Stage 1 of EPL S21 is now behind us and it’s time to take a look at how the Swiss format shaped out. Given the not-that-exciting lineup of teams, we had to rely on the GOAT of tournament formats to save the day. It did not disappoint.

3-0 teams

Going into the tournament, we placed our bets on Eternal Fire, paiN, and possibly HEROIC to go 3-0. As usual, we were wrong about all of them.

Instead, GamerLegion went undefeated, with their success largely resting on the shoulders of one man: pringl. Who’s that, you ask? Well, he’s currently going by PR, but pringl is an infinitely cooler nickname, so we’re sticking with that.

The other 3-0 team came, SAW, and conquered. The Portuguese org’s new additions AZUWU and cej0t took Stockholm by storm, taking down HEROIC, FURIA, and M80 on their way to Stage 2. Sure, we could talk about a honeymoon period, but no one expected this team to be this good this quickly. We’re excited to see if they can keep it up against the big boys.

3-1 & 3-2 teams

On the contrary, the 3-1 pool was fairly standard, with Eternal Fire, 3DMAX, and MIBR making the cut. FURIA and paiN advanced at 3-2, and while FURIA’s inconsistency is no surprise, we certainly didn’t expect paiN to struggle so much against FlyQuest, Lynn Vision, and Nemiga.

The real treat came all the way from China, with TYLOO managing to qualify after 2 shocking wins against 3DMAX and Eternal Fire. We know who we’re rooting for in the next stage. Seriously, how can you not like this guy?

2-3 & 1-3 teams

Nemiga, M80, and FlyQuest just missed out on a Stage 2 spot, falling in the final hurdle with 2-3 records, while Lynn Vision, NRG, and HEROIC could only secure one win.

Yes, you read that right. HEROIC went 1-3 in what was arguably their worst showing since the new lineup was formed, losing to SAW, 3DMAX, and Nemiga. Despite typically delivering solid performances, yxngstxr took a page out of broky’s book and went completely missing this event.

0-3

As expected, Mindfreak and Housebets got demolished by everyone they faced, only managing to win 41 and 22 rounds across six maps, respectively.

Honestly, the fact that 3 Australian teams made it to EPL is crazy and should be looked into.

Where’s ESIC when we really need them?