Today, we take a look at the second of four groups participating in IEM Fall: EU. Group B will see six European squads fighting to obtain enough Regional Major Ranking (RMR) points to punch their ticket to the PGL Stockholm Major. The group contains a mix of Europe’s very best, as well as several plucky rosters looking to turn heads and show what they’re capable of.

We’ll be looking at the teams rosters, past results, and group competition to find out where each squad is likely to place when the dust settles.

Heroic (1660 RMR Points)

Heroic enter IEM Fall with 1660 points, putting them in first place in the 2021 RMR circuit. They enter as clear favorites in Group B, and have a very strong chance at winning the event entirely. Group B shouldn’t be a problem for this team, having swept through the group stages in the two previous seasons of ESL Pro League with a 10-0 record. The return to LAN poses one of few potential stumbling blocks — Heroic performed decently in their last offline venture at IEM Cologne, but failed to reach the playoffs stage.

It’s highly likely that we see Heroic complete another clean sweep of their group. It will be the goal of the Heroic camp to hold onto Legends Status for Stockholm, and they look to be in the right form to make that happen. Despite their slew of controversies in recent weeks and months, Heroic are a team to watch out for on the server.

Astralis (1024 RMR Points)

Currently, Astralis sit in eighth place in RMR points, having lost several over the course of the year due to various roster moves. As the three-time reigning champions, expectations are high for Astralis to secure a strong position heading into Stockholm. Adding to the pressure, Astralis have struggled to find consistent results in recent events. A 2-3 record in the ESL Pro League saw them miss out on the playoffs, but the team was able to advance in the BLAST Premier: Fall Groups after defeating Evil Geniuses and Team Liquid.

Astralis should finish among the top three in their group — their performances against Heroic and Complexity Gaming will decide whether they advance to the playoffs or fall just short. However, every team in Group B has potential to defeat the Danes, and they will need to be careful in mitigating these threats else they see an untimely elimination.

Complexity Gaming (420 RMR Points)

In twelfth place, Complexity Gaming currently sit one position shy of the PGL Stockholm Major. The roster has spent much of 2021 playing with various stand-ins, but their recent addition of Marcelo “coldzera” David looks promising. The team will need to be at their best in order to reach Stockholm, but their ever-shifting roster makes it difficult to gauge their form heading into the event.

Complexity will need to defeat Group B’s weaker teams to reach the tournament’s 9th-12th place tiebreakers, where each game will be vital in their hunt for RMR points. Defeating these teams and edging out Astralis will likely leave them in second place in the group, putting the team in an excellent position, but a loss along the way may derail their push towards Stockholm entirely.

Sinners Esports (0 RMR Points)

Sinners Esports have risen higher and higher throughout 2021, and now look to continue that trend at IEM Fall. Unfortunately, the Czechs missed out on Flashpoint Season 3 and thus come into this event with zero RMR points. Sinners have gained some much-needed experience against Tier 1 opposition in recent weeks, defeating G2 Esports and having close series against Complexity Gaming, OG and forZe, finishing the group with an unreliable 1-4 record.

In a best-of-one format, Sinners Esports could beat anyone. However, the majority of the team’s roster is inexperienced in a LAN environment, which will make finding those upset victories much more difficult. They will likely wind up in the bottom half of the group, but if you were going to pick a dark horse team, it should be the Sinners.

Movistar Riders (0 RMR Points)

Movistar Riders round out Group B, also entering with zero points. The team recently underwent major roster changes, benching AWPer Owen “smooya” Butterfield and signing three Spanish talents in his place, most notably Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia.

They qualified to the event following a win against Eternal Fire in the closed qualifier, but between a return to LAN, a new roster, and a lack of experience against Tier 1 opposition, the Movistar Riders have poor odds coming into IEM Fall. Expect them near the bottom of the group, looking for one or two victories that will let them walk out of the event with their heads held high.

Endpoint (0 RMR Points)

The United Kingdom’s best team comes into IEM Fall with zero points, having just missed out on Flashpoint Season 3 after some tough losses in the closed qualifier. The team has shifted some players in recent weeks, most notably adding Mohammad “BOROS” Malhas in place of William “mezii” Merriman. Endpoint has spent plenty of time among Europe’s Tier 2 scene, but it’s unlikely that they will be able to achieve much against their opposition in Group B. Similar to Sinners Esports and Movistar Riders, Endpoint will likely finish among the bottom of the group.