While their first Ignition Series win at the Vitality European Open was a quasi coronation for the talent loaded G2 Esports roster, this second victory confirms that their debut wasn’t a one off performance. Although G2 isn’t unstoppable, mechanically shedding the 1st map of a match before marching back to take the series win in emphatic fashion, they’re the only team in Europe where one to 5, each person can be the ace on any given map. Though Ardiis and Oscar “mixwell” Cañellas Colocho are the team’s precise includes and offer possibly the scariest one two punch in the world, it was Patryk “Patitek” Fabrowski and the other core participants that stole the show in some cases in the course of the event with their own MVP performances. The only issue with Davidp?He’s not actually an professional G2 Esports member. Where all and sundry else on the back to back championship successful side have contracts with G2 Esports, Davidp has been filling in as a de facto trial member since the team came together, looking after enterprise after which some even with out a contract.
This must be the last tournament Davidp plays in VALORANT where he’s not officially tied to a team. He’s too instrumental to G2’s fulfillment to get replaced and in the event that they don’t offer him a big time deal, I’m sure there are European and North American agencies able to make him a cornerstone of their franchise. If the Vitality European Open through which G2 won was the perfect debut, then Fish123’s Ignition Series introduction was a bittersweet achievement. The team, soon to be gambling for world wide esports giant Team Liquid, were the cardiac kids of the WePlay!Invitational, gambling from the back foot in numerous matches and narrowly escaping removal at every corner before eventually being taken out in the final towards G2. They needed a comeback win in opposition t Russia’s Party Parrots in the final round of the Swiss group format to make it into the playoffs, and to do themselves one better, they orchestrated a Herculean win against Ninjas in Pyjamas in the semifinals. In the ultimate game of the three match series, the two teams broke in VALORANT’s new time beyond regulation system, rallying rounds back and forth adore it was a Wimbledon tennis match, Fish123 in the long run coming out on top by a 17 15 scoreline.
This match was highlighted by those peaks and valleys for a team that remains to be coming together in terms of identity and conversation. The aforementioned Ardiis was Fish123’s ace Operator player when the team was rolling via competitors in the beta period, and while the addition of Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom to the lineup keeps the team’s general skill level near G2’s, the squad now lacks a confident player on the sniper rifle. Captain and in game leader Adam “ec1s” Eccles along with teammate Travis “L1NK” Mendoza both saw various levels of fulfillment on the Operator, but neither could find a similar impact necessary to keep up with their former star and his new team. It’s going to take time for ec1s, Scream and anything of the starting line up to come back together. Unlike G2 where their comedic personalities appeared to have meshed along side little issue and unlocked a global championship contender immediately, the street is going to be a bit bit longer for the longer term Team Liquid side.
That’s not to say they won’t get there — like G2, each of the avid gamers on Fish123 can top a leaderboard in any given game — but it’s going to be a special method. Right now in VALORANT, a team can’t always win tournaments with no stellar Operator, and though I can see Fish123 successful hardware in their future, they’re unlikely to beat G2 until they find that basic sniper to mess around. G2 and Fish123 grabbed the headlines in the WePlay!Invitational but their players weren’t the only ones to put up terrific numbers at the development. While Davidp and Ardiis powered their way via to an alternate trophy, neither actually ended up as the top player in terms of stats at the top of the development. That award went to Party Parrots centerpiece Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky.
One of Europe’s top Operator gamers, he moved to playing Rifler in the Ignition Series event, showcasing that regardless of what type of gun he’s given in game, he’s going to make magic happen when every little thing is all said and done. Though the Party Parrots didn’t make it to the playoff stage, that didn’t stop Shao from having a event best ACS of 278 and kill to death ratio of 1. 33. Finally, there’s Hungary’s Renátó “bzt” Bárányos, the Operator and signature Raze player from fan favorite underdog Need More DM. The team was forced to qualify during the open bracket to make it to the development and bzt’s team did just that, going all of the way from surviving the single elimination gauntlet to making top four of the whole tournament. I’ve been fond of Need More DM because the Vitality European Open and I haven’t wavered since.
There are a few five stacks worth picking up from top esports organizations and the Hungarians are totally near the front of that list. It allowed for teams to throw curveballs that they wouldn’t usually try to execute knowing that all they needed was that one round of attack or protection to get them a point away from securing the map. There was one round, following numerous mess ups to defend on Ascent for both sides, where NiP had Enzo “Fearoth” Mestari hide in the boathouse at the back of B site hoping to catch some players off guard with his place. And what would you know, that very round, Fish123 secured B site and thought they were in a perfect position to win the round before Fearoth welcomed them from behind with the sudden surprise.