G2 Esports, Astralis, and FURIA have secured the final places in Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 22.
The three teams advanced to the next stage after winning their deciding fifth-round matches.
G2 Esports Sweeps ENCE
BLAST Open London champions G2 Esports looked to turn around its momentum following defeats to Gentle Mates and B8 in the previous rounds with a victory against ENCE, a last-minute replacement that started its Pro League campaign with two wins and two defeats.
The difference in quality between the two sides was on show, with G2 Esports displaying superior attacking and defensive strategies to secure a 2-0 sweep and a place in Stage 2.
Astralis Conquers Legacy
After struggling to win attacking rounds during Stage 1, Astralis battled back against HEROIC to set up a clash with Legacy in the final round. The South American side opened Inferno with a 13-7 scoreline, putting the experienced Danes on the verge of elimination.
Overpass was a much closer contest, with both teams trading attacking and defensive rounds to end the opening half with six rounds apiece. Rounds continued going back and forth, but Astralis emerged victorious (13-11) to take the series to Ancient.
The momentum continued for Astralis, racing to a ten-round lead after the first half. The loud shouts of Legacy were silenced as the Danes cruised to a dominant 13-3 victory to move on to the next stage.
FURIA Dumps Out B8
Despite winning FISSURE Playground 2, FURIA’s Pro League campaign has peaked and troughed with defeats to HOTU and Legacy alongside wins over Fluxo and M80. In contrast, B8’s journey began with a victory over Legacy, a defeat to HOTU, a 2-1 win over G2 Esports, and a 2-0 loss to GamerLegion.
The Ukrainian side’s pick of Mirage went in its favour as its aggressive offensive play paid off, resulting in a 13-5 win. FURIA responded on Inferno despite a late B8 comeback to level the series with a 13-8 scoreline.
Overpass was a close contest between the two sides, with B8 managing to breach FURIA’s defensive holds to tie 6-6 at halftime. However, the Brazilian organisation’s second-half offence proved too much for B8, taking the map 13-9 and the final place in Stage 2.
What’s Next?
With Stage 1 of ESL Pro League Season 22 concluded, attention turns to Stage 2 where the likes of Team Falcons, Team Vitality, and The MongolZ enter the fray.
Taking place from October 4th to 8th, the 16 remaining teams will compete for eight places in the Playoffs in another five-round Swiss stage.
