Most Important CSGO Tournaments in Late 2018
The CSGO competitive scene is filled with amazing teams that always put on a good show when they play. With that in mind, it’s safe to say there is no lack of talent in the top levels of competitive play. There are teams like Astralis who always seem to have an upper hand in matches, but there are also those who can potentially cause an upset. In the grand scheme of things, a lot of aspects go into play.
But what about the actual tournaments? Teams need a way to pit their skills against others. Well, CSGO has a rich history of tournament organization and, as we have seen in the past, they can be a real treat. Even better – the majority of them turn out to be real treats!
It’s that time of the year again! The last part of 2018 is upon us and it is only fitting we are greeted with some of the best tournaments on the CSGO esports calendar. Esports has never been as fun as it is now and I am sure we are in for years and years of great gaming. However, since we’re still in 2018, let’s take a closer look at some of the most important CSGO tournaments in late 2018. So, without further ado here is a little something about the most expected ones:
ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals
We are starting off with ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals – the biggest (arguably though) tournament that’s set to be played in late 2018. This is the one we’ve all been waiting for… Well, this one alongside ECS Season 6 finals! Both of these tournaments hold big figures and carry huge importance in the CSGO competitive scene.
Keep in mind though, at the time of writing this article only a small part of teams qualified for the grand finals’ spectacle. There are still many places to be filled – 4 EU teams, 2 NA teams, and 1 team from South America. All these spots will be taken in the next couple of days, right after the end of all regional ESL Pro League Season 8 qualifiers.
With all that being laid on the table, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and take a closer look at the grand finals’ tournament. Like I already said above, it’s going to be a proper gaming festival so let’s not beat around the bushes for much longer!
Quick Overview
ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals kick off 2 days before Saint Nicholas Day. In other words, it starts on Tuesday, December 4 and will last all the way to Sunday, December 9. With that said, we can expect a thrilling 5 days of CSGO at the very highest level. All 16 competing teams will have to battle it out against each other for a massive $750,000 total prize pool money. The exact prize pool spread still hasn’t been announced but we can already assume $250,000 will go to the winner since that was the case last time out. As for the format, ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals will stick to the usual concept that consists of 2 part – group stage and playoffs.
The group stage will sport 2 double-elimination groups with 8 teams in each. As always, the seeding process will be based on Online League Placements. All initial group stage matches will be played as Bo1 with all remaining ones being set for Bo3 matchups. A total of 6 teams will go through to the playoffs (3 from each group). Winners go straight to the semifinals while 2nd and 3d place teams go to the quarterfinals as high and low seeds.
The playoffs are set to kick off on December 7th when both quarterfinals matches take place. All playoffs matches are scheduled for Bo3 contests with the exception of the Grand Final that’s going to be a Bo5 spectacle. One thing is for sure – the stage is almost set for one of the biggest CSGO tournaments of the entire year!
Team Composition
At the time of writing this article, the following teams already cemented their spot in the grand finals’ tournament:
Europe
- Astralis
- Natus Vincere
- BIG
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
North America
- MIBR
- Ghost Gaming
- Renegades
- Team Liquid
- TBD
- TBD
Oceania
- Order
Asia
- Vici Gaming
South America
- TBD
No worries guys, we’ll make sure we update this section as soon as all competing teams are known. This will be sometime after the 14th of November as that’s when all remaining regional qualifiers end. In terms of the map pool, ESL Pro League will use the standard one with no real surprises. It’s basically the same one that’s going to be used by ECS Season 6 Finals too.
Final Words
There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to be the icing on the top of our most important CSGO tournaments in late 2018 list! It will go toe to toe with ECS Season 6 Grand Finals simply because of the quality team sheet they got onboard. So, now that we’ve told you a great deal about ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals, let’s check out what ECS Season 6 Finals has to offer! Mind you – it’s basically another CSGO spectacle that’s going to be at the focal point of the entire CSGO fanbase!
ECS Season 6 Finals
Which tournament is bigger – ESL Pro League or Esports Championship Series? Well, even though most of the fans will claim the former is bigger and more prestigious, professional esports athletes will probably say there’s no clear answer. Both ESL Pro League and ECS have a special charm. It’s not all about the prize money – there’s a huge dose of recognition and pride on the line too. And that’s basically what drives many of these professional players – pride and recognition! But is that enough for ECS Season 6 Finals to be named as one of the most important CSGO tournaments in late 2018? Well, of course not – there’s plenty more to it than that so let’s take a closer look!
Quick Overview
Here’s the plot of ECS Season 6 finals – 4 best EU teams vs 4 best NA teams. The concept is simple but what ends up happening during the tournament is a whole different story. Ever since the dawn of competitive CSGO esports scene, there was a huge rivalry between EU and NA teams. Each generation had brilliant players on both ends… brilliant teams too. But there were no real tournaments that aimed to prove which region plays the best. Until ECS came into play… and the rest is history! So, without a doubt in my mind, I dare to say ECS Season 6 Finals are among the (if not the) most important CSGO tournaments in late 2018!
Team Composition
The number of competing teams at ECS Season 6 Finals comes down to just 8. I said “just” since ESL Pro League sports a total of 16. However, this doesn’t mean ECS is a smaller tournament. In fact, the fans love it because it puts the NA vs the EU. It’s as simple as that – the crème de la crème of both regions will be fighting for the top spot. And we all know the rivalries between these 2 regions… There’s a lot of pride at stake, to say the least.
At the moment, all 4 NA teams are known. They are as follows: NRG, Renegades, MIBR, and Team Liquid. On the other hand, ECS EU has a bunch of matches postponed due to IEM XIII Chicago so there are still 2 spots up for grabs. At the moment, only Astralis and North are safe with 6 additional teams fighting for the 2 remaining spots. The week after IEM XII Chicago ends is going to be a hectic one for European CSGO teams, there’s no doubt about that!
Final Words
That’s about it as far as ECS Season 6 Finals is concerned. Once again, there is no point going into too much depth right now since I plan on preparing full coverage for both of these tournaments. Until then, I guess we can skip right to the last tournament worth mentioning here… and that would be SuperNova Malta 2018.
SuperNova Malta 2018
The only major Liquipedia Tier tournament, SuperNova Malta 2018 might not be an incredibly prestigious tournament. At least not in the way the previous 2 entries are. But still, it’s a notable tournament that deserves to be listed in our short list of the most important tournaments in late 2018. It can boast with a not-too-shabby prize pool of $150,000. While it’s nowhere near the numbers of ELEAGUE, ECS, and ESL PRO Finals, SuperNova Malta 2018 is still worth mentioning!
Quick Overview
All competing teams will be happy to fight it out for the grand prize and another tournament trophy to their name. In the case of SuperNova Malta 2018, the maps that will be used are as follows – Cache, Dust II, Inferno, Mirage, Nuke, Overpass, and Train.
The tournament features two double-elimination groups with 4 teams placed in each. All matches are Bo3 which gives the teams an extra lifeline in the case of first match defeat. Two of the best teams from each group continue to the playoffs which are set to be played as a single-elimination bracket. The matches remain Bo3 but the pressure keeps rising as they reach closer and closer to the grand finals.
Team Composition
Here’s a quick look at the team sheet so you know who to bet on before the matches start:
- BIG
- Gambit
- HellRaisers
- Team Kinguin
- Team Liquid
- NRG
- Tyloo
- Virtus.pro
We have to admit – there are some wicked names on this list… But generally speaking, what can you expect form SuperNova Malta 2018? Well, since it’s a rather short one (just 8 competing teams), one thing is for sure – this tournament will be fast-paced and exciting. Team Liquid, Gambit, and NRG seem like the clear favorites but the rest of the team roster might create a surprise or two. In any case, SuperNova Malta 2018 is looking like a tournament to watch between the 2 big ones.
Finals words
Oh yeah, I almost forgot – you can tune in on the action from the 29th of November until 2nd of December this year. Livestreams will be available as well, so don’t miss out on them… Especially if you’re an avid eSports enthusiast!
Lastly, I’d like to mention that Gambit still does not have a confirmed 5th player for this tournament. While this is definitely due to change in the upcoming days, the lack of 5th player makes them somewhat vulnerable. The lack of practice and questionable team routine could get the better of them… unless they all play at their very best.
Wrapping Things Up…
As far as the most important CSGO tournaments in late 2018 go, that would basically be it. Sure, there are several other tournaments out there, but these 3 are, by far, the biggest and most notable ones. The pinnacle of ECS and ESL Pro League seasons are going to be marvelous events to watch for all CSGO fans out there. On the other hand, SuperNova Malta 2018 could be a nice little surprise considering the list of competing teams. Nevertheless, late 2018 seems to be a good time for CSGO competitive scene, don’t you agree?
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