This week, we saw fnatic being upset multiple times following their relatively successful first match against a Natus Vincere side featuring a stand-in. Cloud9 have thrown their newest acquisition into the action after they sent Ryan "fREAKAZOID" Abadir packing. Quite a few upsets have taken place this week, so be sure to read the full recap!
Besides the fnatic/Na'Vi-matchup, there was not much to be seen. EnVyUs have struggled against mousesports, which is no big surprise considering their recent slump. Astralis prevailed against FaZe, another result best described as nothing to be surprised about. Now fnatic have brought in a new player after benching Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer due to his wrist injury, and so far, Niclas "PlesseN" Plessen has performed admirably considering the talent he has had to go up against.
F3 may have lost against Na'Vi on Train, but they fought back to take Cobblestone with ease, which is to be expected as FlipSid3 have shown that they are capable of executing good strats and in general display a great understanding of de_cbble. Na'Vi have had their fair share of struggle in this week, as they were subjected to a humiliating loss against G2, with an embarrassing 3-16 score line on Overpass.
Considering their standing within the league, this is something that should not have happened, and the result saw G2 surpass them in the standings to stand on the verge of stealing their spot for the finals. Dignitas are on the list of teams with inconsistency issues as well, as they also suffered a 16-3 loss to FlipSid3, although Dig were able to bring it right back in the next game. The Swedes have taken a beating this week, as they were brutally steamrolled by FaZe over the course of two maps, but a drop-off in performance while they integrate PlesseN could have been predicted, and hopefully olof will have a fast recovery.
NRG had to give in to Splyce on Overpass, but the win they secured on the second map has helped them to creep closer to a top four finish. KKona lost in usual fashion and their continued presence within this league is not guaranteed anymore, but CLG's two "easy-wins" picked up against KK have not aided them, as they are mired in the lower end of the standings with a 5-15 record.
FlipSid3 were unable to continue their recent run of upsets, and NiP have shown yet again that they totally deserve to be at the top of the standings given their incredible consistency. Virtus.Pro traded blows with mousesports and after a demeaning loss on Mirage, they brought it right back on Train with a remarkable overtime win. Dignitas have yet again shown up strong before coming up short in the second encounter, but it doesn't really matter since neither they nor FaZe have a chance to get into the finals anymore.
Counter Logic Gaming have struggled to maintain a consistent level of performance, and two straight losses to Splyce will not have contributed in that endeavour. Winterfox have managed to beat KKona, but given their placements it does not matter much.
Liquid have really hit their stride since bringing together their newest roster, and one that does not feature Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostiliev anymore. Luminosity successfully beat down Renegades and OpTic really put on a show with their new player hailing from Spain. With Cloud9 taking another two wins, they look hot coming into the last week, which will decide which of these teams will make it to the offline finals in London.
This was the last - and by far shortest - day of Week 8. Selfless were able to upset Liquid, who then bounced back stronger in order to secure a place in the top four.
Who can still get into the finals?
First of all, some finalists are pretty much set in stone right now. NiP has made it, and on the NA side, Luminosity is clearly in. The remaining European slots will be distributed between fnatic, G2 and Na'Vi, as they have built up a strong 12 points gap over the teams below them. In the U.S.A., things look a bit more difficult to predict with OpTic and Cloud9 sitting on 42 points. If either NRG, Liquid or Selfless were to win their matches on the last day, and OpTic or C9 were to lose, they would be out. This essentially means that the 2nd-4th places are still up for grabs, and guarantees us a great last day of action!
