(Continued from above)

#34 Team Television 2 (7-9), <FS: 34>

This team was kind of the dividing point between the lower part of mid-open and low-open. Admittedly these are kind of arbitrary cutoffs I made up in my head, but it kind of makes sense. They had no trouble rolling through the teams listed below, but only won two rounds total to teams I ranked above.

#35 AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN (6-9), <FS: 37>

AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN was on the lower end of open, but was at least the top of low open. They bulldozed most of the newbie mix teams and nearly upset a weakened version of Free MrU.

#36 w3rldw1de rUn d0wn (7-9), <FS: 35>

As an unfortunate side effect of having to claim forfeits, they ended up matched against mid-open or better teams toward the middle of their season in spite of being a team of new players. The scheduling settled out toward the end and gave them some fairer matches and a few wins.

#37 Carbon Overdose (7-9), <FS: 33>

Most of their season was pretty rough, but they did get a close win over Tism of Awe, a narrow 5-4 victory. Even if the season doesn't go great, those close matches like that make the game worth playing.

#38 Tism of Awe (6-10), <FS: 39>

All in all, a pretty typical run for a newbie mix team. Similar to most other newbie mix teams, the early part of the season was rough. They survived the storm long enough to make it to the point with actual fair matches, and managed to pick up 4 non-FF wins before the season came to a close.

#39 The Hard Pack (4-12), <FS: 44>

After a taking a tough 3-4 loss, The Hard Pack finished strong with a 5-3 victory over Mans Gotta EATsports. Maybe they didn't end up with a great record, but it's always nice to finish out on a win. Not that I'd know anything about that though.

#40 Mans Gotta EATsports (5-11), <FS: 42>

These guys are so dedicated they made it to a 12:30 Eastern match. Other than that, their situation was kind of similar to w3rldw1de rUn d0wn's.

#41 The Breakfast Club (6-10), <FS: 41>

As with most newbie mix teams, the start of their season wasn't so hot, but fortunately, they managed to get a couple of real wins at the very end of their season. They concluded with a narrow victory over fellow newbie mix team, The Hard Pack.

#42 garbage bread (3-12), <FS: 46>

Among the lower standings in open, there was a surprising amount of parity this season. Even though Garbage Bread comes in last on the list, unlike some previous season newbie mix teams, they at least managed to get a decent number of rounds. Their only non-FF wins were 6v5, but more importantly, they managed to stick with it and finish out the season which is more than many other teams can say.

Dead/Unranked Teams:

Crayon Eaters eSports (6-10), Peak: #12

Thicc Six Beer League (4-10)

Apparently, a pretty casual team. They had some decent players but I figure they didn't really care too much either way and just wanted to play one last season.

next up (3-7)

Instead of either playing or just forfeiting like most teams, these idiots told me they'd show up and then baited after I had already paid for one of my players which I had to do to make sure I had enough players. I hate CS:GO teams. I wanted to play an actual TF2 match in the final fucking season but nope, I ended up scheduled against 3 teams of useless CS:GO cunts who just want some stupid .png badge on their profile that no one cares about.

ISGN - arembee (0-6), 1 game for the badge (1-7), Magic Squirrels TF2 (1-5), suttis money crew (1-9), GoodGame PR (0-6)

Other assorted CS:GO dummies who wasted the time of people who actually want to play TF2.

tommy GANG (2-8)

The gang had a number of last season's Enjoy Freezing players gathered up, but they appear to have died before the start of the season. Several of them went on to join P4rsa's Big Guys with Small Dogs team.

Black Trash Bagz (0-10)

A few people made their ESEA debut mixed in with a few guys with experience. After an unpleasant 0-4 start, they dissolved.

Coon Platoon (1-7)

I was hoping to see the final chapter of the Coon Platoon, but they decided to do something else. In memory of the Coons, here's their S24 frag vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlCV1R1k71M

There we go (1-5)

The former 12-4 lobby god open team ended up not playing this season. Although it appears they might be reforming for RGL?

Dab on everyone (1-9)

Their roster was set to be a respectable mid open team, but they died after their first and only game - a loss to eventual playoff team ANGRY DOG NOISES.

-30- (10-6), <FS: 18>

Lastly, my team, which of course I can't rank due to being biased. No one is reading this to hear me talk about myself, but to be brief, it was a fun season and a huge improvement compared to the previous seasons I've played in (missing playoffs by 1 round was big sad though). Thanks to my teammates (especially our MVP HP) and everyone else that helped us out, as well as everyone who scrimmed us, as it made writing this series a lot easier. I'm not sure if anyone bothered to read this far, but if you did, I really appreciate it and I hope at least some of you guys found what I wrote to be worth your time.

(Continued from above)

#13 Free_MrU (10-6), <FS: 16>, [-2], Peak: #11

At last, the fight to free Mr. U is over as the team makes playoffs by the thinnest of margins. They got a little screwed last season with an unlucky schedule, but this time, it all (just barely) worked out because I was incapable of winning a single round against Late To Mid.

#14 OK Boomers, formerly OK Kids (10-6), <FS: 15>, [-1], Peak: #5

The OK Kids/Boomers have played in 10 ESEA seasons, yet only reached playoffs once before. It was a close call, but in this last ESEA season, they managed to sneak in. Even with 6 losses, all of those were reasonably close games except for their two Product matches where they got whacked.

#15 SkyZ Gaming (11-5), <FS: 9>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #10

This bubble contender ended up with an almost perfectly symmetrical record of 5 wins, 5 losses, and then 5 more wins. And then another win that throws off the whole symmetry. They looked like they were in trouble mid-season with that 5 game loss streak, but a dominant win over Frantic Gaming put them back on the right track.

#16 Nav eSports (8-8), <FS: 25>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #14

In the end, NAV eSports proved to be the lesser rapper-based eSports team this season with a loss to and lower final standing than Soulja Boy eSports. Pretty consistently, they were able to put up a strong showing against a number of good teams with 3 of their losses being 3-5 to playoff teams. A single win could've put them into playoff contention, but each time, they came up a little short. Their record ended up the same as last season's at 8-8, but I think this Nav eSports + Retards of the Carribean lineup was still an improvement over their season 30 iteration.

#17 Rudys 6v6 and BBQ (10-6), <FS: 13>

The BBQ team was off my radar for most of the season, but they slowly crept up the standings and in their final game, pulled off a clean sweep of the OK Boomers on Product. TaylorGang AKA FunniBunni put up an massive 33:5 K:D with over 440 DPM. I don't know if they're just the better team or if it's just the typical Product upset magic, but either way, they did enough to make playoffs in the nick of time.

#18 HWASAS THIGHS (9-7), <FS: 19>, [-4], Peak: #6

Based on what I've seen, I might put these old vets a couple of places higher, but they haven't played a game since June 10th so I have no idea how they stack up at this point. I guess it doesn't matter either way since they didn't make playoffs.

#19 Holy Ghost Baptism (9-7), <FS: 20>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #14

In their first serious game of the season, they hit big with a 5-2 win over the notoriously up-and-down Good Damage 3. Unfortunately, none of their matches after that lived up to that win. Similar to Nav eSports, they had a few competitive games that could've turned the tides, but in the end, they were stuck just outside the bubble. A final 0-5 loss to ANGRY DOG NOISES put the ghosts to rest.

#20 Team Frantic (8-8), <FS: 24>, Peak: #16

The Frantic crew returned for a casual for-fun season. Similar to the OK Boomers, they seemed make most of their losses competitive, but underperformed against theoretically weaker teams on Product. Nonetheless, they won their final two games to make a solid 8-8 record. Not as good as their previous days, but not bad for a no-scrim fun season.

#21 arena_legacy (10-6), <FS: 17>

Like Rudy's BBQ team, arena_legacy was under the radar until they ended up with 10 wins. Their only real quality win was over The CUM near the end of the season so I'm not sure if they had a good night or if they just made considerable improvements over the course of the season. Either way, the cards almost fell just right for them as they were only a single round away from making playoffs.

#22 The CUM (9-7), <FS: 23>, [-7], Peak: #15

As mentioned in a previous edition, The CUM had a horrible start with several forfeit losses and a 5v6 loss. Things went a bit better after they upset Soulja Boy eSports, but they soon forfeited another by mistake. Despite some disappointments, they still managed to finish out with a positive record at least.

#23 nkccs- (9-7), <FS: 21>

The "Not Kinda Cool Comp Squad" (wtf does this name mean?) returned for it's fourth season and second ESEA season. Rain of Light left briefly, but returned mid-season and helped guide them to a slightly improved record of 9-7 (8-8 previously).

#24 Big Guys With Small Dogs (8-8), <FS: 29>

This line-up had quite a bit of potential, but didn't really live up to it for one reason or another. Many of their players had experience playing with each other in mid-high open teams, plus Benroads and Phoxx were solid additions. As for results, their only non-FFWs were to a casual low open team and a close match with a decent mid-open team.

#25 ambos scruff (7-9), <FS: 32>

I remembered the old Season 8 days of Avoided terrorizing open, so I was excited to see Fearless back in action, even though he only played in one game. As a whole, Ambos Scruff was actually a bit better than their negative record suggests in my opinion, and they definitely improved a good amount since the start of the season. It was unlucky that their season concluding match had to be played essentially 5v6 due to technical difficulties.

#26 Riverside TF (6-10), <FS: 38>

The obligatory highlander team of the season showed off their king of the hill skills with an 4-0 upset over Free Mr. U early in the season. Aside from that, they never got another chance on Product and didn't manage to pick up any other wins of a similar caliber. Still, they were at least a solid mid-open team.

#27 Big Door eSports (8-8), <FS: 27>

These guys were kind of my baseline for mid-open this season. Not amazing, but not bad either. They competed well against mid-open competition, rolled over lower tier competition, and lost to high open teams. About everything went as expected for a perfectly balanced 8-8 final record.

#28 epic style (8-8), <FS: 26>

To summarize, a very back-and-forth season. Never really had a major streak for better or for worse. I don't remember anything else about this team aside from it having pug group legend Bezels for a few games.

#29 Purple Plus 2 (7-9), <FS: 31>

The Underducklings came back with a new roster, and for the most part, did about the same as they did last season. They suffered a massive loss streak starting at week 4, but managed to turn it around and beat their scrim rivals Rex and the Rapture for a razor thin 4-3 streak breaking win.

#30 Muddy University (9-7), <FS: 22>

The mud men took a lot of brutal losses early on against a fairly stout schedule. They rallied back and nearly crept into late playoff contention, but their loss to Epic Style brought their redemption arc to an end.

#31 Rex and the Rapture (8-8), <FS: 28>

A former newbie mix team, Rex's raptors for the most part stayed together and came back to finish with a better record than last season - an even 8-8 as opposed to the previous 6-10. They also had a little help from fellow newbie mix graduates and former opponents Bird and Flamewarist who filled out their roster when they were needed.

#32 Ratz Team (7-9), <FS: 30>

They managed to collect a few decent wins, but unfortunately, were only the second best rat pack in open.

#33 Envision Crew (7-9), <FS: 36>

The long-running Sidular squad has been up and down many times throughout its 9 season journey through open. Last season a was a definite down, and this one, although not great, was at least a better note to end on.

(Continued below due to character limit...)

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 7 of 7, 6/29/19
Final update

And now, the thirtieth and last regular season of ESEA TF2 draws to a close. Good luck to everyone in playoffs, but before that, I've got one more rankings update to wrap up everything (just in case anyone still cares).

Also, since I probably wrote way too much and I don't have an editor, TLDR version here: https://pastebin.com/P1wDYdR7

Key: #Rank TeamName (Record), <Final Regular Season Standing>, [Change in rank if ranked previously]
__________

#1 TheMedicAcademy (16-0), <FS: 1>, Peak: #1

To the surprise of almost no one, The Medic Academy completed their perfect regular season. They cut it close
against Good Damage 3 at the very end, but aside from that, they didn't have too much trouble from even the best of teams. Lucky for them, the 16-0 curse only applies to IM, so without something very strange happening, they're going to be heavy favorites to extend their winning streak to 20 and win the final season of ESEA TF2 Open.

#2 Late To Mid (13-3), <FS: 3>, [+2], Peak: #2

The old invite veterans' last ride turned out to be quite a success. Although they stumbled against Good Damage 3, their other results were otherwise impressive. I moved them to #2, but really, anyone in the top 4 has a strong
chance to make finals depending on how the cards fall, and I don't think any but TheMedicAcademy are significantly better than each other.

#3 nice guys (13-3), <FS: 4>, Peak: #3

The Nice Guys got off to a slow start with three forfeit wins and a definitive loss to the toughest team in the division, but after that, they proved themselves with close performances against top teams and a string of quality wins against other playoff level contenders. They'll near certainly make semi-finals, potentially even finals.

#4 The Perfect Sip (15-1), <FS: 2>, [-2], Peak: #2

Even though this season's iteration of the Popo/John Milter team wasn't stacked with former Invite talent like it was
last season, their players were all still high quality and they finished with the same record as season 30's The Boomers
at 15-1. Their chances of making finals heavily depend on who they have available in playoffs, as their line-up in their last match nearly came up short - they scraped by Yarn Legacy by only 1 round. Against Late To Mid or Nice Guys, that might not be enough.

#5 Cheep Cheep (12-4), <FS: 5>, Peak: #2

Cheep Cheep had a rough couple of weeks in the middle with some unfortunate roster availability leading to a forfeit
and several other losses to top teams. Otherwise, they've remained around the top of the division as expected. They're a dark horse to make semi-finals, but on the right night, they could definitely overthrow one of the above teams.

#6 Yarn Legacy (10-6), <FS: 14>, [+3], Peak: #6

Bobby's boys tripped up at the start with a loss to the wax munchers. Not a great start, but after switching Bubbzi to medic and adding Playmo, things turned around and they went on a 9 game win streak throughout May. As they tried to extend their streak to 10, they had to call on an emergency sub and ended up losing a close game in overtime. Their remaining schedule put them in a precarious position as they needed 1 more win, but were set to play the top tier of teams in their final 5. After suffering several big losses, they finally managed to bring home their 10th win on Product over Rats on Acid. Unfortunately, they ended up with a shitty playoff seeding since they've had to play a fairly difficult schedule.

#7 rats on acid (11-5), <FS: 7>, [-1], Peak: #6

The rats started out as an off-classing friend team, but gradually evolved into something better as several founding members had to move to sub, a few replacements were added, and a player or two switched up classes. The result turned them from decent mid-high open team to top 8 regular season finisher.

#8 Good Damage 3 Endgame (10-6), <FS: 11>, [-1], Peak: #7

With a number of roster changes and a casual playing schedule, the final chapter of the Good Damage trilogy was all over the place. They lost some they could've won, and yet, also upset Late To Mid to secure their third playoff appearance. And in their final match, they came within a hair of ending TheMedicAcademy's perfect 16-0 regular season (granted, TheMedicAcademy was missing Unicorn_Wizard). Considering how up and down they are, I'm not sure what to say about this team. Expect the unexpected. Or sometimes just expect the expected. I don't know.

#9 ANGRY DOG NOISES (12-4), <FS: 6>, [-1], Peak: #8

Unlike most other high open teams, the dogs don't have any starting players with experience above Open. Some of them didn't have even an open match played before this season, so it's nice to see a true open team succeeding in open. They didn't have the hardest schedule, but they do have some good wins such as their hard fought victory over Good Damage 3. Speaking of which, they'll have a chance to assert their superiority over Good Damage 3 once again as their first round playoff matchup is a rematch with them.

#10 smol aproachable brests (10-6), <FS: 10>, [+2], Peak: #3

This team has been a pain for me to rank all season, but after about two months of trying, I think here is about a reasonable spot. A few of their losses were a bit surprising, but aside from their match against TheMedicAcademy who kind of shit on almost everyone, they were never completely out of the fight. Arguably their best match was their final win against Soulja Boy eSports where they came back from 0-3 to win 4-3.

#11 soulja boi esports (10-6), <FS: 10>, [+5], Peak: #6

I expected Soulja Boy eSports to be among the top 8 by the end of the regular season, but several close losses put them in jeopardy of missing playoffs. Their last two games were must wins, and with little trouble, they managed to win out and secure their playoff spot.

#12 The Zam Theorem (11-5), <FS: 8>, [-2], Peak: #10

Even as a semi-casual team, they seemed to improve quite a lot. They never beat any top contenders, but they did rack up a long string of mid to mid-high tier wins over teams like Riverside TF, HWASAS THIGHS, Holy Ghost Baptism, arena_legacy, and Nav eSports. Their final week didn't go as hot, but an 11-5 finish is a great accomplishment considering their relaxed scrim schedule and a rocky 1-3 start.

(Continued below due to character limit...)

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 6 of 7, 6/17/19
Final Monday update. Posting later than usual, but it's still Monday as promised right?

Writing about the same teams can get pretty repetitive over 7 weeks unless some interesting upsets happen. Luckily, there were a couple this week. Anyway, we're now approaching the finish line, and for better or worse, about to leave ESEA behind. The top 8 or so teams have basically sealed their playoff spot, but for the rest, a post-season spot is still up for grabs.
__________

#1 TheMedicAcademy (14-0)

Going into the final week, it looks like a clean shot to a 16-0 season finish for The Medic Academy. Free Mr. U and Good Damage 3 probably won't offer any challenges they haven't seen before.

#2 The Perfect Sip (12-1)

What I said last week still applies. It looks like a 15-1 finish for The [almost] Perfect Sip barring something special happening in one of their last matches.

#3 nice guys (formerly Goys R Us) (10-3) [+1]

This week, the Nice Guys successfully defended their spot from Rats on Acid in a close 5-3 win. That was their only match, so there's not much else worth mentioning for the re-branded Goys R Us. Even though they lost to Late To Mid recently, I moved them above Late To Mid since Late To Mid faultered against Good Damage 3. Still, overall, I think both teams are fairly close in skill level.

#4 Late to Mid (11-3) [-1]

Compared to the above few teams, Late To Mid is slightly more vulnerable. They still belong in the top 4 in my opinion, but they've come close to losing against Angry Dog Noises and Rats on Acid. On Sunday, they finally got knocked down a bit with a 4-5 loss to Good Damage 3. I'm still leaving them in the top 4 since it was a close loss and they have a win over most of the teams below.

#5 Cheep Cheep (10-4)

After a rough 2 weeks starting with an upset loss to Rats on Acid and ending with a forfeit to The Perfect Sip, Cheep Cheep has finally got back in the win column with dominant two wins over decent playoff level open teams.

#6 rats on acid (10-4)

The rats scurried up the ranks quickly with a 10-1 season start. As with most teams that dare to go on an early win streak, they ended up scheduled against a tough run of opponents and fell to 10-4. Even then, they showed they belong near the top as they played it very close with both Nice Guys (score: 3-5) and Late To Mid (score: 2-3). Fortunately, they've already beaten or lost to all the top dogs so the rest of their matches should be fair fights. Not easy fights, but fair fights.

#7 Good Damage 3 Endgame (10-3) [+4]

Unlike last season where it came down to the final match, Good Damage has managed to get into playoff position early with a 5-4 underdog victory over Late To Mid. Was it just a good day for Good Damage or are they truly a top 5 team? If they are, they've got plenty of chances to confirm it in the coming week with equally tough if not tougher matches against Rats on Acid, Nice Guys, and The Medic Academy.

#8 ANGRY DOG NOISES (9-4) [+2]

Like many high but not top tier open teams, they've got a win-loss-win sandwich season going on due to the way ESEA matchmaking work. The bottom half of their schedule isn't as easy as their top half, but based on results so far, they should be able to finish with an impressive 12-4 record.

#9 Yarn Legacy (9-4) [-2]

Some unfortunate roster availability issues and an unlucky misplay on a Gullywash match have put a question mark on what could've been a guaranteed playoff spot. At minimum, they need one more win, but if they can't get their main 6 together, it's not a fully safe bet. I'm tentatively still expecting them to make playoffs, but right now, it depends on a lot of factors I don't know about.

#10 The Zam Theorem (11-3) [Prev: HR]

A couple of weeks ago, I would've expected Cheep Cheep to roll over The Zam Theorem. However, The Zam Theorem has really evolved from the middle of the road open team they were pre-season, and the results show with solid wins over NAV eSports and Hwasa's Thighs.

#11 Free_MrU (10-4) [+1]

They told me to remove them from the rankings if they lost but I don't think they're that bad. In a repeat of last season, they got two of the toughest teams in the division for their last two matches. Fortunately this time, they're sitting in a much safer spot with 10 wins instead of 8.

#12 smol aproachable brests (10-4) [+1]

In a second half comeback, Smol Approachable Brests fought back from a 3-0 deficit to reverse sweep Soulja Boy eSports with a 4-3 victory. Even in the worst case scenario that they lose their last two matches 0-5, they should be in a safe spot to make playoffs with 10 wins and 54 rounds won.

#13 OK Kids (9-5) [+1]

Their final ESEA season has been full of ups and downs, and now in the last regular season week, they're two wins away from matching their best open season record. At worst though, they probably only need 1 win to make playoffs considering they're doing well in the rounds won department.

#14 HWASAS THIGHS (9-5) [-6]

Their only real game this week was a loss to The Zam Theorem. Their other two were forfeit wins. One because the opposing team was dead, another because the other team was forgetful. Their last chance to make playoffs depends on winning one more game versus either OK Kids or Angry Dog Noises. I think both of those matches are about 50/50 tossups.

#15 The CUM (8-5) [Prev: HR]

With a small number of rounds won (34), The CUM needs to win out to safely make playoffs. Their scheduled match against Hwasa's Thighs would've been a solid chance to get a win, but like Dany and the Iron Fleet, they kind of forgot about it.

#16 soulja boy esports (8-6) [-7]

With a strong performance against (an admittedly weakened) The Perfect Sip, dominant wins over several bubble playoff teams, and some consistently good scrim results, I expected Soulja Boy eSports to be one of the top 8 teams. However, they ended up losing 2 critical matches this week: The aforementioned comeback by Smol Approachable Brests and The CUM's redemption game. Now their, chances hang in a delicate balance. Both of their remaining games are win or go home.

Honorable Mentions:

SkyZ Gaming (9-5) [Prev: #15]

I'm running out of things to say and dumb jokes to make, and I'd like to save some for the final update next week. To summarize quickly though, they should be a safe pick for playoffs unless they beef it in one of their last two games.

NAV eSports (8-6) [Prev: #16]

I figured from the start that their shot to make playoffs would come down to the wire, and with two games left, that looks to be the case. I expect them to beat Muddy University, but they'll need their A-game to take down Angry Dog Noises.

Holy Ghost Baptism (7-6)

They've consistently been a solid team, but twice now, winnable games have slipped past them. At this point, they've used up all their extra lives and they have to win out to make playoffs.

Other fringe playoff contenders (linked due to char. limit): https://pastebin.com/2v8e1x2y
__________

The final full 56 team wrap up will come a bit later than usual, after the last match has been played. Good luck to everyone still in the playoff race in their last few matches.

Edit: Re-posting so it shows up on the next page instead of the bottom of this one.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 5 of 7, 6/10/19
Updates every Monday probably.

As the season starts to wind down, the last race for playoffs is as tight as ever. 10 wins is far from safe, and with so many teams this season, even 11 wins won't promise a top 8 seed. A few teams have locked in their spot, but for most, it's still up in the air.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (12-0)

Now with only 4 games to go, pretty much all of their toughest competition is out of the way. At this point, it would take the perfect storm of circumstances and a next level performance for any of the remaining teams to upset The Medic Academy in the regular season.

#2 The Perfect Sip (11-1)

Popo, John Milter, PipeKing, and the remnants of Enoch eSports remain unbeaten aside from their loss to The Medic Academy. Much like The Medic Academy, the toughest tests have already been passed.

#3 Late To Mid (10-2)

At this point, the former invite trio have cemented themselves as the apparent bronze medalists in the division. Their only losses are to The Medic Academy and The Perfect Sip, and since those losses, they've picked up quality wins over Cheep Cheep, Goys R Us, and Yarn Legacy. They don't look quite as invincible as the The Medic Academy or The Perfect Sip, but just like those teams, the hardest work is out of the way now.

#4 Goys R Us (9-3)

goy randyw : ready up to lose
goy scott___ : were all drunk and were still rolling you
goy scott___ : are u finally gunna move us up to rank 2 in power rankings

Nope.

Still, they're basically a lock for playoffs since their next two matches should be wins, which will be enough to get them into the 11 win safe zone. I wouldn't say they're a lock for semi-finals, but there's a good chance we'll see them there.

#5 Cheep Cheep (8-4) [+1]

Although Cheep Cheep did better than most against The Medic Academy, most didn't do well at all. Their previous week losses are somewhat understandable considering they had to use a lot of subs. Having to forfeit a game was unfortunate, but at the least, it was a game they weren't favored to win anyway.

#6 Rats on Acid (10-2) [+2]

I couldn't think of anything interesting to write so I let talktotransformer.com write this part for me.

#7 Yarn Legacy (9-3) [+2]

The Yarn Legacy was undefeated in May, winning 9 straight. Disappointingly, their streak came to an end in an overtime loss after they were forced to use an emergency sub. With their full roster, they would've had a good chance to extend that streak to 10. Later in the week against Late To Mid, they were once again left without their full starting line up and lost 0-4. Apparently, their luck hasn't gotten any better as they're stuck using a scout sub for the upcoming week. In spite of the losses, they're still bumped up a bit since other teams fell.

#8 Hwasas Thighs (7-4) [+5]

The K-pop fans haven't had much of a winning streak going, but fortunately, they haven't had any losing streaks either.
This week, they're winners with a hard fought win over Soulja Boy eSports.

#9 Soulja Boy eSports (8-4) [-2]

I thought that they'd beat Hwasas Thighs, but when the time came, they came up short in a 4-5 loss. Fortunately, they got a chance to get back in the win column since they were, for some reason, scheduled against a team with a negative record shortly after. This time, things did go as expected with a 5-0 win for the soulja boys.

#10 Angry Dog Noises (8-4) [+2]

The dogs' (or are they the noises?) mid-season has been a tiring back and forth of wins, losses, and close games. Now with a forfeit win, the storm seems to be clearing up as the rest of their schedule is much more manageable.

#11 Good Damage 3 (9-3) [-1]

I'm not sure if they decided to go through with revising their roster, so I'm not sure if they've gotten better or worse. I moved them down not because of performance, but because of uncertainty as to who they'll show up with and how they'll look this week. Either way, even at 9-3, their final schedule isn't easy, so making playoffs isn't quite a lock yet.

#12 Free Mr U (10-2) [Prev: HR]

As their campaign to free Mr. U marches on, they now sit among the top of the divisional standings with a great record. However, several of those wins came with more effort expended than expected. Their performances versus NKCCS and AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN made them look very mortal. This week though, they showed they still have some pop with a great win over Smol Approachable Brests.

#13 Smol Approachable Brests (9-3) [-8]

Speaking of these guys, I can hardly decide where these guys stand. When I expect them to win, they lose. When I expect them to lose, they win. Either way, at 9-3 with 50 rounds won, they'd have to fuck up pretty hard to
miss playoffs.

#14 OK Kids (7-5) [-3]

The kids started out hot, and are now doing just OK. Their losing streak of 5 was broken with a forfeit win over Crayon Eaters eSports. As mentioned last week though, they still played pretty well during that losing streak and just barely came up a round short in two of those games.

#15 SkyZ Gaming (7-5) [Prev: HR]

SkyZ Gaming vs. Team Frantic was a crucial match for both teams, and SkyZ Gaming stayed alive with a dominant 5-0 victory. Cosa is a solid addition for Team Frantic, but nonetheless, it wasn't enough to even the odds.

#16 Nav eSports (8-4) [-2]

As they have for much of the season, the 2nd best rapper themed TF2 open team continues to float just at the edge of the playoff bubble. Once again, they came close to taking home a big win in their match against Free Mr. U, but after a close first half, the opposition pulled ahead.

Honorable Mentions:

The Zam Theorem (8-3) [Prev: NR]

The misleadingly named "Not Gay" team, now called "The Zam Theorem", had a lot of potential from the start of the season with a group of players with excellent DM. Their mid-season schedule has been fairly moderate in difficulty, but they have a good chance to make playoffs if they can keep it up in this last stretch.

The CUM (7-4)

Following their rough start, The CUM has gradually slithered its way back up the standings, performing well against mid-tier competition. This next week, it's finally time to prove they belong in the top 16 as they prepare to face their hardest competition since the first two weeks with matches against Soulja Boy eSports and Hwasa's Thighs.

Holy Ghost Baptism (7-5) [Prev: #16]

These guys looked promising early in the season with a clear win over the returning Good Damage team, but in these last few weeks, they've been struggling. They still have a shot at playoffs, but it's looking a bit dicey since OK Kids and Angry Dog Noises are tough matchups, and they need to win at least one of those to keep their playoff chances alive.
__________

Now that everyone's showed their hand over the first 12 games, there's still 4 more games for the contenders to bring it on home. Outside the top few, there's still critical importance in every remaining match. Most of the top open matchups have already been played out, now it's just a contest to see who can fill out the rest of the final 16.

My main criteria in order of importance:

1. Match performance vs. quality teams: If you beat or play well against good teams, you're probably good. I also
take into account special circumstances like if a team had to play without their main roster.

2. Match performance as the favorite: If lower level teams make it a close game, that's a negative.

3. Scrim results: I don't look at the result so much since scrims aren't always a good indicator for matches,
but if you're scrimming good teams and not getting rolled, that's a positive.

4. Potential: As in, if you have good individual players but aren't winning yet. I mostly used this when there weren't many matches to go off of yet.

5. Intangible factors: e.g., a team that practices often with the same roster will probably be ranked higher than a casual no-scrim team if all other things are equal.

I use this as a guideline and ask if team X would likely lose to most the teams above it, and then
ask if it would likely win against most of the teams below it, and adjust accordingly until the list feels right.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 4 of 7, 6/3/19
Updates every Monday probably.

Now just past the midpoint of the season, I expected a larger shake-up in the rankings. Aside from one or two matches, most went about as expected. Still, there's plenty of room for chaos among the the #10-#20 teams fighting to hit the magic 11 win number and secure their playoff spot.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (10-0)

Now the last undefeated team, The Medic Academy are on track to finish the regular season 16-0. Having already defeated The Perfect Sip, Late to Mid, and Goys R Us, there aren't many true threats remaining unless Cheep Cheep can pull off an upset this week.

#2 The Perfect Sip (9-1) [+1]

When they have all 6 starters playing, they seem to be the clear #2 team. They looked beatable against Soulja Boy eSports when they had to use a sub, but aside from that, they've performed as well as expected.

#3 Late To Mid (8-2) [+1]

The top three appears to have sorted itself out for the most part. Late To Mid put up a good fight against The Medic Academy and The Perfect Sip, but ended up losing to both. Nonetheless, they rebounded with a good win over Cheep Cheep, which makes it easy to place them among the top 5.

#4 Goys R Us (9-1) [+2]

In between all their trash talk in the middle of my match against them, one of them asked if I was going to move them up to #2. So far, no, but maybe soon if they can beat The Perfect Sip this week.

#5 Smol Approachable Brests (8-2)

I ranked them top 3 in my initial rankings, but a disappointing week 3 made me wonder why they weren't performing as well as expected. Since then, they appear to have gotten on the right track. Their scrim results seem to be going well and they've won all of their matches since then.

#6 Cheep Cheep (8-2) [-4]

I don't think they're taking the season too seriously since they show up to their matches with different rosters almost every time so estimating where they stand is kind of a crapshoot. At their best, they could be a few places higher, but on the otherhand, some of their lineups could be a place or two lower. They lost 1-4 to Rats on Acid, but to be fair, a lot of teams get upset on Product since it's a unique map. The rest of their week wasn't much better; they lost their next match to Late to Mid, although that result was less surprising. Regardless, no matter who they show up with, I think they're top 8 at worst.

#7 Soulja Boy eSports (6-3) [+3]

Their record sits at a modest 6-3, but behind the scenes, their scrim results show that they can beat almost any of the top teams on the right day. Their upcoming schedule is fairly light, so expect them to rise to 9-3 over the next week.

#8 Rats on Acid (9-1)

The rats started this weeks trip with a great upset over Cheep Cheep, winning on Product 4-1 with some help from Dom subbing in off the bench. Their next match against OK Kids was much less dominant, but nonetheless a victory with a final score of 3-2 in favor of the Rats. Perhaps sending Virgil back to medic and putting ZoomxZe on scout has been a worthwhile switch?

#9 Yarn Legacy (9-1) [+3]

Very quietly, Yarn Legacy has crept up the standings and is now on a 9 game win streak following a hard fought win
over Angry Dog Noises. If they want to extend that streak to 10, they'll need to play above and beyond their best
in their next match against Late to Mid.

#10 Good Damage 3 (8-2) [+1]

I was unsure about Good Damage v3 initially, but at this point, their season is already going much better than the last.
Now that they've decided to start scrimming more regularly, there's a good chance they'll rise even higher - assuming of course that they get the right pickups on soldier and medic.

#11 OK Kids (6-4) [-4]

The Kids are going through a rocky couple of weeks with 4 losses in a row. It's nothing to feel bad about though considering they only lost to good teams. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much respite in the future as they have some fairly challenging matchups against Good Damage 3 and Crayon Eaters eSports coming up.

#12 Angry Dog Noises (6-4) [-3]

Their story is very much similar to OK Kids - a good start followed by a streak of hard fought losses against good teams. Not much else worth repeating.

#13 Hwasas Thighs (6-4)

Yep.

#14 Nav eSports (7-3) [Prev: HR]

The Nav guys haven't picked up a big win since their first match against Team Frantic, but they've overall performed steadily well enough and took rounds off good teams, so I feel they deserve a spot in the rankings.

#15 Crayon Eaters (6-4)

I blame these guys for making 25% of the open thread about eating crayons. Their last two matches were a forfeit and a 5v6 in matches they were already the underdogs in, so not much else to report.

#16 Holy Ghost Baptism (6-4) [-2]

The Creature Feature just barely slides into the last ranked spot which I determined primarily by guessing. As mentioned before, I don't see much difference between the last few spots and the honorable mentions. They're all in a tight race to make the final ESEA-Open playoffs.

Honorable Mention(s):

Free Mr. U (8-2)

Artists formerly known as The N-Word Free Zone have a great record so far, but most of those wins have come against mid-tier competition. Their strongest win yet was a narrow victory over Team Frantic. At 8-2 already, they're in a good spot, but a win in the upcoming game against Nav eSports is critical to staying in the race since the climb won't get any easier from here.

SkyZ Gaming (5-5) [Prev: #16] and
Team Frantic (5-5)

Both of these teams had a hot start, but are now going through a rough patch. They're both barely still in playoff contention with the right luck, but they're set to face off against each other soon. The winner will likely keep their playoff hopes alive, while the loser won't.

Big Guys Small Dogs (6-4) [Prev: NR]

The forfeit win kings had trouble out of the gate, but their recent roster shakeup with the addition of the fantastic mister Phoxx might put them in the playoff race if they can get the right flank scout pickup.

The CUM (6-4) [Prev: NR]

Their team name is awful and they had equally awful luck in their first half of the season. However, they have good players and they've taken care of business with their relatively easy schedule, so perhaps they could come from behind to take one of the last playoff spots.
__________

While things this week went mostly as expected, there are still another three weeks left for weird shit to happen. Watch out for The Medic Academy vs. Cheep Cheep on Tuesday, The Perfect Sip vs. Goys R Us on Wednesday, and Cheep Cheep vs. The Perfect Sip on Thursday.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 3 of 7, 5/27/19
Updates every Monday probably.

The first few weeks are always a bit dull, but now with 4 weeks down, things are finally starting to get interesting as the matchups gradually become more even. There aren't many major jumps this week, but almost everyone shifted around a bit.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (8-0)

The Academy hasn't faced a true threat to their #1 spot since their match against The Perfect Sip. Next week, they'll finally take on another contender, Late To Mid.

#2 Cheep Cheep (8-0) [+1]

Unlike The Medic Academy, Cheep Cheep hasn't faced any of the other apparent top 4. However, they have had a steady stream of pretty good opponents and so far, have beat them all. Cheep Cheep and The Medic Academy remain the last two undefeated teams now. They haven't been scheduled against each other yet, but that matchup should be just on the horizon.

#3 The Perfect Sip (7-1) [+1]

After an imperfect week 3, The Perfect Sip has rebounded in week 4 with a dominant win over Rats on Acid and a tough but quality win against Late To Mid.

#4 Late To Mid (7-1) [-2]

While they fell down the rankings a bit with their loss to The Perfect Sip, they haven't fallen far. Their win over Angry Dog Noises has shown they still belong in the upper echelon.

#5 Smol Approachable Breasts, formerly Operation Starve B4nny (6-2) [+6]

I initially ranked this team at #3 early in the season, but they seemed to be performing below expectations in spite of having a strong group of players. Now, they seem to be doing a lot better with the addition of Grape Juice III. It may be too early to promote them back to top 5, but honestly, anything between #5 and #16 is a crapshoot guess right now.

#6 Goys R Us (7-1) [+3]

These gentiles have still had a soft schedule in league play, but it's hard to ignore how much success they've had in scrims against good teams. Once they start facing the remaining top teams, I think they have a decent chance of pulling off an upset or at least putting up a solid challenge.

#7 OK Kids (6-2) [-2]

The kids dropped two matches and two spots this week, but it's hard to fault them when they faced such a tough schedule. Their next week is a little easier, but still no walk in the park.

#8 Rats on Acid (7-1) [-1]

Not a whole lot to report here. Even though they're a good team, they couldn't slow The Perfect Sip's roll. Other than that, no real surprises.

#9 Angry Dog Noises (6-2) [-1]

Halfway through the season, Angry Dog Noises has already faced two top contenders in Cheep Cheep and Late to Mid. Next week, they're about to make it three with their match against The Perfect Sip. Even though the angry underdogs couldn't pull off the upset the first two times, they put up a good enough fight to show they still deserve a good ranking.

#10 Soulja Boy eSports (5-3) [-4]

After a hot start, the soulja boys have come under fire with 3 losses in their last 4. However, the end of the storm is in sight. Their next week appears to be a bit of a reprieve with two very winnable games.

#11 Good Damage 3 Endgame (6-2) [Prev: NR]

The final version of Good Damage, much like last season's version, didn't have the best start. Now at the median of the season, they've shown they're on the right track with some solid wins over pre-Juice Smol Approachable Breasts and Nav eSports.

#12 Yarn Legacy (7-1) [+1]

Compared to some of the erratic schedules of other teams here, Yarn Legacy has had a pretty fair schedule, and minus their first match loss, they've done well.

#13 Hwasa's Thighs (5-3) [+1]

As a not so serious team, predicting how they'll look each match is a shot in the dark. They rarely play with the exact same 6 so it really depends who they bring to match day.

#14 Holy Ghost Baptism (5-3) [+2]

Most of their match results went as expected, but their win over Good Damage 3 does complicate the rankings a little bit. They're a solid team on the playoff bubble, but they don't have much room for error from here on out.

#15 Crayon Eaters eSports (6-2)

In spite of their extreme crayon consumption, they couldn't stand against the 17% juice version of Smol Approachable Breasts. As some consolation, they picked up a win later in the week.

#16 SkyZ Gaming (5-3) [-6]

I was interested in seeing how they stacked up against Angry Dog Noises. Apparently, they weren't as eager since their leader forgot they had a match.

Honorable Mention(s):

Nav eSports (5-3)

Save for their first narrow win over Team Frantic, they haven't been able to pick up another real quality win yet. At 5-3, they're still in an alright place to sneak into one of the last playoff spots with the right roll of the dice.

Team Frantic (5-3)

They're in an almost identical situation as Nav eSports, and they appeared to be evenly matched based on their early season face off. No promise they'll make playoffs, but they're still in the race.

Free Mr. U (6-2) [Prev: #12]

I thought they would look much more dominant this week. At 6-2, they're in a great spot right now, but as the level of competition rises, they might need to clean things up a little bit for the latter half of the season to stay on track for a guaranteed playoff spot. Their recent match versus NKCCS was too close for comfort.
__________

As the final season of ESEA reaches the midpoint, the real fight for the post-season seeds begins. Expect next week's update to shake things up a lot more.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 2 of 7, 5/20/19
Updates every Monday probably.

This week, there were relatively few key matchups so I ended up investigating logs.tf more than usual. Furthermore, since the last release was posted behind schedule, there isn't as much change as expected.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (6-0)

While I can't confidently crown anyone the definitive #1 contender with so little info, I don't see any reason to move down The Medic Academy since they haven't played another match since last week and no one else has looked dominant enough to raise the question yet.

#2 Late To Mid (5-0)

Basically the same story as above except replace "#1" with "#2".

#3 Cheep Cheep (6-0) [+1]

Unlike the two mentioned above, Cheep Cheep actually did play a notable match (versus Angry Dog Noises). They dropped a couple of rounds, but nonetheless came out on top 5-2, affirming their place near the top of the list.

#4 Perfect Sip (5-1) [+1]

Recent results suggest that this iteration of the John Milter and Mr. Popo combo isn't as strong as last season's The Boomers (which makes sense because they don't have a bunch of invite players this time). Their last match against Soulja Boy eSports came down to overtime where The Perfect Sip came away with a less than perfect 5-4 victory. They did have to substitute a player mid-match, so to be fair, that might have caused some issues. Either way, it's still a solid win considering Soulja Boy eSports is a good team.

#5 OK Kids (6-0) [+3]

After some role swaps, re-orientation, and the addition of Lysol, they've gone from "maybe playoffs" to probably top 8. Their recent 5-0 win over SkyZ Gaming shows that this last season is probably going to be a bit better than OK for them.

#6 Soulja Boy eSports (4-2) [+4]

Soulja Boy eSports is currently halfway through tough stretch of games spanning OK Kids, The Perfect Sip, Holy Ghost Baptism, and The Medic Academy. True, they lost their last two games, but they made both of them close enough to say that they're near the top of the heap.

#7 Rats on Acid (6-0)

No significant change from last week. I don't really have anything to say but it looks weird if I leave this space empty.

#8 Angry Dog Noises (5-1) [+1]

Recent scrim results suggest that the Dogs and Rats are pretty close in skill levels. That said, I gave the Rats a slight
edge based on their greater pool of experience and stronger match schedule so far.

#9 Goys R Us (5-1) [Prev: HR]

The Goys boys have a pretty dead ESEA schedule full of FFWs and predictable results aside from their win over Midfright/Hwasa's Thighs. On the other hand, a look through the log archives shows that they've been performing well behind the scenes. I don't like to look too deeply into scrim results since there are many other factors to consider, but it wouldn't feel right to leave them out of the rankings either.

#10 SkyZ Gaming (5-1) [Prev: HR]

I wasn't sure if I underrated SkyZ Gaming, overrated Operation Starve B4nny, or maybe both, so it's hard to draw a conclusion from SkyZ's recent 5-4 win over Operation Starve B4nny. I think on paper, their upcoming match against Angry Dog Noises should help clear things up as to where SkyZ stands.

#11 Operation Starve B4nny (4-1) [-8]

Just based on the individual strength of their players, Operation St4rve B4nny should probably be higher on the list. In their last match, Screwball dropped nearly 60 kills. Regardless, the game is judged on rounds won and not kills, and they ended up just barely losing to the above mentioned SkyZ gaming 5-4. Perhaps they just need a bit more time to synchronize together?

#12 Free Mr. U (4-2) [-1]

As far as matches go, their schedule probably won't give us any new info any time soon. Their scrim results seem to suggest that keeping them ranked around this place is a good estimate, though.

#13 Yarn Legacy (5-1)

After losing to a bunch of crayon munchers to kickoff the season, they seem to be doing a bit better. Adding Playmo on roamer and moving BBZ to medic seems to be a more fitting use of the team's resources, so the future is looking pretty good for Bobby's boys.

#14 HWASA'S THIGHS, formerly Midfright (4-2) [-8]

#15 Crayons Eaters eSports (5-1) [-3]

While they've mostly continued to perform as expected in their most recent performances, I do think I overranked them slightly based on their win over pre-Playmo addition Yarn Legacy. That said, their next outing against Operation Starve B4nny is a good chance for them to show what they can do and move up.

#16 Holy Ghost Baptism (5-1) [-1]

I'm not really surprised by any of their recent results. I imagine their playoff chances are going to be up in the air throughout the whole season since I think their chances against many playoff bubble teams are coin flips.

Honorable Mentions:

Nav eSports (4-2) [Prev: #14]

I didn't move them down due to any fault of their own; it's just a crowded list. That said, I think everyone from about #15 through #20 are all pretty close, and after everyone's season has come to an end, there are going to be a few very disappointed teams.

Team Frantic, formerly Frantic Gaming (4-2) [Prev: #16]

They aren't really taking the season seriously, but the quality of their players is good enough that they still have a solid chance of taking one of the last playoff spots with the right matchups. Plus, many of them have experience playing with each other in past seasons anyway, so I imagine they don't need as much practice as some other teams to do well.
__________

Compared to how awful my first edition was last season, I think my first part was a lot better this time. Or maybe I just haven't had enough time to be proven wrong. We'll see.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 1 of 7, 5/15/19
Updates every Monday probably (this one was delayed for exams).

I wasn't planning on doing nerd essay rankings again, but I figured I might as well do it for the last season since it isn't that much work aside from the first one.

Keep in mind this is largely speculation since there's little info to go off of, so expect major changes in the next update if I do one.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (5-0)

My first somewhat random guess for the #1 spot. Three of the starting players have IM playoff experience and a few others have IM experience as well. I'm not sure who their medic Rockboss is since he has no prior ESEA history, but he seems to be doing good. Right now, they have a notable win over Mr. Popo and John Milter's team, The Perfect Sip,
which is a more valuable victory than any other team can lay claim to so far.

#2 Late to Mid (4-0)

Three old invite players return for one last adventure in ESEA. They haven't played in a while, but for open, it shouldn't be a big deal. Taiga, Crybaby, and a few others round out the rest of their roster well enough to make them contenders.

#3 Operation Starve B4nny (4-0)

This team has a number of strong players who are high open or IM level. To top it off, they have Screwball, one of the most experienced players in the division.

#4 Cheep Cheep (5-0)

A mish-mash of players with some Invite/IM experience and a few high open players. Most importantly, the legendary dflame has returned.

#5 The Perfect Sip (4-1)

Like it or not, the Mr. Popo and John Milter combo returns following 2 consecutive division wins. This time, they've filled out most of their roster with remnants of last season's top contender, Enoch eSports (AKA the FaceIt Super Team), so it's hard to imagine them placing outside top 6.

#6 Midfright (3-1)

I'm not sure how seriously these guys are taking the season, but they have a wealth of experience. I don't think they are top contenders, but I imagine they'll make playoffs without too much hassle.

#7 Rats on Acid (5-0)

Even though the rats aren't all on their main classes, they formed early enough pre-season to scrim a lot and get used to their roles. They've done good so far, collecting 4 wins with only moderate difficulty.

#8 OK Kids (5-0)

The kids have been together for a long time and now return for their 9th registered season. With some quality wins over Not Gay and Soulja Boy eSports, their final ESEA season is looking OK.

#9 Angry Dog Noises (5-0)

The best dog-themed team in open has faced fairly soft competition so far, but they've won in expected fashion without losing any rounds. Even though they haven't had much chance to showcase their skills in matches, they've performed pretty well in scrims.

#10 Soulja Boy eSports (4-1)

Although Team Win Steel did not win steel or open (they didn't even play steel), a number of it's players have reformed with the new, slightly less misleading, Soulja Boy eSports team. XBS on scout is an interesting choice for them. His first game against OK Kids didn't go great in terms of stats, but his deep experience and gamesense will allow him to contribute in ways not represented by the scoreboard, so it's hard to measure how much impact he'll have.

#11 Free Mr. U (3-2)

The N-Word Free Zone returns to seek social justice for Mr. U. They got upset 0-4 on Product, but considering they played a bunch of Highlander players, it's understandable that Riverside TF had more experience on the terrain. Their record sits at 3-2, but even in a loss, they were able to steal a few rounds from Cheep Cheep.

#12 Crayon Eater eSports (4-1)

None of these players have much apparent experience worth noting, but they've done well and picked up a good win over Yarn Legacy. Aside from a slightly amusing ESEA bio, there isn't much to say about them until they play a bit more.

#13 Yarn Legacy (4-1)

With so little to go off of, it's hard to make a strong judgement about the Yarn boys. I was surprised they lost to Crayon Eater eSports, but looking at their players, they have a ton of combined experience as well as a former invite player, so they've got a lot going in their favor.

#14 Nav eSports (3-2)

This iteration of Nav eSports is a fusion of last season's Nav eSports and last season's Retards of the Carribean. Their narrow early season victory over Frantic Gaming has shown that they are at the least in contention to make playoffs this season if they can keep up the good work.

#15 Holy Ghost Baptism (4-0)

Although lacking any big names, they seem like a competent team so far. They've defeated the third iteration of two time playoff team Good Damage, but it's unclear how good Good Damage is, so I'm not sure how much that win means right now. They'll have a chance to prove themselves soon versus Midfright, and they should be favored to win the Holy War against Rex and the Rapture, so we'll have to check back in next week to see where they stand. As of now, they're a mystery.

#16 Team Frantic (3-2)

The Frantic Gaming roster has went 10-6 twice previously. Now, like many other old rosters, it's been revived for the last chapter of ESEA. Their first two matchups were down to the wire - a 5-4 loss and a 5-4 win, but their most recent match ended in a more decisive loss versus Yarn Legacy. With how competitive some of their matches have been, it's hard to make bets where they'll end up when season comes to a close.

Honorable Mentions:

Skyz Gaming (4-0)

Placing teams this early in the season is mostly speculation, but this team, under the banner of an old MW2 clan, recently triumphed over Big Guys With Small Dogs (a remake of the two time 9-7 Cumber Crew) so I'd argue they're at least on the bubble of playoffs.

Good Damage 3 Endgame (3-2)

Good Damage returns for the third and final act. The roster is very different from last season, but there are still some familiar faces. They started off rough last season and managed to make playoffs, so don't let their start make you think they're out of the conversation.

Goys r Us (3-1)

They have some good players, but they haven't had many chances to actually play since their first three matches ended up FFWs and their sole real match was against one of the top teams. We'll have to wait for more data.

Big Guys Small Dogs (0-4)

A mixup of players from Cumber Crew and Enjoy Freezing. Their 0-4 start looks bad, but they've had a tough first round to be fair. Their next few weeks should be a good chance for the delicate dog lovers to recover. Still, a 0-4 start means there's little room for error from here on out.

Riverside TF (1-3)

These Highlander players might not be off to a hot start at 1-3, but their sole win comes against a good team, and their losses are all to good or great teams, so they're worth keeping an eye on.
__________

On an unrelated note, fuck all these CS:GO teams. I want to actually play the goddamned league I paid to play in instead of collecting forfeits.

Very smart player and caller from what I've seen playing with him a few times.

Roster
Scouts: HP, Kale
Roamer: XiPoison
Pocket: Ry4n
Demo: Titan
Getting Carried Medic: Me

Need subs right now for any class.

I can help you out with your league fee if we end up needing you to play.

https://steamcommunity.com/id/trashhhhhhhhf/

Non-Gameplay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4Rgnx2s2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3XpBECHi9I

Favorite ESEA frag vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=girr0whBCYg

Nice guy and a good player. Does well on flank & pocket. Also a really good sniper from what I've seen.