DreamHack kicks off Starcraft 2’s 2021 with a bang, as one final pro tour event is set to give players one last chance to earn points for the 2020-21 world championship.
This means it’ll be about more than just the money and we may even see some unexpected results as some players have a lot more to fight for than others. Before placing any wagers, let’s take a look at who’s playing and which players to keep our eyes on at this event.
Who’s Playing at DreamHack Masters Last Chance 2021?
We’ll see 16 of the best Starcraft 2 players battling it out at DH Masters in January, featuring European superstars Serral and Reynor, as well as some legendary Korean players like Trap, TY and Innovation.
All these players will be fighting to gain ESL Pro Tour ranking points, in addition to a small cash prize, so the focus and results may be a bit different than expected. The championship is set to be played at the end of February, with only a select few players who gathered the most points over 2020 participating. There are still spots up for grabs for a few players, so the pressure will be on for them.
When it comes to the tournament format, we’ll see a standard GSL group stage lead into an eight-man playoff bracket. This means that two losses spells elimination in the group stage for players, and the Sportsbook must go undefeated in the playoffs to win it all.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Serral | +250 |
| Byun | +350 |
| Trap | +600 |
| Reynor | +800 |
| Rogue | +900 |
| Stats | +900 |
| Clem | +950 |
| Innovation | +950 |
| Zest | +1300 |
| TY | +1300 |
| Solar | +2000 |
| Parting | +5000 |
| Bunny | +6600 |
| Ragnarok | +6600 |
| Showtime | +10000 |
| Heromarine | +25000 |
Odds as of January 11 at Sportsbook
Players Battle For Vital Championship Qualification Points
The key thing to focus on at this event is the championship standing. The vast majority of players have already secured their spot at the championship in February, however, a few slots remain undecided.
One of the most important of these is the final Korean qualification spot, where Trap and Innovation stand just three points apart at the split between a direct invite. This means that Trap and Innovation will be in a fierce battle, with the player that performs better securing the direct invite.
As such, these two are definitely the players to watch, as neither will want to lose out on their slot and both are talented enough to win the event. If you were looking to bet on an underdog, look no further.
Could the Favorites be ‘Saving Strategies’?
Strategies are everything in Starcraft 2. At the highest level, there is such a small difference in technical skill that games are made and broken by choice of strategy. Players usually craft specific strategies for certain opponents and often try to catch others off guard with unconventional ideas.
As quite a few of the top dogs, like Serral, Byun, Reynor and Rogue, all have no use for the qualification points, they may just use this event to scout out their opponents and keep their most powerful strategies hidden.
It’s quite common for players to “save strategies” for the most important events so they can utilize them when it really matters most. It’s very possible we’ll see that here, as the upcoming championship is much more important, as it not only offers more prestige, but also a prize pool that’s 10 times greater.
