EPT2nd place in their groups -->
Group A Absolute Legends - They will get out of their group, where they will likely lose. They are a team with a bunch of players who were unhappy with their T2 results and joined a team so they can continue to be mediocre.
Group B No Tidehunter - They are good right? Okay, we don't really know, but they should advance from their group and then lose to the winner of a different group. They seem to be another middling EU team that will get fans and then play top teams and lose.
Group C Zero - They lost their star player since they were not not trying hard enough. That is pretty damning. On the other hand, they will be favored to beat We haz Asian who just got screwed by some dickish people. This group is interesting not in that there is a chance for a favorite to be eliminated, but there will at least be meaningful games between teams who you have heard of.
Group D Pulse eSports - This group will be fun as the three non-BYOC teams are pretty even. Pulse will likely edge out Fnatic for 2nd even though they are not that good. Infused dropped this team, and then picked up an all British squad that probably is bad. Not exactly a vote of confidence. Fnatic gets talked about a lot since apparently they were really good at HON, but this isn't HON, and they aren't that good. So, Pulse it is.
1st place in their groups-->
Group A Na`Vi - These guys are really good. The question isn't if they will advance, it's how many divine rapiers will we see, and how many dagon's AA will buy. They will likely pick 4 serious heroes and then "surprise" with a quirky 5th. This could be fun, then again, it might just be brutal.
Group B Evil Geniuses - Apparently there are people who think they are bad? EG is plenty good, especially on LAN. With pretty much the same squad they did well at a Chinese dominated T2 and showed they belong in the discussion for top non-Chinese teams. They will win their group with ease, though perhaps not with the same reckless abandon as a previously mentioned team.
Group C Empire - These guys are also really good. These games could be over by minute 10, and ended by minute 25. They have been stomping average EU teams for the past 2 months and should continue to do so.
Group D Dignitas - They are the weakest group topper. Some people have said this group is tough, and it is tough for them to advance. This is not because they are so skilled, but because there is not a top team to outclass the others. It's fun that the guys with the catchy team name found a home with Dignitas, but they have yet to show they are an elite team.
Quarter Finals/Semi Finals
These games don't really matter either. There could be some upsets, but Na'vi and Empire are HEAVY favorites to advance to the finals. The games will be fun as there are plenty of decent teams who will play some close games, but the finals are already etched in stone.
FINALS
Lots of people are singing the praises of a really strong Empire squad. Many have even gone so far as to say they are the top team outside of China. They have skill at all 5 spots. They have wrecked their recent competition in one-sided affairs, and they have dictated a lot of the recent trends in the European scene.
They will lose.
Na`Vi hasn't ever really lost to non-Chinese teams, and even the Chinese have taken their fair share of punches. They beat Empire on LAN within the last month, and have traded games with them (though coming out on top) recently online. Na`Vi has won just about every Dota 2 tournament they have entered, and there has yet to be an EU/NA team that has won more than 1 or 2 meaningful tournaments. The only tournament they have struggled at is DreamHack, but before anyone gets ahead of themselves, the SyndereN, King of DreamHack, will not be attending.
The finals should bring some really good games, and I can't wait.
If you were looking for real content, sorry. As Maelk wrote earlier today:
"..the community is full of know-it-alls and people who likes to think that they have the necessary insight to pass judgement on how, what and why. Everyone's seemingly an expert. "
Here I am reporting for duty.
