Gamers8 2023 CS:GO Day 3 Recap: Heroic, ENCE, G2 Esports Secure Semifinal Slots
The event reaches top four.
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 (INR 8,31,57,000).
After six teams were eliminated on the first day, followed by three more on the second day of the tournament, the quarterfinals stage concluded yesterday on 18th August with GamerLegion, Cloud9, and Virtus.pro catching a flight back home.
On the third day, three best-of-three matches were played where Heroic Esports defeated GamerLegion, ENCE made short work of Cloud9, and G2 survived its second scare in a row.
Gamers8 2023 CS:GO - Day 3 Recap
A total of three matches were played on the third day of the Gamers8 2023 CS:GO and here is a quick rundown of how they went.
Heroic vs GamerLegion
Heroic vs GL - Inferno: 16-3 | Vertigo: 9-16 | Overpass: 16-7
Heroic had an upper hand against GamerLegion (GL) going into this series. The first game despite being on GL's map pick Inferno was a walk in the park for Heroic. They stomped their dominance and it seemed as if the series would be a short-lived affair.
However, on Heroic's map Vertigo, GL hit them with a counter. It might not have been as brutal but it was enough to sound alarms in the Heroic lineup and wake them up for the last game decider.
The final bout took place on Overpass where Heroic once again found its groove, playing with increased focus and intensity. They made quick work of GamerLegion to walk into the semifinals, continuing their journey as one of the favorites.
Cloud9 vs ENCE
Cloud9 vs ENCE - Ancient: 7-16 | Anubis: 6-16
ENCE with its European mix was able to take care of a new Cloud9 quite easily. They did not break much of a sweat during the series and ended up sweeping them clean on the back of a killer overall performance by Guy "NertZ" Iluz.
Cloud9 was destroyed by ENCE on its own map pick, Ancient, which is supposed to be the team‘s strong point. Cloud9 enjoyed a dream start winning five back-to-back rounds but ENCE broke their momentum on a whim to secure a four-round lead by the halfway mark. They dominated on attack as well to take the lead.
Already under pressure, Cloud9 was unable to bounce back on ENCE's map pick Anubis. The team put up a feeble defense in the first half and ENCE took upon the responsibility of showing them how its actually done. Unfortunately, they ended up eliminating Cloud9 from the tournament in this process.
Virtus.pro vs G2 Esports
VP vs G2 - Mirage: 16-11 | Inferno: 9-16 | Vertigo: 12-16
G2 Esports is one of the favorites to win this tournament. Unfortunately, the team’s performance against Virtus.pro (VP) was not as clean as one would have expected. This was the second elimination scare faced by it in a row, casting doubt on the team’s future in this tournament.
In the first game which took place on VP's map pick Mirage, G2 was unable to defend the lead it had gained in the first half of the game, managing to win just two rounds during attack.
Rocked by its failure to execute properly, G2 struggled a bit during the defense on its map pick Inferno, but proved a point by tearing through VP's defense in the second half with a series of unwavering attacks.
With the series leveled, the two teams clashed on Vertigo and the map ended up going in favor of G2, who once again pulled the game away on the back of its relentless attack.
Today on 19th August, the two semifinal matches will be played between Heroic, ENCE, G2 Esports, and Vitality. The winning teams will make their way into the grand finals while the others will be eliminated.
