Gamers8 2023 CS:GO Day 2 Recap: G2 Elimination Scare, FaZe Fights Hard, NAVI Bows Out
The quarterfinals begin.
Cover-Credits:
The Gamers8 2023 CS:GO started on 16th August in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with some of the best teams from around the world competing for a massive total prize pool of $1,000,000 USD.
Following the elimination of six teams on the first day of the tournament, three more participants caught a flight back home yesterday on 17th August as the Round of 16 came to an end.
On the second day of the tournament three best-of-three matches took place where G2 Esports survived an elimination scare against 9INE, FaZe Clan put up a solid fight against Virtus.pro, and Vitality made quick work of NAVI.
Gamers8 2023 CS:GO - Day 2 Recap
A total of three matches were played on the second day of the Gamers8 2023 CS:GO and here is a quick rundown of how they went.
9INE vs G2 Esports
9INE vs G2 - Vertigo: 19-17 | Ancient: 12-16 | Nuke: 12-16
G2 Esports is one of the favorites to win this tournament. Unfortunately, the team’s performance against 9INE was a far reflection of the trust and belief the community has towards this star-studded lineup.
On the first game which took place on 9INE's map pick Vertigo, G2 was pushed to its limits as the team somehow managed to drag things into overtime, but could not manage a successful comeback as 9INE wrapped things up in its favor.
Even on G2's map pick Ancient, the team only managed to secure a lead in the second half but this time they took things more seriously and prevented 9INE from punching them back, taking the series down to the decider.
The final game on Nuke witnessed a dominant start from G2 Esports and a valiant fight from 9INE, but it was not enough to guarantee a win as G2 slowly carved a path for itself towards the finish line.
FaZe vs VP
FaZe vs VP - Mirage: 16-11 | Inferno: 14-16 | Overpass: 14-16
FaZe Clan had an upper hand against Virtus.pro (VP) going into this series. The first match was a show of its strength. FaZe took things in stride and controlled the game well to achieve an early advantage on VP's map pick Mirage.
It seemed as if VP would fold on FaZe's pick Inferno. However, the team hung on by a thread and kept their heads in the game, determined to bounce back which they did by a narrow margin, taking things down to the last map.
The final bout took place on Overpass where FaZe was very unfortunate to face the same fate twice, VP outwitted them slightly to enter the quarterfinals while eliminating its opponents.
NAVI vs Vitality
NAVI vs Vitality - Mirage: 2-16 | Nuke: 11-16
The classic CS:GO rivalry did not live up to the hype and was the shortest match of the day with NAVI struggling hard to figure out Vitality who rocked the opposition hard with its astute gameplay.
Vitality destroyed NAVI on the opponent's map pick, Mirage, which is supposed to be the team‘s strong point. They overwhelmed NAVI with their solid defense, giving away just two rounds in the first half before wrapping things up with a set of three clean rounds on attack.
Under pressure and low on confidence, NAVI was unable to bounce back on VItality's map pick Nuke. After a feeble defense on a CT-sided map, Vitality showed them how to do it right and in the process ended up eliminating them from the tournament.
Today on 18th August, three more matches will be played and the quarterfinals will come to an end. Following the qualification of the winning teams, the semifinal bracket will be finally set.
