Astralis has once again hoisted a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive trophy high at IEM Katowice. The victory — claimed in a dominating 2-0 final vs ENCE — means that Astralis’ Glaive, Device, Xyp9x, Dupreeh and Magisk are now back-to-back Major CSGO champions, building on their FACEIT London 2018 win with an even more impressive performance in Katowice. The final map saw the indomitable Danes relinquish just four rounds, dispatching their competition with ease.
On their path to the final, Astralis had to take on the experienced brazilian force of MIBR, but after a close first map, the difference between the two sides was stark. The Semifinals may have provided Astralis with more trouble than the final, but their discipline, map control and utilization of grenades put them a step ahead throughout.
? Three Times Major Champions ? @dev1ce @dupreehCSGO @Xyp9x @gla1ve_csgo @MagiskCS @zonic_cs @astralisgg #IEM pic.twitter.com/YskPTMpHro
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 3, 2019
The only hint at a sign of trouble came during their Legends stage match vs Renegades, the one and only team in the tournament to take a map victory off of them. Astralis’ command of CSGO extends beyond their in-game talent, with exceptional planning in the veto stages also securing them regular matches on their strongest maps. Admittedly, the team has few weak ones, but both Semi and Grand Final games saw their opponents floundering when faced with Astralis’ mastery of Inferno. That Astralis are the best team in the world right now is undeniable, but they may well be the best team to ever play CSGO.
However, another story from the Katowice Major threatens to overshadow their success. Astralis may have beaten ENCE emphatically in the final, but it was clear which side had earned the crowd’s heart. Prior to the tournament, no one expected the Finnish side to qualify for playoffs, let alone reach the Grand Final.
Their match against NaVi in the Semifinals may go down as the best at the event. Following a hard fought win on Train, ENCE were practically torn apart in a 16-3 defeat on Dust 2. Despite this, the young team were able to steady themselves and fought back to take the final map, Mirage, 16-14. Watching the Finnish side contend with NaVi’s star player Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev made for an exhilarating experience and cemented ENCE as fan favorites.
ENCE’s fairytale story may have come to a crunching halt in the Grand Final vs Astralis, but with an admirable performance on the first map of the series, they’ve firmly found their place in the upper echelons of competitive CSGO. With a few more years of tournament experience together, there’s every chance we could see ENCE rise to rival even the might of Astralis. For now, Astralis holds the crown and show every bit of confidence in fighting tooth, nail, and grenade to keep it. Good game.
An emotional end came from an emotional beginning. You have to see how it started with CSGO legend pashaBiceps emotionally presenting the trophy for the event.
[Featured image by ESL]
