Dust2.us predicts the RMR
Ahead of the BLAST.tv Paris Major Americas RMR, I asked Dust2.us contributors how they thought the RMR will shake out, predicting the outcomes of every team in the Swiss style tournament. Not only did voters have to choose who will qualify, but also their standing in the Swiss system (e.g. 0-2, 3-1, 3-0 Legends, etc.). The results are... pretty much what you'd expect.
Four locks for the Major
Dust2.us staff universally agreed upon four teams to clinch a Major appearance. Every single voter put Liquid, FURIA, paiN, and Complexity in the top five, expecting them to survive the brutal double-elimination tournament.
Liquid and FURIA are undoubtedly the two top dogs of this event. These two have dominated the regional rankings for years now, surviving the test of time with multiple iterations. Still, they stay on top of their respective regions, and are obviously favorites coming into the event.
However, it may not be as cut and dry as our voters would like to suggest. Neither team made it to the finals of BLAST Americas Showdown, despite both being in attendance. FURIA were taken down by EG Black, an academy team whose main roster almost missed out on the RMR, and Liquid was eliminated by paiN for the second time in recent memory, facing a quick elimination from EPL Playoffs at their hand.
paiN, despite good form, are still big question marks coming into the event, and with initial BO1s in the mix anything is possible. Complexity too, are not in the best form, recently losing to Imperial who are on the cards for a 1-0 matchup.
The undecided fifth
Of nine staff, we had three different opinions on to whom the last spot will be awarded. 00Nation received just one vote, with MIBR and Imperial splitting the rest. 00Nation are a strong regional team, but missing their veteran IGL Epitacio "TACO" de Melo puts their qualification in question. A successful playoff appearance at ESL Pro League brings signs of hope, meaning we may see 00Nation in Paris after all.
MIBR have improved considerably in the past few months, but whether they can bring it all together into a successful top five finish is yet unknown. Imperial make a great claim for the fifth spot, as they have yet to miss a Major since their creation just over a year ago. The squad led by Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo always seems to hit a higher skill level whenever a Major is in play. Plus, they come off an successful BLAST Showdown campaign where they beat Complexity, EG Black, and paiN.
Best of the rest
Outside of these seven teams, we all highly rated Nouns, Evil Geniuses, Fluxo, LOS + oNe, and 00Nation as just outside the top. With multiple BO1s and only two losses before elimination, anything is possible at the Americas RMR. Below, you will see the average place that the voters put each team in.
