TL;DR
- Brazilian team paiN Gaming faced significant scrim shortages at MSI 2021
- Top teams selectively practice against elite opponents, excluding wildcard regions
- Social media engagement doesn’t translate to practice opportunities
- G2 Esports confirmed avoiding wildcard team scrims
- The experience reveals systemic challenges for emerging regions in esports
Professional gaming’s practice culture came under scrutiny when paiN Gaming’s star marksman Felipe “brTT” Gonçalves voiced concerns about the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational scrim environment. The Brazilian veteran highlighted a troubling pattern affecting teams from developing regions.
During the group stage phase, the Brazilian representatives competed against MAD Lions, PSG Talon, and Istanbul Wildcats. While competitive matches provided valuable experience, the between-match practice sessions proved disappointingly scarce for the South American squad.
Incrível como os times da gringa entrosam nas rede sociais pra ganhar midia com o BR mas marcar uma scrimzinha nos worlds e msi n rola né ????
— Felipe Gonçalves (@brttOficial)
May 17, 2021
The experienced Brazilian marksman took to social media to express his disappointment with the selective practice habits of established teams. His Portuguese tweet translated to English reveals the core frustration: international squads eagerly engage with Brazilian fans online but avoid practice sessions when tournaments arrive.
“The contrast between social media enthusiasm and practice avoidance creates competitive disadvantages,” brTT explained. “Teams leverage our region’s passionate fanbase for visibility while denying us crucial preparation opportunities.”
This selective scrimming approach particularly impacts wildcard region teams who already face significant competitive hurdles. The practice gap becomes especially pronounced during critical international events where every practice session matters.
Elite competitors at the tournament demonstrated careful partner selection, often bypassing teams from emerging regions despite geographical proximity. With paiN Gaming grouped alongside MAD Lions and PSG Talon, potential practice options were naturally constrained from the outset.
Standard tournament practice protocols typically include sessions with local region teams. For MSI 2021 hosted in Europe, this should have meant access to LEC organizations, yet paiN Gaming’s jungler Marcos “Cariok” Oliveira confirmed limited opportunities beyond fellow wildcard region representatives.
The scarcity of quality practice becomes a strategic vulnerability for teams aiming to compete against established regions. Without access to top-tier practice partners, developing regions struggle to close the competitive gap, creating a cyclical disadvantage that affects tournament performance and long-term growth.
G2 Wunder talks about scrimming MSI teams
European powerhouse G2 Esports maintained an exclusive practice schedule, as revealed by top laner Martin “Wunder” Hansen during a recent podcast appearance. The Danish player detailed their strategic partner selection focusing exclusively on elite competitors.
“Our scrim philosophy prioritizes quality over quantity when preparing for international competition,” Wunder explained. “We specifically avoided wildcard region teams including Pentanet and by extension, paiN Gaming.”
G2’s practice roster included Royal Never Give Up, PSG Talon, and North America’s Cloud9. This selective approach reflects common practice among top-tier organizations who believe facing elite competition provides superior preparation despite limiting partner diversity.
The Brazilian representatives concluded their MSI 2021 campaign with a 2-4 group stage record, falling short of rumble stage qualification. Despite the practice limitations, the team gained valuable international experience that could benefit their domestic performance.
paiN Gaming now returns to Brazil’s competitive circuit where they’ll compete in the upcoming summer split. Their performance will determine whether they secure another opportunity at international competition during the 2021 World Championship.
The experience highlights systemic challenges facing emerging regions in professional esports. Without consistent access to top-level practice partners, teams from developing scenes face persistent competitive barriers that require strategic solutions and potential format adjustments from tournament organizers.
Action Checklist
- Establish pre-tournament practice partnerships with international teams
- Document practice session availability and quality for tournament feedback
- Develop regional practice consortiums to improve collective bargaining power
- Create standardized scrim protocols for fair practice distribution
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » paiN Gaming’s brTT complains about lack of scrims at MSI 2021 Exploring the scrim culture divide at international tournaments and strategies for emerging regions