Astralis qualify for Brazy Party playoffs at the expense of ENCE

This was the Danes’ second win over a side in the top ten in 2023.

Astralis have secured a Brazy Party playoff berth after defeating ENCE 2-0, crushing the European combine 16-6 on Overpass before closing the series with a 16-14 battle on Mirage. This win represents only the second time Astralis have beaten a top ten-ranked squad this year, their other victory coming against Cloud9 in the IEM Dallas closed qualifier.

Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz was back to his best in this series after a quiet game against SAW, particularly on Overpass, but what will be most pleasing for the Danish side is the performance of Alexander "⁠Altekz⁠" Givskov. The 19-year-old was instrumental in Astralis' victory, and he was particularly effective on the offensive side of both maps.

Overpass was the first map of the series and it went comfortably in favor of Astralis, with the Danes posting a potent 12-round T side that left ENCE with too much to overcome in the second half. Altekz and device were vital in putting together such a strong offense, posting 15 and 14 kills respectively.

Mirage was a far more hotly-contested affair, the game kicking off with force-buys being traded back and forth before a spectacular Álvaro "⁠SunPayus⁠" García clutch helped push ENCE to a narrow 8-7 half victory on their T side.

Astralis answered back by winning their offensive pistol and converting that into five wins from the first six rounds of the half, putting ENCE firmly on the back foot. The European squad did manage to find their defensive footing to push the map to all 30 rounds, but device found two kills with the AWP on a poor buy to help his team close the map in regulation.

ENCE will now turn their focus to their upcoming BLAST Paris Major campaign, which will kick off with the Challengers Stage on May 8. The European combine has been in strong form since the addition of Guy "⁠NertZ⁠" Iluz, grabbing a top-four placing at ESL Pro League before impressively coming back from 0-2 in the Europe RMR B to seal a spot in Paris. Losses to SAW and Astralis in Brazy Party does not seem the best warm up for the Major, but it is doubtful that ENCE put their all into preparing for this event with said Major on the horizon.

As for Astralis, this event carried a tad more weight as the Danes failed to qualify for the BLAST Paris Major, and so will be sitting idle for much of May. A trophy win in this well-attended Brazy Party tournament would help bolster their world ranking ahead of their period of inactivity, and would serve as a powerful confidence booster ahead of IEM Dallas on May 29 and the rest of the year. Altekz was influential in this win over ENCE, particularly on the T side of both maps, and very early signs are promising for Astralis with him on the roster.