As we strategy Main IV, the ultimate cease within the CDL 2022 season earlier than Champs, we’re asking a vital query. Final 12 months, Atlanta FaZe established itself as one of the dominating groups in Name of Obligation esports historical past, so why is the 2022 season proving to be so troublesome for the squad?
Because the begin of the season, Atlanta FaZe has remained constantly overwhelming, making it to the Grand Closing of each CDL Main earlier than being booted unceremoniously from the competitors.
Why can’t Atlanta FaZe win a CDL Main this season?
For some time, there have been whisperings that advised the group was ‘cursed’, however that was handed off as superstitious nonsense. The actual fact is, Atlanta FaZe is as soon as once more the perfect group within the League (on paper) and sits atop the standings with a present document of 24 – 11. And but, for each Main event that has surfaced, the four-man squad of AbeZy, Cellium, Arcitys, and Simp has did not ship the products.
What’s going mistaken, and might Atlanta FaZe lastly discover victory at Main IV?
Falling Brief Each Time
At Main I, it was OpTic Texas that went on the warpath and secured a 5 – 2 victory towards Atlanta FaZe. Then, at Main II, a repeat efficiency occurred with the Los Angeles Guerrillas choosing up a 5 – 2 win over Atlanta FaZe. Lastly, at Main III, with the shock of the season, Seattle Surge pulled by with an enormous 5 – 3 win over ATL.
Once we take a look at the numbers, it appears to be a momentum recreation – FaZe picks aside the ‘weaker groups’ and good points momentum earlier than finally shedding it on the last put up. Let’s check out Main I, for instance. At this occasion, ATL decimated Boston Breach with the utmost sense of ease earlier than crashing towards OpTic and happening to the loser’s bracket to face off towards (and defeat) the LA Thieves, Toronto, and the Royal Ravens.
Finally, these groups weren’t at their greatest after they fought FaZe, however OpTic Texas was on a blinding scorching streak, which derailed FaZe within the Grand Closing. It didn’t assist that Texas was on an unbelievable Management streak, successful greater than a dozen video games back-to-back, which secured them two maps within the last fixture.
At Main II, FaZe walked the Subliners out, punched down Seattle, and dominated Boston, earlier than falling towards the Los Angeles Guerrillas. On the time, the Guerrillas have been scorching off a streak in Main II of 5 back-to-back wins and the momentum gathered was blistering. It was an excessive amount of for FaZe, and once more, the boys in pink fell brief. Whereas the group options a number of the best COD gamers in historical past, LAG proved to be ATL’s undoing.
Lastly, Main III – ATL beat Toronto, LA Thieves, acquired knocked by Seattle, beat Toronto once more, after which acquired wiped by Surge within the last. Evidently, with each failure, there’s a easy blocker brought on by Atlanta FaZe shedding momentum and focus towards a very dominant group on a wild, unexpected streak. It was a dream for Name of Obligation betting followers backing the underdog aspect.
May it’s a case of sheer overconfidence?
Finish of the FaZe dynasty?
This 12 months, we haven’t simply seen ATL FaZe fail to clutch up within the last phases of the Main tournaments. We’ve seen ATL FaZe crash as laborious because it probably might in these finals, with some significantly embarrassing moments surfacing. For example, at Main III, through the last Hardpoint on Tuscan, Arcitys of FaZe went on a shedding streak, ending up with a ratio of 0 – 13 earlier than he began gaining kills. It was a case of Sib and Pred clicking at an intense degree, rising as a duo that rivalled the likes of AbeZy and Simp.
At Main II, ATL misplaced its collective head as soon as once more, giving up 4 maps back-to-back towards LAG. For the final three years, Search and Destroy has been FaZe’s recreation, however LAG managed to grab a 6 – 4, a 6 – 1, and one other 6 – 4 win over ATL. It simply appeared like one other occasion of Atlanta FaZe being overconfident and underestimating its opponents. It might probably have been an indication that ATL was getting ready to combat the mistaken group, by no means anticipating these underdog sides to make it by to the grand last fixtures.
For the stats-mad followers, it boils all the way down to poor performs and a failure to safe the numbers. At Main III, FaZe was too hell-bent on breaking hills somewhat than rotating round to choose up the subsequent level. They have been gifting away too many necessary, game-changing lives in Management and Search fixtures, which finally made the distinction.
Sadly, for some Name of Obligation League organizations, the continually altering platform simply flips across the enjoying subject an excessive amount of. Trying again, ATL may need been unstoppable in Chilly Struggle, however the place Vanguard is anxious, there’s probably an inside wrestle going down. It may very well be the group breaking up, it may very well be a psychological blocker introduced on by ‘the curse’, or it may very well be a easy proven fact that different groups have had a greater season in terms of the Main tournaments.
Can Atlanta FaZe pull collectively in time for Main IV, and past that, the Name of Obligation League Championship?
