Jordan Woodruff
Everlasting Fireplace and Natus Vincere are each win away from qualifying for the ESL Professional League Season 20 playoffs after registering upper-bracket semifinal wins in Group A on Wednesday at Saint Julian’s, Malta.
Each groups posted 2-0 wins on Wednesday, with Everlasting Fireplace sweeping Sangal Esports and Natus Vincere downing Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Two first-round mid-bracket matches have been contested in Group A on Wednesday, with FaZe Clan defeating FlyQuest 2-0 and HEROIC edging Lynn Imaginative and prescient 2-1.
The upper-bracket quarterfinals in Group B concluded with Group Spirit topping Wildcard 2-0 and 3DMAX transferring previous The MongolZ 2-0.
The group stage cut up 32 groups into 4 teams of a triple-elimination bracket format, with every match best-of-three. The highest 4 groups from every group will transfer into the playoff bracket.
Group winners will advance straight into the playoff quarterfinals. Runners-up will advance to the Spherical of 12, third-place groups will transfer to the Spherical of 16 as excessive seeds and fourth-place groups will begin within the Spherical of 16 as low seeds.
The one-elimination playoff bracket can be best-of-three till the best-of-five grand remaining on Sept. 22.
The winner will obtain $170,000 and can qualify for the primary ESL Professional Tour Championship of 2025.
On Wednesday, Everlasting Fireplace beat Sangal Esports 13-8 on Mud II and 13-1 on Nuke. Ozgur “woxic” Eker led all-Turkish Everlasting Fireplace with 37 kills and a plus-22 kill-death differential.
Natus Vincere topped Ninjas in Pyjamas 13-6 on Historical and 13-9 on Mud II behind 45 kills and a plus-23 Okay-D differential from Romania’s Mihai “iM” Ivan.
FaZe Clan slipped previous FlyQuest 13-9 on Anubis and 13-11 on Historical. Slovakia’s David “frozen” Cernansky paced FaZe Clan with 47 kills and a plus-23 Okay-D differential.
HEROIC sandwiched a 13-10 win on Mud II and a 13-7 triumph on Nuke round a 13-6 loss to Lynn Imaginative and prescient on Historical. Israel’s Man “NertZ” Iluz was the star for HEROIC with 50 kills and a plus-13 Okay-D differential.
Group Spirit squeaked previous Wildcard 13-11 on Historical and 16-13 in additional time on Nuke. Russia’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets was a dominant drive for Group Spirit with 72 kills and a plus-46 Okay-D differential.
3DMAX toppled The MongolZ 13-9 on Anubis and 13-11 on Historical. Lucas “Fortunate” Chastang put 41 kills and a plus-11 Okay-D differential for all-French 3DMAX.
The Thursday schedule:
–Group A mid-bracket quarterfinal: Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. FaZe Clan
–Group A mid-bracket quarterfinal: Sangal Esports vs. HEROIC
–Group B upper-bracket semifinal: Group Spirit vs. MIBR
–Group B upper-bracket semifinal: 3DMAX vs. G2 Esports
–Group B mid-bracket first spherical: Wildcard vs. 9z Group
–Group B mid-bracket first spherical: The MongolZ vs. KOI
ESL Professional League Season 20 prize pool (cash, BLAST Premier factors)
1. $170,000, 2,000 factors
2. $80,000, 1,400
3-4. $45,000, 750
5-8. $32,000, 275
9-12. $23,500
13-16. $17,500
17-20. $12,000
21-28. $7,000
29-32. $3,500
–Area Degree Media