Jordan Woodruff
Virtus.professional two times rallied for victories on Friday and booked a playoff spot on the ESL Professional League Season 20 in Saint Julian’s, Malta.
In a Staff D mid-bracket quarterfinal, Virtus.professional got here from a map down to overcome Group Falcons 2-1. Virtus.professional pulled off an similar 2-1 comeback in its subsequent fit in opposition to FURIA Esports to advance.
BIG additionally sealed a playoff berth on Friday, defeating Complexity Gaming 2-1 within the Staff C mid-bracket semifinal.
FURIA had earned the matchup with Virtus.professional through successful their first fit on Friday, 2-1 over RED Canids.
In a Staff C lower-bracket quarterfinal, Astralis swept Chicken 2-0. ATOX Esports stayed alive through successful their Staff D lower-bracket quarterfinal 2-0 over ENCE.
The gang level of the $750,000 Counter-Strike: International Offensive tournament cut up 32 groups into 4 teams which are competing in triple-elimination brackets, with every fit best-of-three. The highest 4 groups from every crew will transfer into the playoff bracket.
Staff winners will advance instantly into the playoff quarterfinals. Runners-up will advance to the Spherical of 12, third-place groups will transfer to the Spherical of 16 as top seeds and fourth-place groups will get started within the Spherical of 16 as low seeds.
The one-elimination playoff bracket will function best-of-three suits till the best-of-five grand ultimate on Sept. 22.
The winner will obtain $170,000 and can qualify for the primary ESL Professional Excursion Championship of 2025.
On Friday, Group Falcons opened with a 16-13 extra time win on Mud II prior to Virtus.professional claimed Vertigo 16-13 in extra time and Historical 13-11.
Russia’s Denis “electroNic” Sharipov recorded 58 kills and a plus-9 kill-death differential for Virtus.professional. Spain’s Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia accrued 64 kills and a plus-12 Okay-D differential for Group Falcons.
FURIA bounced again from a 13-1 thrashing on Anubis to down RED Canids 13-6 on Nuke, 13-11 on Vertigo.
Yuri “yuurih” Santos led FURIA with 46 kills and a plus-9 Okay-D differential. Chile’s David “dav1deuS” Tapia Maldonado, the one non-Brazilian competing within the fit for all sides, submit 47 kills and a plus-7 Okay-D differential.
FURIA began neatly of their subsequent fit, topping Virtus.professional 16-14 in extra time on Mud II. On the other hand, Virtus.professional answered with a 13-7 victories on Vertigo and Mirage.
David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan produced 49 kills and a plus-9 Okay-D differential for all-Russian Virtus.professional. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato led FURIA with 51 kills and a plus-10 Okay-D differential.
BIG took Historical 13-10 prior to Complexity claimed Vertigo 13-11. The decisive 0.33 map, Mud II, used to be one-sided, as BIG prevailed 13-1.
Switzerland’s Rigon “rigoN” Gashi posted 55 kills and a plus-13 Okay-D differential for BIG. The USA’ Michael “Grim” Wince had 50 kills and a plus-3 Okay-D differential for Complexity.
The Saturday time table:
–Staff C upper-bracket ultimate — Imperial Esports vs. M80
–Staff C lower-bracket semifinal — Fnatic vs. MOUZ
–Staff C lower-bracket semifinal — Complexity Gaming vs. Astralis
–Staff D lower-bracket semifinal — Group Falcons vs. RED Canids
–Staff D lower-bracket semifinal — FURIA Esports vs. ATOX Esports
ESL Professional League Season 20 prize pool (cash, BLAST Premier issues):
1. $170,000, 2,000 issues
2. $80,000, 1,400
3-4. $45,000, 750
5-8. $32,000, 275
9-12. $23,500, no issues
13-16. $17,500, no issues
17-20. $12,000, no issues — Sangal Esports, 3DMAX, two groups TBD
21-28. $7,000, no issues — Ninjas in Pyjamas, FlyQuest, 9z Group, Wildcard, 4 groups TBD
29-32. $3,500, no issues — Lynn Imaginative and prescient Gaming, KOI, ENCE, Chicken
–Box Stage Media
