It’s been ten years since the last time Cologne hosted a Major. A lot has changed since then, but one thing remains true: the German city is the premier Counter-Strike venue every year.

So it’s just a shame that it starts with these… “teams”.

Looking at you, THUNDER dOWNUNDER, FlyQuest, and Gaimin Gladiators.

Bad teams aside, there’s actually plenty to look forward to in Stage 1. TYLOO and Lynn Vision will both step out of Asia for their rare international appearances, and whilst we don’t have the greatest expectations for either, they always bring some entertainment.

There’s also a host of dangerous European teams to look forward to, with a first tier one (ish) outing for blameF’s rejuvenated BIG, a chance for Boombl4’s BetBoom to show their fourth-place finish at IEM Atlanta wasn’t just a flash in the pan, and B8’s latest opportunity to remind people they are actually just quite a good team.

We’re also intrigued to see more of SINNERS. The European mix team have been unsuccessful in their limited tier one outings, but they’ve looked competitive each time, and the BO1 format in place for Stage 1 could be a major boon for them.

There are, of course, the likes of NRG and Sharks, who we really aren’t too fussed about.

NRG looked like they might push through when oSee decided to show up to IEM Krakow at the start of the year, but since then, every member of the team has decided to be absolutely rubbish, and escaping this stage almost seems impossible now.

Recent form suggests M80 will share a similarly disappointing fate, but we’re still going to hold out hope for them. Mostly because we like them more, but also because Lake is a demon.

As for the three remaining teams, well, you’ll have to read on to know how we feel about them…