(GotFrag) - That magical tournament known as the CEVO Professional Playoffs has finally arrived, with more RAM then anyone could ask for being offered up as the top prize (...yipeee). As you no doubt already know, or will find out shortly, motivation is the big "if" for teams this playoff season - motivation to show up, to practice, and to play with some sort of seriousness. In many players' eyes, the real tournament ended a while ago with the climactic CGS Pro-Am Final, and the death of the CGS brought an end to any anticipation of a second season.

But, never one to not welcome some competitive TF2 play, I give you a brief look at the 8 teams set to do battle for said-DDR3 RAM and what I humbly believe will be their fate - or, at least, I give them something/someone to prove wrong :)

NOTE: I've listed the official CEVO Rosters for each team, which obviously have undergone some changes in reality in recent weeks, but due to roster locks have not actually changed as far as CEVO is concerned. Team's may agree to allow certain players to play (such as dummy for Pandemic), but anything like that probably isn't official. I've also included snippets from my Season 2 Preview all those months ago... just for humour's sake at how bad some of them are ;)

#8 - Xensity - (7-9)



Eligible roster, as listed by CEVO:
John "Minstrel" Fisher
Manuel "SoLID SnaKE" Sy
B "phantom" L
Carl "enigma" Yangsheng
Benjamin "Bismal" Puig
Bill "FREIGHT_TRAIN" T
R "imtired" A
J "dinan" F
sean "thenoid" swihart
John "zeroskillz" Leider

Carl "enigma" Yangsheng's answers to rk's questions:

1. What have you been doing in the down time between the end of the season and now? What have you been doing to prepare for the playoffs?
Left 4 Dead mostly. We've been struggling with roster issues, as usual, so it's pretty rare that we'll have six or even five on to scrim in any given week.

2. Has it been tough to get motivated for these playoffs? Do you feel like the team is ready to go?
It's pretty anticlimactic losing such a close match in CGS and coming out with nothing to go play for some mediocre "fatal1ty" branded ram. Of course, we'll see what players we have on Monday night and go from there.

3. How well do you think you guys will do?
No idea. It's always a lottery draw depending on what players we have on. Hopefully I'll get a replacement for my fried mobo by Monday night.

4. Any shoutouts? Comments? Compliments on rk's haircut?
I'd like to thank the Colonel for all his support in these tough times--we're alive and well because of you.

Preseason Prediction:
I always get the impression that Xensity is one of those underground teams that pop up for a match, dominate, then slip back into the abyss where no one can find them. I have no idea why that is - maybe it's the lack of website, or sponsor, or something - but they've always been a bit of an unknown quantity. The loss of yaug to Check-Six was a bit of a blow to the team, but the team's strengths have always been in other spots, anyways (demo, scout), and all are still well intact and ready to go. I really can't say one way or the other how well Xen will do this season; they consistently beat the teams they should beat, but can't seem to get ahead of any of the top clans, either, so a somewhat middle-of-the-road season seems the most likely path for these guys in Season 2.

Playoff Prediction:
In what I think will be one of the few preseason comments that actually turned out okay, Xensity has indeed lived a middle-of-the-road lifestyle this season, claiming the final playoff spot by the merest sliver of CPI points with just 3 rounds of room over Veneration (despite losing the head-to-head). I remember thinking those two early losses in the opening week of the season would come back to haunt Xensity, but I didn't realize it would come down to beating eMg in the final week of the season for those losses to be forgiven. Yet, I believe their presence in the playoffs somewhat fitting, based on their potential alone - because, really, 'potential' is all Xensity's ever shown. They're a team with a lot of flash, a lot of flair, a heck of a lot of talent, but sadly no results to prove they're a force to be reckoned with. And they've also become a bit of a known quantity - they've been around a long time, played together an even longer time, and don't really have any tricks tucked up their collective sleeves. However, that is not to say they can't beat you on sheer talent alone, nor does it make them the least bit dangerous. A team that underestimates Xensity is a team that is in for a big surprise... if Xen decides to show up.

But in terms of these playoffs, I don't see much of a finish for the Xenians - they might make a bit of a run in the Lower Bracket, but there's sadly no darkhorse here to root for.

Predicted placing: 7th-8th