The latest Fantasy game is live, with 190 players to choose from.

The second tournament to feature the recently revamped Fantasy game will be Eden Esports' Malta Vibes Knockout Series 1, set to begin on Monday, August 16. The event consists of a single-elimination bracket, with eight high-seed teams automatically having spots in round three. Play in the Fantasy game for a chance to win prizes on Hellcase, our partner for this event.

With Malta Vibes Knockout Series consisting of just a single-elimination bracket, the number of matches played between teams will vary significantly based on how far in the event they go. This means that players on teams who are likely to go out in the first round won't necessarily be good picks, even if they get a high rating.

For example, Luka "⁠c0llins⁠" Živanović from 4glory has one of the highest ratings going into the event (1.20 in the past 3 months), but will face off against K23 in the first round, making it more difficult for him to play more matches than someone with a lower rating on a better team.

With the format in mind, players on teams starting in the first round that are likely to go far in the bracket, like AGO, Fiend, or Wisla Krakow, will be more attractive picks. Players on teams invited to round three of the bracket could also be good choices, assuming that team doesn't lose their first game.

It should also be mentioned that three players — Błażej "⁠zaNNN⁠" Bączkowski, Magnus "⁠Nodios⁠" Olsen, and João "⁠horvy⁠" Horvath —, have not played any official games in the last three months, which makes selecting them difficult. Some of the higher-ranked teams could also be dangerous to pick from, depending on their bracket draw. Copenhagen Flames is certainly one of the better-ranked teams, but would have to face 1WIN in round two should they beat Imperial.

Here are our five players to consider picking for Malta Vibes Knockout Series 1:

(Rating displayed is last 3 months)
Tomasz "⁠phr⁠" Wójcik - 1.19 - $204,000
Mohammad "⁠BOROS⁠" Malhas - 1.26 - $223,000
Kujtim "⁠gulito⁠" Durmishi - 0.84 - $170,000
Vadim "⁠Polt⁠" Tsyrov - 1.07 - $202,000
Arek "⁠Vegi⁠" Nawojski - 1.13 - $204,000

Weighing up recent individual performance, expected team performance in the event, and the player price, we think these players have the potential to being a lot of value to your Fantasy team, whether you pick all five or just a couple.

Users who join the HLTV x Hellcase league will have a chance to win these prizes for the top three participants:

1. Panda Knife case on Hellcase.com
2. Double Boost case on Hellcase.com
3. Premium case on Hellcase.com

Participants of the Fantasy game are required to abide by the Fantasy ruleset if they want to win the available prizes. Winners of the official HLTV x Hellcase league will be contacted via the email provided in their HLTV account, and must reply within one month to be eligible to receive any prize.