At the tournament held in Paris, 100 Thieves eliminated BC.Game, leaving them just one step away from qualifying for the Esports World Cup main event.
This highly anticipated matchup featured two clubs that have invested heavily, hoping to rebuild their reputations through the EWC. The head-to-head clash between device and s1mple also drew considerable attention from viewers.
The fans were not disappointed: both teams delivered multiple highlight moments during the match, the second map went into overtime, and the third map was equally hard-fought until the very end, with 100 Thieves ultimately securing a 13-11 victory.
Inferno went very smoothly for BC.Game. mzinho delivered a near-perfect performance, leading BC.Game to completely dominate 100 Thieves with superior firepower.
On Nuke, 100 Thieves successfully brought the series back on track. They held firm against s1mple's classic performance on the CT side, and by the time they switched to defense, they had already built an 11-8 lead.
BC.Game seemed to have found a solution at one point, starting to win consecutive attack rounds. However, Gizmy pulled off a spectacular 1v3 clutch, helping his team force overtime and shift the momentum, after which 100 Thieves swept the overtime.
On Anubis, BC.Game quickly took a 4-1 lead thanks to a pistol round victory. However, 100 Thieves found a way to counter by adopting a more proactive CT-side playstyle, controlling the pace of the first half. BC.Game, meanwhile, relied on their star player's standout performances in man-down situations to prevent a complete T-side collapse in the opening half; this momentum carried over into the second-half pistol round, allowing them to regain the lead.
Subsequently, both teams engaged in a series of intense force-buy rounds. Around the time s1mple secured a brilliant four-kill, 100 Thieves twice capitalized on their numerical advantage to push and take the A site.
The turning point of the match came at 9-10. 100 Thieves won the round with a Tec-9 rush on A site, forcing BC.Game into two consecutive eco rounds. Later, Gizmy clutched a 1v2 in round 23, preventing s1mple and mzinho from pulling off a 2v4 comeback; finally, rain secured a triple kill to close out the series, helping 100 Thieves claim the victory.
100 Thieves will next face the winner of the match between Acend and 1win to determine which team from this veritable group of death will secure a coveted invitation to the EWC Main Event. In addition to these four teams, this half of the bracket also includes Liquid, OG, and FOKUS.