Group A

• Ninjas in Pyjamas - The fact that we have not heard of anything NiP related for some time makes me believe that they are hidden in a dojo training in the malaysian mountains in order to bring home the trophy. NiP have been neck and neck with Fnatic for the top spot for a while and I think that now it looks like Fnatic have taken a back seat in contention and some even go so far to no longer consider them the top team in the world.

Group B

• Flipsid3 - I've personally always heard as Flipsid3 as being a dark horse contender but personally it's quite frustrating how people think that S1mple is the only thing that made them successful as a team. While his skill brought a lot to the table I also think that his toxicity and bad temperament was killing the team from the inside. DavCost however has been there as their main sub for some time now, and it's not like he is a completely new addition. He brings a form of synergy to the team that S1mple never provided. I know eNvy and Kinguin are the fan favourites for this group, but I think that everyone is underestimating Flipsid3 who I believe are around a tier 1.5 team. They have great players like WorldEdit who I believe can definately compete with KennyS and Markeloff who was described by Hiko as the best support player he has ever met.

Group C

• Na'Vi - Na'Vi recently have stepped up to the plate to once again being the top contenders for this tournament, with recent victories and the fact that they are fighting neck and neck and often coming out on top with fellow tier 1 teams. Also I'm going to be honest and say that the main reasoning for picking Na'Vi is because of the Reddit hype train behind them.

Group D

• Cloud9 - Ahh Cloud9 the NA dream, the hope, the future. This team is many things and they're certainly capable of winning this tournament. Their new lineup has filled many gaps that were left with Semphis and Shahzam as Skadoodle and FREAKAZOID are just impecable. Ska is the quiet AWPer who just goes about his own thing and is definately contesting for the best with KennyS. Although FREAK is a resound entry fragger and quite loud and confident. This confidence that FREAK brings may well be the biggest drive to help them win the major but let us not forget that the lineup is also filled with talented individuals. I've actually been called a bot for calling sg@res a good player but I think he is one of the most talented IGL in CS:GO alongside gob b. N0thing and Shroud speak for themself, they're able to close out them tight rounds and clutches with ease and their personality and bromance brings the team closer together. Although we must not forget that despite being great friends ingame they're also great friends outside and we can see this through SnapChat and instagram.

So they're my predictions so feel free to criticize me or agree with me, it's just what I feel will happen. Although with Flipsid3 it may be a deadly mix of confidence, hopes and dreams.