Astralis defeat MIBR in tight ECS final
Astralis’ reign of terror continues.
The Danish team took yet another first-place finish in Arlington, Texas, claiming the top prize at the Esports Championship Series Season 6 final. It’s the squad’s fourth live event victory of the fall season, and the eighth six-figure prize secured in 2018.
Though yet another trophy was added to the Danish side’s mantel, victory didn’t necessarily come easy.
The event started with Astralis trouncing Cloud9 in the group stage before falling to Made in Brazil in the second round, losing 2-1 in a competitive series. With their backs to the wall, Andreas “Xyp9x” Hojsleth and company managed to secure a spot in the playoffs by besting Mousesports 2-0.
The team’s playoff run kicked off with an exciting series versus Ninjas In Pyjamas, which saw Astralis drop one game between picking up a convincing pair of wins on Inferno and the team’s signature map, Nuke. From there, it advanced to the grand finals and was granted the opportunity to take revenge on MIBR.
The rematch proved to be the highlight of the tournament, as Astralis narrowly avoided an MIBR comeback on Inferno before pulling off a comeback of their own on Overpass, battling back from a 14-9 deficit to force overtime and come out on top.
The ECS finals victory adds to what has already been an extraordinary year for the Danish team. The $250,000 top prize the team earned for the event pushed Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Xyp9x over the $1 million mark in total career winnings.
Astralis will be back in action on December 4 at the ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals.