Vitality send NiP packing; ENCE clinch playoff spot over G2

Vitality defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas 2-0 in the Group A lower-bracket semis to eliminate the Swedes while ENCE advanced to Group B's upper-bracket final and secured a playoff spot after beating G2 in three maps at DreamHack Masters Dallas.

The Group A lower-bracket semi-final between Vitality and Ninjas in Pyjamas kicked off on Overpass, where the Swedes secured the pistol round as Jonas "⁠Lekr0⁠" Olofsson stepped up to the plate with a triple kill. Vitality hit back in the first weapon round to get on the scoreboard (2-1).

NBK picked up four kills with his XM1014 in the fourth round to equalize. Vitality's ten-round streak came to an end when Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner found three opening kills to secure the 13th round victory. The Ninjas won one more round to trail 11-4 at halftime.

Ninjas in Pyjamas recovered to start the second half, with Patrik "⁠f0rest⁠" Lindberg's quad kill securing the pistol round victory. But the Swedes lost a 5vs2 in the 18th round when Cédric "⁠RpK⁠" Guipouy clutched a 1vs2 and got a quad kill (12-6).

Vitality could have closed out the game in the 23rd round but failed to do so as they lost a 5vs2 post-plant, during which f0rest clutched 1vs2. The Frenchmen finished it off a round later, taking the 16-8 map victory.

Lekr0 kicked off Dust2 with a triple kill in the pistol round, giving the T-sided Ninjas in Pyjamas the 1-0 lead. REZ's ace in a 2vs5 extended Ninjas in Pyjamas's lead to 3-0 and he picked up two opening kills in the following round to make it 4-0.

Vitality secured five rounds in a row to take the lead but Ninjas in Pyjamas responded in the tenth round to tie the game at 5-5. The French team picked up their seventh round thanks to Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut's 1vs2 victory against Christopher "⁠GeT_RiGhT⁠" Alesund and f0rest. The youngster secured three kills with the AWP to close out the half, at the end of which Vitality led 9-6.

After losing the first two rounds in the second half, Ninjas in Pyjamas picked up five in a row to tie the game at 11-11. Vitality responded with three consecutive round victories on the B-site, making it 14-11. Ninjas in Pyjamas came back once again but Vitality secured the final two rounds to win the map 16-14. With the 2-0 series victory, Vitality remained alive in Dallas and eliminated Ninjas in Pyjamas.

ENCE took on G2 in Group B's upper-bracket semi-final. The series started on Train with G2 on the CT-side. The French squad attained two rounds to begin the game but ENCE responded with a five-round streak to lead 5-2.

Double kills by Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug and Lucas "⁠Lucky⁠" Chastang in the eighth round initiated a seven-round run by G2, which was ended by Aleksi "⁠allu⁠" Jalli in the 15th round as he got three kills. The Finns were three rounds behind of G2 at halftime (9-6).

G2 managed to get the bomb planted in a 4vs3 but Jani "⁠Aerial⁠" Jussila and Sami "⁠xseveN⁠" Laasanen killed the French quartet to secure the second pistol round victory. ENCE eventually reclaimed the lead and went on to win the map with a 16-11 final scoreline.

The French team started Dust2 on the T-side and won the pistol round thanks to Lucky and JACKZ's kills in a 3vs5. Aerial responded in the first weapon round with a 1vs2 victory as ENCE secured their first (2-1). Kenny "⁠kennyS⁠" Schrub grabbed a triple kill in a 2vs4 to win the fourth round and started a nine-round G2 streak.

G2 finished the first half 12-3 ahead and secured the second pistol round to make it 13-3. Even though ENCE resisted by winning five of the following seven rounds, the deficit proved insurmountable and G2 took the 16-8 map victory.

ENCE picked up the first eight rounds on Nuke, where they began the game on defense. The Finns only allowed G2 to take three rounds in the first half and led 12-3 at halftime.

Jere "⁠sergej⁠" Salo got a quad kill in the second pistol round to make it 13-3 and ENCE went on to win the map with a 16-6 score. allu and company have clinched a playoff spot with the 2-1 series victory. G2, on the other hand, will continue their campaign in the lower-bracket.