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In a thrilling clash between the top two North American Counter-Strike teams, Complexity secured their spot at the BLAST Premier Fall Final in the Royal Arena, sweeping Team Liquid 2-0 (Anubis 16-4, Inferno 16-2).
Holy SMOKES! What a match by @Complexity to become your Americas Fall Showdown Champions! 🏆
We'll see you in the Royal Arena, and to @TeamLiquidCS: GGWP 🫡 #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/ohxsAsqylJ
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) October 8, 2023
This victory was especially significant as Complexity had previously lost their last five matches against Liquid.
Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, reflecting on the win, pointed out that confidence was the key factor that had been holding Complexity back in their previous encounters.
This resounding victory helped boost their morale and solidify their winning mindset.
Liquid, on the other hand, had to fight tooth and nail to reach this stage, requiring three maps to overcome Forsaken and Party Astronauts.
In the final against Complexity, Liquid’s “experimental” roster, featuring Damian “daps” Steele as a secondary caller, struggled.
Daps, who was transitioning to the role of the team’s in-game leader, had a challenging return to official matches, ending the event with a 0.81 rating in his first competitive appearance since April 2022.
Even though Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis was heavily involved in Liquid’s opening duels on map one, he struggled, succeeding in only 45% of them, leading to Liquid’s 16-4 loss on Anubis.
Complexity’s tactical prowess continued on Inferno, where they outsmarted Liquid, who had to rely on individual performances for round wins.
Liquid managed only two rounds on their T side, trailing 13-2 at halftime.
Complexity’s Johnny “JT” Theodosiou played a crucial role in shutting down YEKINDAR, neutralizing Liquid’s primary threat.
In the end, Complexity convincingly closed out Inferno with a 16-2 score.
This win marked a morale-boosting comeback for Complexity, as they had previously recovered from a 12-6 deficit against FURIA in the semi-finals.
With their spot secured in the Fall Final and a reputation as the best team in the Americas, Complexity heads into CS2 with renewed confidence.
.@C9CSGO, YOUR EU SHOWDOWN CHAMPIONS! 🏆
Can't wait to see them in Royal Arena, and GG to @BIGCLANgg for putting up a damn good fight 🫡#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/y78CBA2TIK
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) October 8, 2023
In the European Fall Showdown final, Cloud9 secured their place at the Fall Final with a 2-0 victory over BIG, recording wins on both Ancient (16-13) and Anubis (16-12).
Cloud9 had been struggling to find success in recent tournaments, prompting a change in leadership with Abay “HObbit” Khassenov taking on the role of in-game leader.
This adjustment seemed to be paying off as they overcame BIG, who had been on an upward trajectory with wins against strong opponents.
On the first map, BIG started strongly on the T side, but Cloud9 made a comeback from 3-7 down and clinched the map 16-13.
On Cloud9’s pick, Anubis, they managed to secure a narrow 8-7 win despite initially struggling to hold the A bomb site.
BIG had a strong start on the CT side, but Cloud9’s aggressive approach and impressive individual performances allowed them to secure a 16-12 victory and close out the series.
Both Complexity and Cloud9 will take their place in the Fall Final in Copenhagen, with the US$425,000 event kicking off on November 22.
