Eternal Fire defeat GamerLegion to qualify for Elimination Stage

GamerLegion are alive in the 2-2 pool and will play a decider match on the final day of the Opening Stage.

Eternal Fire, one of the favorites to make it through the Major’s Opening Stage, have secured their spot in the next round with a 3-1 record after defeating GamerLegion in a series with two blowouts and a 24-round decider.

"I’m very happy, but also very sad because we didn’t play very well,” Engin "⁠MAJ3R⁠" Küpeli said after the series, although he was also quick to take some of the positives from his initial statement. “We can’t play the best CS every day. We try to be tier 1, we have potential, we’re on the way, and we played two very good maps on the first day. I’m very happy that today, even if we didn’t play the best CS, we just won."

He then compared the feat to how other good teams can steal matches even when they’re not p laying at their best. "If you can win when you’re not having a good day, that’s a good sign," he concluded.

The series kicked off on Overpass, but Eternal Fire were clearly not yet in the venue — at least not mentally —, as they got thrashed on the easier defending side all the way to a 0-10 scoreline. Compounded to their 7-0 to 7-13 fumble on Mirage against HEROIC, it made for 23 rounds lost in a row.

Finally, the Turks managed to get two on the board, 2-10. After winning two and losing two, 4-12, GamerLegion called a timeout, something which MAJ3R said he and his teammates took as a disrespect, and which fueled their hunger going into Inferno.

Only the second Inferno to be played so far this Major, Eternal Fire felt well at home. They dropped an early round to an eco, which cast doubt on whether their mental game was perhaps still shaky, but in the end it was just a bump as Ismailcan "⁠XANTARES⁠" Dörtkardeş came alive to head the charge on the attack in what was a one-sided 13-2 affair.

The series finally kicked into gear on Vertigo and viewers got to see an exciting map after the two blowouts. XANTARES and Ali "⁠Wicadia⁠" Haydar Yalçınwere the tip of the spear for the Turkish side while Isak "⁠isak⁠" Fahlén was putting his team on his shoulders on the opposition. A 7-5 half gave EF the edge, but the map went back to a stalemate on several occasions.

Two big triples decided the map’s fate in Eternal Fire’s favor. It was none other than XANTARES, with three quick headshots in round 21, who put his team within one round (10-11) and GamerLegion on an eco. Then Wicadia stepped up in the final round, which came down to isak missing his shots on a ninja defuse by Buğra "⁠Calyx⁠" Arkın.

GamerLegion are not out just yet and are awaiting the final results of the day as they sit in the 2-2 pool, meaning they have one more series which will take them to the Elimination Stage or send them home.