After suffering their first loss of PGL Major Copenhagen, Eternal Fire will attempt to qualify for the elimination stage for the second time against GamerLegion. With both teams ranked inside the top 15 in the world, this contest will be close, and all three maps are very likely to be seen.

The all-Asian clash between Lynn Vision and TheMongolz will be a rematch of the upper-bracket final of the Asia RMR, which TheMongolz won easily. With both of their Major lives on the line, it is expected that TheMongolz claim victory in two maps here.

Legacy will face Apeks in one of the most intriguing series of the day, as the former has struggled against European Counter-Strike teams, and the latter has struggled against Brazilian squads throughout the opening stage. This contest is too close to call, so betting on the overs in the total maps market looks like the play.

SAW’s 11-series win streak was snapped by Cloud9 on day two, while paiN Gaming destroyed ENCE in a best-of-one match. Expect SAW to kick off another win streak here with a dominant victory.

ECSTATIC and Imperial are set to play the match of the day as both teams strive to advance to the elimination stage. Both squads have shown good signs in previous series, so expect a tight three-map thriller.

ENCE and FURIA have been two of the most inconsistent high-profile teams during the opening stage, and it is hard to tip either squad with confidence in the final series of the day.

Esports betting tips

Going off the first two matches that both Imperial and Apeks have played, Imperial look to be in better form after playing out two close maps on day one.

Although paiN Gaming surprised a few with an opening series win, ENCE come into this match as heavy favourites with the top Counter-Strike betting sites, and we expect to see them winning this match well.

Both GamerLegion and Legacy have proved to be no pushover during their opening two matches, and this clash could be one of the closest best-of-one series on day two.

Given the up-and-down form of both ECSTATIC and Lynn Vision, it is hard to back any team with confidence; therefore, we will take the overs in the total rounds market.

Best-of-three matches

With their Major future on the line, TheMongolz and AMKAL will clash in a do-or-die best-of-three series, with both teams seeking their first win of the opening stage. Although both teams have 0-2 records, this series will be close, and we expect to see all three maps.

Eternal Fire have been impressive in their opening two clashes, defeating TheMongolz and paiN Gaming easily, while Heroic struggled to beat Imperial in overtime. Due to their recent form, we will be siding with Eternal Fire in this contest.

Both FURIA and KOI have struggled in both of their matches, and they will have to win here to stay alive in the Major. FURIA are the higher-ranked team and clear favourite here, so we will be siding with Brazilian squad.

Cloud9 and SAW will seek to earn promotion to the PGL Major Copenhagen elimination stage after recording back-to-back wins on day one. Given that SAW defeated Cloud9 in a best-of-three series two weeks ago, we are going to side with the underdog in this series.

Esports betting tips

Both teams bring solid form into their opening match of the Major, and we expect to see a close game between Cloud9 and ECSTATIC.

Although Eternal Fire enters this match as a red-hot favourite, The Mongolz have shown improvement on the world stage in recent times, therefore, we will be taking the underdogs at the handicap.

The betting says otherwise, but the ENCE vs Imperial clash has the potential to be one of the closest matches of the day. We will be taking the overs in the total rounds market.

Apeks appears to be one of the safer bets of the opening day, as they clash with paiN Gaming, who were one of the last teams to qualify for the Major. We anticipate a dominant win by Apeks.

9 Pandas and AMKAL played out a close three-map series in the Europe RMR last month, with two of the three maps covering the 21.5-round line; therefore, the overs look like a great bet here.

Esports betting sites have got this one right. Heroic should dominate Lynn Vision here if the world number 12 thinks they have any chance to contend for the Major.

FURIA and Legacy will meet in an all-Brazil clash, with both teams putting their three-game win streaks on the line. These matches are normally very tight, so we will be taking the overs in the total rounds market.

SAW will put their nine-match win streak on the line against KOI, and we believe the favourites can extend that streak to 10 with a victory here.

Esports betting tips

Each of the three organisations earned qualification for the first Counter-Strike 2 Major with their final win of the RMR, while OG, Monte and Preasy were all eliminated from Major contention.

Apeks showcased their veteran experience and tenacity in a thrilling battle against ECSTATIC, ultimately securing their ticket to the PGL Major in Copenhagen.

Despite a strong performance from ECSTATIC, particularly in the initial stages of the match, Apeks managed to edge out victories on both their map pick and the deciding map, clinching the series 2-1 (10-13, 13-11, 13-11).

Apeks secures their spot at the PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024 after 3 closely contested maps against ECSTATIC!

ECSTATIC isn't out of the RMR yet; they'll fight tomorrow for another shot at making it to Denmark. #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/x6fWlqWMg4

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Led by players like Jason “salazar” Salazar and Tobias “kraghen” Kragh Jensen, Apeks demonstrated composure and clutch ability, especially in crucial moments where they managed to close out tight rounds and secure essential frags.

Despite ECSTATIC’s best efforts, Apeks’ experience and strategic prowess ultimately proved to be the deciding factors in the series.

With one more opportunity to qualify for the Major, ECSTATIC will need to regroup, maintain mental fortitude, and give it their all in the final decider match against Guild Eagles.

Meanwhile, Vitality asserted their dominance with a commanding 2-0 (13-6, 13-4) victory over ENCE, securing their spot at the Major.

Vitality is heading to the MAJOR after dominating ENCE across two almost-perfect maps!

ENCE isn't done yet – they'll return tomorrow for another shot at qualifying for the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024! #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/nUaBA0j8O7

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Led by Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Vitality displayed confidence and precision throughout the series, capitalizing on strategic decisions and individual performances to secure decisive wins on both Vertigo and Nuke.

Reflecting on their journey to qualify, apEX acknowledged the pressure and significance of earning a spot at such a prestigious event.

With Vitality’s victory, they aim to defend their title as Major champions, showcasing their determination and skill in the face of tough competition.

Lastly, Spirit showcased resilience and determination in their journey to qualify for the Major, overcoming challenges and hardships along the way.

Despite initial struggles, Spirit rallied together, demonstrating their strength as a team and securing a 2-0 (13-8, 13-11) victory over Heroic.

Team Spirit becomes the third team today to secure their spot at the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024 with a 2-0 victory against HEROIC!

HEROIC isn't out yet – they'll battle tomorrow for another chance to grab their tickets to the first CS2 Major. #PGLRMR pic.twitter.com/JH8SDMZP1X

— PGL (@pglesports) February 21, 2024

Due to Preasy being eliminated from the European RMR, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen will miss his first Counter-Strike Major of his career and the first CS2 Major in his home country, Denmark.

Dupreeh holds individual records in both Major appearances and Major wins, with the Dane competing in all 18 Counter-Strike Majors and winning five of them.

We gave it all, but wasn��t enough
Starting CS2 without the major in Copenhagen is extremely sad, but in hindsight it just wasn��t meant to be

Thanks for cheering!

— Peter Rasmussen (@dupreeh) February 21, 2024

Thursday’s RMR matches

• ENCE ($2.75) vs Astralis ($1.44) @ 1pm EET
• Heroic ($1.39) vs GamerLegion ($2.95) @ 4pm EET
• ECSTATIC ($1.83) vs Guild Eagles ($1.96) @ 7pm EET

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While they dominated on Mirage, experiencing a smooth win, the battle on Ancient proved challenging as TheMongolz staged a comeback from 12-8 down, only to fall short in overtime.

Boris “magixx” Vorobiev, reflecting on the match, expressed mixed feelings due to some shaky moments.

Despite beating Apeks and TheMongolz, magixx acknowledged tougher challenges ahead but remained confident, stating that replicating their practice game performance would make facing stronger Counter-Strike rosters in the group stage manageable.

.@Team__Spirit manage to fend off the @MongolzCs in OVERTIME to close out the series 2-0

13-2 Mirage
16-14 Ancient#IEM pic.twitter.com/Ww6AboBNdq

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) February 1, 2024

In another matchup, Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski’s strategic brilliance propelled GamerLegion to a 2-1 (13-3, 5-13, 13-9) victory over Virtus.pro.

Sebastian “volt” Malo? credited a well-prepared game plan, Snax’s exceptional calling, and Frederik ‘acoR’ Gyldstrand’s AWP prowess for their success.

Virtus.pro faced difficulties on Vertigo, with GamerLegion dominating and securing a convincing victory.

Despite Virtus.pro’s comeback on Inferno, GamerLegion closed out the series with victory on Overpass, advancing to the group stage in Katowice.

.@GamerLegion close out the series against @virtuspro 2-1 and advance to the #IEM Katowice 2024 Group Stage!

13-3 Vertigo
5-13 Inferno
13-9 Overpass pic.twitter.com/0IE6xxoI7v

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) February 1, 2024

M80 asserted their dominance against Rooster in a 2-0 (13-3, 13-7) victory.

Head coach Rory “dephh” Jackson, filling in for in-game leader Marcus “?maNkz?” Kjeldsen, showcased improved performance.

M80’s strategic prowess and individual displays led to victories on Inferno and Vertigo, earning them a chance to qualify for the IEM Katowice group stage and ultimately eliminating Rooster from the Play-In stage.

Cloud9 faced a challenging battle against BetBoom, recovering from a quadruple overtime loss on Overpass to secure a 2-1 (22-25, 13-6, 13-7) victory.

Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov’s improved AWP performance played a crucial role.

Cloud9’s resilience and strategic developments were evident on Anubis and Ancient, securing comfortable victories.

After two underwhelming performances from BetBoom Team, they have found themselves eliminated from the IEM Katowice in 13-16th place.

In a highly anticipated showdown, ENCE delivered a decisive 2-0 (13-10, 13-4) victory over Astralis, eliminating the Danish superteam from IEM Katowice early in the tournament.

The matchup held extra significance as Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander faced his former teammates, including Nicolai “device” Reedtz.

The Finnish squad showcased their prowess on Vertigo, outplaying Astralis with superior mid-rounding.

Krzysztof “Goofy” G��rski and Pawe? “dycha” Dycha provided crucial individual moments, securing ENCE’s victory on the first map.

The real standout performance came from gla1ve on Ancient, where he delivered a rare carry performance with an exceptional 2.25 rating.

His dominance haunted Astralis throughout the map, leaving the Danish squad seemingly broken.

With this victory, ENCE keeps their hopes alive for advancing to the main event.

Apeks triumphed over FURIA with a 2-1 (13-9, 10-13, 13-11) victory in the Play-In stage.

Dominating on Inferno with a 10-2 lead, Apeks eventually closed the map 13-9.

Mirage saw a stellar performance from Tim ‘nawwk’ Jonasson, but FURIA mounted a comeback, winning 11 rounds in a row.

The series concluded on Ancient, with Apeks securing a 9-3 lead at the break and ultimately eliminating FURIA.

With one day left in the IEM Katowice Play-In stage, four series will take place on Friday, where the winner of each will advance to the group stage and the loser will be eliminated.

Friday’s IEM Katowice Play-In matches

• Virtus.pro ($1.61) vs Cloud9 ($2.20) @ 4:30pm CET
• TheMongolz ($2.50) vs ENCE ($1.50) @ 4:30pm CET
• BIG ($1.60) vs Apeks ($2.30) @ 7:30pm CET
• Rebels Gaming ($2.90) vs M80 ($1.38) @ 7:30pm CET

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This will mark the first meeting between Eternal Fire and BetBoom Team, and according to the betting odds, the Turkish side is expected to start their Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024 campaign with a win.

Eternal Fire are higher rated on the global Counter-Strike standings, albeit by just one position, and both teams are 3-1 since the turn of the year. Over that stretch, Eternal Fire beat Pera, IKLA, and MOUZ, while BetBoom Team defeated Zero Tenacity, BIG, and OG, which was a slightly tougher schedule.

There’s very little to separate the teams, and it’s tough to justify why EF is priced at $1.72. As a best-of-one series, this one can go either way, making it easy to pick a side.

Astralis had an explosive start to their BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 campaign last week when they defeated Team Vitality and Team Falcons en route to a fifth-sixth-place finish. With those wins, Astralis are 6-2 since the turn of the year, albeit with just two notable wins.

Heroic haven’t looked great since the recent roster rebuild and recently lost to Cloud9 and BIG at Spring Groups. Before that, they defeated IKLA and SYnck, which is hardly something to celebrate.

Astralis have looked much better recently and field better players, but this is a regional derby between two rivals who know each other well. So, as much as this is Astralis’ game to lose, it’s fair to expect a close match.

BIG left a strong statement at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024, where they defeated Heroic and Cloud9 and played close series’ against Virtus.pro and Astralis. It was a much-needed bounceback for the German side, who went 0-3 in PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier A earlier this month.

BIG’s strong showing at Spring Groups is a big reason why they’re priced as favourites against ENCE. The other is that ENCE lost most of its top players to Team Falcons at the end of 2023 and has since played just one official match.

It’s tough to say how good ENCE will be with the new-look roster, but this is a competitive lineup that deserves some respect. The lack of official matches is concerning, but $2.20 is a very generous offer for a best-of-one series against a team that has produced only a few good games over the last month.

Team Spirit finished BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2024 in 13th-16th place with defeats against Team Liquid and FaZe Clan. In their defence, Spirit were without Boris “magixx” Vorobyev and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, so those results don’t hold much weight.

Prior to BLAST Premier, Team Spirit held a 6-1 record and produced a near-perfect run through the European PGL Major Copenhagen qualifiers.

Apeks used to be very competitive at the top level, but the departure of top players left the squad scrambling to find traction. This year, Apeks have played just two official matches, a 13-5 win against EC BANGA and a rough 3-13 defeat against For The Win Esports.

Apeks are not in a good spot and haven’t shown anything memorable since early December. On the other hand, Team Spirit has been on an upswing over the last month and is rightly priced as a favourite to win on Wednesday.

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The Macedonian captain’s sought-after status was solidified by his leadership during Apeks’ impressive run at the BLAST.tv Paris Major.

Heroic’s proactive move to secure Kyxsan’s services signals a strategic step in reinforcing their competitive edge.

With this signing, Heroic completes the puzzle of their comprehensive roster rebuild, ushering in a new era that amalgamates experience and fresh talent.

The revamped dynamics within the team set the stage for Kyxsan’s leadership, marking a transformative shift for Heroic.

The departure of Casper “cadiaN” M?ller, Heroic’s legendary former IGL, leaves behind a legacy defined by strategic brilliance and exceptional leadership.

Kyxsan now faces the formidable challenge of filling the void left by CadiaN, not only in terms of statistics and individual skill but also in terms of the profound impact CadiaN had on the team’s culture and success.

As Kyxsan steps into this challenging role, he faces a time crunch with the PGL Copenhagen Major Europe RMR open qualifiers looming on January 8.

Adapting to Heroic’s gameplay, implementing new strategies, and establishing cohesion within the team become critical tasks for Kyxsan from the outset.

The urgency to form a cohesive unit adds an extra layer of pressure, requiring Kyxsan to quickly adapt to a new team dynamic, coordinate strategies with new teammates, and lead Heroic through the high-stakes qualifiers.

The esports community eagerly awaits Heroic’s debut with Kyxsan at the helm, as the narrative of the team’s journey unfolds with a mix of anticipation and curiosity.

The PGL Copenhagen Major Europe RMR open qualifiers serve as a trial by fire, testing Heroic’s mettle and revealing the extent of Kyxsan’s influence on the team’s trajectory in the post-CadiaN era.

The expectations surrounding Kyxsan’s leadership and the potential impact on Heroic’s competitive standing are substantial, and fans can only hope for the best.

Despite attracting interest from various clubs following Apeks’ success, Kyxsan opted to extend his contract with the Norwegian organization until the end of 2024.

Apeks continued to participate in notable events throughout the year, securing runners-up finishes at Elisa Masters Espoo and ESL Challenger Atlanta, propelling them to No. 11 in the ESL rankings.

Best gift ever.

Welcome @kyxsancs pic.twitter.com/Q1aJfJ4msv

— HEROIC (@heroicgg) December 21, 2023

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The Brazilian team’s win marked the end of a trophy drought in international LANs that had persisted since September 2019 when they clinched the Arctic Invitational, which was also held in Finland.

Reflecting on the achievement, Andrei “?arT?” Piovezan drew attention to the contrast between the Brazilian heat and Finnish cold, stating, “Yeah, I think so. It’s been a while since we last won a tournament. Winning here is amazing.”

FURIA’s success has injected confidence into the team as they gear up for their final Counter-Strike event of the year, the upcoming BetBoom Dacha in Dubai, with arT expressing optimism about maintaining their momentum in future tournaments.

The best-of-five series commenced on Inferno, Apeks’ map choice, with the European side initially taking the lead.

However, FURIA seized control once their economy stabilized, concluding the first half at 8-4.

Apeks mounted a comeback, equalizing at 8-8, but FURIA, fueled by arT’s quad kill, ultimately secured the map.

Moving on to Ancient, Yuri “?yuurih?” Santos propelled FURIA to a 3-0 lead with a trio of frags in the pistol round.

Apeks tightened their defence, leading 8-4 at halftime, with Joakim “?jkaem?” Myrbostad boasting an impressive 132 ADR.

The second half mirrored the first, with Apeks dominating gun rounds, securing their victory on Ancient.

Vertigo saw Apeks surge to a 5-1 lead on the CT side, but FURIA rallied to narrow the gap.

Despite Tim “?nawwk?” Jonasson’s impactful quad kill with a Desert Eagle, FURIA took control in the second half, overcoming a 4×2 retake blunder and securing the map.

The Mirage map, previously successful for FURIA in Espoo, began with the Brazilian team establishing a 5-1 lead.

Apeks’ resilient defence led to a 6-6 tie before halftime. Playing on the T side, Apeks won three consecutive rounds, nearing double digits.

However, FURIA shifted the momentum with a pivotal round, embarking on a 7-0 run led by Marcelo ‘chelo’ Cespedes and Kaike ‘KSCERATO’ Cerato, ultimately clinching the map, and consequently, the trophy.

Elisa Masters Espoo 2023 champions
@FURIA

@brcho_ pic.twitter.com/q1tkdfIC17

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) December 3, 2023

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Despite this setback, Na’Vi left a lasting impression with a dominant performance on Mirage, a map of their choosing, which they convincingly won 13-4.

FaZe, led by Finn “?karrigan?” Andersen, initially had a strong start in the series, taking a commanding 6-0 lead on the attacking side of Overpass, their map pick.

However, Natus Vincere showed resilience and managed to secure five of the final six rounds in the first half.

Unfortunately for Na’Vi, the tides turned when the teams switched sides, as FaZe took control on the defensive side and ultimately closed out the map with a 13-7 victory.

In a similar fashion, Natus Vincere dominated their Mirage pick, with Aleksi “?Aleksib?” Virolainen and Valeriy “?b1t?” Vakhovskiy leading the charge on the scoreboard.

Mihai “?iM?” Ivan made impactful plays on both sides, and even Andrey “?B1ad3?” Gorodenskiy, despite his role as a coach, secured a triple kill in the late stages of the map, sealing FaZe’s fate and preventing a comeback.

The final map, Inferno, became FaZe’s playground as they raced to a 7-1 lead on the defensive side, leaving Natus Vincere struggling to find their footing.

Although Na’Vi managed to string together two rounds, they ended the first half 9-3 behind.

The second half proved no different, with a 4-4 scoreline securing FaZe’s continued presence in the tournament as they clinched the map 13-7.

#1 & #5 eliminated from #IEM Sydney by @FaZeClan

They take down @natusvincere 2-1 to advance to the Group A lower bracket final!#IEM pic.twitter.com/WbGYkJiLEA

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 17, 2023

On the other side of the bracket, GamerLegion delivered a decisive blow to Apeks, eliminating them in a two-map series.

The showdown began with a strong GamerLegion performance on Vertigo, winning 13-8, followed by an impressive comeback on Overpass, where they triumphed 13-11 despite trailing 6-10.

GamerLegion’s recent resurgence can be attributed to the addition of Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski as the in-game leader, which seems to have unlocked the team’s individual brilliance.

Frederik “?acoR?” Gyldstrand and Sebastian “?volt?” Malo? shone in the matches, recording two of the highest ratings in the server.

Apeks’ decision to pick Vertigo didn’t pay off as they struggled on the offensive side, managing to secure only four rounds.

This allowed GamerLegion to reach map point at 12-4. Although the Snax-led team encountered some resistance, they ultimately closed out the game with a 13-8 score.

GamerLegion carried their momentum into the second map, taking a 6-2 lead. Apeks, led by ?dne “?sense?” Fredriksen, made a valiant effort with two 1vs1 clutches, resulting in a tied score at the switch.

Apeks continued their strong performance, going up 10-6 after a pistol-round win.

However, GamerLegion rallied, winning seven of the final eight rounds to secure victory in two maps and advance to the lower-bracket final, where they will face FaZe for a playoff spot in the first Counter-Strike 2 event..

The last match on the B Stream for tonight was @GamerLegion eliminating @apeksgg from #IEM Sydney 2023 in a 2-0 series.

Vertigo 13:8
Overpass 13:10

GGWP! #IEM pic.twitter.com/ndIQb6zdmu

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) October 17, 2023

Earlier in the day, Cloud9 sent Lynn Vision packing with a dominant 2-0 victory, while Grayhound suffered a similar fate at the hands of Monte.

Although the Australian squad showed some promise on the second map, they couldn’t secure the map victory, and Monte claimed the 2-0 series win to eliminate the final Australian representative at IEM Sydney.

Wednesday’s IEM Sydney matches

• Complexity ($2.50) vs Cloud9 ($1.50) @ 1:30pm AEDT
• Monte ($1.83) vs Fnatic ($1.83) @ 1:30pm AEDT
• GamerLegion ($3.00) vs FaZe Clan ($1.36) @ 4:30pm AEDT
• MOUZ ($1.61) vs BetBoom Team ($2.20) @ 4:30pm AEDT
• G2 Esports ($1.72) vs ENCE ($2.00) @ 7:30pm AEDT
• Winner of Complexity/Cloud9 vs Winner of Fnatic/Monte @ 7:30pm AEDT

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Both teams had earlier dropped to the elimination zone after overtime losses to GamerLegion and BetBoom, respectively.

The series extended well into the night and proved to be one the better Counter-Strike 2 series that we have witnessed so far.

Fell in overtime on Overpass.
Barely pushed Inferno over the finish line.
Started Nuke down 1:8 before stringing 11 back-to-back together.@FaZeClan STAY ALIVE over @TeamVitality in the #IEM Sydney opening matches!

Next they take on @natusvincere tomorrow in the lower bracket pic.twitter.com/NhsX4DDpGb

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 16, 2023

Vitality took the lead on Overpass on the CT side, eventually securing the win in overtime.

FaZe bounced back on Inferno in a closely contested match, after preventing several potential momentum shifts in crucial rounds.

The decider on Nuke saw Vitality with an 8-1 lead, but FaZe mounted an unbelievable comeback, putting together 11 straight rounds on their way to match and series point.

Finn “?karrigan?” Andersen noted that securing four weapon rounds on the terrorist side was enough to make a comeback possible.

FaZe excelled on the CT side, with karrigan himself contributing significantly to secure the series win.

Vitality faced a tough day with two challenging losses in a short span. Their earlier defeat to BetBoom in the opening round of Group A saw them lose a game; they had a 9-4 lead on Mirage, only to lose in overtime.

After coming into the event as the esports betting sites favourite and world number one from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Vitality’s last place finish and day one exit is far from ideal at the first CS2 tournament on LAN.

Earlier on, Apeks secured a dominant 2-0 victory over VERTEX in the lower bracket of Group A, advancing to the lower-bracket semi-final.

The European team displayed a strong performance, starting with a convincing win on Mirage (13-5) and sealing the deal on Anubis (13-11).

The series kicked off on Mirage, where Apeks outclassed their opponents, accumulating a significant 10-round lead on the CT side and ultimately securing a 13-5 victory.

Aleksandar “?CacaNito?” Kjulukoski and Damjan “?kyxsan?” Stoilkovski stood out for their team with impactful plays on the A site.

Anubis began with the Australians winning the pistol round, and initially, it looked like they might mount a comeback.

However, Apeks regained their footing, displayed confidence in their aggressive plays, and managed to secure a 7-5 lead on their CT side.

VERTEX showcased an improved performance during their defence, and Christian “?ADDICT?” Pendleton’s highlight rounds brought them to an 11-10 lead.

But in a crucial moment, they faltered against Apeks’ A rush, leading to a hard-fought victory for Apeks on their map choice.

For VERTEX, their journey at their home event came to an end.

The Australian team failed to secure a map win in Sydney but managed to push Apeks to the limit during their match on Anubis.

While two teams were eliminated from IEM Sydney on day one, both BetBoom Team and MOUZ booked their place in the playoffs after winning through to the upper-bracket final of Group A.

Narrowly avoiding being dragged into OT on their own map pick of Anubis, @apeksgg nail down the series 2:0 over @VertexESC, who are now eliminated from #IEM Sydney 2023.

Mirage 13:5
Anubis 13:11

Up next on the B Stream @BetBoomTeam @GamerLegion pic.twitter.com/0nin03qw2L

— Intel? Extreme Masters (@IEM) October 16, 2023

Tuesday’s IEM Sydney matches

• Complexity ($2.62) vs G2 Esports ($1.44) @ 1:30pm AEDT
• Monte ($1.30) vs Grayhound ($3.40) @ 1:30pm AEDT
• ENCE ($1.40) vs Fnatic ($2.75) @ 4:30pm AEDT
• Lynn Vision ($4.50) vs Cloud9 ($1.16) @ 4:30pm AEDT
• Apeks ($2.00) vs GamerLegion ($1.72) @7:30pm AEDT
• Natus Vincere ($4.50) vs FaZe Clan ($1.16) @ 7:30pm AEDT

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