While local fans at the Qudos Bank Arena will surely look forward to some epic CS from the world's best teams, most of them will be wearing their green-and-gold hearts on their sleeves, hoping for The Boys to pull off a breakthrough upset. Here's what Duncan "Thorin" Shields reckons Renegades need to do in order to keep the spoils at home: 1) Flex their strong map pool An aspect of Renegades' rise to relevance as a legitimate top team in CS:GO has come thanks to their wide map pool. Returning coach kassad made his previous tenure in Renegades one in which they improved their map pool and thus ability to veto effectively over time. Since he joined up with the boys again they have looked strong throughout the pool and their multitude of potential options have allowed them to create more winnable match-ups against the entire field. This is significant because it firstly allows Renegades to find favourable match-ups against any team in the top 20, with so much parity in the scene right now. That has been the base to give Renegades such a boost in placings recently, as they have routinely cruised through Swiss system phases, able to…

Duncan “Thorin” Shields breaks down what we can expect from each of the teams at IEM Sydney:

For the first time ever, Overwatch Contenders Australia will be hosted live at Qudos Bank Arena at the 2019 Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM) Sydney. Over two electrifying days, the top four teams in the region will clash live for their share in a $100,000 USD prize pool. This season, the stakes have never been higher, with the winning team set to go on to battle the best in the region at the Overwatch Pacific Showdown in China later in May. With a place in Overwatch Contenders history on the line, IEM attendees can expect two action-packed semi-final matches on Saturday, 4 May, before the final, epic conclusion to the season on Sunday, 5 May. 2019 Season 1 has already proven to be the most competitive season yet, with ORDER, Blank Esports, and three-peat champions, the Sydney Drop Bears, each sitting at the top of the table with five wins and one loss apiece. With the final round of regular play occurring this week, the competition is only going to get fiercer as these three teams vie for the top spot. Tickets for IEM Sydney 2019 are on sale via www.ticketek.com.au. Pick up a single day Saturday ticket for $69 AUD,…

Mousepad, anyone? Intel® Extreme Masters Sydney 2019, our 75th stop for IEM tours globally, is nearing. With less than one month before the action kicks off in Qudos Bank Arena, it's the perfect time to let everyone know what our Premium + Global Elite goodie bag contains for this year! Premium & Global Elite Goodie Bag Contents: IEM Sydney 2019 Goodiebag JerseyIEM Sydney 2019 Mousepad"Out of game carry" BagESL Bottle OpenerESL LanyardVarious Sponsor GiveawaysIEM Sydney 2019 Commemorative CoinIEM Sydney Wristband With a bag this good, now's the time to secure your Premium Ticket - with the Bonus Wave selling out fast, don't miss your chance to pick it up! Click here to buy your Premium ticket!