Desert Kings: IEM Dallas 2024 Favorites to Look Out For

IEM Dallas returns to the big stage with a lot of promising games ahead! What’s amazing is that we will get to see 16 amazing teams take on the challenge as they aim to bring home the prestigious Intel Grand Slam Trophy! But which team will have the best chance of dominating in one of the grandest CS2 stages? Let’s see the favorites!

What to Expect in IEM Dallas 2024?

After so many successful years of hosting massive esports tournaments, IEM is dedicating the 100th event with a bang, bringing the pinnacle of esports competition worldwide for everyone to see. This tournament is a way of thanking the fans and players for their unwavering support in the games as the IEM takes a different step towards bringing massive esports competitions that will open up bigger opportunities for various games and players alike.

Bigger stakes are coming in the IEM Dallas 2024 image

IEM Dallas begins this May 27th as part of the DreamHack festival experience. Teams will get a chance to compete at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center with the hopes of being named as the champions of the 100th IEM event in history. The event kicks off at May 27th with the group stages, where teams will be divided into two groups of eight with the opening matches set at best-of-one before making it a best-of-three. The top three teams from each group are guaranteed to a playoff spot by the end of the group stages, with the winners earning an advanced ticket to the semis.

Electrifying crowd is expected to shock the world image

The runners-up in the group stage will move to the quarterfinals and will be set as the high seeds, while the 3rd place teams will be set as the low seeds in the same stage. From here on out, all games will be in a single-elimination bracket with a best-of-three format in all matches. Winner of the tournament will earn $100,000 lion’s share from the prize pool, along with a guaranteed spot to IEM Cologne 2024 and 1,400 BLAST Premier points.

Who are the Favorites in IEM Dallas 2024?

IEM Dallas is a Masters-tier event, which means there are bigger stakes, especially with the generous rewards that are set for the best of them all. This is why the playing teams are expected to ramp up their performances, come up with promising adjustments, and deliver a strong set of games that will bring fans to the edge of their seats all while securing a key victory, one game at a time.

But who are the top picks to look out for in the IEM Dallas 2024? Let’s break down the leading teams who are expected to come up with a promising victory in the tournament.

Natus Vincere (b1t, Aleksib, jL, iM, w0nderful, B1ad3)

Natus Vincere image

One of the top ESL partner teams that are expected to make waves is Natus Vincere, which is notable for its success in the past few months, especially after scoring a massive victory in the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. Still, the team has managed to come up with some of the best runs in their games so far, even though they were quiet in April so far. Their ESL Pro League Season 19 campaign was a bummer after playing just two games – and leading to tough losses to Complexity Gaming and FaZe Clan. This is the perfect stage to avenge this loss that will definitely give them a boost on the way to IEM Cologne as well, and a chance for B1ad3 to show off his impressive skill in the game once more.

FaZe Clan (rain, broky, karrigan, ropz, frozen)

If a dominant story is what we are looking for, then FaZe Clan is the best option for you to bet on as the team seeks to come up with a promising win to wrap up the month of May. The prominence of karrigan as a lead role is underestimated by many, and it does seem that his impressive game is what has kept FaZe at the top of the CS2 rankings so far. On top of that, the brilliance of NEO as a coach has proven to be pivotal in their chances of winning in the past few tournaments, and finishing a lot of firsts in almost every competition they played in so far is a show of promise of their dedication and supremacy in Counter-Strike, advancing through their games like there was no transition in the games.

FaZe Clan image

Team Falcons (Snappi, Magisk, maden, SunPayus, dupreeh)

Team Falcons image

Dupreeh will be the man in the hot seat for this tournament as he has struggled to meet the expectations in his games. Still, Team Falcons has a lot of work to do if they are going to come up with a win in the competition. There are bigger expectations from the Falcons’ chances of winning, especially after SunPayus has started to emerge as one of the most promising AWP users in the game. He is going to be one of the impact players in the team that will give Team Falcons a huge advantage on the winning side if he manages to come up with a groove early in the game. This is why Team Falcons are a considerable favorite to win in the game, especially if they play with a locked-in mentality from start to finish.

G2 Esports (huNter-, NiKo, m0NESY, nexa, TBD)

If anyone is still doubting NiKo’s dominance, this tournament should be the big stage that he can use to prove that he is still the best CS2 player on the planet. While they are yet to bring in the fifth player for the competition, NiKo’s big game will be a huge factor to consider in G2 Esports’ chances of winning. Earning a shot at the IEM Cologne is a big deal for the team considering the fact that they are in dire need of wins, but the team will have to come up with some clutch performances against their toughest rivals, which is why you can expect to see some big strides from the squad. On top of that, G2 is long overdue for some blazing victories in CS2, and frustration will definitely be an inspiring point for them.

G2 Esports image

Team Spirit (chopper, magixx, zont1x, donk, sh1ro)

Team Spirit image

While their last victory was at the IEM Katowice 2024, it seems that the squad is going the extra distance here at the IEM Dallas 2024. The past two months haven't been kind to the team, especially with tough losses in the BLAST Premier Spring and the PGL Copenhagen Major 2024. It cannot be denied that donk has been phenomenal to watch night in and night out, and his clutch performances has certainly given him the spotlight in the past few tournaments. However, the issue for Team Spirit is their ability to hold on to big leads, as seen in their massive collapse in the PGL Major, which has been pivotal to their pace so far. Still, that doesn't mean that they cannot secure a promising campaign in IEM Dallas, which is arguably one of the most competitive atmospheres among CS2 tournaments.

Honorable Mention: Team Liquid (NAF, YEKINDAR, skullz, cadiaN, Twistzz)

Team Liquid hasn’t been the same team that they were before, but they still have some of the biggest veterans in the game who have been known for their massive performances on the big stage. But imagine an ensemble of known and successful players in the game going for one last monumental rally in this tournament. Now that's a scene that many fans would love to see now more than ever. The combo of YEKINDAR and cadiaN may be fearsome as it used to be, and this is their chance to show the rest of the league why they deserve to catch a big break in their games and finally secure a championship that they have been waiting for. Who knows, maybe Liquid can shock the CS2 world one more time with a deep run in the IEM Dallas?

Team Liquid image

Savor the Battles at the IEM Dallas 2024

Don’t miss the biggest and intense battles that are set to unfold at the top of IEM Dallas! Find out which teams will emerge victorious while they try to make the most of their chances to secure a slot for IEM Cologne and prestigious BLAST Premier points!

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