It is still early in the Elisa Invitational Winter 2021 Main Swiss Stage but with four spots available at the main event, you can bet your bottom dollar that teams will be desperate to start quickly and get ahead of the rest of the pool, which is fairly large at this event.

Here is how the teams have stacked up so far and a look at the teams that have created an advantage for themselves.

Teams to look out for going forward at Elisa Invitational Winter 2021

The team to watch for most intently would be world No. 9 Entropiq, who started this event with an upset loss against world No. 228 AGF in straight maps. Entropiq were beaten 16-13
in Vertigo and 16-12 in Ancient, which now puts them in Swiss Round 2 facing elimination matches. Their progress will have to be monitored closely as this tournament progresses because it could be a moment of reckoning for the team with so many high-profile CS:GO events coming up.

Sprout have started well, beating Finest and Dignitas comfortably in their first two matches to attain a round differential of +21. They are currently ranked 23 in the world, and have an average age of 22.4 in their roster. That is indicative of the experience this team possesses, and could be one to watch for if they can maintain their early-tournament form.

Ecstatic are currently looking to get on top of the board but that also includes a 2-1 win against Enterprise, with a round difference of +16 (40 rounds won and 24 lost). If they win a clean series vs AGF they will climb up to the top portion and almost secure their Playoffs. There is plenty of promise in that squad, including Wolfy and Daffu.

Another notable name in this pool is Dignitas, a team that has moved up and down the CS:GO rankings in the last few months and years. There have been a few personnel changes but the core of their roster has been around for quite a while now, including F0rest and Hallzerk. Heap has been the standout performer for the team, producing 0.75 kills and 0.68 deaths per round in the last 51 maps he has played. He is clearly their long-range specialist as evidenced by his headshot rate of 59.3%. Dignitas will continue to push their boundaries, and would have additionally picked up some momentum and confidence after beating 777 2-0 in their previous match. However, the momentum was quickly shatterd by Sprout in Round 2, leaving them in the mid pack neither here nor there.

Finally, it might also be worth keeping an eye on two other teams – Fnatic Rising and Lynn Vision – as they aim to rise out of their team B status. There is plenty of promise, with players
brimming with talent. As you would expect, both teams started with losses. Lynn Vision, with an all-China roster, could pick up some rhythm because they have been around for longer but they may have to settle for a sub-50 ranking in the world for a while longer if they can’t find some success quickly.

These are only some of the storylines that are building up at the Elisa Invitational Main Qualifier. These matches continue to come quickly this week, where more narratives will start to form. If you’re following CS:GO intently, you might want to check out some of these matches and teams as this tournament progresses.

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