3 big questions ahead of ESL Pro League 13’s group A

The highly anticipated ESL Pro League Season 13 launches with Group A action, bringing weeks of elite Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition to global audiences. This premier league represents the pinnacle of professional CSGO, featuring established powerhouses and emerging contenders vying for supremacy.

Group A’s opening matchups provide an ideal viewing opportunity for enthusiasts to evaluate rosters that remain relatively unknown quantities in the competitive landscape. These initial games serve as crucial proving grounds for teams seeking to establish their credentials against top-tier opposition.

ESL Pro League Season 13 group A teams:

• BIG
• Heroic
• Complexity
• OG
• Renegades
• FunPlus Phoenix

With Complexity leading the group as favorites, explosive gameplay is virtually guaranteed. However, for every dominant squad like Complexity, there exists a struggling organization like OG, which continues to encounter self-inflicted obstacles following its recent dismissal of veteran talent.

What’s going on with NBK and OG?

OG’s ambitious year-long Counter-Strike initiative appears to have reached a critical juncture following the roster’s decision to part ways with seasoned professional Nathan “NBK” Schmidt. This move effectively eliminates one component of the team’s complex leadership structure, but raises significant questions about internal dynamics and strategic direction.

The revelation from OG’s in-game leader Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen that rifler Issa “ISSAA” Murad cannot participate in team bootcamps due to connectivity limitations makes the timing of NBK’s benching particularly perplexing. Rather than addressing the practical challenge of ISSAA’s 100-ping connection, the organization opted to remove the player who originally conceived and assembled the roster.

Common Mistake Alert: Many analysts focus solely on individual player performance metrics when evaluating team struggles, but OG’s situation demonstrates how interpersonal conflicts and communication breakdowns can outweigh pure statistical performance in determining roster changes.

OG suffered a devastating defeat against Complexity during DreamHack Masters Spring 2021, with lopsided scores of 16-3 and 16-5 highlighting systemic issues. The team deployed former Heroic player Nikolaj “niko” Kristensen as NBK’s replacement, but temporary personnel adjustments cannot resolve fundamental organizational problems. Even with a talented substitute like niko, OG requires comprehensive structural reforms to regain competitive form.

Can FunPlus Phoenix find success in ESL Pro League Season 13?

FunPlus Phoenix has encountered substantial challenges establishing itself within the professional CSGO ecosystem. The Chinese esports organization experienced significant embarrassment last year when it lost an entire roster, but stabilized earlier this year by acquiring the former GODSENT lineup when that organization transitioned to an all-Brazilian roster composition.

The team’s stability was recently compromised when fifth player Chris “chrisJ” de Jong departed shortly before ESL Pro League Season 13. According to the organization’s management, contractual negotiations with chrisJ collapsed unexpectedly, disrupting what promised to be an exciting competitive debut for the revamped squad.

FPX promptly announced Miikka “suNny” Kemppi as chrisJ’s replacement. While FunPlus Phoenix maintains strong brand recognition within broader esports communities, it requires established player reputations to cultivate dedicated CSGO followings.

Strategic Insight: Former ENCE competitor suNny brings respectable skill but lacks the marquee name recognition necessary to immediately attract significant fan support. The upcoming tournament will provide crucial data points regarding the team’s potential ceiling and competitive trajectory moving forward.

Is Complexity a top-10 CSGO team?

Statistical rankings consistently place Complexity just outside the global top 10, but their Group A performance could demonstrate their readiness to build upon last year’s achievements. While Group A doesn’t represent the tournament’s most formidable bracket, elite teams demonstrate their caliber by decisively defeating inferior opponents. Complexity possesses this exact opportunity, beginning with their opening match against FunPlus Phoenix.

Among all Group A participants, Complexity arguably presents the most compelling viewing experience. In-game leader Benjamin “blameF” Bremer has remarkably balanced strategic command with individual fragging prowess, creating advantageous scenarios when confronting CSGO’s premier organizations.

Both Justin “jks” Savage and Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke have shown measurable improvement under their IGL’s guidance, establishing a reliable foundation around emerging AWPer talent Valentin “poizon” Vasilev, who has fully recovered from surgical procedures that sidelined him late last year.

Advanced Analysis: Complexity’s roster construction exemplifies modern team-building philosophy: while individual players may not rank among the absolute elite, their synergistic coordination creates a collective strength exceeding the sum of individual capabilities.

When combined with major tournament champion Will “RUSH” Wierzba, the squad presents formidable challenges for any opponent. A realistic pathway exists for Complexity to emerge from Group A undefeated, securing automatic playoff qualification for the ESL Pro League Season 13 finals. Successful Group A domination would firmly establish Complexity within CSGO’s upper echelon for the foreseeable future. For teams looking to improve their strategic approach, our BF6 Class Selection Guide offers valuable insights into team composition strategies.

When does ESL Pro League Season 13 start?

ESL Pro League Season 13 commences with Group A competition on March 8, concluding regular season play on March 29. The playoff stage of ESL Pro League 13 begins April 3, culminating in the championship final on April 11.

Which teams are playing in ESL Pro League Season 13?

ESL Pro League transitioned to a team-owned league model in 2020, featuring 12 permanent member organizations participating each season:

• Astralis
• Natus Vincere
• Vitality
• Team Liquid
• G2 Esports
• Complexity
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Evil Geniuses
• mousesports
• Fnatic
• FaZe Clan
• ENCE

Additionally, each ESL Pro League season extends invitations to numerous other teams determined by ESL’s global rankings and performance in lower-tier competitions. For Season 13, these invited teams include:

• Endpoint
• BIG
• FunPlus Phoenix
• Renegades
• Team One
• MIBR
• Cloud9
• OG
• Heroic
• FURIA
• Gambit
• Virtus.pro

Viewing Strategy: Casual viewers should focus on Complexity’s matches for high-level gameplay, while dedicated analysts might find OG’s ongoing struggles more instructive regarding team dynamics. For comprehensive competitive insights, our Battlefield 6 Complete Guide provides detailed tactical frameworks applicable to professional CSGO analysis.

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