WePlay Academy League 5: News Compared to Previous Editions

This Tuesday, August 9, the Play-In stage of WePlay Academy League S5 will start, which may end up being the best CS:GO tournament for academy teams we have experienced so far. 

Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

In the previous four editions, this league of academies has gone from having four teams to fourteen in this new season. The increase to fourteen with the incorporation of different young prospects continues to demonstrate the rise and importance of CS:GO academy leagues.

Following the epic two weeks of the Group stage, we can say that BIG Academy and Fnatic Rising are clear favorites. It was nice to see them dominating the first division of the tournament. However, at the moment, we can’t say with certainty that they will compete in the Grand final. It makes this new season of the famous league of academies even more exciting. Let’s take a look at the highlights and other changes of the fifth edition compared to the previous ones.

New Format of the Event

Since the new season of WePlay has four more teams, the format is not the same. During this championship, the fourteen qualified teams are divided into two groups of seven, and all face each other in the Best of 1 match.

The first of each group goes directly to the Playoffs. On the other hand, from the second to the fourth places they will compete in the Play-In stage format with all the matches at the Best of 3 and qualification for one winner of each bracket. Four teams will be in the Playoffs that will be played online in a double-elimination bracket.

New Faces and Winners: Play-In Stage

Now, with the Group stage completed, it's time to review the highlights and statistics that the teams have left us. You can find all the ruleset of CS:GO data on the cover.gg website, but we are going to outline the main pieces here. Below, there are the teams who have managed to show decent numbers, securing their presence for the Play-In phase of this young talent championship.

But before moving any further, please take note that BIG Academy and Fnatic Rising are already awaiting the two Play-In winners to face them in the semifinals. 

Astralis Talent

Astralis Talent finished 3rd in the fourth season of WePlay but has since won both Gamebox Festival 2022 and Mistgames. Currently, the Danish young prospects are one of the most remarkable in Group A, especially for their performance in the first phase of the event. As for the standings, Astralis Talent has the same win/loss ratio (7-5) as NaVi Junior and Spirit Academy.

With this, we can see that these three teams have been in good shape when they competed in the Group phase of WePlay, something that gives more excitement in view of the Play-In that will begin on Tuesday, August 9.

Y.Ninjas, FURIA.A, and OG.A

From Group B, Young Ninjas has a remarkable record with 7 wins and 3 losses, two against BIG Academy and one against FURIA Academy. In that case, the Swedish players guaranteed themselves a spot in the Play-In, where they will meet with the other five teams.

Speaking of which, the remaining two spots were secured by FURIA.A and OG.A. However, both squads had questionable results with 6-4 and 4-6 on the scoreboard, respectively, while the worst at this point was Apeks with a 2-8. But things tend to change, and we are eager to see their performances in the next stage of the championship.

The Constant Growth of CS:GO Academies

The first three editions of WePlay Academy League had only four academies, while a total of ten participated in the fourth. The increase to fourteen in the fifth season shows the constant growth of CS:GO academies. The prize pool of the young talent championship has also increased twice to $100,000. All these factors continue to demonstrate the importance of academies in Valve’s shooter.

Moreover, large international organizations are taking advantage of their young prospects to prepare their first teams and make a box with the future stars. Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov would be the main example. The Russian player was a part of Natus Vincere Junior before signing an agreement with G2 Esports in 2022. So, all the players from academies are motivated to show their best CS performance. From August 9 and 14, fans will be able to enjoy the Playoffs of the fifth edition of WePlay championship.