Here we are again folks, it's time for the first round of EU Season 11 and I am back with another series of #RIGGED, a series where we highlight an interesting match-up in each Division for every round!
A special limited edition theme for this week is teams who have played each other in previous seasons!
Division 1
Team snOr vs Gravity is just a social Convention 
Here we have two teams who have moved up to the top tier of the amateur league after competing in Division 2 last season. Team sn0r finished top of the division and also went on to win the Legendary Cup, whereas Gravity is just a social Convention finished a very respectable 3rd but were unable to get past the group stages of the Cup. These two sides did meet in Season 10 and it was Team sn0r who were able to confirm a victory on that occasion, and it will be interesting to see how both teams have progressed while preparing themselves for life Division 1.
Division 2
Lumpensammler vs Team Hotsy 
After making it to the group stages of the Legendary Cup last season, Lumpensammler have moved up from Division 3 to 2 as a result of making some roster changes and will be eager to see how they cope with the step up. Team Hotsy didn't have the most successful season last time around in Division 2, but will be hoping they can push on and show what they are capable of. Both of the teams have indeed met before back in Season 9 when Lumpensammler put on a dominant showing to confirm a 2-0 victory, both teams have made roster changes since then and we will find out who has improved the most since the aforementioned encounter.
Division 3
EnCore vs Vacation in Purgatory 
Here we have two teams who have been hanging around in Division 3 for a few seasons now, and will be hoping they can build on a fairly successful showing for both teams in Season 10. EnCore haven't made the playoffs since Season 8 and Vacation in Purgatory have never competed in them at all (they did qualify in Season 10 but were unable to compete) so they will both be inspired to push on with the hope of taking part come the end of this season. Looking back a couple of season these two clashed in Season 9 in a very closely contested encounter which saw ViP come out victorious.
Division 4
Jaina The Frost Mage vs CoB Antimeta 
Division 4 kicks off with a match between two Lounge veterans in Jaina The Frost Mage and CoB Antimeta. JTFM were runners up in Division 5 last season before making it to the knockout stage of the Epic Cup where they were eliminated by eventual winners DiVeOrDeLeTe. Antimeta on the other hand finished an impressive 5th position in Division 4 but were drawn into a strong group in the Epic Cup and were not able to reach the knockout stage. The two teams came up against each other in Season 9 where JTFM impressed with a 2-0 victory over their opponents.
Division 5
To Shreds you say vs Bear With Me 
Two Division 6 sides who showed strong performances in Season 10 have moved up to Division 5 to bring us this match. To Shreds you say made it to the group stage of the Rare Cup after a 6th place finish during the regular season. Bear With Me finished 8th and also fell at the group stage of the Rare Cup. These teams played just last season in Division 6, where To Shreds you say were able to confirm a victory with a convincing performance on the second map to take the series 2-0.
Division 6
FAT Nova vs Renai Clan 
FAT Nova as the name suggests were formed as a free agent team back in Season 9 and haven't shied away from their roots as they have not changed the team name they were given upon creation, they made it to the knockout stages of the Rare Cup last season and will be hoping to push on from there. Renai Clan put up a strong performance in the Rare Cup last season where they got to the semi finals and will likely be going into this season full of confidence. These two teams treated us to an exciting back and forth battle in Round 6 last season where Renai Clan were able to come out on top after a dominant third map.
Division 7
Mighty Minion Army vs The Rantners 
Division 7 is full of new teams so unfortunately I am unable to keep to the theme of this post, only 7 of the 22 teams have competed in Lounge in the past (Division 7 is clearly rigged against this #RIGGED blog post).
Moving swiftly on in the blue corner we have Mighty Minion Army who were formerly known as Operation Petticoat last season in Division 6 before undergoing a name change for a fresh start in Division 7. They showed steady improvement throughout last season which resulted in a couple of victories in the latter rounds and will be hoping to carry on that momentum. In the red corner we have The Rantners are in their third season in Lounge and managed to qualify for the Rare Cup in Season 10 but only managed a solitary win in the group stage which was not enough for them to progress to the knockout stage.
Thank you for reading, make sure to keep an eye our in the #stream channel of our Discord for any upcoming casts
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