ex-Epsilon defeat AVEZ to secure MSI MGA 2019 spot

ex-Epsilon have qualified for MSI MGA 2019 after topping the European closed qualifier with a 2-0 victory over AVEZ in the grand final.

The European closed qualifier saw eight teams battle it out in a single-elimination bracket for one spot at MSI MGA 2019, where $60,000 will be up for grabs.

The one-day qualifier saw ex-Epsilon find their place in the grand final after defeating FPL-CTalents and Turkey5 in the previous rounds. Meanwhile, AVEZ took down Heretics and Copenhagen Flames to set up a matchup with ex-Epsilon in the grand final.

The grand final began on Train, where AVEZ demonstrated a dominant defence. The Polish side cruised to an 8-1 lead before ex-Epsilon were able to salvage the final few rounds to head into halftime at a 10-5 deficit. Piotr "⁠morelz⁠" Taterka and co. fell flat on the T-side, however, as a comeback mounted by ex-Epsilon's in-game leader Teodor "⁠SPELLAN⁠" Nikolov saw the European mixture secure the first map 16-14.

Mirage followed, and AVEZ got off to a 3-1 lead on the offensive side, but with guns in hand, ex-Epsilon continued their defensive form from the previous map to gain a 9-6 advantage at the midway point. AVEZ demonstrated their fighting spirit in the second half, however an outstanding performance from Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants shut down the Polish side as ex-Epsilon locked down the series with a 16-13 score.

ex-Epsilon’s victory means they join ViCi as the second qualified team for the $60,000 event, with the two sides being accompanied by the winners of the NA and CIS closed qualifiers. The participants' list looks as follows: