Lynn Vision edge past 5yclone to qualify for IEM Sydney

The Chinese teams had a stronger showing than their Mongolian counterparts in the online qualifier.

z4kr ended the closed qualifier with a 1.22 rating after seven maps

Lynn Vision and 5yclone secured Chinese representation at IEM Sydney 2023 by reaching the grand final of the event's Asian closed qualifier.

Lynn Vision went into the final with hopes of securing a spot at their second Big Event — although they haven't played one yet, they are seeded in ESL Pro League 18's Group D —, while Andrew "⁠kaze⁠" Khong and company fought to get revenge on their upper bracket final butchers.

In the end Lynn Vision prevailed over 5yclone, doubling up on their previous victory. The first series was a breezy 2-0, but the rematch became a much tougher affair for in-game leader Zhe "⁠Westmelon⁠" Niu and his men as they were taken to the brink in a decider map overtime in the rematch.

The region's frontrunners and favorites, The MongolZ, lost to the two finalists in the online qualifier. First against the upper bracket champions, Lynn Vision, and then in the lower bracket against 5yclone. Out of the four teams in contention, they only managed to beat the other Mongolian side in the fight, ATOX.

Date	Matches
IEM Sydney 2023 Asia Closed Qualifier
24/08/2023	The MongolZ Finished 0:2 Lynn Vision	Match
24/08/2023	Lynn Vision Finished 2:0 5yclone	Match
25/08/2023	Lynn Vision Finished 2:1 5yclone	Match

Lynn Vision's Dongkai "⁠Jee⁠" Ji and Sike "⁠z4kr⁠" Zhang topped the stats leaderboards with 1.23 and 1.22 ratings, respectively, in their 7 maps played. They were also the only players with 1.20+ ratings in the qualifier.

Celebrations will be in order for Lynn Vision, particularly for the organization's stalwarts as they will head to Sydney to face the best teams in the world on LAN not long after their scheduled Big Event debut at ESL Pro League. Westmelon has worn the Lynn Vision crest on his chest for over five years, z4kr for four and Lizhi "⁠Starry⁠" Ye for two.

With two Big Events now in their crosshairs, the Chinese team have a golden opportunity to gain experience and keep climbing up the ranks during the fall season from their current 73rd place in the world.

One more spot is up for grabs at IEM Sydney and the roster will be set. So far, eight out of the top ten teams in the world will be in contention. Only HEROIC and Astralis are missing. The full team list so far is:

Vitality
ENCE
G2
FaZe
GamerLegion
Cloud9
Natus Vincere
MOUZ

Monte
Apeks
fnatic
Grayhound
BetBoom
Lynn Vision
VERTEX
NA qualifier

That last side will come from the North American closed qualifier, where the upper bracket finalists, M80, are waiting for the victor of Complexity vs. Forsaken in the grand final.

Date	Matches
IEM Sydney 2023 North America Closed Qualifier
25/08/2023	Complexity 23:30 Forsaken	Match
26/08/2023	M80 03:00 Complexity	Match