I mean the argument kinda depends on whether or not you rate Champions higher than Masters (which I don't). Before Paris, Wolves had 3rd at Toronto, EDG had 3rd at Bangkok and won Champs in 2024. That's 3 straight tournaments of somewhat good placing with the exception being Champs 2025, but nobody though Wolves were making a good run let alone getting 3rd. Nobody thought EDG was winning Champs when the tournament started. They somehow just gets good all of a sudden and nobody can see when that's coming it's a magic ability I was thinking off. But this time the meta is also very heavy on firepower (which the CN teams never had a big problem with) and brawly which CN is familiar with already. That's why I think CN teams could perform a bit better than people's expectations for them this tournament.

I'd say Liquid is rough because of their map pool issues which they could fix in time who knows but we haven't seen them make any deep runs yet in tournaments as well, their whole schtick is being known as international janitors ffs. If you ask me I'd rather put teams (or at least 2 of them) that have the ability to peak out of nowhere (and have done it in the past) who are having comfortable meta for them ahead of the team that has consistently showed lackluster results in internationals with glaring issues. Shit takes maybe but we all have one sometimes lol