Flashpoint 3: G2 and mouz Closing in on Grand Finals Spot

Soon, we’ll see mousesports and G2 Esports square off for a spot in the Grand Finals. Considering that mouz were unable to attain any RMR points at all throughout 2020, they are putting up a dominant display now. On the other hand, G2 have finally shown some of what they planned to deliver with NiKo. Meanwhile, the Ninjas in Pyjamas are proving their potential on the server.

Heroic dropped down to the Lower Bracket much too early. In their second encounter, they already lost a relatively close Best-of-Three to G2 Esports. After that, they had to fight past Complexity, Vitality, and Astralis to still have a shot at the Lower Bracket Finals. It wasn’t the first time that they beat Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander and his troops. But it was the first time since IEM Katowice that they admitted defeat to a team that wasn’t Natus Vincere or Gambit.

ASTRALIS IN CONTENTION FOR 5TH PLACE

Their defeat to Heroic means that their best case scenario is only a fifth place. In order to win at least that, they’ll have to face BIG, who have been struggling in their most recent series versus the Ninjas in Pyjamas. Even though Astralis have still not been able to contend with their national colleagues, they should be able to overcome this challenge in front of them now. In their Flashpoint bracket, BIG were relatively lucky and have been too shaky in recent time to really stand a chance against Astralis. Most recently, they nearly choked on Dust2 against NiP. Even though they eventually won the map out, Fredrik “REZ” Sterner and his men turned the series around on the two follow-up maps.

The Ninjas in Pyjamas are now going up against Heroic. After facing G2 Esports, this will be the next big test for the Swedish team. But considering that NiP have already fared much better against G2 than Heroic did before, their chances are looking good. If Nicolai “device” Reedtz manages to put up the same kind of performance that he displayed in the BIG match, he might also be able to dominate Heroic.

Deep down, FPX managed to secure a victory over Complexity, who will now only be fighting for 10th place. But since they’re still gunning for RMR points, even this match is crucial for them. Benjamin “blameF” Bremer and his men are just at the edge of qualifying for the Major, so they simply can’t let the likes of Sprout overtake them. Double Poney have played quite well for their first big event. It’s quite the achievement to have placed this high up within such a stacked playing field. However, they’re facing Vitality again for a seventh-place finish. What ended up as a one-sided 2-0 just two weeks ago might not go down that easily again. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire and his support staff will surely have analyzed the demos and eliminated most mistakes from their opening match.

THE FIGHT FOR THE HIGHEST PLACES

At the moment, G2, mousesports, Heroic, and NiP are still part of the main bracket. This means that they’re all in contention for the Grand Finals. It’s quite difficult to pick a favorite from this lineup. On the basis of recent accomplishments, Heroic should have the upper edge, but they did lose to G2 Esports way too early on. The Ninjas in Pyjamas are much too fresh to accurately predict their performance. They may not even have tapped their full potential. However, they might also only be this good because the enemy teams have not yet had time to find an adequate counter.

The dark horse in this Top 4 is definitely mousesports. After Chris “dexter” Nong has struggled to lead the roster to good results, they have suddenly popped off and are now one step away from the Grand Finals. However, they still have to show that their victories over BIG, Fnatic, and Astralis weren’t just upsets, but a sign of their actual potential.

The 2020 RMR points that were carried over to this year are worth almost nothing compared to what’s at stake now. At this point, Heroic and G2 will already dominate the playing field with over 1600 points each. Since mousesports came into the running with zero points from 2020, their performances won’t propel them past the frontrunners. Nonetheless, they’re safely tucked into the Top 11 – at least for now! After all, there will be two additional RMR events before the Major in Stockholm. Should these teams fail to perform there, everything is on the table again. However, a few solid placements should suffice to keep them well within the Top 11.

The tournament will soon continue with the encounter between mousesports and G2. This match will decide on the first finalist for Flashpoint 3. The Lower Bracket will be played out afterwards. At the same time, we will see the decider matches for the lowest places unfold. After a one day break, the tournament will conclude with the epic Grand Finals.