HLTV release EPIC.LAN 46 coverage
Many people have speculated over the weekend about the HLTV coverage. Is it going to be a 12-team bracket like last time? Or will it return to only four teams? – The EU squads were praying for the former. HLTV has answered all of our questions by announcing a six-team bracket, starting with the upper bracket semi-finals listed and the lower bracket semi-finals.
This confirms that Prestige, Phantom, MINLATE, and Nemesis, who have all successfully made it through the upper bracket tonight, will be playing for those coveted VRS points at 13:00 GMT tomorrow.
As of now, the HLTV section is dominated by the four European teams that came to this event for the sole purpose of obtaining VRS points. And those European teams all really need these wins. Thus, it creates a very exciting Saturday.
amanek and MINLATE look to revive their VRS status
MINLATE, as of now, have lost their VRS rank due to decay. For them, they need these wins to not only climb back up the European ladder, but simply put, to begin their journey once again.
Nemesis have three of their five games already recorded from LAN wins; therefore, they have already secured their VRS rank even if they lose both games tomorrow. Unfortunately, if they do lose both games, it is up in the air whether they will be within the threshold of Tier 2 invites. To eliminate this ambiguity, they have to secure a deep run.
Phantom, the highest rated team sitting #141 in the VRS standings, are looking to secure their qualification for future Tier 2 events. If they continue on their form from the opening, that might not be an issue. Similar to the other high-ranked teams, the group stage was a breeze. What set them apart from the rest was how they dealt with Square Sauages, the second-seeded team in the playoffs.
Only dropping eight rounds across the series, Phantom will look to continue their level now that the stakes have been raised as they play against a young Prestige side tomorrow.
The Danish side is in a rather peculiar position compared to the rest. Prestige is starting fresh and has no VRS games recorded. They need all five games to even qualify for a rank. If Prestige moves through the upper bracket cleanly and wins the whole event, they won’t even have a VRS rank to benefit from the win. Their way to a VRS rank from EPIC.LAN 46 is losing their first game tomorrow and making a lower-bracket run.
Even if they win the first game but then lose in the upper bracket final, and still make the finals, they will only have four games.
For the UK teams that are currently still alive in the lower bracket, only two teams will make it to the HLTV stage. Starting at 10:00 am tomorrow, a team will have to win three games consecutively to play their first HLTV game at 17:00 GMT.
This means one of The Last Resort and 8Sins will not qualify for the HLTV stage. If both win their opening games, they will meet each other in the lower bracket consolidation 2. This is the game before the HLTV coverage starts.
The two teams have already played each other in the group stage, with TLR beating the reigning UKIC champions 13-9.
TLR and 8Sins are the two favourite UK teams, outside of Square Sausages, who are mixing. One of them will be walking away from EPIC.LAN 46 is disappointed.
Who makes the HLTV stage, 8Sins or TLR?
The post HLTV release EPIC.LAN 46 coverage appeared first on UKCSGO.