Day 1 of MLG Atlanta on Friday belonged to the Call of Duty elite, as FaZe Clan and OpTic Gaming recorded 3-0 records in their respective groups, with Team EnVyUs earning a 2-1 record to boot. Let's take a look at how some of the action unfolded at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday.
The old guard returns
Each placed in difficult pools heading into MLG Atlanta, OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan couldn't have put together better performances on Friday, finishing the evening with sparkling 3-0 records in their respective groups. While OpTic look slightly better than FaZe by virtue of having the advantage in map count (9-1 as opposed to FaZe's 9-3) it's hard to argue any team looks better than the two stalwarts of the competitive Call of Duty scene.
More importantly, each team seems to have its customary swagger back, as both teams traded barbs with their opposition throughout the course of the day. A motivated FaZe Clan or OpTic Gaming is always a dangerous obstacle to overcome, but when both teams are playing this well, it may take a Herculean effort to keep them from the finals.
Il-Luminating Group C
While both FaZe and OpTic excelled on Day 1, Luminosity Gaming quietly put together a 3-0 record of their own to start the tournament. Despite playing in arguably the easiest group of the tournament, Luminosity certainly handled their business, losing just three maps in their three respective matches. After reconfiguring its roster during the offseason, bringing over three players from Rise Nation, LG has started to hit its stride. Buoyed by a vintage performance from Renato "Saints" Forza, who most notably posted an unreal 104/68 KD in the 3-1 series win over Cloud9, this iteration of Luminosity could be a force to be reckoned with.
Given there are just two games remaining in pool play, it seems likely that LG will earn a favorable spot in the winner's portion of the championship bracket. Depending on who they see to open up the bracket, MLG Atlanta is shaping up to be a potentially breakout tournament for Luminosity.
Envious of eUnited
Many people expected Team EnVyUs (2-1) to at least be in contention for the top spot in Group D, but few figured it would be eUnited (3-0) who they would be battling against as each team put together solid records on Day 1. Perhaps more surprising was eUnited's relatively easy victory over Team EnVyUs in one of the last games on Friday's slate. Relying on strong Hardpoint performances, eUnited managed to blitz through the 2016 CoD Champs, winning the series 3-1. The stunning Hardpoint wins capped off what was an excellent opening day for eUnited in respawn game modes, as the North American group put together an 8-0 mark on the respective game modes.
EnVyUs shouldn't be disappointed with its performance Friday despite the loss, as the Boys in Blue have entered MLG Atlanta looking poised and determined. Citing better practice and preparation for the event, EnVyUs lost just one round in its other two matches, thoroughly dismantling two of the better teams in Europe in Fnatic and Orbit.