Team EnVyUs have had an admittedly rocky road to Cologne. At Columbus, the new roster was shaky and was eliminated in the group stage. But the temporary block only spurred nV on. The team underwent a drastic change in preparation, with intense practice sessions and in-person bootcamps. The focus was largely on building around the newly acquired In-game Leader DEVIL and legendary sniper kennyS. The boys in blue selectively sat out tournaments to bide their time and ensure a healthy team environment before returning to the tournament circuit.
The French all-stars have made their return a spectacular one. They tore through the European qualifiers with an impressive 3-1 record, taking wins over North American powerhouses Immortals (formerly Tempo Storm) and Cloud 9. This past week, nV debuted a kill-heavy style of play in their ELEAGUE group. The emphasis on a strong, active CT half and an aggressive T side brought them to a group victory, culminating in an impressive 2-0 over Virtus Pro in the group finals.
In the opening group stage, EnVyUs find themselves matched up against their last two sources of contention. The North American all-star roster of Team Liquid will kick off nV’s Major run. Liquid’s emphasis on individual play will make for an intense match against the 4 support 1 method that nV have been utilizing in the opening phase of each round. The strong rotational movement of the French will likely upset Liquid’s rhythm, bringing them to a grinding halt. Afterwards, nV are looking at a rematch against Virtus Pro. After dismantling the Polish legends, nV will simply have to bring more of the same. Their old-school, team focused defensive play will be a reliable workhorse to break out to break down the Eastern Europeans once again.