EDward Gaming qualified for VCT Champions playoffs after sending home Giants in the decisive match-up.
EDward Gaming has once again triumphed against Giants, this time sending them home after a 2-0 victory. That win has ensured EDG's place in the VCT Champions 2023 playoffs, which is much better than their group-stage exit last season. As for Giants, we bid farewell to the EMEA LCQ winners who finished third in the group stage.
In the highly-anticipated rematch from the opening series between these two teams, it was a different affair this time around as EDG meant business. And on Giants' first map pick of Split, it was EDG who started on the front foot, winning the first six rounds in a row. Giants would eventually win their first round soon after thanks to some great all-round play from Adolfo "Fit1nho" Gallego, who secured himself three kills in that one round.
Giants would also go on to win the last two rounds of the first half, which left them with a 3-9 scoreline to chase down in the second. However, EDG had other ideas as they came out of the halftime break swinging, taking three in a row to put them at match-point by round 15. This was also aided by Yongkang "ZmjjKK" Zheng getting three kills for himself. Giants did go on to take the next three rounds, but it was close to impossible to stop EDG from winning just one more, which they did in the 19th round with a one-versus-two clutch from ZmjjKK.
And on EDG's map choice of Fracture in game two, they showed just why they deserved to be in the playoffs. EDG won the pistol round to start the second game but Giants would take the next two convincingly. That was the wake-up call EDG needed to then take the next six rounds without much of a response from Giants. Both teams would end up swapping wins over the last three rounds that left EDG with an 8-4 lead going into halftime.
EDG would start the second half in the best way possible as Wan "CHICHOO" Shunzhi secured himself three kills during the pistol round to further assert the team's dominance in the series. EDG took the subsequent round after that before Giants managed to secure three rounds of their own, despite being on semi-buy. But Giants' economy would take a toll in the end as EDG went full-buy in the next three rounds to ensure their victory and passage to the playoffs.
After that victory, this would be EDG's first-ever foray into the VCT Champions playoffs, having missed out last season after exiting in the group stage. This is also only the team's second attempt at VCT playoffs, which will only further the team's chances of possibly making it to the top four or better for the first time.
