OG, Endpoint qualify for DreamHack Open Summer Europe

OG and Endpoint are the two first teams confirmed for DreamHack Open Summer Europe after earning their place through the tournament’s closed qualifier.

OG started out their DreamHack Open Summer 2020 Europe Closed Qualifier run with an easy 2-0 victory over the Italian-Lithuanian squad of Elites on Dust2 (16-2) and Nuke (16-6). Meanwhile, SAW beat Syman with the same scoreline, but in very different fashion, winning Nuke in overtime and Train in the last round of regulation.

The day’s biggest upset happened on the other side of the bracket. Lyngby Vikings swept Heretics to secure a spot in the semi-final, where they would faced off against Endpoint as the majority British squad beat ex-SMASH in their quarter-final match-up.

SAW won the attacking side pistol round on Dust2, going on to take a 3-0 lead, but with rifles available OG were quick to tie it up 3-3 as Nathan "⁠NBK-⁠" Schmitt downed four players on the A site in the sixth round. OG then took control as SAW struggled to find cracks in the European combine’s defenses, trailing 4-11 at the half. The Portuguese team won the second pistol round, but were once again not able to find their pace in the gun rounds, going down 6-16 on their map pick.

SAW retook a plant on the B site of Inferno in the pistol round, but Omar "⁠arki⁠" Chakkor was unable to defuse the bomb on time as OG went up 1-0. A clean A take in the first gun round kept Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen and company ahead, 4-0, before SAW could draw blood for the first time. The two teams then went back-and-forth to a 6-3 scoreline in favor of OG, who cruised to another 11-4 half.

SAW won the second pistol round with an A hit to stay alive, bringing it back to 7-11, but OG once again took charge once their economy stabilized to close the map out 16-8 and secure a spot at DreamHack Open Summer 2020.

Endpoint and Lyngby Vikings started their series on Overpass, the Danish squad’s pick, but it was Thomas "⁠Thomas⁠" Utting and company who got ahead on the defense early on, winning the first three rounds. Doubles by Rasmus "⁠raalz⁠" Steensborg and Thomas "⁠birdfromsky⁠" Due-Frederiksen made it 1-3, but Endpoint kept dominating on the defense to an 8-2 lead.

From there on out, the Vikings were able to tally three more to make it 5-10 at the half. Having won the second pistol round, the majority British squad ran away with the map, closing it out 16-6.

Lyngby Vikings were the ones to take the initiative on Mirage, giving Endpoint the beating they took in the first map, reaching 8-0 before the Terrorists got on the board. Endpoint then shifted the half’s momentum to their advantage, closing the deficit to 4-8 before ending the half 6-9.

A clean pistol round on the A site put Lyngby Vikings back in command as they hit double digits, but Endpoint hit back winning the following round with upgraded pistols, going on to take the lead, 13-11. The Danish squad found a second wind, tying it back up and going on to hit match point, but were unable to close the map as Endpoint pushed it to overtime, eventually closing the series out 19-16 to secure a spot in DreamHack Open Summer.

The DreamHack Open Summer 2020 Europe Closed Qualifier standings are:

1-2. OG - DH Open Summer 2020 Europe
1-2. Endpoint - DH Open Summer 2020 Europe
3-4. SAW - $3,000
3-4. Lyngby Vikings - $3,000
5-8. Syman - $1,000
5-8. Heretics - $1,000
5-8. Elites - $1,000
5-8. ex-SMASH - $1,000