The 2022 professional season has ended, all Major tournaments have ended, and it's time to summarise the results. This year was remembered by instability on the stage and the absence of a clear favorite. So, which team has been the most successful this year? Who else made it to the top 10?
Let's start with the definition of success. A successful team achieves its goals. These teams get the most out of every tournament they participate in, go far or win. It is the criterion that is important for the success of the club.
Copenhagen Flames
Prize money won per season: $239,500
Second place: Pinnacle Cup III
Let's start the list with a team that is not well-known now because it does not qualify for tier-1 tournaments. However, at its level, the team is genuinely successful. Furthermore, the CPH Flames season should be divided into two halves because the Danish club had a completely different lineup in the year's first half.
And that lineup was powerful. Their most striking achievement was 5-8th place at the PGL Major Antwerp: a fantastic result for a tier-2 club. After that, CPH Flames sold the lineup and put together a new one, which also turned out to be quite good.
After adaptation, the team began to win tournament after tournament. At the end of the year, CPH Flames won CCT South Europe Series 1, European Development Championship Season 6, Global Offensive Champions League Season 3, and CCT Central Europe Series 4.
The year for CPH Flames can be considered successful.
ENCE
Prize money won per season: $366,000
Championships: BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022, CCT North Europe Series 2
The first half of the year was amazing for ENCE. An excellent roster that competed with tier-1 teams, top-4 majors, and two major LAN finals - ENCE achieved this in the first half of the year.
Before the second half of the season, the lineup changed a lot, and the results slightly worsened, but the team did not get lost. Second place at ESL Challenger Rotterdam, 9-11th at IEM Rio Major, second place at ESL Pro League Season 15, and victory at CCT North Europe Series 2 are outstanding achievements for ENCE.
BIG
Prize money won per season: $387,666
Championships: Roobet Cup
Second place: Elisa Master Espoo 2022
BIG has always been a fairly average team that occasionally competed with the best tier-1 teams. However, BIG was slightly above its typical levels this year.
BIG competed in the two main stages of the Majors while improving between them, won the Roobet Cup online tournament, in which tier-1 teams participated, and also went far in tier-2 contests.
BIG has completed the tasks set for this year.
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Liquid
Prize money won per season: $530,416
Championships: -
Second places: ESL Pro League Season 16, BLAST Premier World Final 2022
Liquid could have been higher in this ranking if not for the disastrous first half of the year. The American team performed extremely mediocre before the signing of YEKINDAR, so mediocre that no worthy result can be noted.
However, after the signing of the Latvian, Liquid became a full-fledged top team. They got 5th-6th place at IEM Cologne, 2nd at ESL Pro League 16, 3-4th at BLAST Premier Fall Final and 2nd at BLAST Premier World Final.
Unfortunately, Liquid never became the champions, but they showed a remarkable comeback after the failure at the beginning of the year.
Vitality
Prize money won per season: $439,560
Championships: ESL Pro League Season 16
Second place: BLAST Premier Spring Final 2022
Despite a controversial year, Vitality fulfilled its primary goal - to remain a top club. Vitality had mediocre episodes this year, but the team still became the champion and winner of the tier-1 tournament.
This year, the team's most important results are the championship at ESL Pro League 16 and 2nd place at the BLAST Premier Spring Final. Of course, this is different from what Vitality expected. However, the year cannot be called a failure either.
G2
Prize money won per season: $887,250
Championships: BLAST Premier World Final 2022
Second place: IEM Katowice 2022
If not for the last event of this year, then G2 would not have made it to this list, and the European team would have had almost no achievements.
But BLAST Premier World Final was the culmination of all G2 reshuffles this year, and the team won one of the year's biggest events. About the same thing happened at the beginning of the year - then G2 went to the finals of IEM Katowice 2022.
In addition, the European team did not have any bright achievements. However, the first championship in 5.5 years is an evident success.
Outsiders
Prize money won per season: $653,750
Championships: IEM Rio Major 2022, ESL Challenger Rotterdam 2022
Second place: ESL Challenger Valencia 2022
All the Outsiders' small achievements pale compared to their main success this year - the victory at the IEM Rio Major. It's a fantastic championship that brings the Outsiders back over other teams.
And given their excellent performance throughout the year, 2022 can be considered successful for the Outsiders.
Related:
Heroic
Prize money won per season: $847,500
Second place: IEM Rio Major 2022
Heroic has finally entered the top clubs this year. Heroic has always been near the top of the world rankings, but they lacked one thing - winning a Major tier-1 LAN tournament.
And the season for Heroic passed as usual - the Danes went far in tier-1 tournaments and even took second place in the Major. However, the team's main achievement for the year is the BLAST Premier Fall Final championship, which distinguishes this year for Heroic from all others.
The first championship at tier-1 LAN is a success for the Danish organization.
NAVI
Prize money won per season: $824,500
Championships: BLAST Premier Spring Final 2022
Second place: PGL Major Antwerp 2022, IEM Cologne 2022
Although this year is worse for NAVI than the last one, it definitely cannot be called a failure. On the contrary, the Ukrainian club has been at the top all season and won one Major event - the BLAST Premier Spring Final.
NAVI experienced massive non-playing difficulties this year due to the war in the homeland of the club, roster changes, and problems with the fifth player. However, the team overcame all this and went far in tournaments all year. And only one team this year was more successful than NAVI.
FaZe
Prize money won per season: $1,861,750
Championships: IEM Katowice 2022, ESL Pro League Season 15, PGL Major Antwerp 2022, IEM Cologne 2022
Second place: Roobet Cup, BLAST Premier Fall Final 2022
No other team could have done better this year. It's worth just looking at the achievements of FaZe: the championship at IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League 15, PGL Major Antwerp, and IEM Cologne. Nobody won as many Major events this year as FaZe did.
The only failure of the European mix this year was the relegation from IEM Rio Major 0-3. However, at other events, the club showed itself more than worthy. And four Major championships are a real success, which is very difficult to repeat.
There was no era for any particular team this year. Yes, FaZe dominated in the year's first half, but even then, other teams showed their success. However, instead of an era, we got a highly diverse set of champions and a bunch of successful teams to root for. We hope that next year will be even more competitive.
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