Trident, SKADE advance to IEM Summer 2021 Closed Qualifier

20-4-2021 22:32

Teams such as ex-Winstrike and Endpoint fell short in the final matches of the second open qualifier.

With the conclusion of the second open qualifier for IEM Summer 2021, a $250,000 tournament scheduled for June, two more closed qualifier teams have been found.

Bulgarian side SKADE, who have soared to No. 24 in the rankings after winning the Elisa Invitational Spring, will have another chance to prove their worth as they advance to the second stage of the qualifier. Denis "⁠seized⁠" Kostin's Trident came out strong to bag the final available open qualifier slot.

seized's team earned a spot in the closed qualifier

The round-of-16 of the IEM Summer 2021 Open Qualifier 2 featured ex-Winstrike and Endpoint on opposite sides of the bracket, but two of the biggest favorites fell short.

The Russian squad that qualified for ESL Pro League Season 14 on Sunday had their run in the bracket cut short by 1win, faltering in overtime as Denis "⁠deko⁠" Zhukov posted a 1.70 rating. However, 1win were no match for Trident in the final match, who 2-0'd them after taking down 100PG and hREDS to advance to the closed qualifier.

SKADE kicked off the round-of-16 with a marathon match against Apeks, winning 28-26, before breezing past Endpoint, 16-5. Izako Boars were their final obstacle on the way to the closed qualifier, but Daniel "⁠STOMP⁠" Płomiński and co. mustered just 13 rounds over two maps, seeing SKADE take the series convincingly.

SKADE and Trident have joined Movistar Riders and K23 in the closed qualifier, where eight more invited teams will join them. Only the three best teams from the two-stage bracket will advance to the main event.

IEM Summer 2021 Closed Qualifier team list: