The good, bad, and ugly: Americas RMR
The Americas RMR has come and gone, meaning we know the six Americas teams accompanying the other 18 inside the next stages of the Rio Major. Before we enter the Challengers Stage, let’s highlight the most noteworthy storylines exiting the domestic RMR.
The Good: Brazilian legends achieve the dream
Spanning multiple generations of Counter-Strike, there is no introduction needed for the famed two-time Major winning team of Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, Fernando “fer” Alvarenga, Epitacio “TACO” De Melo, Marcelo “coldzera” David, and now-coach Lincoln “fnx” Lau.
Their hard work, encompassing multiple titles, helped lay the groundwork for the esteemed and impassioned Brazilian scene, with one reward of the scene's growth coming in the form of hosting what looks to be the biggest Major ever. All five making it to the next stage of the Major and seeing their career work realized in this form is nothing short of a dream come true.
The Bad: Complexity miss Rio after 2-0 start
Sporting their EU import and a red-hot form, Complexity looked to be a clear favorite to advance to at least the Challengers Stage. This assumption became a near-fact after an initial 2-0 start with dominant wins over ATK and paiN. With just BO3s left, they hit a skid against Liquid and lost a three-map nail biter against 00 Nation, forcing them into a uphill battle to earn the final slot.
After defeating Isurus handily, the young guns lost another nail biter in the final qualification match, this time to Imperial. The fall from grace is a bitter pill to swallow for the young team, as they’ll have to watch the Major from the sidelines.
The Ugly: MIBR go missing in Sweden
Dubbed by some as a dark horse, MIBR came in with expectations to at the bare minimum make a difference inside the competitive RMR. They appeared to be in good form following their undefeated regular season campaign inside ESL Challenger League and looked poised to go deep in the RMR.
The exact opposite happened once games began, as they fell apart after a tight loss to Liquid, dropping games to ATK and Isurus to exit the event with a forgettable 1-3 showing. A sole win over O PLANO left a lot to be desired from the Brazilian squad, as the illustrious domestic organization falls short of playing in front of the home crowd.
