Renegades are aiming for another piece of silverware in the upcoming IEM Beijing Online: Oceania and to improve their consecutive tournament victory record to nine straight.
Domestically, the Renegades have been untouchable for most of 2020, rarely dropping maps and are heavily favoured to roll over the competition once again.
Renegades are currently on a 15 series win streak and have not lost a match since June. That match was against Order, currently the closest competition in the region for the Renegades. As their win streak furthers, it will be on the Renegades to ensure they do not slip up early and ensure themselves an upper bracket placing into the finals.
- Read more: Jordan “Hatz” Bajic on closing out 2020
Due to not playing in the ESEA Mountain Dew League or the Letsplaylive Pro League, these events are the only opportunity for Renegades to play official matches, while the other three squads are afforded the luxury of additional official matches as preparation. This has not stopped Renegades of late and adds an element of the unknown to their opposition prep.
To further add to this advantage, a by-product of their domination has resulted in a considerably small amount of maps played at events, as they often progress to finals and win with a sweep of their opponents. This gives the other teams less information to go off and Renegades room to save strategies and constantly surprise teams.
Regardless, the Renegades are unlikely to falter off the back of recent placements and form as Christopher “Dexter” Nong and Joshua “INS” Potter have torn up the opposition. They hold the advantage going into this event, which for me is theirs to lose.
A tournament victory will further advance the Renegades in their reign of terror over the domestic competition and secure an additional 185 ESL Pro Tour points that before considering COVID-19 travel restrictions will qualify the leading team in Oceania for international events such as ESL ONE Cologne.
The Renegades begin their IEM Beijing-Haidian journey against Vertex on Saturday 14th November at 5.30pm AEDT. Watch live on Twitch.
