Esports Awards finalists include 2019 LoL Worlds contenders

Team Vitality, 100 Thieves, NRG Esports, Team Liquid, Fnatic, eUnited, G2 Esports, and Cloud9 are the finalists for organization of the year in The Esports Awards.

With The Esports Awards fast approaching, the finalists for each category have been announced, and fan voting is now open. The organization of the year category features a number of industry leaders, particularly those who have a permanent League of Legends franchises.

Team Vitality has had a breakout year in 2019. Despite being in a crowded French esports scene, the organization has stood out among its peers thanks to its formidable Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team and the Rocket League Championship Series Season 7 winners, Renault Vitality.

Founded by former professional Call of Duty player Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, and with investments from A-listers like Drake, 100 Thieves has been working hard to build its name throughout the year. In addition to making the grand finals of the Call of Duty World League, the organization owns a franchised League of Legends Championship Series team and is eyeing a return to CSGO.

NRG is another organization with celebrity investors, including Shaquille O’Neal, Jennifer Lopez, and Tiesto. Unlike 100 Thieves, the organization has some championships on its mantel thanks to Overwatch League Season 2 champions, the San Francisco Shock.

Team Liquid has been among the best in every game it competes in. Liquid’s CSGO team is widely ranked as the best in the world, its PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds team placed top-three in both phases of the PEL, its Dota 2 team made the grand finals of The International 2019, and its League of Legends team won the LCS Spring and Summer Split playoffs.

Call of Duty World League champions eUnited made the list as well. That was the biggest moment of the year for the organization by a considerable margin, as it experienced mixed results in most of the other titles it competes in.

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Fnatic is best known for its League team and has enjoyed success throughout the season despite taking a backseat to G2 Esports in the LEC. The brand has remained competitive in a number of other titles including Rainbow Six, Dota 2, and more.

G2 Esports likely needs no introduction. This year alone, its League team won the Mid-Season Invitational and both the Spring and Summer LEC splits. It also took first place in the Six Invitational 2019 in Rainbow Six Siege. G2 has also enjoyed solid years in CSGO and Rocket League. 

Finally, Cloud9 has had mixed success across a number of its titles. Its biggest success in 2019 came from its LCS team, which came in second place in the LCS Summer Split. The organization’s other notes in 2019 include the release of its successful PUBG team and major shakeups to its CSGO roster. Despite that, C9 made waves on the business end of esports throughout the year thanks to its landing numerous high-profile sponsorships.

While these teams are being honored with the nominations, Team SoloMid and Echo Fox were both knocked off the list from last year after experiencing various struggles, particularly in their League of Legends teams.