The first stage sees sixteen players split into four groups of four players. Group A will be the most competetive, with RotterdaM looking to prove that he truly has Grubby's number, while Showbu looks to steal the limelight from both of them. Group B will be a battle of Kings as Creolophus looks to topple FoV. Two Koreans will battle for pride as well as the top spot in Group C, while the SK-4k rivalry is renewed in the final group.

Group A

4k^Grubby
zAp.TaNGerINe
Go)Showbu-
Fnatic.RotterdaM

This group has easily the most interesting match-up of the first stage. Grubby and RotterdaM have quite a history between them, made all the more exciting by the fact that RotterdaM beat his fellow Dutchman at the Eurocup finals last weekend. The former ESWC champion will be looking for revenge for that defeat, but his opponent will not go down easily as RotterdaM looks to build on his victory and step onto the big stage with his (friendly) rival. Throw the talented Korean, Showbu, from Clan Go into the mix and Group A is looking like a close contest. On paper, Grubby should probably come out on top, with RotterdaM just behind him, but that order could easily be reversed if the latter can carry over his blistering form from last weekend.

Group B

4k^FoV
Jun Wang
VerGe.Canuck
4k^Creolophus

Friendly rivalries seem to dominate the group stage of KODE5. Two Dutch Orcs in Group A, WE teammates in Group C, and in this group are two 4k players: Creolophus and FoV. As in Group A, the two rivals are favorites to qualify for knockout play, but Canuck and Jun Wang stand in their way. The Canadian in particular will be no easy win for the 4k boys. Creolophus generally has a good record against Undead, but it is still one of the hardest match-ups for any Elf player. For FoV, however, Undead is one of his worst match-ups. His form in mirror games is less than impressive, to say the least, and he will have to overcome that if he wants to go deep into the knockout stage.

Group C

WE.IGE.Soju
Bu]Hero
SK|Take
WE.IGE.Check

This group gives us yet another pair of teammates vying for top spot. Both Take and Hero have their work cut out for them if they want to progress ahead of the two World Elite players here. Soju’s play in the WC3L puts him ahead of his teammate, but there is little else to differentiate the two. Take probably has the best chance of an upset, but his lack of WC3L play and his on-off form in the EPS makes it seem unlikely. Hero, I must admit, is something of an unknown entity. Having qualified for the event, he is due some credit, but it seems unlikely that he can overcome the likes of Check and Soju.

Group D

4k^ToD
SKT]Nickt
alt)darkstrike.dfi
SK|Deadman

If you’re bored of friendly rivalries, then Group D is a refreshing change. Deadman’s history with 4k has been well documented in the past, and although ToD and Grubby play this down in most interviews, there is no love lost when they meet each other. The “outspoken” Russian has always struggled against 4kings, but he certainly doesn’t lack confidence, and will see this as a great opportunity to kill a few demons. ToD, on the other hand, has been the epitome of hot and cold since ESWC - brilliant at times, lackluster at others. Motivation could be a big factor for the Frenchman, but if he can find the brilliance he’ll be very hard to stop. Life will be rough for Darkstrife and Nickt in this group, but they’ll put up a fight.

Knockout Stage

There is little room for error in WC3 at any time, but KODE5 has made doubly sure of that by using a single elimination format after the initial group stage. A single defeat after group play will see you out of the tournament - no second chances.

Some of the potential second round matches look very interesting, with Grubby almost guaranteed to face one of his teammates in the second round, unless Canuck or Jun Wang can upset FoV or Creolophus. Assuming things pan out as predicted, Soju will probably face an intriguing Elf mirror against Deadman in the bottom half of the bracket, while his WE teammate should be up against the Human superstar, ToD. Despite the harsh format, there should definitely be some exciting games to look forward to. Grubby vs FoV is always an enticing prospect, and there are plenty of opportunities to see some of the world’s best Elf players trying to out-do one another.