The Latin American Pro League has been dominated by FaZe Clan, winners of their last 7 games with a round difference of 49-20 in those matches. The rest of LATAM has been a dead heat, with the bottom 6 teams separated by only 6 points. FaZe have already clinched the top spot, so the race for second is on. Immortals currently sit in second position, but are only 3 points ahead of last season’s Pro League champions Team Liquid. After Liquid it’s paiN and Team oNe both with 15, then BootKamp just above the drop zone with 13. Currently sitting in the relegation spots are Black Dragons and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Both of these teams have come on strong as of late, while BootKamp seems to have stalled out.
- FaZe Clan- 28 pts
Highest possible finish- 1st with 34 pts
Lowest possible finish- 1st with 28 pts
FaZe Clan have absolutely dominated LATAM, and with Liquid’s recent drop in form, they have sped past their biggest rivals into first place. They have already clinched the top seed for Rio, so their remaining games are meaningless to them. However, their matches are very important for their opponents. On Wednesday they will play Team Liquid, who, with a loss, would likely be eliminated from LAN contention. In their final game FaZe play Black Dragons, who will need points to escape relegation.
- Immortals- 21 pts
Highest possible finish- 2nd with 27 pts
Lowest possible finish- 3rd with 21 pts
Immortals have impressed this season, currently sitting in the second LAN spot. Their final two games are against BootKamp and NiP, two of the lowest placed teams in LATAM, so the chance of them getting victories is high. However, only one win won't be enough for IMT to make the finals, as Liquid holds the tiebreaker over them, meaning if they finish even on 24 pts, IMT would fall to third place.
- Team Liquid- 18 pts
Highest possible finish- 2nd with 24 pts
Lowest possible finish- 5th with 18 pts
Team Liquid have been very disappointing recently, first finishing last in their Paris Major group, then only picking up 4 points in the last 5 games. Their story is of contrast with FaZe, who it seems got better after a disappointing Major. In order to finish second they need Immortals to be held to gaining at maximum 3 points in the next two playdays. If IMT only get to 24 pts, and Liquid equal their total, Liquid go to Rio because of their earlier victory. Liquid's schedule does not favor them however, with two tough matchups against FaZe and Team oNe deciding the remainder of their season.
- paiN Gaming- 15 pts
Highest possible finish- 3rd with 21 pts
Lowest possible finish- 8th with 15 pts
It is a testament to how close Latin America has been this season that paiN Gaming could still finish 8th. The more consistent team out of the two with 15 pts, paiN have accumulated their 4 wins spread out across the season, including two over Team oNe. PaiN’s final two games see them face off against Ninjas in Pyjamas and BootKamp Gaming, two teams near the bottom of the standings. paiN will need just one win against either of those teams to avoid auto relegation. If Liquid fail to pick up a single win out of their last two games paiN could end up finishing ahead of them in third.
- Team oNe Esports- 15 pts
Highest possible finish- 3rd with 21 pts
Lowest possible finish- 8th with 15 pts.
Team oNe owe their position outside of the relegation places largely due to early season performance. They have only picked up 2 points in the second half, with all four of their wins happening in the first half. In order to be safe from auto relegation they need just one win. Their next game against Black Dragons on Wednesday might be their best shot at securing the win they need. However, if Liquid and paiN stumble and Team oNe are able to beat Liquid on the final playday, oNe could find themselves finishing third.
- BootKamp Gaming- 13 pts
Highest possible finish- 3rd with 19 pts
Lowest possible finish- 8th with 13 pts
BootKamp Gaming should be alarmed of their poor form with their two most recent games ending in defeats against the two teams below them, Black Dragons and Ninjas in Pyjamas. This means BK are in a much tighter relegation battle than they would like. Unfortunately for BK, their two final games are difficult, Wednesday against second place Immortals, then against paiN Gaming. Even with their difficult schedule, if everything goes BootKamp’s way they could still finish ahead of Team Liquid in third place. However, based on BD and NiP’s last two matches, it seems more likely BK could find themselves in a relegation position.
- Black Dragons- 12 pts
Highest possible finish- 4th with 18 pts
Lowest possible finish- 8th with 13 pts
Black Dragons have had the second best second half of the season in LATAM with 10 pts from 5 games. However, due to five straight losses in the first half they find themselves even on points with Ninjas in Pyjamas for the last spot. Luckily for BD, they hold the tiebreaker over NiP, so if the two are level on points like they currently are, BD would be safe. Wednesday presents BD’s best chance of getting the points they need, as they play Team oNe who have not won in Pro League since July 25th. Their final game will be against a dominant FaZe Clan, so BD do not want to leave it to the final playday to pick up points.
- Ninjas in Pyjamas- 12 pts
Highest possible finish- 4th with 18 pts
Lowest possible finish- 8th with 12 pts
Ninjas in Pyjamas have had a surprisingly poor season, leading to their current position in 8th place. NiP had high expectations going into the season, and must be disappointed with their position. However, their current run of good form sees them even on points with Black Dragons, but thanks to an earlier loss they sit last. If NiP want to finish out of the auto relegation position they will need to get points against either paiN or Immortals. An ideal scenario for NiP could see them playing against an Immortals team playing for nothing if they win and Liquid don’t this week. This would lead to IMT safe in second, and NiP could potentially face an opponent not wanting to reveal too much before the finals in Rio.
Matches to Watch Out For
October 17 - Team oNe vs Black Dragons - 4pm CST - Will Team oNe fall into relegations?
October 17 - FaZe Clan vs Team Liquid - 6pm CST - Can Liquid make LAN?
October 24 - Black Dragons vs FaZe Clan - 5pm CST - Can BD upset the best in LATAM?
October 24 - Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Immortals - 7pm CST - Can NiP escape in the final match?