The first week of StarLadder's 10th season is over for the West, and the action has left little to be desired. In Europe, Na'Vi ends the week almost undefeated, and we saw strong performances by Team Tinker and Alliance, not to mention Virtus Pro taking everyone by surprise. The Americas, having only 4 games played, see EG and Na'Vi.US showing solid performance. The week certainly set the pace for an exciting season to come!
Europe
The Western scene was given little time to catch its breath, as StarLadder Season 10 started the tournament schedule off with action-packed style. The European giants showcased their new rosters going all in with high profile matches off the bat. New and old faces showed us how it's done with big plays all around. Legendary captain Artstyle returned with the newly HellRaisers (former Relax), and Natus Vincere's impressive run showed that the giants won't stay down.
From the first day, big announcements were followed up by big matches, from Secret's revelation and their subsequent loss to the new Alliance roster, to Virtus Pro taking down Cloud 9 in an impressive upset. Na'Vi seems unstoppable ending the week at 7-1 with strong performances throughout, notably giving Alliance their only loss of the week. Team Tinker failed to disappoint, winning almost all of their matches fairly convincingly. HellRaisers made their debut under the new sponsorship banner, but were stopped in their tracks by the strength of the renewed Virtus Pro, which looks determined to reach new heights. Cloud 9 had a shaky start, but managed to take down Na'Vi in the final game of the week, effectively ending their 6-0 winning streak.
Standings:
Americas
Over in 'Murica, only four games have been played. The Americas region produced fairly predictable results, with EG, Na'Vi.US, NT and SNA taking their first wins, a pattern that is bound to follow in the matches to come. Fans were finally given the chance to see old man Fear back in action!
Standings:
The coming week is bound to follow suit when the matches commence on Wednesday. HellRaisers will have a chance to redeem themselves with a full schedule, notably facing xGame and Kompas. Empire will be joining in on the fun, and the weekend will finish off with three consecutive Alliance matches lined up on Sunday night vs Empire, Kompas and Team Tinker respectively. Sparks are bound to fly!
