Gambit had an absolutely insane performance across their 4 game series and etch their names onto the IEM Katowice trophy.
Gambit capped off their standout performance by beating Virtus pro in a 3 – 1 series. Claiming IEM Katowice, this Gambit roster brought the organization their greatest achievement since entering the CS scene in 2013. Surviving group stage after a loss to EG, Gambit thrived in the knock-out stage as won over all three other qualifying CIS teams. Having proven themselves the team to beat their region and now globally, it will be interesting to see if Gambit can continue this level of play.
Virtus.pro’s first game victory
Virtus.pro got an early lead in the series as their sole win came on Gambit’s first map pick of Vertigo. Both teams played this game on knife’s edge as neither team were able to gain more than a four-round advantage the entire game. Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis led the charge however as he opened up almost all of his team’s opportunities with 13 first bloods, allowing Dzhami “Jame” Ali to find 26 frags on the AWP.
This was Virtus.pro’s best performance in this series however as despite showing a clean and aggressive playstyle throughout the tournament, this series was defined by Gambit’s dominance.
Gambit runs away with the series
The next two games were significantly less competitive as Virtus.pro only managed to scrape by with 10 total wins between Dust2 and Train. After gaining a lead in the second half of Dust2, it seemed impossible to derail Gambit’s momentum as almost every player on the Gambit roster had highlight plays while Virtus.pro struggled to find a response.
Abay “Hobbit” Khasenov was undoubtedly the MVP of the series, dropping 90 kills and averaging 100 DPR, primarily facilitating their series-winning game four win on overpass.