In the history of WINNERS League, x6tence Galaxy will always be number one.
Swedish Counter-Strike team x6tence Galaxy became the first champions of WINNER League with a three-game victory over Bpro in the playoff final.
Both teams came into the final having earned their way. X6tence Galaxy bested such opponents as Nemiga Gaming and Poland’s Pact, needing three games to close out each of their playoff series wins. Bpro’s road was equally impressive, including wins over X-Com and Panthers.
X6tence Galaxy got off on the right foot in the final, with Tim “nawwk” Jonasson racking up 27 frags in 16-9 win on Inferno. But even as nawwk continued to lead his teammates on the scoreboard, Bpro would not be deterred in game two. The Bulgarian side managed an impressive attacking half on Train, converting a 12-3 halftime score into a 16-6 win to force a deciding game on Mirage.
Unfortunately for Bpro, nawwk still wasn’t finished. The 21-year-old led his team in frags for the third consecutive game, boasting a 21-10 K/D, just ahead of teammate Andre “BARBARR” Moller’s 20 frags. X6tence Galaxy’s attacking form on Mirage was even more impressive than Bpro’s on Train, as the Swedes managed a 13-2 half that all but sealed the series.
Bpro would extend the game for a few more rounds, but x6tence Galaxy managed to close out the title 16-6.
Nawwk was unquestionably the star of the series, posting a +34 ratio across the three maps played and leading his team in frags on each map. Nikolay “nik1” Pantaleev was the brightest spot for Bpro, posting the only positive differential in what was overall a balanced losing effort from the Bulgarians.
The win caps a successful run for x6tence Galaxy. The squad was among the top favorites coming into the first season of WINNERS League, and while many of their playoff matches were close, their form was consistently strong enough to push them to victory over some of the best up-and-coming teams in European Counter-Strike.
After the conclusion of the final, it was officially announced that WINNERS League would be returning for a second season featuring an increased prize pool and an expansion to North America.
