ESL One Cologne is the sixth CS:GO major. It has a prize pool of $250,000 and features eight of the top 10 ranked teams in the world. In this preview, we will look at all 16 teams competing and their chances of winning.
The 16 teams can be divided into six different categories, based on their chances in the tournament. The first category is the Favorites, which includes teams that are most likely going to be playing in the final and have the best chance of winning. FNATIC and Team SoloMid fall into this category.
FNATIC is the best team of this era and still retains the number one ranking. They have been consistent in their performances and have won multiple events. They have a strong lineup and are capable of performing well on all maps. They are the favorites to win the tournament.
Team SoloMid is another strong team with a deep map pool. They have the most talent in the game right now and have the ability to compete with any team. They have the potential to upset FNATIC and possibly win the tournament.
The next category is Other contenders, which includes teams that have a good chance of making it to the final four and winning the title. Na`Vi, Cloud9, Virtus.pro, and EnVyUs fall into this category. These teams have shown their potential in previous tournaments and have the ability to compete with the top teams.
The Dark horses category includes teams that have an outside chance of surprising and making a deep run in the tournament. This includes Ninjas in Pyjamas and mousesports. These teams have shown some potential in previous tournaments, but are not strong enough to win the title.
The Best of the rest category includes teams that are unlikely to progress from the group stage, but stand out from the other teams who will be eliminated. Kinguin and Titan fall into this category. These teams have some skill, but lack the tactical foundation to go far in the tournament.
The Single map upset potential category includes teams that have the potential to cause a single map upset against some of the better teams. Luminosity Gaming, Counter Logic Gaming, and Renegades fall into this category. These teams have some skill, but are unlikely to make it out of the group stage.
The Also rans category includes teams that will be going out of the tournament in the group stage and are unlikely to beat any teams except in this category. Flipsid3 Tactics, Team eBettle, and Team Immunity fall into this category. These teams have little chance of progressing in the tournament.
Overall, ESL One Cologne will be an exciting tournament with many top teams competing. FNATIC and Team SoloMid are the favorites to win, but there are also many other strong teams that can potentially upset and make a deep run in the tournament.