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Ragachak’s SMITE Worlds 2017 Esports Predictions

Attention, Internet!

As if you haven’t already heard, Smite Worlds/Hirez Expo is this week! And we’re here [Colton, myself, DizzyPW] to watch some incredibly high-level play! I think it’s interesting, though. I’ve been playing League of Legends since Season 2, but for some reason was never really attracted to their pro scene. I haven’t followed it as hard as I could have. Sure, I keep an eye on stuff, as I’m press and that’s what we do, but I’ve only been playing Smite seriously since the end of Season 2/Beginning of Season 3. And I’m already emotionally vested in the matchups. I was hurt and betrayed when Team NME rebuilt their team again and started losing. Why!? You guys were doing so good! There wasn’t any need for that! Then there was the whole Paradigm fiasco [right after I bought a Paradigm shirt, mind you] and are now a part of OrbitGG. I was so sad to see they didn’t make it either. If any team bloody deserved it, it’s Paradigm/Orbit.  I guess I have to call them OrbitGG now.  I met most of their team at last year’s Worlds and they were super nice. It’s genuinely depressing all the weird Roster stuff that happened this season. But the Rosterpocalypse has passed, and now it’s time to really get down to the nitty gritty of Smite Worlds! That’s what I’m going to focus on, because I’m still getting into Paladins, but I am familiar with a few of the teams. I’m also calling EGR stomping through the Paladins and console matches.  Though those will be just as exciting as the main PC matches for Smite, without a doubt.

There are some teams I’m genuinely surprised made it to Worlds this year.  This is not to say I think they’re bad, but I am just surprised that they are here. I’m glad, but… the Smite scene has really been shaken up this year, in ways I’ve never seen League be.  This is both good and bad. Good because things are exciting and interesting, bad because… THERE ARE SO MANY NEW TEAM NAMES GOOD GOD DAMN. SoaR, Intz, and Pandemonium really surprised me with their end of season performance, and are no doubt looking to prove something here on the big stage.  Cloud9’s SMITE team disbanded, citing “Internal Issues” right before the Pro League, and that was unfortunate. I was a big fan of theirs before I found NME. So the scene is a bright, shiny and new!  Panthera, who had been making waves, and by making waves, I mean they smashed every team that was set in front of them, are now NRG ESports.  Luminosity is still here, however! There are teams with a lot to prove, but there is going to be some real, serious competition going down this year. But who do I think is going to take it all?

SMITE-Worlds-NRG

NRG Esports: They are an unstoppable dunk squad, devastating all foes in their path. Every member of their team is a contender for the best at their role in the entirety of SMITE world. They’re looking to become the two-time champs and I see IRaffer leading them to glorious victory.

SMITE-Eager-FI

EGR: Another fantastic squad that I think is going to show they’re a force to be reckoned with this season.  I’d be really excited for an NRG/EGR face-off in the Grand Finals. Zapman has been playing like a man possessed for the second half of 2016. His heart and soul is in it, and if anyone has a chance to find a chink in NRG’s armor, it’s him.

TeamAllegiance

Allegiance: Another squad that is really showing off some excellent teamwork this season. Every member of this team is the dark horse underappreciated all-star of their role, with newcomer Oceans making plays for days that require superhuman levels of coordination and foresight. These are without a doubt the top three for me, and I’d like to see any combination of these win the whole deal.

SoarPart1 SoarPart2

Dark Horse Pick: SoaR – I didn’t expect to see SoaR get this far, and that’s totally not a slight. I just didn’t! But now that they’re on the grand stage, they’ve got a lot to prove. This team is built on the backs of former champions and all-stars of the early days of SMITE. No team will be foolish enough to take them lightly now that they’ve won a very hard earned spot back on the grand stage. These guys know how to perform under pressure, and may have a huge LAN advantage to overcome their lower odds.  I wasn’t a believer until just recently, but the speed at which SoaR has been improving means we could see a whole new team show up at Worlds.

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  • Suzanne Niemeijer

    Interesting. I have followed the scene since september before launch (Holy F. so long) but I don’t play the game myself. (I have my muliple reasons) So I am going to give you my predictions: 1st – NRG. Since they started as Panthera in the challenger cup, they were always at the top (Got picked up by Epsilon) and where feared by every pro when they were qualified for SPL. They couldn’t make their first split that great since Raffer got banned but after that it was nothing but amazing and they haven’t slowed down. Winning worlds and now being the favorite in almost everyones eyes. As long as IRaffer doesn’t play Thanatos support (I remember, Raffer) and Dimi isn’t too sick.

    2nd. I think it will be Soar. In the game of Smite teamwork is very important and these guys have played a long time together and are good friends. Jigz and Eonic live together. Eonic and Snoopy are great friends and long time team mates and Baskin and Andinster have been on a team together before this and are the best in their role on the NA scene and maybe even globally (But I’m an NRG Fan girl so my boys Dimi and Adapting will always be better). Hopefully Eonics heart is in it otherwise it’s not going to happen, choach always needs to put his heart in it. One thing they need to work on is team fights with their core or at least when Baskin isn’t there. He is their star player but sometimes the other members get shut down and Baskin isn’t able to carry the game.

    3rd. EGR: Teamwork, teamwork and something to proof. Zapman has been in the scene since season 0. And The Best also has been in the scene for a long time even though he dissappeared for a while. And those two have been together for a long time in their career, at least in the beginning. They have to rpoof for themselves that they are at the top. Then you have Divios who used to be the best solo in the TSM days and needs to proof he is still amazing at what he does. It’s just good to see Zapman finally at worlds when he was an analyst last time. (Zapman is good but there’s a reason Zapman was in Worlds and won worlds and Zapman wasn’t.)

    I just do the teams I’ll think that get top 3.
    My dark horse is Obey just because I think that ALG doesn’t have the experience playing together in a stressful competitive setting (and worlds is the most stressful competitive setting there is.) Then you also have three well known toxic figures in the team. While I don’t know them personally, I do know their reputation and it could go wrong if it is not going their way.

    Paladins I don’t know a thing about. Hope for Burrito since it’s a logo of an angry burrito.

    Console I know a thing or two about. I’m a fan of ALG myself since they have the best solo laner on the xbox there and the rest of his team isn’t shabby as well.You can almost always trust Wolves to carry but if the other teams try to shut him down, the rest of his team is going take advantage of their attention to him. It has happened before. And of course the midlaner is Clowww, famous for his trolling on PC. Clowbek anyone? He was a well known figure before console even begun so people are familiar with him and will probably get the people behind him since not a whole lot of people watch console smite.

    I am really excited for it to begin. Sadly I am at work so I’m going to have to put the stream sneakily on youtube. Can’t miss a second, right?

    • Ragachak

      It was insane! Oh my goodness, that crowd was on fire. I was on fire! GG to Burrito and NRG for sure! The whole event was incredible, and most of the teams really brought their A-games for sure.