The final round for the PGL Kraków Major 2017 is set, featuring a battle of two emerging teams in Gambit Esports and Immortals after hard-fought semifinals on Saturday.
Immortals, considered the younger brother of SK Gaming, played elite Counter-Strike throughout the tournament. It would be insulting to consider the Brazilian Immortals as anything else but a top force in the overall competitive landscape after its performance in this tournament. The Immortals semifinal match against Virtus.Pro was a master class in execution. On Inferno, the aggression and the constant rush overwhelmed Virtus.Pro. Similar to its match against BIG, Immortals took full advantage of the map's angles to swarm the defense. Thanks in part to the abilities and positioning of Lucas "LUCAS1" Teles, Immortals rode a stifling defense on Mirage to close out the set and eliminate Virtus.Pro. Overall, it was a complete performance from Immortals. The team displayed its ability to rush and overwhelm an opponent with numbers, perfect executes and the patience that allowed it to advance to the grand finals with a 2-0 sweep.
Gambit Esports was the darling of the group stage and proved to be anything but a fluke on its playoff journey to the grand finals. Its last major roadblock was the top-three team, Astralis. Rusterm "mou" Telepov provided the top fragging numbers on the first map and served as the biggest thorn in Astralis' side. He was the man who clutched in 1v2 situations and quad-killed on opposing gun rounds. The MVP for Gambit Esports was captain Danylo "Zeus" Teslenko. He was the steady second or third string of offense and called a perfect game for any situation that Astralis put up. His calls on anti-ecos and on the setup for the defense against gun rounds was the biggest reason for the team's victory. Gambit Esports with set executes on offense and great positioning on defense remained calm despite the score, and bested Astralis, 2-1.
The table is set for Gambit Esports and Immortals, and it should be a back-and-forth affair. Both teams showed the ability to be clutch in desperate moments, execute amazing offensive displays and stay in position for strong defensive efforts against opposing gun rounds, but which team will have the best tactics? With the consistent ability of both Rusterm "mou" Telepov and Dauren "AdreN" Kystaubayev, offense favors Gambit Esports.
Kraków Major fallout
Virtus.Pro needed a deep finish to squash the talk of a roster shakeup. Its top-four finish could be just enough to see the longest-lasting lineup in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remain intact, but nothing is guaranteed. The ability was still there as shown by the balance of the roster in its matchups against North and Immortals. Jarosław "pashaBiceps" Jarząbkowski stepped up and provided the kills that Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski typically got, showing the team's versatility and individual skill. Its loss against Immortals was convincing, but the tournament overall was a vintage Virtus.Pro performance.
North may see some changes in the future. Another disappointing exit before a top finish and a crushing loss to an established team could translate to a rebuild. The talent on paper is not enough if the results do not follow, and this squad is in desperate need of a deep tournament run. Unfortunately, Kraków was not the location for North's breakthrough moment and it will be anyone's guess whether this roster will remain the same for the next big tournament.