With the ESL One New York 2019 schedule set, CS:GO writer Tim Masters picks out some of the key plotlines to watch out for from the Barclays Center as some of the best teams in the business aim to dominate the standings
CS:GO fans can make their ESL One New York 2019 predictions at Luckbox, where every new account starts with $5_
A new FaZe for NiKo
The worst-kept secret in CS:GO is coldzera’s move to FaZe. Adding NiKo into that mix only makes it more intriguing, but it’s the addition of young star broky that should be piquing the interest of the cultured observer.
After investing in antiques with brand value, the team has clearly decided to experiment with a new direction, possibly to broky’s benefit. Playing alongside NiKo and coldzera is basically the CS:GO version of being thrown in the deep end of the shark tank, so if broky can do it here he can probably do it anywhere.
The GOATs vs the pretenders
Prior to the Major there were a few crushing inevitabilities to all those who had been paying attention. Liquid were probably going to choke, based on their lack of confidence coming in, and Astralis had been grinding away through the player break in a manner that frankly should be the standard by now, but is still not, giving them an advantage over their more complacent peers.
Now Liquid have to do it where it doesn’t matter, safe in the knowledge there are more than 200 days between them and their next chance at a Major. This event might not seem that important, but there is a very real chance that Liquid implode and the team split if the post-Major months are as rough as Berlin was, so they need to avoid another capitulation here to get themselves back on track.
A good NRG in the room or the whiff of Evil?
Fortunately for NA CS:GO, the disappointment of Team Liquid’s capitulation can be balanced against the great play of NRG in Berlin, where they made top four. Off the server the org had been making what can only be described as money moves by hiring H3CZ, of OpTic fame, but all the positive news was thrown on its head this week when rumours broke that the org would be selling the team to one of NA’s oldest groups, Evil Geniuses.
It is all but confirmed that they’ll play at this event as Evil Geniuses, and the return of that org to CS:GO is a story all on its own, but that’s for another time. EG will be hoping they’ve bought in at the right time, with the NA mix on the rise after a good Major performance, but the way Berlin worked out did favour Stan and his men in some ways, and there is no guarantee this team continues to improve. In a weird way, they come in with more pressure than any other team due to this move, so don’t be surprised if NY is a false dawn for the new EG.
Confirmed: NRG CSGO roster is now playing under the Evil Geniuses colors
Problem solved? Kio’s return
It’s taken a lifetime, but it seems as though KioShima is finally back in favour in French CS:GO, and that can’t be a bad thing. This isn’t an endorsement of the more toxic aspects of Kio’s career as much as a bald plea for égalité, as they would say in his part of the world, where he gets the same level of forgiveness as any of the other French veterans to have caused issues since his exile began.
How he does at ESL New York 2019 could play a part in the way his future looks, but the team looks a bit light on top talent shorn of shox, so we’ll have to wait and see if they can continue the upswing that happened pre-Major. No doubt they’ve been working on the basics, like defusing, after the way their Berlin Major unfolded.
EZ for ENCE without Aleksi B?
Finnish folk are a different breed, and that was never more apparent than in Berlin, where a broken ENCE made a very respectable run and then sent their deposed leader out to do the exit interview with blood still dripping from the knife wound in his spine. After all of that, their long awaited debut with suNny is going to be interesting, as is the development of their tactics under new IGL Allu.
With the field as it is, top four should be nothing more than a formality for ENCE, unless FaZe can make a miracle happen, so they have a decently high bar to clear already, and the addition of a player who hasn’t competed at the top level since March of this year could go either way, especially in the short team.
What's the ESL One New York 2019 schedule?
ESL One New York is part of the seven events leading to the Intel Grand Slam Season 3. It will be held from September 26th to 29 at the Barclays Center.
Astralis, ENCE, FaZe, NRG and Liquid got invited to the event. OpTic Gaming through the New York Qualifier Invitational, G2 Esports through the European Qualifier and eUnited through the North American Qualifier. These eight teams will compete for a $200,000 prize pool.
Edit: The NRG roster will play under the colors of Evil Geniuses
The eight teams are seeded into two groups of four teams according ESL CS:GO World Rankings. The top two teams of each group advance to ESL One New York playoffs.
Related: Every team's chances rated at ESL One New York 2019
The group Stage
Two double-elimination format (GSL) groups of four teams will play best-of-three matches to reach the playoff stage. The top two teams of each group advance to the ESL One New York quarterfinals.
Group A
- ENCE
- eUnited
- G2 Esports
- Team Liquid
Group B
- Astralis
- FaZe Clan
- Evil Geniuses
- OpTic Gaming
Day 1, September 26th
- 5pm CEST - Team Liquid vs eUnited
- 5pm CEST - G2 Esports vs ENCE
- 8:35pm CEST - Astralis vs OpTic Gaming
- 8:35pm CEST - FaZe Clan vs Evil Geniuses
Day 2, September 27th
- 12:10am CEST - Group A Winner's Match
- 12:10am CEST - Group A Elimination Match
- 5pm CEST - Group B Winner's Match
- 5pm CEST - Group B Elimination Match
- 8:35pm CEST - Group A Decider Match
Day 3, September 28th
- 12:10am CEST - Group B Decider Match
ESL One New York Playoffs
ESL One New York playoffs will be played in a single elimination bracket starting with semifinals on September 28th. All games are best-of-three except the Grand Final that is best-of-five.
Semifinals (BO3), September 28th
- 7pm CEST - 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B
- 10:30pm - 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A
Grand Final (BO5), September 29th
- 7pm CEST
de_cache Remake Showmatch (BO1), September 29th, 5:35pm
- Stewie2K
- Ethan
- nitr0
- JaCkz
- steel
VS - EliGE
- kennyS
- tarik
- TBD
- Twistzz
Teams rosters
Astralis
- device
- dupreeh
- Xyp9x
- gla1ve
- Magisk
- zonic
ENCE
- allu
- sergej
- Aerial
- xseveN
- suNny
- Twista
FaZe Clan
- rain
- NiKo
- olofmeister
- broky
- Coldzera
- YNk
Team Liquid
- nitr0
- EliGE
- Twistzz
- NAF
- Stewie2K
- adreN
Evil Geniuses
- Brehze
- CeRq
- Ethan
- tarik
- stanislaw
- ImAPet
OpTic Gaming
- k0nfig
- MSL
- niko
- TeSeS
- cajunb
- ruggah
G2 Esports
- kennyS
- Lucky
- JaCkz
- AmaNEk
- kioShiMa
- maLeK
eUnited
- Cooper-
- MarKE
- vanity
- food
- freakazoid
- a2z
Talent Broadcast
Group stage
Desk Host
- James Banks (James Banks)
Analysts
- Thorin (Duncan Shields)
- Maniac (Mathieu Quiquerez)
- Pimp (Jacob Winneche)
Commentators
- Anders (Anders Blume)
- moses (Jason O'Toole)
- JKaplan (Jason Kaplan)
- Tombizz (Tom Bissmire)
Arena stage
Stage Host
- OJ Borg (Oliver James Borg D'Anastasi)
Desk Host
- stunna (Tres Saranthus)
Reporter
- Sadokist (Matthew Trivett)
Analysts
- SPUNJ (Chad Burchill)
- n0thing (Jordan Gilbert)
Commentators
- HenryG (Henry Greer)
- Machine (Alex Richardson)
Pictures: Copyright ESL / Helena Kristiansson / Carlton Beener
