Esports Information UK runs down the most recent information about EPIC45 in Counter-Strike, Valorant and Starcraft II. The occasion, operating from Seventeenth-Twentieth July, guarantees to be a historic iteration of the LAN occasion as a consequence of its newfound relevance in Europe.
Whereas EPIC.LAN stays the house of UK Counter-Strike, there isn’t a mistake that the most important story coming into EPIC45 is the EU groups coming to compete at EPIC.LAN. Groups like Synical, 8Sins, Recognised Expertise, and defending champs NXT can have their work lower out for them to get deep within the match and earn VRS factors.
Whereas Ecstastic withdrew as a consequence of scheduling and Internal Circle withdrew following their signing of the traditional 9ine roster, there are nonetheless a number of EU groups current on the LAN. EU groups embody FUT, AaB, TheLastResort, Alliance and Iberian Soul that includes British AWPer, Smooya.
Because of the treasured nature of LAN wins within the VRS system, EPIC.LAN has turn out to be a means for groups to build up each rating wins and treasured LAN victories.
EPIC.LAN, as an occasion anybody can enter, will not be gatekept like many different EU LANs, however nonetheless presents VRS-ranked standing, making it a beneficial entry level to LAN and VRS for the UK and now EU scenes.
FUT at EPIC
The roster options three family names from their time in tier one. Former Vitality riflers Kévin ‘misutaaa’ Rabier and Nabil ‘Nivera’ Benrlitom each made names for themselves at Vitality, taking part in alongside Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut.
Whereas Nivera stepped away from Counter-Strike, switching to Valorant till his return final 12 months, misutaaa has continued in CS at groups like Falcons, Into the Breach and 9ine.
Audric ‘JACKZ’ Jug can be a well-known title, having been a long-term piece in G2’s French after which worldwide rosters. The Frenchman simply shared his current wedding ceremony pictures on X. Now he’ll spend his honeymoon in sunny Kettering…
TheLastResort signal WildLotus roster
British organisation, TheLastResort (TLR) have made their most bold roster signing up to now, bringing in new sponsorship that has allowed them to signal the WildLotus roster already attending Kettering.
Signing the roster, consisting of b0RUP, birdfromsky, Keoz, Vegi, and b0denmaster, immediately provides TheLastResort a VRS rank (#136 within the final VRS mannequin snapshot), making it simpler for the organisation to step into European competitors.
TheLastResort have beforehand signed UK veterans, with just a few notable exceptions comparable to The Netherlands’ Antal ‘Cher1on’ Lubbers and American import, ‘madden.’ With this transfer, the organisation are entering into the world of United21 occasions, European Professional League, and EU Open Qualifiers.
Preasy make means for AaB Esports
Beforehand, it was anticipated that Preasy would attend EPIC.LAN, nevertheless, with the organisation taking a break from their roster, AaB Esports takes the spot. The Danish roster is identical core, in idea, from the core that made up Preasy, however, as a consequence of substitutions falling on the fallacious time for VRS snapshots, they technically would not have Preasy’s VRS rating.
Nonetheless, that’s further motivation for the now AaB staff as they’ll look to get VRS rating wins on the occasion to alleviate that situation.
A younger Danish roster of extremely expert relative unknowns, they’ll be one of many groups to observe in Kettering.
Starcraft II occasion stays sturdy
Whereas Starcraft esports has sadly been beset with a number of setbacks in current occasions, like its removing from IEM Katowice 2025, the sport’s fanbase and group are offering the endurance to maintain SCII at EPIC.
RTS video games is probably not the preferred esports anymore, however Starcraft II’s LAN presence is testomony to the enduring love of the style. Let’s not neglect that MOBAs, the preferred video games in esports by a number of metrics, got here from Actual Time Technique.
Within the occasion, Joshua ‘RiSky’ Hayward shall be hoping so as to add to his 13 EPIC.LAN trophies, a file quantity of wins for an attendee of the UK’s largest group LAN. Nevertheless, the retired professional final gained the title at EPIC 42, dropping the ultimate to Mateusz ‘Gerald’ Budziak at EPIC 43 with the Pole defending his title in February.
Valorant at EPIC45 suffers from low attendance
Valorant, as of the writing of this piece, presently solely has 8 groups for EPIC45, in need of the 15 at EPIC 44. Whereas summer time EPICs are typically smaller, the autumn could also be because of the conflict with Valorant UK Challengers.
In any case, the occasion nonetheless has illustration from the Aconite, TheLastResort, and Crescent Roze, whose Valorant staff are entitled CRSNT Orchid, and have been picked up for the LAN by the organisation who boasts groups in Counter-Strike, Valorant, and Rocket League.
Darragh Harbinson is an esports author specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports Information UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.
