IEM Dallas 2024 preview: Can MOUZ make it three trophy wins in a row?
IEM Dallas 2024 kicks off today and is set to be the biggest offering of Counter-Strike on North American soil during the first year of CS2.
A 16-team tournament set to take place between May 27th and June 2nd, the teams involved will battle it out for the lion’s share of $250,000.
The winner of the event will also be awarded 1,400 points towards their BLAST World Leaderboard ranking - giving them a little extra bit of incentive if they want to make it to BLAST Premier World Final at the end of the year.
The event will also see the return of one of the NA CS’s greatest-ever players to their shores, so let’s take a look at the team he’ll be playing for and some of the favourites for the event.
Photo: Michal KonkolStewie2k returns in Group A
While MOUZ and Vitality might be the two favourites in Group A, all eyes will be on G2 as they are set to feature North American legend and Major winner Stewie2k as he steps into the team in place of HooXi who is absent with his sister’s wedding.
The other big story in Group A will be the clash between Liquid and Complexity, which is set to be the spiciest match in the opening round fixtures.
Group A teams:
- MOUZ
- 9z
- Complexity
- Liquid
- G2
- Falcons
- Vitality
- Monte
Group A opening matches:
- MOUZ vs 9z - 20:30 CEST
- Complexity vs Liquid - 20:30 CEST
- G2 vs Falcons - 19:30 CEST
- Vitality vs Monte - 19:30 CEST
FaZe look to bounce back in Group B
Group B features two more favourites for the event, Spirit and FaZe. All eyes will be on FaZe as they look to bounce back from their quarter-final exit at ESL Pro League Season 19, the first time they have failed to reach a grand final since the switch to CS2.
It won’t be easy for them though, their first game is against a plucky M80 team who proved they have what it takes to compete at the top with a win over G2 at Pro League.
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenGroup B teams:
- FaZe
- M80
- Virtus.pro
- HEROIC
- Spirit
- FlyQuest
- NAVI
- BIG
Group B opening matches:
- FaZe vs M80 - 21:30 CEST
- Virtus.pro vs HEROIC - 22:30 CEST
- Spirit vs FlyQuest - 21:30 CEST
- NAVI vs BIG - 22:30 CEST
The favourites
Judging by recent tournament placements, there are four favourites for the event: Spirit, FaZe, Vitality, and MOUZ.
Let’s start with MOUZ, the team currently ranked number one in the world, thanks to their wins at BetBoom Dacha and ESL Pro League Season 19.
MOUZ are in incredible form at the moment and have been consistently improving ever since the return of siuhy to the organisation last year. They seem to be Spirit’s kryptonite and made light work of Vitality in Malta, but could this be the first time they take down FaZe if they are to extend their consecutive trophy wins to three?
FaZe are the team in the best position to stop MOUZ, they have been a constant thorn in the young squad’s side for a long time. They may not have reached the final at Pro League, but witht heir eight grand final appearances, they have without a doubt been the strongest team in 2024 and CS2 thus far, could another trophy find its way into FaZe’s hands in Dallas?
Photo: Stephanie LindgrenIf they are to win the event, they will surely have to get past a resurgent Vitality to do so. Vitality have steadily been turning around their slow start to the year in the last few events, making the top four at the PGL Major Copenhagen and the grand final at Pro League.
It’s impossible to keep a team with ZywOo down forever, could Dallas be the time they claim their first trophy of 2024?
Finally, we come to Spirit, a team that will always be considered a favourite for any event they attend as long as they have donk.
Of course, they are far from a one-man team, but donk’s 2024 has been incredible, especially considering his young age.
His 1.47 rating at BetBoom Dacha saw him pick up his second HLTV MVP of the year in Belgrade, and the wonderkid will be determined to turn a second-place performance there into a first-place performance in Dallas.
