This article is part of our Call of Duty series.
The final group before playoffs is approaching this weekend and it's group full of fan-favorites: Reigning champions OpTic Gaming, underdog Enigma6, European slayers Red Reserve, and long-time veterans eLevate. Only two more slots are open for the playoffs and all four teams are hungry to fill those seeds. While OpTic Gaming, the team that has towered over many teams this season, are shoe-ins for first place, the fight for second will be a tighter and bloodier affair.
Red Reserve, eLevate and Enigma6 are all dominate teams that have continued to place highly in international tournaments. But big questions surround Enigma6. The green-eared team was successful in the early season when the meta was still being decided thanks to some fast and furious gameplay similar to eUnited's style. Both Enigma6 and eUnited tend to play around spawns, but unlike eUnited, Enigma6 is able to slay out. Nicholas "Proto" Maldonado and Jordan "General" General have kept up with the likes of FaZe Clan and OpTic Gaming. Only problem is that Enigma6 has yet to take a game over OpTic Gaming or FaZe Clan. But they have won games over Red Reserve and eLevate.
eLevate has yet to win a tournament, unlike Enigma6 or OpTic Gaming, but they have been very strong contenders. Regularly placing high in international tournaments, eLevate has made a name for themselves for being one of the most aggressive European teams. But a lack of consistency has always plagued them. Zach "Zed" Denyer and Joshua "Watson" Watson have both made impressive plays in respawn rounds, but it's always at the expense of their other teammates slowing down. After a month of practice, however, eLevate could easily come in and find themselves keeping up with OpTic Gaming.
Then there's Red Reserve. Formally known as Team Orbit, Red Reserve has been a team ravaged by constant lineup changes. Not a single player from the original Team Orbit or the original Red Reserve roster has remained. And it shows in their gameplay. Joesph "Joee" Pinnington, of ex-Splyce fame, currently leads the team, but struggled at CWL Dallas to rally the fresh lineup. However, it's been a month since CWL Dallas which is more than enough time for Joee to structure Red Reserve.
In all likelihood, OpTic Gaming will sweep through this group for first place. Teams like Enigma6 and eLevate will be able to challenge them, but they're unlikely to take more than a game off "The Green Wall". Second place becomes a battle between Enigma6 and eLevate. Despite Proto and General, eLevate is a veteran and seasoned team. They've dealt with high-stress situations in a way Enigma6 hasn't quite yet. With that said, eLevate had a lackluster performance at CWL Birmingham, losing to both Fnatic and Millenium, teams that recently placed in fourth. And at CWL Dallas, eLevate fell in the first round of the lower bracket. More than that, European teams that aren't Splyce have struggled greatly in the American meta.
Expect Enigma6 to take second place in a narrow fashion, with eLevate taking third and Red Reserve placing fourth.
Group Green starts at 4:00pm EST on May 12 on the MLG website and in-game in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
