Cloud9 secure top EPL 17 Group A seed heading to playoffs

Cloud9 will start the bracket run in the quarter-finals while Outsiders will be placed directly in the playoff's second round.

Cloud9 are through to the ESL Pro League Season 17 quarter-finals as the top seed in Group A, a feat they accomplished with a final group stage victory over Outsiders in a three map series.

Vertigo set the scene as the first map in the upper bracket final Russian derby. Konstantin "⁠groove⁠" Pikiner’s men picked it, which put Outsiders on the defense, and although Dzhami "⁠Jame⁠" Ali and company won the first pistol round they were unable to hold strong against a second round forcebuy.

Down 2-5, Aleksandr "⁠KaiR0N-⁠" Anashkin won a crucial 1vs2 to not tank economically, but the clutch was returned by Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov two rounds later, also in a 1vs2 situation. Cloud9 then put on a vicious showing to reach double digits at the half, 10-5.

Outsiders gave up the second pistol round but won the forcebuy and tallied three straight. To no avail in the end, however, as Cloud9 with their indomitable AWPer Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov dominated the defense with guns in hand to a comfortable 16-9 victory.

Outsiders, back on the attack, started their Mirage pick with a quick 3-0. They weren’t able to make good on their early lead, though, and Cloud9 held strong on the defense to once again put ground between themselves and their countrymen in back-to-back 10-5 halves despite almost losing the economy game at several points.

A crucial A retake in the second pistol round put Outsiders within reach of Cloud9 as the half quickly descended into a back-and-forth affair that went all the way to the limit. Outsiders hit match point thanks to a late frag by KaiR0N- on sh1ro in the B site in the 29th round. A bad buy didn't help Cloud9's case and it was decided in the final round of the map that the series would go to a decider.

Outsiders and Cloud9 went into a map that they have not played much in 2023. In fact, it was the first time Jame and his men went into it since KaiR0N- joined the team. Meanwhile Cloud9 only played it once in a 13-16 loss to Natus Vincere at IEM Katowice.

Cloud9 didn't get a third big lead in the first half, however, as it was actually Outsiders on the attack with their newest addition at the helm who took a one round lead at the switch.

The strong start was in vain, ultimately, as Dastan "⁠dastan⁠" Akbayev’s men then completely dropped off on the defense despite them going into it in the most CT-sided map in the pool, unable to put a single victory on the board in the second half as Cloud9 sped run to a 16-8 victory.

The closing series of Group A is ready to kick off between fnatic and Eternal Fire in the last chance bracket for the final spot from this group in the playoffs. The winner will go to the round of 12, joining Cloud9, Outsiders and G2 in the playoffs, while the loser will be eliminated from the tournament in 17-20th.