After several close calls, Cloud 9 seem to have their rhythm back in China, taking out X Team and qualifying for the playoffs.
Cloud 9 has been in rough waters throughout their Gold Series games, dropping series to both Zero Gaming and Brave Heart. Today was do or die. If they didn't manage to pull through and win they would've been eliminated entirely from the tournament.
Cloud 9 has made it a habit of either banning or picking E.T.C. first to deny the Chinese teams their precious metal. Even though he is gaining popularity in the West, China have been using him for ages, making him a serious threat. Something else to note was how when denied the Sonya, X Team opted to go for the similar in style Thrall. Unfortunately the lockdown was too much for the Orc to handle and it didn't quite work out.
Based on their performance today, Cloud 9 may very well have found their footing in China. Whether it was nerves, the new environment, or just vacation malaise, their slump appears to be over. Defeating X Team so convincingly has just barely qualified them for the playoffs. There they will go against the best teams China has to offer including their first game opponent: eStar Gaming.
eStar is well known for being one of (if not) the top Chinese teams out there right now. It will be a very tough game for the Americans, but if they continue their recent success I don't see them being beaten easily. If KingCaffeine's twitter is anything to go by though, they are feeling very confident about their position in the bracket.
If they do manage to win against eStar, they still have some stiff competition. Their next opponent would likely be Zero Gaming who have beaten them before and have consistently proven that they are no slouches. If they manage still to take them out, in round three they'll be facing up against either Edward Gaming, Team YL, or Brave Heart, all of which could very easily take games off of, or even win against Cloud 9. They've made it this far, but the struggle for dominance has only just begun.
Don't forget that you can bet on all these matches for free and win some sweet ROCCAT gear in the process. For more information, check out our GosuBet December contest hub.
Follow us on twitter @GosuGamersHoTS for more eSports news.
