Ninjas Strike At DreamHack Valencia And Other CS:GO Esports News
Published: Jul 20, 2017 - Last Updated: Jul 14, 2023
Last weekend saw eight of the world’s best CS:GO teams fight over a $100,000 prize pool at DreamHack Valencia.
The competition followed the format of previous DreamHack events: an initial group stage, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the best-of-three semis. Here, the winner of one group took on the runner-up of the other. The winners then went to the final.
The best game in Group A was the opening match, which pitted Team EnVyUs against KPI Gaming. The former were expected to win, but KPI Gaming managed to eke out a 16-14 victory that really opened up the group. Heroic defeated Misfits 16-8 and then confirmed their top seed in Group A with a straightforward win over KPI Gaming by the same scoreline.
In the game between the two losing teams, a best-of-three affair, Team EnVyUs bounced back to register a 2-1 win over Misfits, which included an epic deciding game that eventually went 22-18 to Team EnVyUs. That meant KPI and Team EnVyUs would meet once again. This time, Team EnVyUs made few errors in an easy 2-0 victory.
Group B got underway with Counter Logic Gaming defeating NRG Esports 16-11 and Ninjas in Pyjamas hammered Red Reserve 16-3. In the matchup between those winners, Ninjas won 16-10 to claim the top spot.
It appeared that it would be between Counter Logic Gaming and NRG Esports for that second spot, but in the game between the two losing teams, Red Reserve sprung a surprise. Despite losing the first map 16-9, they bounced back to win the next two 16-11 and 16-10.
What followed was one of the best matchups of the entire tournament — CLG and Red became embroiled in a battle for the ages. RED shocked many by taking the opening map 16-10, but CLG battled back to edge out their opponents 16-14. The stage was set for an epic third game, and Red Reserve came through by an incredible 28-24 scoreline.
The drama continued in Red Reserve’s semifinal with the much-fancied Heroic. The winners of Group A took the opening map 16-13 against Red, but once again the underdogs fought back, winning the second map 16-14. Red then somehow won another tight encounter: 19-17 on the third and deciding map.
The second semi followed a similar pattern. Team EnVyUs won the opening map against Ninjas in Pyjamas 16-8, but the Ninjas struck back in the next two maps, winning 16-10 and 16-9 to earn that final spot.
After thumping Red Reserve 16-3 in the group stage, Ninjas was projected to do the same again in the final. They did. They took the opening map in the best-of-three contest 16-10 before dominating the second map with an impressive 16-2 victory to claim the title and the $50,000 top prize.
Four of the Valencia teams will move on to the next DreamHack event, which is in Atlanta this weekend.
DreamHack Atlanta 2017 Preview and Esports Betting Review
Following Valencia, the DreamHack road show moves across the Atlantic to Atlanta. Once again, eight teams will battle it out for the $50,000 top share of the $100,000 prize pool.
Valencia participants Team EnVyUs, NEG Esports, and Heroic all earned invites, while Misfits earned their place by coming through the North American Qualifier. Battling alongside these teams are three invited teams — GODSENT, Hellraisers, and Renegades — while Binary Dragons earned the final spot by winning the European Qualifier.
The format will be precisely the same as other DreamHack events, described in detail above in the Valencia recap.
The draws for the groups have already been made:
- Group A – HellRaisers, Renegades, Misfits, Binary Dragons
- Group B – Team EnVyUs, Heroic, GODSENT, NRG Esports
Of the two groups, B is arguably the tougher one. The competition begins Friday and continues through Sunday.
Bet365 is offering three different markets on the DreamHack Atlanta event at the moment: the Outright Winner, To Reach Final, and Region of the Winner. There is no clear favorite in the Outright market.
Binary Dragons and Misfits are the 20/1 outsiders, with NRG Esports and Renegades both 14/1. The remaining four teams are all closely pooled: GODSENT at 5/1, Team EnVyUs at 4/1, Heroic at 10/3, and HellRaisers the current 2/1 favorites.
Since: August 10, 2015
