The four of the best teams in the Wargaming.net League will battle in the Champion Rumble on December 17. They will be fighting for a share of the US$160,000 prize pool and for a spot in the Grand Finals 2017 reserved for the first place finish!
NA’VI
One of the greatest Wargaming.net League teams of all time, Na’Vi have been a staple of nearly every CIS season final and international event since their founding in 2013. They did not finish as well in the regular season as they have in the past with a 14-4 record, but they made it count when it mattered to win the CIS playoffs this season after beating Not So Serious 7-1 in the semifinals to earn a place at the Champion Rumble. Then, Na’Vi won a close finals 7-6 over Hellraisers to earn another CIS Season Championship.
Na’Vi have found success in the international scene as well, with a third place finish in the Grand Finals 2015 and a first place finish in an unforgettable Grand Finals 2016 as well as the Grand Finals 2014. With one of the best records in Wargaming.net League history, Na’Vi have an advantage over their first round opponent, Kazna Kru, in this Champion Rumble. In fact, both times Na’Vi and Kazna Kru have met, Na’Vi have been victorious.
DING
After an undefeated 18-0 season in the Wargaming.net League Europe, DiNG continued to impress with their performance in the European Finals and the Challenger Rumble. They continued their win streak, defeating Oops 7-6 and Kazna Kru 7-5 to win the European Championship this season and a berth at the Champion Rumble. Then, DiNG made the trip to the Challenger Rumble where they once again could not be beaten. Although, Kazna Kru did come closer than anyone has before in an incredible finals where DiNG eventually emerged victorious in overtime.
Before the Challenger Rumble, DiNG had no previous international event experience. However they didn’t let that stop them in the Challenger Rumble. We will have to see if they can continue to win even with their first round opponent, TORNADO, formerly known as Hellraisers. DiNG have the best chance for a European team to break through the barrier of CIS teams to play in the finals, something that hasn’t been done before in any of the Grand Finals.
TORNADO
TORNADO are one of the most feared teams at the Champion Rumble even though you may know them better by their former name, Hellraisers. TORNADO also had a 14-4 record this season but they actually had a slightly better season than Na’Vi this year by scoring a single point over Na’Vi because of an overtime match. TORNADO went on defeat Brain Storm 7-1 in the CIS semi-finals to earn a place here at the Champion Rumble but ultimately fell to Na’Vi in the finals 6-7.
TORNADO has also been one of the most successful teams in their two Grand Finals appearances with a first place victory over EL Gaming in 2015 and a close second place finish after losing to Na’Vi in 2016. They will look to continue their international success against DiNG in the first round of the Champion Rumble.
KAZNA KRU
Kazna Kru, one of the most storied teams in the Wargaming.net European League, should never be counted out. Although they finished 11-7 on the regular season, they fought their way through to the WGLEU season finals where they weren’t able to defeat DiNG, but still booked a trip to the Challenger Rumble. At the Challenger Rumble, they defeated the North American Champions Apex in order to meet DiNG once again in the Challenger Rumble finals. Unfortunately, they lost to DiNG in overtime but they were still able to clinch a spot at the Champion Rumble through their performance.
No newcomer to these international competitions, Kazna Kru participated in the last two Grand Finals where they placed in the top eight both times. Kazna can be very unpredictable at live events, so it would not be out of the question to see them win against Na’Vi in the first round. Although, it would definitely be an upset if they were to win.
WATCH
You can watch all of these teams battle it out for their share of the US$160,000 prize pool and a spot in the Grand Finals 2017 on wgl.gg/watch! The Moscow Champion Rumble will take place on Saturday, December 17 starting at 12:30PM MSK, 10:30AM CET, and 1:30AM PT.
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