FaZe Clan Dominates Astralis in Intel Extreme Masters Semifinals
The Intel Extreme Masters circuit’s LAN finals have narrowed down to three teams, as FaZe Clan sent Astralis packing after a two-game series.
Yesterday, Astralis narrowly avoided elimination by defeating reigning Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Valve Major champions Cloud9. However, they couldn’t maintain their momentum and were convincingly beaten by FaZe Clan. This latest loss adds to Astralis’ disappointing results, as they had only dropped one map prior to reaching the semifinals.
FaZe Clan Proves Dominance on Cache
The series began on FaZe Clan’s map pick, Cache. FaZe took an early lead, winning the opening pistol round and the subsequent two rounds without any trouble. However, Astralis quickly shut them down once they had the resources to buy rifles. Nikolai “device” Reedtz and his team consistently defended the A bomb site, preventing FaZe from gaining significant momentum.
FaZe finally found a way to break through Astralis’ defenses in the tenth round with an aggressive play. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and his team won six consecutive rounds, ending the first half with a 9-6 scoreline in their favor.
Astralis Struggles on Overpass
The series was decided on FaZe Clan’s favored battleground, Overpass. With a 68% win rate on this map, FaZe proved their dominance once again.
After claiming the opening pistol round, FaZe won six more rounds in a row, establishing a comfortable lead going into the second half. Astralis struggled to respond until the 11th round when they started to regain some ground. Device delivered an exceptional performance for his team, but it wasn’t enough to overcome FaZe’s advantage.
FaZe Clan Emerges Victorious
FaZe Clan came out on top with a 16-10 scoreline, securing their spot in the IEM World Championship grand finals. They will face the winner of Team Liquid and Fnatic.