With dupreeh replacing cadiaN during the latest round of CS2 roster changes, you’d still have Heroic as favorites of Group A. Without an established AWPer and IGL, things could still get tricky for Heroic. Eternal Fire‘s impressive run at ESL Pro League Season 18 means we’ll be keeping a close eye on their performances, too.

In theory, Group B of the Roobet Cup 2023 should only have one winner – Virtus.pro. 2023 has been a quiet year for Jame and his team, but the quality is still there. On their day, they can beat anyone. We’re most excited to see Spirit, though. Their 16-year-old rifler donk is the biggest talent CS has seen in some time, with his run-and-gun style complimented by the new CS2 meta. We can’t wait to see donk tested against Tier 1 opponents.

Looking at Group C on the surface, you’d have to back Astralis as clear favorites. They were absent from IEM Sydney 2023, but this core of dev1ce, blameF, Buzz, Staehr, and b0RUP have looked impressive in recent months. However, don’t rule out BIG, who are notorious onliners. This is their domain, so they’ll feel right at home, even with the move to Counter-Strike 2.

Overall, Group D of the Roobet Cup 2023 is the hardest to call. NIP have brought in es3tag for hampus, but we think Monte will come out on top here. They’re so consistent in Tier 1 competitions, so should have enough to come through Group D. We think that they’ll be joined by Fnatic, who just have marginally more quality and big-moment players than NIP and OG.