This weekend, June 30th and July 1st, ZOTAC will present the ZOTAC CUP MASTERS CS:GO Americas Final. It will be held at eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California and will feature six skilled CS:GO teams. They’ll be playing for a share of $20,000 USD, as well as a qualifier spot for the ZOTAC CUP MASTERS CS:GO Grand Finals. Below you’ll find information on the company hosting the tournament, as well as about the teams and even a good cause everyone can rally behind.
This is ZOTAC
ZOTAC began as a PC hardware developer in 2006. They’ve steadily been improving and becoming vital to many major parts of PC development and upgrades. They’ve cornered the “zone” of PC components while using their “tact” to deliver superb quality. With the rise of esports, it made sense for the company to start focusing in on an audience that would celebrate and support improvements. That is how ZOTAC CUP MASTERS grew.
In 2016 the ZOTAC CUP MASTERS began. They’ve played host to top teams in the CS:GO, DOTA 2, Hearthstone and League of Legends communities. As the esports scene expands, ZOTAC expands its CUP MASTERS tournaments to follow. This weekend will feature the Americas Final for CS:GO, which will culminate with the Europe and Asia regional finals to the grand finals and a chance at a prize pool of $300,000 USD.
Gamers Outreach
The event this weekend isn’t just a chance for the teams to win some money, it’s also to raise some. All proceeds from the ZOTAC CUP MASTERS CS:GO Americas Final will go to Gamers Outreach. This is coupled with a charity match that features volunteer players who have reached their communities and raised money for Gamers Outreach.
How Gamers Outreach Began
Gamers Outreach is a program that finds its roots from 2009. It started in Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan and stemmed from very giving hearts. These volunteers realized that many of the children and teens undergoing treatment didn’t have many activities available to them. So, Gamers Outreach developed what they call a “GO Kart”, which is a medical-grade gaming kiosk. This kiosk can be transported into different rooms of a hospital and provide the children with an activity and distraction from their treatment.
While this is a light description of what Gamers Outreach does, it gets the point across. While it started in one hospital in one state, it has quickly grown and seen success across the country. The charity match will be a fun, uplifting way to contribute to a good cause. If you’d like to donate before the match this Sunday, please follow this link‘. If you’d like to learn more about what Gamers Outreach does, and how you can get involved, follow here′.
The Competitors
There is a total of six teams, four who went through the qualifiers and two that were invited. The invited teams are eUnited and Ghost Gaming. The qualifying teams are compLexity Gaming, FURIA eSports, Sharks Esports and Swole Patrol. Here’s a quick preview of what to expect.
Top Contenders
There are two teams that are currently ranked in the top 50 of the world and top 10 in America for CS:GO. FURIA and compLexity are clearly in the upper tier. FURIA comes in with a 26th world and 5th in America team ranking. compLexity isn’t far behind, holding a 38th world and 8th America team ranking. FURIA’s most recent games have been in their favor, going a combined 31/2/5 (Wins, draw, losses) since the beginning of May. Most of this competition has been against fellow Brazilian teams, as they continue to climb the ranks in America. CompLexity hasn’t played as many matches since the start of May, 19/0/6, but they’ve been faring well against competition that matters.
Never Counted Out
Sharks Esports, Swole Patrol and eUnited are strong contenders coming out of CS:GO’s American region. Swole Patrol is listed as a 92nd world and 28th America ranking and has a decent 20/0/13 record since May. Sharks come in at 109th world and 30th America ranking and haven’t yet played a match in June, but went 4/0/7 in May. eUnited comes next, with a 128th world and 33rd America ranking, holding a 12/0/10 record since May.
Then, we have the underdogs. Ghost Gaming is, by a clear look at their rankings, the underdog in this weekend’s matches. They hold a 1,406th world and 299th America ranking. They’ve recently lost against two of the other five teams and have a record of 2/0/5 since May. People are always apt to root for the upset, and it certainly would be if Ghost Gaming goes on a run in the ZOTAC Masters.
Recent Team History
CompLexity has recently played and beaten both Swole Patrol and Ghost Gaming, and they’ll look to continue that trend this coming weekend to reach the finals. Swole Patrol has recently lost to compLexity, but also defeated Ghost Gaming a few days ago. Sharks last defeated FURIA in the first week of May, which bodes well against a top team. eUnited took down both compLexity and Swole Patrol in the month of May. The teams competing have a familiarity with each other, and that could provide some great competition this weekend.
Poised as a premier event for CS:GO fans, the ZOTAC CUP MASTERS CS:GO Americas Final is about to start. Whether casual observer, or hardcore fan, there’s a rallying point for all of us this weekend. With top teams facing off, and fundraising for Gamers Outreach, it’s a can’t miss event for any in the CS:GO community. Once again, if you’d like to donate, or learn more about Gamers Outreach and what you can do, please visit their site.
Featured image courtesy of Valve Corporation
Stats provided by Gosugamer while team logos were provided by Liquipedia
Video courtesy of Gamers Outreach Youtube Channel
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