Monte huge favourites: Showdown East Europe qual preview

BLAST.tv

January 01, 1970

12:00 AM

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Although many Counter-Strike fans will have their attention focussed on the RMR, ours is also fixed on BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024.

Five of the six qualifiers for the event have already come and gone, and now it's time for the final one of those, the RES Eastern European Masters.

SAW, Timbermen, Imperial, Metizport, and Rare Atom have already booked their places at the event, but who will be the final team to join them?

The favourite: Monte

There is one team that stands above all the others in the event, and that's Monte.

Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

Since being taken down by GamerLegion in the quarter-final of the BLAST.tv Paris Major, Monte have gone from strength to strength, and find themselves in a great position at number ten on HLTV's team rankings.

Their foundations are built upon deadly Ukrainian trio Woro2k, sdy, and DemQQ, and it's a trio that has ensured they have been a consistent threat for the past year. Behind them is kRaSnaL and br0, two players who are also formidable and both capable of taking over games to ensure their team a victory.

When it comes to the teams at the event, no one can boast the top level experience Monte has, and that experience should be key in allowing them to confirm their place in the Showdown.

The underdogs: B8, 500

With just one favourite for the event, it makes sense that there a couple of underdogs that will give Monte reason to be looking over their shoulders.

The first of those is B8, who do have some tier one LAN experience thanks to their appearance at the Paris RMRs. B8 have a strong AWPer in r1nkle, and alongside him is former NAVI star npl, who brings key experience to the team.

Photo: Michal Konkol

B8 are easily capable of pulling off an upset, so don't be too surprised if it's them who are stood in the Showdown instead of Monte.

The other big underdog is 500, who have been bolstered by the recent return of Rainwaker after his spell with Liquid. 500 is an experienced unit with plenty of time spent together, and that's the experience that can be invaluable when coming into events as an underdog.