for PoV is, Paul “Adrenaline” Baker. In the two matches vs. iDemise he was first, and second which leads me to believe he will show up a third time.
compLexity has come an extremely long way. Starting out the season, compLexity looked to be a lost cause, losing their first 4 matches before picking up 2 forfeit wins. After they picked up those two FFW’s, they then lost to EG.usa. compLexity’s first real win came against a team named North Stars United, 21-17. For coL’s first match up, they faced x3o, the number one ranked team in ESEA-I. compLexity’s last match in the regular season was set to be against x3o, but a FFW was issued in coL’s favor. x3o looked insanely strong, even after their roster shake ups, and coL ended up being defeated, 9-16. compLexity now has a long road ahead of them in the loser’s bracket, so fans, pack your bags and show your support. Each player has been playing well for coL, but the one who has really stepped up his game is one everyone knows. It is Mr. Sal “Volcano” Garozzo; he has been playing remarkable, like a true champion.