The Pacific and China have set a date for their showdown in the winner's match-up.
Both Paper Rex and EDward Gaving will face-off against one another in VCT Champions after they defeated their respective opponents earlier today. PRX dismantled KRÜ Esports while EDG went the distance against Giants. The fate of the losing teams will be determined in a few days as both teams will face one another in the elimination match-up.
With day three done and dusted, it was an overall great day for the Eastern teams with PRX and EDG setting up their third meeting against one another. The first time both teams met was also in Group A of Champions 2022, which PRX won. The second time came during the Masters Tokyo playoffs, which PRX also won. As they say, third time is the try, especially for EDG.
PRX started off the day with their first-ever meeting against KRÜ, who made it through the Americas last-chance qualifiers (LCQ). The first map started out on Split, which also happened to be KRÜ's pick. However, it was PRX who had the perfect start, despite losing the pistol round at the beginning.
PRX soon steamrolled KRÜ in the first half with an 8-4 lead. KRÜ would be on the offensive for the second half but PRX was ready for anything and everything, being able to hold KRÜ back and secure just the five rounds needed in the second half to take game one. Map two took place on Pearl, which was PRX's choice and they showed just why.
The VCT Pacific League champions went on an 8-0 run the first half by displaying great dominance with six straight full-buy round wins. However, they would soon falter in the latter stages of the first half, losing four in a row to KRÜ's own full-buy rounds. KRÜ would go on to win two more in the second half but PRX took back control and responded with three exceptional rounds of their own. And after losing two full-buy rounds against KRÜ, PRX managed to take the 20th round on a semi-buy against KRÜ's full-buy, which game them the edge to take the series in the following round.
The second game of the day in Group A was between EDward Gaming and Giants, another first-ever meeting between these two teams. The first map of the series went to Giant's pick of Split and they showed just why they're so dominant with it, picking apart EDG with ease and left them with just three round wins in the first half. However, Giants would soon fall to the 9-3 curse.
EDG started the second half with renewed belief, especially after Yongkang "ZmjjKK" Zheng ace in the pistol round. This signalled the comeback for EDG, who would go on to win nine of the 12 rounds to force the game into overtime. This reverse was also aided by Senxu "Nobody" Wang as well as Wan "CHICHOO" Shunzhi, both of whom got four-kill clutch round wins. However, Giants would go on to win map one in the 28th round, putting an end to EDG's potential comeback.
Game two on EDG's pick of Bind showcased a more even match-up as both teams went into half-time tied at 6-6 with neither being able to gain much momentum. But the second half had EDG slowly break away after a four-round win streak, which was soon cut short by Giant's own four-round win streak of their own. However, EDG would soon take the very last round to ensure Giants didn't take it to overtime and forced a game three.
With Ascent being the final map of the series, EDG would finally start the series with a pistol round win, which built to another four-round win streak before Giants took two of their own with full-buy. EDG then took two rounds of their own with full-buy before trading off rounds to go into the half with a 7-5 lead. And while Giants did win the second-half pistol round and the round after that, it was EDG who went on a five-round win streak that also had another four-kill showcase from CHICHOO.
Giants would take the 20th round before EDG ended the series in the following round to take the game 2-1. With that win, EDG has set up a date with Paper Rex later today to determine who will go through to the playoffs.
