MAD Lions, MIBR repeat as phase champs at Flashpoint
MIBR and MAD Lions made it back-to-back phase wins, while Cloud9 came up one match short in its bid to match them as Phase 2 of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Flashpoint 1 tournament came to a conclusion Sunday.
The 12-team, $1 million event began March 13 at FACEIT Studio in Los Angeles, but with the state of California's stay-at-home order, action subsequently was moved online.
Flashpoint 1 features two group phases, with teams amassing points in both in an attempt to qualify for the eight-team, double-elimination playoff bracket. The first two phases, which were also double elimination, saw the 12 teams broken up into three groups of four.
On Sunday, HAVU Gaming ensured that Phase 1's three group winners would not all repeat, as they made quick work of Cloud9 with a 19-15 win on Vertigo and 16-5 win on Mirage. But MIBR and MAD Lions cemented their standings as the teams to beat in the playoffs with dominant wins to claim their groups.
MIBR beat Gen.G Esports 16-7 on Dust II and 19-15 on Mirage, then MAD Lions topped FunPlus Phoenix 16-6 on Dust II and 16-10 on Nuke.
All six teams entered the day having already clinched spots in the playoffs, which are scheduled for April 9-19. The champion will claim $500,000, while the runner-up will receive $250,000. They will be joined by Chaos Esports Club and Orgless. Teams advanced by accumulating points based on how far they advanced in each phase.
Flashpoint 1 standings, including total points (through Phase 2):
T1. MAD Lions, 150 points
T1. MIBR, 150 points
T3. Cloud9, 125 points
T3. HAVU Gaming, 125 points
5. Gen.G Esports, 80 points
T6. Chaos Esports Club, 65 points
T6. FunPlus Phoenix, 65 points
T6. Orgless, 65 points
T9. c0ntact Gaming, 60 points
T9. Dignitas, 60 points
11. Team Envy, 45 points
12. Copenhagen Flames, 30 points
Flashpoint 1 playoff schedule
Upper bracket quarterfinals
Thursday
MAD Lions vs. Orgless
Gen.G Esports vs. Cloud9
Friday
HAVU Gaming vs. Chaos Esports Club
FunPlus Phoenix vs. MIBR
--Field Level Media