EmpireTV Challenge: who can stop M5?

This weekend sees yet another League of Legends tournament in the seemingly endless procession of events.

Empire is hosting an eight-team tournament this weekend, featuring some of Europe’s best League of Legends teams. Can Moscow Five continue their dominance of the European scene or can the like of SK and Fnatic put a stop to it? It may only be an online tournament, but there’s more than cash on the line.

The favourites
Speaking of M5, they enter pretty much every tournament as one of the favourites. But since Gamescom the team has had very little practice. Alex got married and went on his honeymoon, so you can probably forgive him for being a little rusty, but the question is whether or not it will affect the team’s performance. The Russians also have an online record that, while impressive, is not on the same level as their LAN form. These factors combine to make it clear that M5 are as beatable in this tournament as they’re ever going to be.

If we assume that M5 aren’t the runaway favourites, we have to wonder who can topple them. The obvious candidates are SK and Fnatic, but after some family problems for Ocelote, you have to wonder if SK’s star player will be in the right frame of mind. Still, he seems to be streaming as excitably as normal, and SK is a team that thrives on emotion. Anyone who saw them at GamesCom last month will be fully aware of the rollercoaster this team rides at all times. It should be easier to maintain equilibrium in an online tournament, and SK has shown that they have the ability to beat most top teams. But in any event that features M5, you’re going to have to beat them at some point, and last time SK faced the Russians they were humiliated.

Last time Fnatic played M5, on the other hand, they became one of the select few teams to take a map from them. Can they go one further this weekend? Assuming both teams make it through round one we’ll find out very quickly because they will face off in round two of the upper bracket. Like SK, Fnatic seems to be going from strength to strength lately and I think that they are the team most likely to stop M5 this weekend. Past results don’t favour them, but past results don’t favour anyone when it comes to Alex Ich’s team. The fact is that Fnatic is an excellent team, and, having won Campus Party, they should have the confidence to push on. M5 might be the favourites, but if I were a betting man I’d definitely consider Fnatic as a solid bet.

The Outsiders
It’s fair to say the other five teams, while talented, are considered a tier behind the three just mentioned. But in esports, nothing is ever certain, and all of the outsiders are capable of an upset. Acer’s Polish line-up will be hoping to improve on a dismal first round exit at GamesCom, following an equally mediocre showing at ECC Poland. Along with Millenium, expect them to make the least impact on the tournament. They have some solid players, but their results outside of minor weekly tournaments are not impressive. As for Millenium themselves, who knows what they’re capable of? Leaguepedia doesn’t even list a full roster, and on GosuGamers they have a team of largely unknown players. Frankly, it would be a shock if they even won a game, but anything can happen in the loser bracket.

MYM were the surprise package of Campus Party, but were obliterated in the finals by a rampant Fnatic team. The 3-0 defeat showed the gulf between those two teams and I can’t see the Poles making up the ground in the space of a few weeks. SK will almost certainly put them into the lower bracket and from there it will be a struggle for MYM to get much further.

Another team who might struggle is Curse. A big name, but this team has fallen on hard times lately. They failed to make any impression on GamesCom or Campus Party and face a decent Eclypsia team in what could be the most interesting game of round one. This whole tournament is about redemption for Sleper and co, meaning that an opening game against an up-and-coming team like Eclypsia could be a blessing or a nightmare. Either they build confidence from a tricky but winnable game, or they fall to the lower bracket after losing to a lesser light. If you’re interested in more than just winners, Curse could be the story of the weekend.