The first major of 2015 is set to begin in Katowice this month as 16 of the best teams in the world descend upon the Polish city for one of the biggest spectacles of the year. The groups have been drawn, and with the help of UK CS:GO caster ‘Hosselote” I’ll be breaking down the group stages to see who is most likely to get through. First up is Group A featuring; Fnatic, Natus Vincere (Na’Vi), Vox Eminor (VE), and Flipsid3 Tactics (F3).

Fnatic - JW, Pronax, Flusha, Krimz, Olofmeister

Undoubtedly one of, if not the best teams in the world right now. Discounting the controversial circumstances at Dreamhack Winter of last year, Fnatic are enjoying the time of their lives. Top 4 finishes date back to Gfinity of last year, and 2015 has already started out well for the team. 1st place finishes at ClutchCon and the Pantamera LAN, alongside wins in the online tournaments FPL Challenge and  King of Majors overshadow a disappointing finish at MLG Aspen. This period of dominance includes wins over the best team in Europe and North America.

The clear favourites to top group A are also looking like favourites to take the gold in Katowice, with their only major competition at the moment coming in the form of EnvyUs, formerly known as LDLC. The boys in Orange should have no issues seeing of Na’Vi, Vox and Flipsid3 in this group to take the top spot into the knockout stages.

Key player (s) - Pronax Pronax, the in game leader for Fnatic. He has the tools in front of him in the form of JW’s AWP skills and the mad fragger that is Krimz, but it’s his game knowledge and calls under pressure that drive this powerhouse forward. Even under pressure, it is he who keeps a cool head and is more than happy to mix things up mid round if he believes that it is best for his boys.

Natus Vincere - Zeus, Starix, Seized, Guardian, Edward

One of the likely contenders for the 2nd playoff spot available in the groups, Na’Vi will be going in under some pressure, with Flipsid3 and even surprise package Vox Eminor looking quite strong going into the tournament. The team’s previous outing in a major tournament came at Dreamhack Winter, when a win over Team Dignitas but a loss to LDLC secured them a 3rd/4th place finish.

Inconsistency is a real issue for Na’Vi, the team continues to struggle when it comes to maintaining performances. There are no recent offline performances to draw from, however Na’Vi were able to string together some top 4 finishes towards the end of 2014. Recent online results haven’t been fantastic, but it’s not uncommon for the team to step it up at offline events.

Key Player (s) - Guardian Guardian is the primary AWPer for Na’Vi, that in itself is sometime enough to make the list but in this case Na’Vi often find themselves propped onto his back when things go south. The Slovakian star has been in the spotlight many years as a top player, and despite suffering from the same inconsistencies as the team, is often viewed as the star player of the lineup.

Vox Eminor - SpunJ, AZR, Havoc, TopGun, Jks

The surprise package from the offline qualifier, Vox Eminor took down Team 3DMax and the newly acquired Team Dignitas lineup to book their spot in the Katowice main event. The only team to represent the Oceania region makes their return after the team was invited last year, only to fall in the group stage after losses to LDLC and Team 3DMax.

Initially Vox Eminor and their qualification for the major was met with great surprise, and great celebration amongst the pro scene. Now though some people are giving the Australian team a real shot of progressing if they can repeat their performance in the qualifiers. The odds are against them, but they’re not completely out of it, and the team has already shown they can cause some upsets!

Key Player (s) - JKS It’s hard to pick a single player that’s been dominating for Vox Eminor. During the Katowice offline qualifier, every player on the lineup had between 35 and 42 kills in the 2 wins over 3DMax and Team Dignitas. JKS stood out the most during the qualifiers. The player consistently won rounds and had a total of +9 for both victories in the qualifier.

Flipsid3 Tactics -  WorldEdit, B1ad3, Markeloff, Bondik, S1mple

Formerly known as dAT Gaming, Flipsid3 Tactics brought themselves back from the brink of defeat to eventually qualify for the major. ‘tense’ would be the best word to describe the Flipsid3 qualifying campaign, after the team took a close victory over Team Liquid, they then fell to LGB Esports to battle it out in the lower bracket. Almost immediately it could have been over, after a double overtime against Gamers 2 saw Flipsid3 emerge victors. One final game against surprise package Piter stood between them and the major and F3 were able to easily brush aside the Russian team for the victory.

Flipsid3 will be looking to clinch the 2nd playoff spot in the group, but will be doing battle against the inconsistent and unpredictable Virtus Pro, and the surprising threat of Vox Eminor.  Recent performances online suggest F3 could struggle to outperform the favourites for that 2nd spot, Na’Vi, but as it is always said, offline is a different beast entirely.

Key Player (s) - WorldEdit WorldEdit stands out as the key player for Flipsid3, especially in recent times. Towards the end of their time as dAT Team and now their short period on Flipsid3, WorldEdit has been stepping up and providing big rounds for the team as they continue to try and find their spot in the world rankings. A strong performance from the Russian player is vital to their chances of progressing through Group A.

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