Astralis has made a strong comeback in the lower bracket of the CS:GO ESL Pro League before concretizing their domination in the final against Natus Vincere — a 3-2 victory, after having lost two maps.
Already winner of a European edition and two world editions, Astralis seized the opportunity of this iteration of the prestigious ESL League — divided into regions and played online due to the global health crisis — to send a vengeful message.
Certainly, the three-time defending Major's champion team has been touched by stories of burnouts. Admittedly, it has been accused of draining its players on an already very tiring professional competitive stage, and has been challenged to try to implement a 7-player rotation system. The results were initially negative and the Nordic team fell to ninth in the HLTV ranking.
In addition to this title, it's above all the individual performance of Patrick "es3ag" Hansen that should be remembered. While four of the legendary formation's usual executives — dev1ce, dupreeh, Magisk and gla1ve — were present, this one easily replaced Xyp9x, still on pause and unselectable.
It remains to be seen whether this consecration is synonymous only with a temporary form or whether Astralis will once again establish its domination over the competition.
The next meeting on the international scene is scheduled for tomorrow, with the SMIs in New York (online). An event that won't count on the presence of the Astralis, who will have to wait until October 15 and the kick-off of the DreamHack Open Fall, a tournament offering CMA points in the race for the future Major.
Image courtesy: HLTV
Original content by Christopher "LuziTano" Perrin.
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