An experimental collective of impressive European talent that make up CR4ZY’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team are the last in the StarLadder Berlin Americas/European Minors to directly book their spot at the upcoming Major.
CS:GO’s second Major tournament of the year is quickly approaching, and while the top dogs already have their tickets to Berlin in hand, others have to test their worth at the qualifiers for a chance to compete at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
While there are still teams in contention to make it to big stage, the production has wrapped on the four orgs that have secured their spot through the Minors.
Americas Minor winners
The Americas qualifiers unfolded – as many expected – with FURIA and NRG earning the right to move on to the New Challengers stage in the Berlin Major.
NRG have been playing like a well-oiled machine as they clean sweeped their entry to the Major, without dropping a single map.
The North American org were only severely challenged twice in the Americas Minor in their series against Sharks Esports, then again with eventual Major-contenders FURIA.
Speaking of the breakout FURIA team, they were relegated to the Loser’s Bracket early by NRG, meeting up with the Sharks who they were able to convincingly get past.
The only thing standing in FURIA’s path to the Berlin Major were fellow Brazilian countrymen who formed INTZ eSports. It was here that FURIA were tested the most with the series going to the third map of Mirage.
Though FURIA were able to take down INTZ in a dominating 16-6 effort to book their spot at the Major.
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European Minor winners
The road to the Major in the European Minors was filled with stunned disappointment from teams who had expected to make it through. Even though there were only two spots to claim, four teams in Fnatic, North, BIG and mousesports each had tremendous expectations to move on to the big tournament.
While the path was as clean cut, Group A runner-ups mousesports were on a victory march as soon as they entered the Minor playoffs.
Their series with Fnatic started out competitive, but mousesports stepped on the gas and finished the legendary Swedish team 2-0.
The Winner’s Final featured two heavyweight teams who everyone saw as shoo-ins to go to the Major in mouse and North, but the series only had one team show up as North seemed out of sorts after their Semifinal win against CR4ZY.
Mousesports beat North 2-0 to secure their spot in the Major, while North now faced a rematch of their previous series against CR4ZY.
While North won the first skirmish 2-0, it seems like the momentum dramatically flipped as CR4ZY were on a warpath since dropping down to the Loser’s Bracket.
The overwhelming offensive creativity and unpredictability from CR4ZY proved too much for North to handle in the rematch, quickly dropping the series in a similar 2-0 fashion.
The way the StarLadder tournament is set up, INTZ eSports and North both still have a chance to qualify for the Major when in the 3rd Place Play-ins start up July 29 after the CIS and Asia Minors conclude.