An attempt by world giants to stop the dominance of MOUZ. IEM Dallas 2024 Preview
Counter-Strike 2’s tournament schedule doesn’t give you much time to rest. Just a week after BetBoom Dacha 2024 in Belgrade, the esports battles are moving to Dallas. This time, the tournament in America was hardly hampered by visa problems and we will see a real battle between teams for the IEM Dallas 2024 trophy. The only rumor about a potential replacement is around Abdul degster Gasanov, who has returned to the professional scene from inactivity, and G2 Esports captain Rasmus HooXi Nielsen will miss the championship because of sister’s wedding.
16 teams will perform at IEM Dallas 2024: MOUZ, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, Team Vitality, G2 Esports, Team Spirit, Complexity, Virtus.pro, Team Liquid, HEROIC, Team Falcons, FlyQuest, M80, BIG, Monte and 9z. The championship prize fund is only $250,000, but it will definitely not lag behind larger tournaments in terms of entertainment. In the group match stage we will see the return of the random bo1 format in the opening matches, which means that you can expect a sensation from the very beginning of the tournament. Then everything will be traditional in bo3: the top 1 teams of the two groups will immediately advance to the semifinals, and the second and third places will begin the playoffs from the quarterfinals.
In this article we will discuss the upcoming IEM Dallas 2024 and what to expect from the participating teams.
Are MOUZ that strong?
Over the past IEM Chengdu 2024, ESL Pro League Season 19 and BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024, MOUZ has gained incredible form and now not every team wants to meet this team on the server. MOUZ managed to win two out of three tournaments, the only factor that leaves doubts about their strength is that they were held without spectators, and the current MOUZ lineup has always been noted for their uncertain performance in front of a large audience. However, the team has clearly gained experience at successful tournaments and already has a chance to cope with this pressure, because now they are a clear favorite at any championship. The group stage for MOUZ should go without any problems, the only equal opponents are Team Vitality, who clearly cannot find their best game in CS2.
Who can stop MOUZ?
The most serious competitor for MOUZ will again be Team Spirit. At BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024, the team looked extremely confident, but they failed to fight in the grand final. The long break after PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 did not harm the team, they are playing at the same high level as before. However, now, in order to beat MOUZ, they will need to jump over their heads and give 1000%. Team Spirit should not have any difficulties in the group, but in the finals of the upper bracket they will face a fierce battle with FaZe Clan – the history of this confrontation clearly requires continuation after IEM Katowice 2024 and PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.
The vacation after IEM Chengdu 2024 was clearly not enough for FaZe Clan, and after the disastrous ESL Pro League Season 19, the team needed to rest longer. She has the opportunity to approach IEM Dallas 2024 completely renewed and with maximum strength and energy. FaZe is still one of the most formidable opponents at any championship and it’s too early to write them off. The team clearly wants to win first place in the HLTV rating from MOUZ and will do everything possible for this.
Also, don’t forget about Team Vitality. Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut is still as formidable as ever, although he and the team are having a tough time. Unlike Team Spirit and FaZe Clan, she will have to meet with MOUZ already in the group stage and this meeting can decide the outcome of the tournament. If Team Vitality manages to crush MOUZ, the team may no longer perform so confidently in the playoffs, even if the roster of Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut himself does not become the champion of IEM Dallas 2024.
Who else can challenge the favorites?
Natus Vincere at ESL Pro League Season 19 looked nothing like the winner of the last major. IEM Dallas 2024 will be a serious test for the team; only a confident performance here will prove that the triumph at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 was not an accident. At first glance, NAVI look like a team that can beat several favorites, but they are unlikely to be able to cope with MOUZ. Already in the semifinals of the upper bracket, Natus Vincere will have to meet Team Spirit, which means that the team will most likely face a difficult group stage through the lower bracket, but it still has a high chance of qualifying from it.
Team Liquid is the very team from which you absolutely don’t know what to expect. She performs with varying degrees of success, but amid rumors of Casper cadiaN Meller kicking, it feels like IEM Dallas 2024 could be the final championship for the current roster. To save the roster, she needs to perform with stunning success, but it’s hard to believe in this, because the first opponent of Team Liquid will be Complexity – there are already doubts in this meeting in the team. But even in case of a successful start, they will then meet with the same MOUZ.
It will be interesting to follow, but there is not much chance of winning
Also at IEM Dallas 2024 there are several teams that will clearly be interesting to the viewer, but they have practically no chance of winning. One of these is the Virtus.pro lineup with Denis electroNic Sharipov. The team is experiencing great difficulties in the process of restructuring the playing style and problems with the map pool. Winning IEM Dallas 2024 seems unattainable for her, but it’s time to show a good game, the team’s first two tournaments were very controversial and if another failure awaits them in Dallas, we should expect new changes, most likely in the coaching staff.
While there is no official information about Abdul degster Gasanov’s visa being rejected, HEROIC looks like one of the promising teams that can climb higher than expected. But, most likely, she will have to perform with Nico nicoodoz Tamjidi. With an old sniper, the team has practically no chance of success, so let’s hope that degster will still manage to get to the championship. At BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024, the team looked very decent and clearly has a chance to gain a foothold at the tier-1 level.
G2 Esports are only interested in the return of Jake Stewie2k Yip to the major championship. Rasmus HooXi Nielsen gave the American a chance to perform on the big stage again, also in front of a home audience. The audience will clearly support G2, but to do this they need to at least get to the playoffs, which will be even more difficult than usual without a captain. The success of the team depends entirely on the performance of Ilya m0NESY Osipov, in fact, as always, but here the stand-in factor also puts pressure on him.
Home teams often have the chance to perform better than expected at the championships. Despite all the difficulties, the Complexity roster performed quite well at ESL Pro League Season 19, which means that it is ready for IEM Dallas 2024. If the team manages to make it to the playoffs, it will be met with enormous public support, which may allow it to get quite far. However, it is difficult to talk about winning the home tournament; after all, the team is far behind the favorites.
IEM Dallas 2024 will be one of the most important tournaments in the current competitive season. If MOUZ manages to win the tournament in front of a big crowd, it will be difficult to stop them. This will mean the full-fledged onset of their own era. The world giants need to give their all and not let MOUZ become champions and gain even more confidence in their abilities.
Final forecast for the group stage of IEM Dallas 2024:
Group A:
- 1st place – MOUZ;
- 2nd place – Team Vitality;
- 3rd place – Team Liquid;
Group B:
- 1st place – Team Spirit;
- 2nd place – FaZe Clan;
- 3rd place – Natus Vincere.