Shocking Results from the European Closed Qualifiers for the RMR: Most of the Favorites Won’t Be Going to China!
One of the key qualifiers for the RMR tournament, which will determine the final list of participants for the Major, has concluded. After the introduction of the new invitation system by VALVE, many tier-2/3 teams started complaining about the “death” of competitive CS. However, almost every somewhat serious team received an invitation to the closed qualifiers and had the chance to qualify for the LAN event in Shanghai. The Swiss system, the cornerstone of the Major format in CS2, leaves little doubt about its fairness. So, let’s dive into the results and see who is preparing for their trip to China, and who will have to explain themselves to investors and fans.
Group A
Biggest Disappointments: KOI, Monte, ENCE, 1Win, Bleed
Eliminated:
- 2-3: Bleed, KOI, Monte
- 1-3: ENCE, BC.Game, Rhyno
- 0-3: 1Win, Enterprise
The biggest surprises and outright failures came in Group A. Looking at the participants, you could almost flip the results, and they might seem more logical. Teams that competed in the first-ever CS2 Major, even earning their own stickers—KOI, Monte, and ENCE—failed to even make it through the RMR qualifiers. While the failures of ENCE and Monte can somewhat be explained by significant roster changes, KOI’s collapse is inexplicable. Just six months ago, this mix of Spanish and Portuguese players was competing with SAW for the title of the best team on the Iberian Peninsula. Now, one team (SAW) is in the top 3 at IEM Cologne 2024, while the other (KOI) couldn’t secure three wins despite being the strongest team in the group.
As for Monte and ENCE, the roster swaps clearly didn’t pay off, and both teams have driven themselves into a corner with no way out except for a complete disband. Both teams still have invites to a few upcoming tournaments, but it’s hard to believe they’ll have any success.
After announcing their new roster and bringing in Serbian analyst kassad as coach, Bleed made several bold statements. The signing of nexa from G2 this summer sparked talks of a guaranteed top spot in the global rankings. Yes, they were one win away from qualifying, but after this loss, they’ll have to pay the price for all those ambitious claims. It’s likely that kassad will never return to coaching and, if possible, will resume his role as an analyst. Following the team’s failure, the Bleed coach was tight-lipped, posting only, “I don’t know what happens next” on X (Twitter).
Another big signing this summer was Major champion HObbit joining 1Win. He likely never expected a 0-3 exit from the qualifiers, and sadly, we may never see Abay on a VALVE tournament stage again.
Qualified:
- 3-0: SINNERS, Sangal
- 3-1: PARIVISION, UNITY, ECLOT
- 3-2: B8, GamerLegion, TSM
Congratulations to all the teams headed to the RMR, and best of luck in their quest to reach the Major. For teams like UNITY, ECLOT, and Sangal, this achievement is already significant, but they might still manage to upset a few favorites and make a bigger name for themselves in the community. It’s worth noting that UNITY and ECLOT are essentially Czech rosters, and having so many representatives at the RMR is a huge victory for the Czech scene. It feels like the legendary MOUZ sniper oskar has spent all this downtime training young compatriots. Given that his fully Czech roster finished the qualifiers undefeated, and the sniper himself boasts a 1.20 Rating 2.0 at 33 years old, this seems entirely plausible. An incredible achievement that deserves great respect.
Group B
Biggest Disappointments: OG, AMKAL
Eliminated:
- 2-3: OG, Permitta, Insilio
- 1-3: Qiang, ARCRED, Johnny Speeds
- 0-3: AMKAL, Zero Tenacity
Group B was less surprising, and most results were fairly predictable. OG was the biggest disappointment, having recently competed at a tier-1 level but lost all their leaders and failed to assemble a competitive roster with the funds they had. It’s possible that the organization might go inactive again and withdraw from CS2.
While OG at least put up a fight for qualification, AMKAL didn’t win a single match. What’s most notable is that none of their opponents made it through either. AMKAL made a big splash earlier this year, earning Major stickers, but it seems they gave up after completing their primary goal too early. Likely, the CIS region is in for another major tier-2 shuffle, with many rosters mixing once again.
Qualified:
- 3-0: SAW, Cloud9
- 3-1: 9Pandas, Passion UA, BIG
- 3-2: Nemiga, Rebels, Sashi
As mentioned earlier, Group B saw no real surprises, and the leaders are already packing for China. Given SAW’s recent results, it’s unclear how they ended up in this stage, but it’s good to see them prove their worth and not stumble against any of the teams.
Cloud9 also made it through confidently, ensuring themselves another chance at tier-1 competition. However, the roster still doesn’t look top-tier, and if the team’s ambitions exceed simply participating in the RMR, it’s unlikely this lineup will last much longer.
HUNDEN’s team Sashi was a bit of a disappointment, as the coach has previously made waves at major events with his Danish roster, forcing others to take notice. Fortunately, they qualified for the RMR, and watching them compete against favorites will be interesting, as the controversial coach knows how to analyze opponents just as well as Blade.
The saga of r3salt, 9Pandas, and Aurora has come to an end, with the VP.Prodigy graduate now playing for his new team. 9Pandas had a confident run, earning their spot at the Major once again. Another academy product, fear from NAVI, also finally passed the qualification stage and will perform at one of his first major LAN events in China.
Let’s hope all the teams make it to China without visa issues, as changes to the participant list could occur. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese region handles hosting such a large event, but if the Dota experience is anything to go by, it should be top-notch.