Everything you need to know about Dreamhack Anaheim
DH Anaheim might not be a top tier CS:GO event, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing of interest. With one spot at DH Masters Jönköping on the line, it offers a great chance for teams who have so far disappointed in 2020 and a couple of feisty underdogs.
The biggest team to watch is ENCE, for obvious reasons. Aleksib has had his first taste of success on OG which only puts the Finnish team who kicked him, under the spotlight. They’ve been a pretty big disappointment (unless of course you’re wanting them to fail now) in 2020, but as the highest ranked team at DH Anaheim, they have a real chance to get back on track and fight their way back into the top tier.
Both top 20 Brazilian teams will be in Anaheim, too. FURIA have dropped off significantly since they burst onto the scene as a top 8 team almost out of nowhere, but roster changes and meta changes have left them floundering. MiBR have the carcass of one of the greatest teams of all time, with some Argentinian blood trying to freshen it up - but the carcass has truly seemed to be rotting since the inception of MiBR, and potentially even before that.
Both teams have a ridiculous amount to prove - not only to us, but to themselves - they need to prove that they can really dominate a tier two tournament.
FURIA have a pretty simple starting game, in theory. With three British players on one team, history would suggest Endpoint would be a walkover, and recent results for them haven’t been amazing, as they failed to qualify for the EU Minor Closed Qualifier - but then so did Complexity. They’re not a bad team, and any underestimation will be punished swiftly, but if FURIA could pick any team to face in game one, it would be them.
MiBR have a much harder opening game - against the juggernaut, Complexity. While Complexity have had struggles in online qualifiers, their LAN showings so far have been extremely impressive, beating Astralis most notably in a best of three. Despite not being the highest seed, Complexity surely have to be the fans’ favourite for DH Anaheim.
ForZe are the second highest seed team at the tournament, oddly enough, and they take on North. North will have MSL back for only their second tournament, as they look to repeat their DreamHack heroics of yesteryear, while ForZe are looking to build their portfolio of impressive appearances. With the firepower of xsepower’s AWP, MSL will have a stern test in game one.
xsepower might just be the best AWPer at the tournament, but with allu and poizon also in Anaheim, there’s stiff competition.
The final team vying for a spot in Jönköping is Gen.G and their American line-up + BnTeT. We’ll finally be able to see what level the ex-C9 boys are at in their new team against some pretty decent competition. Quite what to expect nobody is sure, but we’re all excited to see BnTeT with a quality - quality-ish - team behind him.
The action begins at 8pm CEST, Friday 20th February on Twitch.