Team Spirit and FURIA punched their tickets to the playoffs of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major with their third consecutive Stage 3 victories on Saturday in Germany.
Team Spirit, which earned a bye to Stage 2, and FURIA, which earned a bye to Stage 3, are the first two teams to clinch playoff spots with Round 3 high-match victories. Spirit did so with a 2-1 defeat of 9z Team while FURIA swept BetBoom Team 2-0 to advance.
In other Saturday action, B8 and PARIVISION were the first two teams eliminated from Stage after losing Round 3 low matches. B8 fell 2-1 to FUT Esports while PARIVISION lost 2-0 to Legacy.
At the start of Stage 3, 16 teams were still standing at the Counter-Strike 2 tournament that began with 32 entrants, competing for their share of a $1.25 million prize pool with the grand final scheduled for June 21. The champion receives $500,000.
Stage 3 utilizes a Swiss System format and all matches are best-of-three. The top eight finishers will proceed to the playoffs next week.
Team Spirit rallied for its victory on Saturday, winning 16-13 on Mirage and 16-14 on Dust II after 9z Team opened the match with a 16-12 win on Overpass. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets of Russia led Spirit with 77 kills and a plus-28 kill-death differential in the triumph.
FURIA had less trouble winning their match against BetBoom Team to clinch a playoff spot, running off consecutive 13-6 wins on Overpass and Dust II. Latvia’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis led FURIA with 39 kills, and Brazilian Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato had a team-best plus-17 K-D differential.
FUT Esports rallied to remain in contention, dropping the opener 13-10 on Dust II to B8 before rattling off a 13-9 Mirage win followed by a clinching 13-11 Ancient victory. Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko of Ukraine carried FUT with 58 kills and the only positive K-D differential (plus-10) on the squad.
Legacy swept PARIVISION behind a 16-12 win on Inferno and a 16-13 Dust II triumph. Bruno “latto” Rebelatto led the all-Brazilian Legacy team in kills (52) and a plus-20 K-D differential.
In Round 3 mid matches on Saturday where teams were neither eliminated nor advanced, Natus Vincere edged The MongolZ 2-1, Team Falcons beat Monte 2-1, Aurora Gaming swept G2 Esports 2-0 and Team Vitality outlasted MOUZ 2-1.
On Sunday, three Round 4 high matches will be contested for playoff spots while three Round 4 low matches will eliminate teams before three final Round 5 matches on Monday lock in the playoff field.
Sunday schedule
Round 4 high matches (advancement)
BetBoom Team vs. Team Vitality
Aurora Gaming vs. 9z Team
Natus Vincere vs. Team Falcons
Round 4 low matches (elimination)
MOUZ vs. FUT Esports
The MongolZ vs. Monte
G2 Esports vs. Legacy
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major prize pool
1. $500,000
2. $170,000
3-4. $80,000
5-8. $45,000
9-11. $15,000
12-14. $15,000
15-16. $15,000 — B8, PARIVISION
17-19. $10,000 — paiN Gaming, TYLOO, BIG
20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis
23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest
25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid
28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC
31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports
–Field Level Media
