It might be our fourth week of the season, but it was our first dive into Counter-Strike 2. Same-same but different, it certainly delivered plenty of excitement!
ICYMI
- The Asian Qualifier for the ESL Impact Season 4 finals took place, with HSG once again claiming a spot on LAN! Competition was stiff, with Olga leading the squad to victory over Australian CS veterans Stacks of Cash
Weekly Recap
Here's the headlines from the week passed!
Top Plays of the Week
Our first day of the week saw annaEX score two spots in the Top 5! Her FURIA teammate izaa took the top spot.
While day 2 was bookended by two FlyQuest RED players!
Players to Watch
Okay, you know she had to feature at SOME point but ANa's performance against BIG EQUIPA in her debut CS2 official was OUSTANDING, posting a 1.75 rating across two maps, she was simply undeniable and showed that her AWP will continue to be feared into the new game!
MR12 was supposed to shorten map lengths in CS2, but that certainly wasn't the case between mocreias and Ravens, with 52 rounds being played on their second map! A special mention for LyttleZ who performed exceptionally for mocreias, posting a 49-31 KD to take the map and series.
One of the unexpected wins of the week was Cherry Bombs taking down Hyperion, with Canadian duo Shelby and Chels leading the charge for the Cherry Bombs. The two posted 46 and 47 kills across two maps, taking turns top-fragging on each!
Storylines
The big shakeup of the week for Europe was in Group A, with 1WIN taking down BIG EQUIPA. This is a massive win for the newly signed squad, who also pushed NIP to 3 maps the week prior. BIG EQUIPA's woes continued as they fell to Nigma Galaxy, which now means that 3 teams are tied at 2 wins a piece while NGX comfortably sit at the top with 4.
In South America the battle for the top of the table took place, with FURIA besting Fluxo Demons, the first time they have done so since the Season 2 finals when FURIA still fielded Olga! This was a statement victory for FURIA, having made a number of roster changes throughout the year.
Perhaps the most surprising result of the week was EG Gold falling to Tsunami Sirens! This marked the first loss for the new-look EG squad this season, and drops them below FlyQuest RED and Shimmer who each currently sit flawless. It's also worth highlighting that those are the only two teams Tsunami Sirens have lost to as well, giving the potential for a late season run!
What's next?
ESL Impact takes a break for a week, which will give time for teams to continue to prac and grind CS2. When we return, it'll be the final two weeks of play, where anything can happen!
