The ESL Pro League Season 10 Finals are around the corner, hosted on the 9th -10th November. As of this weekend, we now know all eight teams who will be attending the LAN finals in Tokoname, Japan, and it is quite the surprising roster. Season 10 has seen a surprising amount of teams usurp positions away from more established teams. The only region not affected by this change of guard is LATAM, although, they are going through their own regional changes. With this in mind let’s take a look at who is attending and how they got there.
Europe
In Europe, Natus Vincere rose to prominence in a short space of time. This is their first season on the ESL Pro League, and they came first in the standings. Na’Vi had luck on their side, as Team Empire capitulated in the second half of the league. This was enough for Na’Vi to clutch the first place seed in the league. Again, this is a significant achievement for the rookie squad, mirroring Team Empire’s Season 9 run to an extent.
As for the Giants, they are arguably the most consistent team in the world. In Season 9, Giants qualified to the Milan Finals, on the exact same score they have in Season 10. For those curious, Giants Gaming went 9 wins, 2 ties, and 3 losses.
These results are significant because Europe is the most competitive region. G2 Esports is Siege’s most successful team in history, and Team Empire is the current major champions. G2 Esports being challenged all year now is a sign of how the European League is stacked with talent. As for Team Empire, they learned the hard way that holding on to top two is a challenge. Since winning the Six Major Raleigh, the pressure may have got to them in cementing themselves as a consistent top two team.
North America
2018’s North America appears to have fallen as we close out 2019. DarkZero, who were previously SK Gaming in 2018 has managed to take second in Season 9 and first in Season 10. They have successfully challenged all season, proving to be one of NA’s best performing teams online, and a strong team offline.
As for Team Reciprocity, they beat out Evil Geniuses to take the second seed. After falling short in Season 9, they have redeemed themselves and qualified for LAN. Team Reciprocity will no doubt be feeling renewed and ready for the greater challenges ahead.
NA has been a bit of a roller coaster in Season 10, full of roster changes whilst the old guard dies. EG finished this season in 3rd, whilst Rogue, considered NA’s 2nd seed, is now facing relegations.
LATAM
Not much has changed for the top two in LATAM. FaZe Clan continues to be on form and continuously qualifying for LAN finals. However, they are now LATAM’s second seed.
Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pyjamas has taken the first seed for the first time in the organisation’s history. The core of the roster has been to LAN finals before, but that was before NiP got involved. This is a great resurgence for the roster and it’s a promising sign that they have taken first seed.
APAC
APAC has consistently sent Nora-Rengo and Fnatic to the Pro League Finals. However, both teams will not be attending the Pro League Season 10 Finals.
The usurpers to this region are Aerowolf, a Singapore team that has gained regional notoriety. Over the weekend, they took out both Fnatic in the quarter-finals and Nore-Rengo in the semi-finals. They then proceeded to take first place in the APAC Final 2-1 over Wildcard Gaming. This is a feat of strength for the roster, showing the world that they’re an exciting team to look forward to in the ESL Pro League Season 10 finals.
The other team attending is Wildcard Gaming. They are one of Australia’s better teams, but not much is known about the roster. Either way, it’s always great to see fresh blood at LAN finals, and there’s a lot of that at this season’s ESL Pro League Season 10 Finals.
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