The final step before PGL Major Antwerp 2022 was the Regional Major Rankings, and the first part of the European RMR is over. Eight teams managed to get a ticket to Antwerp through this qualification stage, while some of the big names got eliminated in the process. Let’s have a look at those teams.
Heroic and BIG made it to the Major without losing any games, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere and forZe lost one, Team Vitality, Eternal Fire and SAW/Outsiders made it losing two games, finding the ticket to glory in the very last game. Before we move on to the second RMR starting tomorrow, reliving European RMR A should be a good choice.
Stories of the qualifying teams
Heroic and BIG are the undefeated teams at PGL Major Antwerp 2022 European RMR A. Heroic defeated forZe on Overpass and Fnatic on Mirage, before playing their first best of three against NAVI. A 2-1 defeat secured them the top two place. BIG on the other hand bested SAW on Ancient and Outsiders on Dust II, and a 2-0 defeat over FaZe Clan finished their European RMR journey.
FaZe Clan won their first two games against Team QUAZAR and OG, but BIG stopped their undefeated run. Not letting that loss interfere with their business, FaZe Clan defeated MOUZ and moved on to the Major. NAVI also lost their third game, but a 2-0 win over Vitality secured them a place.
forZe lost their first ever game against Heroic, which made them go through a bitter Swiss Stage. However, taking down GamerLegion, OG and SAW, they guaranteed playing a fourth place tiebreaker with NAVI. The following team was Team Vitality, one of the three teams to secure a Major ticket with 3-2. VIT had a shaky performance, and after defeating Dignitas, they were bested by FaZe. They then defeated Eternal Fire but lost their BO3 against NAVI. Defeating MOUZ in their fifth game, Vitality advanced to the Major.
Eternal Fire became one of the wildcards by securing qualification to their first ever Major. After losing against FaZe, EF defeated Dignitas and lost against Team Vitality. However, defeating two strong teams in a row, Fnatic and OG, EF made it to the Major. Outsiders were also in a similar position, but after a tremendous series against SAW, they took the last ticket to the Major.
Final notes about the teams
Obviously, Heroic and BIG are great CS:GO teams and they definitely deserve a place here. Aside from winning the Pinnacle Winter Series, Heroic has been having a rough patch since ESL Pro League Season 13. BIG has also been a disappointment for their fans since 2020. They will aim to surprise both their fans and the CS:GO community with a strong performance.
FaZe Clan had a perfect start to 2022. Making it out of BLAST Premier Spring Groups, winning IEM Katowice and ESL Pro League Season 15, FaZe has been the best team of the year. They are definitely the favourites at PGL Major Antwerp 2022. 2021’s invincible hot team NAVI is not the same team surely, but the war in Ukraine definitely affected the mental status of the players. s1mple is always s1mple, and he can make the difference: when you try to guess who’s winning the tournament, keep that in mind.
forZe also won a Pinnacle Winter Series this year but they have been a subpar team for a long time now, 3-1 is actually a great result for them here at the RMR. Team Vitality also struggled to secure a ticket, but they will probably fight for more, they seem like they need some kind of boost to reach their peak performance (2020) once again. The French team’s roster is still one of the strongest in the world, don’t underestimate them.
Eternal Fire was a Turkish “super team” but they struggled to show a promising performance since their formation in 2021, and had a lot of changes in the roster. This RMR might just become their breakout. EF definitely has that feeling of Space Soldiers reborn, keep your eyes on them. Outsiders are Virtus.pro's roster, they had their ups and downs during 2021. It will be nice for them to compete in a Major definitely.
If you are interested, make sure to check out Luckbox to watch PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and more CS:GO events live and place your bets on them.
