The CWL Pro League Stage One Playoffs Prologue

After a week of going over CWL Birmingham which occurred last weekend, it seems that the Call of Duty community cannot have enough at the moment. A few key observations  from the event were the  new-born Splyce, a fumbling Rise Nation, an incredible crowd and a weakened FaZe Clan. Many of the teams who took part in the European event have made their way back to Colombus, where the eight best teams in the world will take part in Playoffs to compete for $500,000 and the pride of being the best in the world. 

Of course, this is not a normal Open event as there is no Open Bracket or any form of access other than qualifying through the Pro League. The most notable teams which didn't make the cut are probably Evil Geniuses and Splyce - it would have been exciting to see Splyce continue on their form from Birmingham. The event begins straight away with the Winners Bracket - not many games will be played though it's still spread over the entire weekend. Below are the matchups for Day 1. 

The match-ups were drawn depending on the team's position at the end of the Pro League, with the 1st seed benefitting from placing against a lower placed team. All of these games have so much room for discussion. We'll use these games to discuss the teams. 

First off, I cannot wait for Rise Nation vs eUnited; last time this occurred TJHaly was buried alive by an unholy turn-on from the ruthless Clayster to close out the series on SnD. The veteran was fired up and it was due to losses like these that made Rise Nation fail to keep their No. 1 position in CoD at the moment last weekend. Going back into this, it's sure to say that TJHaly wants blood, seeking vengeance. However, if eUnited play like they did last weekend, the event could start with quite a shocking result indeed. Rise Nation is still one of the favourites to win, of course, but it's possible that they lose to a team that they have done so before. eUnited remain underdogs for the event on the whole, though they can really pick it up with a little bit of hype.

Luminosity and Red Reserve is another interesting one, though it's a bit far-fetched to say that Red Reserve will take this one. Luminosity Gaming has looked dominant recently as they put up a clinic in Europe last weekend to win the whole event, while Red Reserve packed their bags into Losers Round 2, barely keeping up with expectations. At one point this year, Red Reserve was the 2nd best team in the scene, though if they play like last weekend, this early matchup is looking dim for them. Of course, Red Reserve is no stranger to the Losers' Bracket and often prevail here. Luminosity Gaming will be looking to retain their dominance and win the whole thing. 

It's always great to see the E-Classico waiting to be played out in the Winners Bracket - Optic vs Envy looks to be tight. Both the teams have been rather inconsistent lately with the Greenwall carrying out a role switch very recently and just before Birmingham while Team Envy seems to be too dependant on the hard-carry that is Slasher. If Optic Gaming have gotten enough practice with their new format, with which they won Champs last year, then I see them taking the series. Last weekend we already got glimpses of Scump and Formal returning to form as the best in their class while Crimsix remains dominant as ever - not having won an event all year yet, this is where Optic Gaming need to show up. However, if Team Envy's Classic and Temp decide to help out their teammates a little bit more than this will be simply too close to call. 

Last weekend, both TK and Faze were kicked out on the back of losses to Open Bracket teams. Overall, the two are cases of disappointment. TK remains haunted by the Maven curse as they struggle to get anywhere near the podium like they had earlier this year - will they finally wake up or are they doomed for the rest of the year?  Faze on the other hand, have been performing slightly better, with some average placement. They've got the potential, though this may forever remain potential unless they can get things done as a team. Recently, it was found out that Faze, one of the biggest names in Call of Duty, hasn't won a championship in around 400 days(AW). With this shocking news, Faze has a lot to do this coming event. 

These Playoffs are to go exactly as planned - placing the very best 8 teams in the world in a huge venue and a large prize pool so that we can all find out who the best team in the world really is. With what's happened until now and what's to come, it's safe to say that this year of Call of Duty is probably going to be remembered as one of the most competitive years ever - and we're loving it.