Yakult Brothers and Virtus.pro exit FISSURE Playground 2 early

Poor performances throughout characterized the tournament runs of both Yakult Brothers and Virtus.pro at FISSURE Playground 2, leading to each squad’s elimination in just the first three days of the competition.

I say poor performances, but really, neither of these teams were ever going to be in contention for playoff spots, let alone the title at this event. Both clubs are at or near the bottom of the pecking order compared to the others, and I’m sure everyone watching more or less expected these results for them.

Tamed and subdued

Virtus.pro has an angry polar bear — one of the most dangerous wild animals ever — on their logo, but they looked more like docile cubs throughout their run in the Swiss group stage. Their campaign ended today at the hands of Runa Team of all opponents, which was supposed to be a match where VP was favored just in terms of talent and experience.

But they couldn’t even manage to get past one of the weakest teams in the field. While VP didn’t look completely lost out there, eking out a win in the second game, they got obliterated in the deciding game 3. I recognize that this lineup is practically new after they added three new players, but the fit is obviously awful and I really doubt any serious chemistry will form between these guys.

Azel “Abed” Yusop and Tal “Fly” Aizik are just past their primes, and Enzo “Timado” Gianoli has never really been a top tier carry. Add to that the fact that Vladislav “Antares” Kertman and Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin are still around because the organization seemingly needs some Russian representation, and you’ve got yourself a bit of a mess.

I’ll give them a few more months before they go their separate ways. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Spoiled milk

That heading is that way on purpose, because Yakult is a brand of probiotic milk. Anyway, this team is down in the dumps after taking on Nicholas “zeal” Lim Eng Han and Wilson “poloson” Koh Chin Wei — and I even thought that zeal in particular would bring some much-needed firepower to this lineup. After all, he’s one of the best offlaners from Southeast Asia right now, and I think we all know how important that role has become over the last year or so.

Apparently, it’s still not enough. Yakult Brothers didn’t win a single set in this tournament, with their run coming to an end earlier today thanks to MOUZ beating them two games to none. I’m starting to get worried about the Chinese scene so early in the season, because neither Yakult Brothers nor Team Tidebound look like they’re ready to carry the country’s banner moving forward.

Vici Gaming are somehow still in this tournament, but I’m not sure that will last, either. Xtreme Gaming are nowhere to be found right now, though they did take on Xu “fy” Linsen just three weeks ago. They’re probably the last hope for China this season, and they don’t even seem to be too interested in playing right away.

I’m sure Yakult Brothers will stick around for a while. It would be a waste to just disband the team so soon after getting zeal and poloson — and unlike Virtus.pro, these two aren’t just washed beyond belief. It might not result in anything amazing, but I personally feel like this team in particular wants to keep at it despite their slow start.