PGL Major Stockholm 2021 Challengers StagePGL Major Stockholm preview: Challengers
With PGL Major Stockholm kicking off in under 24 hours, we present the second of our three previews, taking a look at the eight Challengers.
Meeting the Contenders in the opening Swiss stage of PGL Major Stockholm are the eight Challengers, who placed in the mid-range among the qualifying teams on the Regional Major Ranking leaderboard.
Made up of six European teams — Astralis, ENCE, BIG, Movistar Riders, Heroic, and MOUZ — as well as single teams from the CIS (Spirit) and North America (paiN), the eight rosters are set to take part in the 16-team Challengers Stage of the Major, where they'll look to grab three wins in the Swiss system and advance to the Legends Stage.
In the second of three previews, we present each of the eight Challenger teams and their lineups, discussing the main storylines surrounding them and their outlook ahead of the Major, as well as the goals they set for themselves in a quick comment we got from each one:
* 'Majors played' refers to the top 16 stage
Heroic (#5)
Lineup
Martin "stavn" Lund (Majors played: 0)
Coach/Substitute
Richard "Xizt" Landström (Majors played/coached: 10)
Heroic enter PGL Major Stockholm as one of the favorites to make it to the playoffs and at minimum the Legends Stage, being the highest-ranked team in attendance among the Challengers. Despite recently stumbling at IEM Fall, where they finished in 12th place after losing out in tiebreaker scenarios, cadiaN’s side have had a solid run of things in 2021, although they typically played second-fiddle to the likes of Natus Vincere and Gambit deep into tournaments in recent months.
The Danish squad hit the ground running following the addition of sjuush and refrezh, winning ESL Pro League Season 13 in March, and followed by placing 3-4th in DreamHack Masters Spring and fourth at Flashpoint 3, the first European RMR event. It also helps that their more recent results, with the exception of IEM Fall, have looked up, qualifying for BLAST Premier Fall Finals via the Showdown as well as a 3-4th place finish in ESL Pro League Season 14, where the fell to NAVI in the semi-finals.
Perhaps one cause for concern with Heroic has been their slight inconsistency in offline results, with the team exiting the only two international LAN events of 2021, IEM Cologne and IEM Fall, in 7-8th and 12th place, respectively. However, with less experienced teams to contend with in the Challengers Stage, cadiaN’s troops will have the opportunity to warm up into the tournament, as long as their early results remain consistent enough to pull them through their opening matches.
"Our goal is to reach top eight. For me reaching the playoffs would mean that we have shown our capabilities on LAN. That being said, I don’t believe many teams would be happy to draw us in a quarter-final. We have a lot to show, but we are also feeling a very positive progress. We keep learning."
Though not something that will have a direct impact on their results, Heroic also have the benefit of going into the PGL Major following the resolution of the investigation by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) into some of the players’ complicity in the abuse of the coaching bug by their former coach, Nicolai "HUNDEN" Petersen. With the weight of the verdict no longer hanging over their heads, the players can keep their full focus entirely on the games in front of them, and now have the added benefit of Xizt in the coaching slot for their Major run.
Heroic shouldn’t struggle much in the Challengers Stage given their recent form and the opposition that immediately lies ahead of them. The question for this team is in how deep of a run in the latter stages they can make, and whether they can lift their first trophy together by overcoming the immovable barrier that is NAVI should they both make the playoffs, despite four of the Danish team’s players never having attended a Major.
Astralis (#9)
Lineup
Substitute
Coach
The wounded kings of Counter-Strike, Astralis return to the Major looking to defend their title. The four-time Major champions, who won the last three in succession, will play their first Valve-sponsored tournament without star AWPer Nicolai "device" Reedtz, separating the long-standing trio of him, dupreeh, and Xyp9x for the first time in 15 Majors. The title holders are faced with the prospect of a Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev who is looking in unstoppable form, and may be in the midst of swan song for dupreeh and zonic, with both members yet to re-sign and their contracts set to expire at the end of the year.
Still, the core of dupreeh, Xyp9x, Magisk, and gla1ve can never be counted out, and with the in-game leader’s return after a brief absence following the birth of his child, Astralis may well put up a good fight for their crown. At IEM Cologne, Astralis looked a revitalized side back on LAN, finishing in 3-4th in a run that included wins over Heroic, FaZe, and Virtus.pro. Even with gla1ve temporarily absent, the Danes came in fourth place at IEM Fall, despite suffering one-sided losses to ENCE and Vitality.
Although lacking the star-power and experience of device, the stability of Lucky presents the exact foundational block for the core four members to play off of, offering reliable firepower for a lineup that historically has one of the most composed systems in-game. Lucky, meanwhile, will play for the first time alongside the entirety of the Major-winning core, having only ever had three out of the four members present in the three tournaments he has played with Astralis.
“We want to be realistic and our goal is to hit playoffs, if we can't do that then we won’t have a chance to defend our major title. If we manage to get to playoffs then everything is possible from there. I believe in us.”
For the glory days of Astralis, the playoffs would not have simply been the goal — simply the bare minimum, for a team that has won it all. Lucky trying to play up to the level of device, especially in front of a crowd, is an unlikely scenario. One thing is for certain though: a match against Ninjas in Pyjamas deeper into the tournament is an incredibly tantalizing prospect, especially with Magisk looking to prove to device that leaving the team wasn’t the correct decision.
ENCE (#11)
Lineup
Joonas "doto" Forss (Majors played: 0)
Lotan "Spinx" Giladi (Majors played: 0)
Paweł "dycha" Dycha (Majors played: 0)
Substitute
Coach
ENCE arrive in Stockholm fresh off a stunning showing at IEM Fall, where they made a run to the grand final following wins over the likes of Vitality, G2, and Astralis. The European mixture has been steadily improving in recent months, with the AWP of hades combining with the prowess of Spinx and dycha under Snappi’s leadership, helping en route to a 5-8th finish at ESL Pro League Season 14.
Their strong performance at IEM Fall, in form alone, leaves ENCE as a dark horse candidate as they enter Stockholm, but they’ll need to maintain that level if they hope to surpass the Challengers Stage, let alone deeper into the tournament. Although the current roster have played in a limited number of top-tier events compared to some of the teams surrounding them in the ranking, their rapid rise makes them a promising team to keep an eye on, but one that’s unlikely to take it all — especially given their entire roster being Major rookies.
“We are gonna keep the same approach as we have for other tournaments, we take one match at a time. It’s a long tournament so we are not gonna put any specific goals, but obviously the first step is to get to the next stage. But again, it’s one match at a time.”
One step at a time may well be the process that carries ENCE to the Legends Stage, with them sitting comfortably in the middle of the pack among the Challengers. Securing a spot in the Legends Stage looks more than likely for Snappi’s side, but their true test will await there, facing teams with far more experience under their belts.
BIG (#13)
Lineup
Johannes "tabseN" Wodarz (Majors played: 5)
Substitute
Coach
BIG are but a shadow of what they were. Once a mancing force on the server, the German side have stumbled in recent months, with their run in tournaments often being cut short early on. The departure of Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş and addition of gade has done little to curtail that spiral too, and it’s hard to have the expectation for the German squad impressing much at the PGL Major.
Victories over G2 and Heroic during BLAST Premier Fall Groups and IEM Fall, respectively, are two of the sole results that truly paint any form of a promising picture for BIG, and the team will need to put up a solid front if they hope to make it into the Legends stage.
“I am just looking very much forward to playing and showing the good CS that we have been practicing up to this event. With that being said, I think it is a very realistic goal for us to get through the first stage. After that we are just going to take it game by game and enjoy the ride being here at the Major after two years without one. I am excited to do what I love - competing... and winning haha.”
As it stands, BIG are a likely candidate to be fighting in the latter matches of the Swiss system, looking to book the seventh or eighth spot out of the Challengers Stage. An opening match against Entropiq, instead of their initial draw versus Virtus.pro, offers the team the window to prove their worth early on in the tournament by securing an early win.
MOUZ (#15)
Lineup
Robin "ropz" Kool (Majors played: 4)
David "frozen" Čerňanský (Majors played: 1)
Aurimas "Bymas" Pipiras (Majors played: 0)
Christopher "dexter" Nong (Majors played: 0)
Substitute
Coach
MOUZ have struggled for consistency since winning Flashpoint 3, often with ropz putting up star performances on the server only for the team to capitulate against the majority of teams above them in the rankings. Underwhelming results at IEM Cologne (13-16th) and IEM Fall (13-16th) puts MOUZ in a similar boat to BIG, no longer presenting the same level of threat.
The team aren’t even a shoo-in to advance from the Challengers Stage, let alone make a deep run, but ropz hopes that their practice will pay off. A focus on consistency has been key for MOUZ heading into the Major, in which they aim to make at least the top eight:
“We are aware that we don't have the best of results recently, we were especially disappointed with the IEM Fall result. Winning Flashpoint 3 showed that if all individuals show up, we can win.
"It's obviously very hard to replicate that so we have been working on absolutely everything and been giving our best to get more consistency on the board. The Major has been the main focus ever since we put the lineup together. We are aiming for the playoffs, top-8 spot. No pressure after that.”
With the post-Major roster period approaching, MOUZ can only hope to make a run to the playoffs, given the possibility of a team coming knocking for ropz. A match against Sharks, the second-lowest ranked team in the Major, will be up first for MOUZ — one that they absolutely should not lose if they hope to maintain their confidence and make an impression in the Legends Stage.
Movistar Riders (#16)
Lineup
Alejandro "mopoz" Fernández-Quejo Cano (Majors played: 0)
Coach/Substitute
The other immense underdog to emerge from IEM Fall was that of Movistar Riders. The Spaniards smashed all expectations at the offline event, coming into the tournament as a roster that was assembled less than two months prior and putting up competitive performances against Astralis, Heroic, and Ninjas in Pyjamas, as well as besting Complexity and G2.
The team, who will all play their first Major, aren’t setting expectations too high, and are aiming to ride the exhilaration and experience that competing at the Major for the first time brings. Running with the momentum from qualifying is key for the team if they hope to continue adding to their results, and a run any further than the Legends Stage would be more than a simple cinderella story for alex’s side.
“We don’t have any expectations, we’re just going to try to apply everything we’ve worked on until now. We’re going to continue being a unit, a team, and realize that no one can take what we've already earned away from us, so that should keep us calm. We’re not going to try to revolutionize anything, we’re not trying to be the crazy dark horse. At IEM Fall we realized we’re a capable team, so we just need to go back and enjoy doing the same thing we've already done. Make a plan, be positive, enjoy playing on LAN after two years online and don't go crazy or overthink anything.”
Although they are definitely not a candidate to reach the playoffs, Movistar Riders have a solid chance to surpass the Challengers Stage, where they would bring Spanish Counter-Strike even further into the limelight and continue a dream run.
Spirit (#20)
Lineup
Viktor "sdy" Orudzhev (Majors played: 0)
Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov (Majors played: 3)
Substitute
Coach
Spirit’s form leaves them even further down the table in terms of teams who can surpass the Challengers Stage. The CIS side struggle with consistency, and have failed to record any notable wins over teams that sit above them in the rankings in the last 3 months. Their last notable win dates back to June, when they came out on top in a series over Virtus.pro, and their recent results leave little hope in any more big wins being added above that.
The team’s dismal map pool adds insult to injury, but the early portions of the Swiss stage could offer them a small respite as they face off against teams in best-of-ones. It will be on degster and mir to deliver if Spirit hope to venture any further than that, but expectations of them currently look extremely low.
“We want to prove our doubters wrong. Our first goal is to make Legends, then Champions Stage, then win it all.”
The team are in for a rough start as FaZe awaits them in their opening match — and Finn "karrigan" Andersen won’t be pulling any punches, having come out on top of their previous meeting at IEM Cologne with a 2-1 victory.
paiN (#35)
Lineup
Vinicios "PKL" Coelho (Majors played: 0)
Coach/Substitute
paiN will make their second international appearance in the past year when their PGL Major campaign kicks off, having only had the chance to play in the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown thus far, where they were eliminated by OG.
The Brazilian team have turned heads since moving to North America in September 2020, but have had few opportunities to compete abroad as they have come out on the losing side of almost every battle against Extra Salt.
saffee has been the star of the show for paiN, but it remains to be seen whether he can deliver the same level against players and teams of higher caliber than the reduced pool of talent in North America. Their IEM Fall campaign was one that had its ups and downs, where they managed a win against EXTREMUM and a map over Liquid that was contrasted with a 0-16 loss to FURIA,
“We’re feeling good for this Major. We stayed 1 week in Serbia for a Bootcamp and things went pretty well, we improved a lot as a team. Our goal is to get to the top 8 and we must take it step by step. Getting to the Legends Stage will be great for us and once we get there I think anything can happen.”
Top eight are lofty expectations for a team coming into the most competitive region in Counter-Strike with just over a week of practice, but Brazilian teams grinding as hard as paiN are hard to count out entirely. Their opening match against a new-look Virtus.pro will offer an early look into what some of the fresh talent from Brazil has to offer the international scene in 2021.
Ismailcan 'XANTARES' Dörtkardeş
Audric 'JACKZ' Jug
Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač
Nemanja 'nexa' Isaković
Abay 'HObbit' Khassenov
Alejandro 'mopoz' Fernández-Quejo Cano
Sanjar 'SANJI' Kuliev
Mareks 'YEKINDAR' Gaļinskis
Edgar 'MarKE' Maldonado
Johnny 'JT' Theodosiou
Ricky 'floppy' Kemery
Justin 'FaNg' Coakley
Håvard 'rain' Nygaard
Nicolai 'HUNDEN' Petersen
Alexandro21
David_Beckham
MIBR_CANT_EVEN_WIN_DH_OPEN
| 
Hadequix
heedblank
| 
| 
| 
xANUx
| 
BEST_HLTV_USER_FROM_MALTA
| 
Blunt_Shovel
| 
TylootoMajor
icarnothing
| 
| 
JameBestawpEU
| 
Theexend
| 
RedWinter
| 
Bulg1us
rOtten_97
julz!
FirestormRR
| 
GamerGuillem
| 
MCDOUG
Pooknezeu
| 
| 
BiggestBrazilianBaiter
| 
| 
| 
Astralis_6_majors
arabthony_al_moutawa7ish
