1: LOUD
2: OpTic Gaming
3: DRX
4: FunPlus Phoenix
5-6: Fnatic – XSET
7-8: Leviatán as Team Liquid
9-12: KRU Esports – Paper Rex – ZETA Division – 100 Thieves
13-16: BOOM Esports – EDward Gaming – FURIA Esports – XERXIA
One of the first major disappointments of the tournament was the inability of Asia-Pacific giant Paper Rex to get out of its group. The team that lost to Liquid and Leviatán was crushed under the weight of its own glory.
FPX’s VCT 2. EMEA, which was shown as the favorite after winning the Stage Masters, could not make it to the final. Although all three representatives of the region exited the group stage, FPX found themselves in the lower group and Fnatic and Team Liquid in the upper group, but these adventures did not last long.
With the current champion gone, EMEA’s dreams of bringing home the title for two consecutive years were dashed and the stage was left to North America, Brazil and Korea. In the sub-group final, we saw that DRX was not fully prepared for the championship, OpTic managed to beat its opponent after a contentious struggle across five maps. DRX, who took two games while things were going badly, lasted 10 rounds in the last map, Haven, but was eventually forced to kneel.
The sides of the battle were clear: OPTIC vs. LOUD, the match the fans were waiting for. OpTic, who failed to even get a map from the Brazilian giant in the first match, took LOUD deep into extra time on the first and third maps, and won the second map relatively comfortably. LOUD, on the other hand, surpassed itself under pressure, responded to the fire with fire and picked up the first and third games.
The Duelists of Brazil’s Erick ‘aspas’ Santos, who were clearly superior on the fourth map, beat the North American team with a shirt and pushed their opponent to second place.
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