Preview of ESL One Road to Rio 2020

ESL One Road to Rio 2020 are championships organized in six divisions to give teams a chance to pass to the only Major tournament this year (if it takes place) and share considerable grabs along with ESL Pro Tour points. Серия турниров ESL One Road to Rio 2020 series of tournaments will start on 22 April and end up on 17 May. There is no information about how the prize pool will be divided and how the invitations for six divisions have been handed out. We will tell you about the regions chronologically.

Europe

The first both in value and chronologically is the European region that interests the majority of CS:GO fans from all over the world. ESL One Road to Rio 2020 Europe will be taking place from 22 April till 17 May. It will be the most massive according to the number of contestants and the sum of the prize pool and duration of holding all matches of this division. At ESL One Road to Rio 2020, there will be a prize pool of $115,000 and it will be divided by sixteen participants:

• Astralis
• ENCE
• Team Vitality
• mousesports
• G2 Esports
• c0ntact Gaming
• FaZe Clan
• North
• Fnatic
• Complexity Gaming
• Team Heretics
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Movistar Riders
• Copenhagen Flames
• GODSENT
• Dignitas

The main favorites in the list of participants are Astralis, Fnatic, and mousesports. G2, FaZe, and Vitality also have a good chance to win, especially if we take into account the fact that Astralis is not in their best shape and mouz sometimes lose ground as well as Fnatic. It will be exceptionally interesting to take a look at Dignitas that has recently assembled a roster of four legendary representatives of Ninjas in Pyjamas. Their big debut at FLASHPOINT Season 1 was rather unfortunate. Even though the roster started off well. the gamers were not able to make it to the playoff and was left without a monetary reward. ESL One Road to Rio 2020 Europe has to give them a great possibility to express themselves which we expect to see. The rest of the teams (GODSENT, Copenhagen Flames, Movistar Riders, Team Heretics, Complexity Gaming, c0ntact Gaming, and North) are unlikely to surprise us a lot but we should not ignore them. The world has switched online and playing at home, the teams may show not those results which we could expect at LAN championships.

North America

ESL One Road to Rio 2020 in North America will be happening on 22 April till 10 May, and the list of contestants will be shorter than in Europe. Apart from the number of participants, it is obvious that the level of the game of these teams will not correspond to the European division, so this region is less valuable for viewers. All the mentioned factors give grounds for the fact why the prize pool will account for only $60,000 and its division will be done by 12 contestants:

• 100 Thieves
• Evil Geniuses
• Team Liquid
• MIBR
• FURIA Esports
• Bad News Bears
• Gen.G Esports
• Cloud9
• Triumph
• Team Envy
• Orgless
• Yeah Gaming

The main favorited are definitely Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, and 100 Thieves that hold 6, 7, and 9 places consequently in the world rating by HLTV. As for the rest, the North American division is filled with weak participants, so it is pretty difficult to predict the outcome here. We are sure that Liquid and Evil Geniuses will be able to make it to the final, for example. The teams are in good shape and in the North American division of ESL Pro League Season 11, they competed in the final battle which was won by Liquid. 100 Thieves also may surprise and pass to the final and even win. We expect to see FURIA and MIBR in Top 6. The Brazilian CS:GO may sometimes by inadequate, however, we suppose that these teams will be able to surprise us at such a big tournament that will let them make it to the major with the prize pool of $2,000,000.

South America

ESL One Road to Rio 2020 in South America will be going on from 22 till 26 April and the list of contestant will be quite short as it is made up by four teams. Moreover, the prize pool was fairly cut down to $10,000 and it will be divided by the following contestants:

• RED Canids
• BOOM Esports
• Isurus
• Imperial Esports

All the participants in the South American division are not in the best position. As for the world rating, they do not hold a place in Top 60 and some of them in Top 100 which proves a poor level of the game. Nevertheless, we may expect a good game of this team as for some of them will get a chance to perform at a Major competition with a prize pool of $2,000,000 for the first time.

CIS

The CIS decision will start on 30 April and end on 17 May. Among its participants, we will be able to see twelve team that will share the common prize pool of $50,000. It is more modest than in North America and Europe, however, it cannot be called really small, especially if we take into account the fact that this is a qualifier championship and it is going on online.

CIS fans will be pleased by the final list of contestants that looks as the following:

• Virtus.pro
• NAVI
• Winstrike Team
• Gambit Yougsters
• Syman Gaming
• Team Spirit
• ESPADA
• Hard Legion Esports
• Team Unique
• forZe
• Nemiga Gaming
• pro100

Of course, the main favourite among all the CIS team is Natus Vincere, a team that is located of the top of the world rating. We do not doubt that “Born to Win” will perform well enough to become a participant in the upcoming ESL One Rio 2020 that is scheduled in November. We would like to say that Virtus.pro has a good chance to make it to the final but we will not do it as the Kazakhs have not been able to find their game and climb to the proper level of competition for a long time. As for the rest, all the team have an equal chance and all of them, apart from NAVI, will be able to make it to the major if the gamers are well-prepared for the championship and every match happening at ESL One Road to Rio 2020 CIS in particular.

Asia

The Asian tournament will be the latest as it is going to take place on 6-10 May. Eight teams will share the prize pool of $10,000. The following teams will be competing for a chance to pass to ESL One Rio 2020:

• Vici Gaming
• TYLOO
• Mazaalai
• TIGER
• Lucid Dream
• Camel Riders
• Beyond Esports
• D13

Due to the fact that Vici Gaming have recently made serious changes in their roster, we do not consider them as the main favourites of the competition. This role could be taken by TYLOO. Admittedly, if ViCi makes it to the final of the championship, we will not be very surprised.

Oceania

ESL One Road to Rio 2020 Oceania must be the most nondescript and uninteresting division among all the mentioned ones. The prize pool, as well as in China, account for $10,000, and the number of contestants unlike the mentioned above is twice less. The division of the grabs and ESL Pro Tour points will be done by the following rosters:

• Renegades
• ORDER
• Chiefs Esports Club
• Ground Zero Gaming

After Renegades was changed, the team definitely looks refreshed. Besides, this team is the most titled among all the contestants of this division. That is why we lean towards the gamers from Reneagades and treat them as the main favourites.