Two rival teams, Team BDS and Karmine Corp, are set to clash this Saturday, marking their eighth meeting of the year. Team BDS lead the head-to-head (4-3), and they have beaten Karmine Corp in their last three meetings; however, since both teams have made roster changes, the H2H record doesn’t matter.

Team BDS announced three new signings last week, including a 16-year-old dralii, former KC player Brice “ExoTiiK” Bigeard, and Andy “Kassio” Landais as head coach. On paper, those seem good additions for the future; however, Kassio has no previous coaching experience, and dralii is an unproven player at the top level.

Karmine Corp exploded its roster in September and kept only Axel “Vatira” Touret. Last week, KC added (ex-Vitality) Victor “Ferra” Francal as a new coach but have since not announced who will fill the two gaps. For this match, KC will field ex-Gen.G Mobil1 Racing Joseph “noly” Kidd and former Team BDS player Finlay “rise.” Ferguson.

Both teams have made roster changes, and while this raises a few questions, Karmine Corp’s new-look lineup looks more stable. At the very least, KC shouldn’t be priced as underdogs.

Moist Esports failed to accomplish much in the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2022/23 season and ended the year with a ninth-12th-place finish at the RLCS World Championship 2023. Shortly after, Moist parted ways with Kurtis “Kash” Cannon and have yet to find a permanent replacement.

For Flip & Spin – Finals, Moist Esports will field Kieran “rehzzy” Hogan as a stand-in, who is a proven talent from the European Rocket League scene, so Kash’s absence shouldn’t be a big issue.

Team Vitality won everything there was to win last season and ended RLCS 2022/23 as the undisputed best Rocket League esports team in the world. The French squad have since made only one change and signed former player Victor “Fairy Peak!” Locquet as the new head coach.

As the offered Rocket League betting odds suggest, Team Vitality are a superior team, but they enter this match a bit rusty, which makes backing the underdogs with a handicap a more appealing option.

More esports betting tips

Team Vitality were very good in their opening round match, defeating Elevate 3-1 in a best-of-five series to set up a match with Complexity in the upper-bracket quarter-finals. Vitality took the opening map of the series before losing the second and third to go down 1-2. However, after a hard-fought overtime win on map four, they steadied and won the fifth and final map to take the series 3-2. Vitality came into the Spring Major as the top ranked European team, but after a close series with North America’s fourth ranked team, they have shown that they are beatable.

Team BDS dropped their opening map of their Spring Major campaign against Gen.G; however, they have gone onto win then next six maps, defeating Gen.G 3-1 and Rule One 3-0 to storm into the upper-bracket semi-finals. They will go into this match-up with Team Vitality seeking to flip the script on their last three encounters with their European counterparts, as they have lost 3-1, 4-1 and 4-1 over the last two months.

Team BDS will go into this semi-final with a lot of confidence after two dominant wins, while Team Vitality will be looking to atone for their struggles against Complexity. Although Vitality has had the wood over their opponents recently, we expect BDS to turn the tables and win this match.

Karmine Corp started their RLCS Spring Major in the worst possible fashion as they lost the first two maps of their opening round series to Ground Zero, before they flicked the switch and dominated then final three maps to win the series 3-2. Their upper-bracket quarter-final started similar, as Spacestation Gaming took the opening map, but much like Karmine’s opening series, they came roaring back to rattle off three straight map wins to clinch a place in the upper-bracket semi-finals with a 3-1 win.

Moist Esports have experienced a much less stressful opening two matches, as they have won both series 3-1 against FURIA and OpTic Gaming to book their place in the semi-finals. However, in saying that, Moist have gone to overtime on four of their eight maps played. Moist will be seeking to turn the tables on their 1-4 loss to Karmine Corp at the EU Spring Invitational. They did manage to flip the script at the Fall Major, as they lost to them earlier in the tournament (3-0), and then knocked them out of the quarter-finals of the playoffs with a 4-1 victory.

Karmine Corp will enter this series as the heavy favourite with most bookies, and they are who we will be siding with for this contest. We will be taking them at the -1.5-match line with this market available with many betting sites across the globe.

More esports betting tips

Ahgren made the announcement during Tarik “tarik” Celik’s VCT LOCK//IN Twitch stream. Ahgren also revealed the organization’s move on Twitter, disclosing that the buy cost US$500,000.

“The rumors are true! I spent $500k of charlie’s money on a valorant team,” the Moist Esports co-founder wrote.

He went on to introduce the entire Moist Moguls lineup, including the new coach. The squad includes ex-Ghost Gaming players Brock “brawk” Somerhalder and Alex “aproto” Protopapas as well as former TSM Academy player Tyler “sym” Porter, ex-Pioneers gamer Brady “thief” Dever, and former FaZe player Xavier “flyuh” Carlson.

Tanizhq “Tanizhq” Sabharwal was confirmed as the team’s head coach. Flyuh recently revealed that he had split ways with FaZe Clan and would need no buyout.

BreakThru performed impressively at the open qualifiers of the North American VALORANT Challengers League (NA VCL). The team qualified without losing a series and only dropped two maps in the process.

The newly renamed Moist Moguls are close to the bottom of their group in the NA Challengers. They hold a 1-1 record, having played only two games.

Since joining Moist Esports as a co-owner last month, Ahgren has hinted at the organization entering the Valorant scene. After Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang signed his Valorant squad, the North American Valorant community kept inquiring about Ahgren’s plans for the esports. The fellow content creator’s team also qualified for the NA Challengers.

During the off-season, Ahgren and tarik hosted a Valorant tournament. The event was held in Los Angeles and dubbed the Ludwig x Tarik Valorant Invitational. It featured four squads, two of which are VCT partners – T1 and Sentinels.

The new Valorant squad is Moist Esports’ fifth professional roster. They also have teams competing in Rocket League, Guilty Gear Strive, Apex Legends, and Super Smash Bros.

The Moguls will make their debut under the Moist Esports banner on February 27, when they will face off against Turtle Troop in the NA VCL Split 1.

?More esports news

The content creator and streamer will share ownership of the franchise with Charles White Jr, who is better known by his online handle MoistCriTiKaL. Both parties are yet to make known the financial implication of the deal.

The news of the acquisition was announced by both parties in a comedic sketch on social media, where Ludwig and White Jr debated the franchise’s achievements, highlighting each one of them in an attempt to acknowledge the team’s greatness.

Ludwig reacted to the announcement on his Twitter page, confirming his involvement with Moist to his 1.6 million fanbase.

The renowned esports team known for their success in the Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. communities have achieved great accomplishments in recent times. The franchise recently won the RLCS 2021-22 Spring Split Major, solidifying their presence in the competitive scene.

White Jr. has also expanded his involvement in the gaming industry by partnering with OTK Media to create Starforge Systems, a gaming PC company that sponsors the brand jersey for Moist Esports. The team have also secured Opera GX, a gaming internet browser, as their lead sponsor at the beginning of 2023. With a strong portfolio of achievements and partnerships, Moist Esports continues to be a formidable force in the esports world.

In addition to his successful streaming career, which began in 2019, Ludwig has also ventured into the world of entrepreneurship. In 2022, he teamed up with Mogul Moves President Nick Allen and former Gen.G General Manager Nathan Stanz to establish the creative studio OFFBRAND.

He has also made a name for himself in the esports scene by organizing and hosting tournaments, such as the invitational event for Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in Las Vegas, Nevada, in October 2022. This tournament, which featured a total prize pool of $52,500, had Capital One and Feastables, a chocolate bar company owned by MrBeast, on its lineup as headline sponsors.

The partial acquisition of Moist Esports by Ludwig under his brand, Mogul Moves, is a significant move for the franchise, as it brings in a well-known and popular figure in the content creation and streaming world. The new co-owner’s experience in organizing and hosting tournaments, as well as his entrepreneurial background, will likely bring new opportunities and growth for Moist Esports. The acquisition also brings Ludwig one step closer to being more involved in the competitive side of esports, something that he has shown interest in previously.

The acquisition also demonstrates the growing trend of content creators and streamers becoming involved in esports franchises. More and more, creators are seeking to use their platforms and influence to build a presence in the competitive gaming scene. This acquisition by Ludwig is a prime example of this trend, and it will be interesting to see how this move impacts Moist Esports in the future.

After a slow start on Thursday, Gen.G Mobil1 Racing supporters would have been worried after they lost 0-3 to Oxygen Esports in their second-round series on day one.

However, the Gen.G boys finished the Swiss stage with two dominant wins over Team Falcons (3-1) and FaZe Clan (3-0).

The number one North American team at the Major was tasked with a tricky quarter-final clash against Team Liquid.

After going down 3-1, it looked as though Gen.G were done and dusted; however, they rallied late to snatch a 4-3 win on the fifth map and they won another close game on the sixth map.

This set up a massive deciding on map on Champions Field, where both teams struggled to break through each other’s defence, until Gen.G scored a late series-deciding goal which capped off their incredible comeback.

FaZe Clan also won a seven-map thriller over Oxygen Esports, setting up a cracking semi-final series between the top two North American teams.

Unfortunately for the neutral fans, this series was not even close, as Gen.G ran out 4-1 winners to book their spot in the grand final.

Their grand final opponent, Moist Esports, steamrolled their way through the other side of the playoff bracket, defeating Karmine Corp (4-1) and Team Secret (4-2).

Led by the Fall Split Major MVP, Jack “ApparentlyJack” Benton, Gen.G lost the first map before going on to take the next two maps 1-0 and 2-1.

Moist Esports levelled the series with a 2-1 win on map four; however, that was that for Moist, as Gen.G went on to win maps five and six and take out the series 4-2.

More esports news

According to the American esports franchise’s announcement, Team Burger will fly the flag for Moist in next year’s Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS). ?

The squad previously dazzled the esports community during the 2022 ALGS LAN events. Team Burger became even more popular online after the Split 2 Playoffs held in Stockholm, Sweden, and the ALGS Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina.? ?

The Australian franchise’s impressive performances in both tournaments increased their fan base and popularity. They finished in ninth place in the Split 2 Playoffs and then in 17th place during the ALGS Championship.?

?Team Burger were able to accomplish both feats without any organization backing them and with roots in the APAC South region. The region was widely seen as having a lower competition level prior to the 2022 LANs.?

The Moist Esports brand was created by a famous Youtuber and Twitch streamer, Charles “Cr1TiKaL” White Jr, in August 2021, with Kolawole “Kola” Aideyan as the first player in the lineup. Regardless of the franchise being relatively new compared to the top esports organizations, the team has made a name for themselves in the esports community with several major tournament wins.?

?They notably sponsored players who participated in games such as Guilty Gear Strive, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Smash Con Fall Fest, as well as MomoCon 2022, were both won by the team’s top player, Paris “Light” Ramirez Garcia.? ?Kola also won the CEO Smash Ultimate tournament in 2021.

Moist Esports previously branched out into Rocket League from FGC and, from the looks of it, intend to diversify even more.? ?Moist have signed on popular rosters and players on several occasions, so the recent move to acquire Team Burger – consisting of Joshua “Jaro” Green, Matthew “Emtee” Trengrove, and Ben “Wxltzy” Walton – is no surprise.
?

?They did not have much of a presence away from their region until they participated in the Split 2 Playoffs. After the tournament, Team Burger amassed a fandom that passed their borders as a result of their unusual name as well as their performance. The squad became even more popular after the ALGS Championship, where they called themselves “the Burger Brigade”.? ?

In support of Team Burger, the squad’s fans went on to produce custom merchandise such as jerseys and socks branded with the Team Burger logo for the team. Now they have the support of a similarly popular esports organization for the 2023 ALGS competition.

?More esports news

The RLCS World Championship 2021-22 in Fort Worth, United States, will be the culmination of the two seasons that have run over 2021-2022, with 24 teams competing for the massive US$2,085,000 prize pool.

Starting on August 4, with the Wildcard Stage Swiss system kicking off the event, before the main event Group Stage kicks off on August 9.

There will be 24 of the world’s highest ranked teams, based on their RLCS circuit points that they have received in relation to their results at all Major and regional events. The ninth to the 24th ranked teams will participate in the wildcard stage with all 16 teams playing each other to decide which 8 teams make the main event Group Stage.

The 16 teams that will participate in the Wildcard Stage are; Version1, Spacestation Gaming, Optic Gaming, Dignitas, Karmine Corp, SMPR Esports, Renegages, Pioneers, Team Secret, The Club, Tokyo Verdy Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Veloce Esports, 01 Esports, Orlando Pirates Exdee and Bravado Gaming.

The top 8 teams in terms of ranking points representing North America, Europe, South America and Middle East and North Africa, that have automatically qualified for the Group Stage are; G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, The General NRG, Moist Esports, Team BDS, Endpoint CEX, FURIA Esports, Team Falcons.

RLCS World Championship tips 2022

Our RLCS expert has assessed the markets and found some value Rocket League World Championship tips:

BEST BET – Moist Esports to win RLCS World Championship $4

Moist Esports have only been an official team since the May 5 this year, just before the Spring Major, where the team acquired the Team Queso roster that disbanded just weeks after the Winter Major in April.

Since acquiring the Team Queso roster, their first events as Moist Esports were a second-place and fourth-place at the Spring EU – Regional 1 and 2 events. However, Moist Esports went on to win the Spring EU- Regional Event 3 over Team BDS in the Super 16 grand final 4-2.

Entering the Spring Split Major, Moist Esports were still seen as an unknown to the RLCS world making their Major event debut under their new name. They did not disappoint though and had an event to remember, making a memorable debute.

Moist eSPorts dropped from the upper-bracket in the quarter-finals when they lost 1-3 to Version1, meaning they had to run through the lower-bracket to make it to the grand final. In the lower-bracket final they turned the tables on Version1 by beating them 4-0 in the lower-bracket final to take on Team Falcons in the grand final for the Spring Major.

Moist Esports had to beat Team Falcons in two best-of-seven series to win the grand final, in what is called a bracket reset. They won the first best-of-seven series 4-3 and then they blew Team Falcons away by winning the second series 4-0, clinching the Spring Major and the US$90,000 prize. If the best team in the world can stay in the upper-bracket for longer, and not have to do it the hard way here at the World Championships, they will be very, very hard to beat once again.

NEXT BEST BET – Team Falcons $7

Team Falcons will enter the RLCS World Championships as the 6th ranked team in the world, but they will have the highest amount of RLCS Circuit Points, amassing 4279 over the season with their dominance of their Middle East and North Africa region.

They have also finished 3rd-4th at the Gamers8 2022 show-tournament earning them US$200,000 and they were able to finish 2nd to Moist Esports at the RLCS Spring Split Major.

Over the last three months Team Falcons have not finished outside of the top three at any event that they have participated in while winning all three regional events throughout the Spring MENA season.

At the Spring Major, Team Falcons ran through the upper-bracket with wins over Team Liquid, FaZe Clan, Spacestation Gaming and Version1, losing their only series to the eventual winners in Moist Esports.

Their result at the Spring Major has shown everyone that they can most definitely compete with all of the best teams in the world. Therefore, if Team Falcons have another outstanding run in the World Championships like the run they had in the Spring Major, $7 will be massive overs for such a good team.

?More esports tips

In a bid to maximize the partnership, Razer will display its products and sell limited-edition merchandise, as well as receive branding exposure on broadcast and hold raffles for attendees.? ?This partnership was secured on the back of a controversial occurrence that got the festival with a $15 million prize pool to suffer a little setback.

Due to the Saudi government’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights, Moist Esports have decided to boycott the Rocket League event.? ?The tournament organizer, SEF, has yet to respond to the publicly made announcement by Moist.

https://twitter.com/Gamers8GG/status/1546538721033568257?t=p1Th-Fi7_9GqgKsFuyAn5g&s=19? ?

During the eight-week summer event, which will include several high-profile esports tournaments, Razer will sell an exclusive Gamers8 x Razer collection on-site.? ?Several Razer products, including its signature collection, will be featured throughout the competition. The Saudi Esports Federation and Razer will also hold raffles for Gamers8 attendees and social media fans to win ‘exclusive gaming gear’.?

?The Saudi Esports Federation’s Head of Communications, Marketing, and Partnerships, Omar Batterjee, said he was “delighted” to welcome Razer as a partner.?

?He said:? “Gamers8 has a mission to blur the lines between what’s physical and what’s virtual, and the triple-headed snake trademark of Razer, one of the most recognized logos in the gaming world, is a great addition to the event. We know fans will be as excited as we are with this partnership.”? ?

The Rocket League Esports subreddit moderators tend to strongly disagree. In a show of support for Moist Esports, the moderators of the subreddit said in a statement on Sunday that they would not be covering the Gamers8 Rocket League event.? ?

This seems to be a reoccurring issue, as this is not the first time that a Saudi-backed esports initiative has sparked community outrage. Following fan backlash, tournament organizer BLAST and the League of Legends competition LEC were both forced to withdraw from deals with the Kingdom’s contentious city development NEOM.? ?

Saudi Arabia has significantly increased its presence in the esports and gaming industries this year, most notably with the government-backed Savvy Gaming Group’s US$1.5 billion purchase of ESL Gaming and FACEIT.

?More esports news