DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017 - Day two recap

Day two of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017 is all wrapped up, as four teams secure their places in the playoffs, whilst eight teams prepare for tomorrow's decider matches.

Day two of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017 proved to be shorter than expected, as a lot of the match-ups saw quite convincing victories. The fate of four teams was decided, as compLexity Gaming, Misfits, TyLoo and Renegades were unable to outperform their opponents and hence packed their bags for the journey home. On the other hand Astralis, Gambit Gaming, SK Gaming and mousesports secured their placements in the quarter-finals of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017, awaiting their respective match-ups from the decider matches taking place later today.

Below is an informational table outlining the movement of each of the teams so far:



Game #1

North vs. compLexity Gaming

North kick the day off on de_Nuke, where they absolutely breezed past an unprepared compLexity Gaming. The initial half saw a heavily lop-sided CT start for the Danes, where only a single round went in favour of the North American mix. CompLexity were unable to present anything on the aggression, placing the team in a predicament. Having switched to the CT side, the home representatives were able to secure three rounds, followed by the final two needed by North to close out the match at a rather disappointing 16:4 score. CompLexity are sent packing to their hotel rooms, whilst North prepare for their match against the loser of the winners' bracket match of group A.

Game #2

Fnatic vs. Misfits

The second elimination match saw another North American representative exit the race. Fnatic went up against Misfits on de_Mirage, where the Swedes demonstrated a very strong T side. A dominant initial push allowed for rolling moment, concluding the initial half of the map at a strong 11:4 score in favour of Fnatic. The second half saw a slight resurgence from Misfits, however it proved insufficient as the Swedes met their opponents' round score at 5:5, concluding group B's elimination match at 16:9. Misfits are off to pack their bags, whilst Fnatic await their match-up from the match-up between Virtus.pro and Gambit Gaming.

Game #3

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. TyLoo

Ninjas in Pyjamas and TyLoo meet on de_Cobblestone in what proved to be a match dominated by the Swedish side. On the initial half NiP started on the T side of affairs, landing round after round via crushing the Chinese defence. On occasion TyLoo were able to push back the Swedes, however not nearly enough, as the half concluded at a worrying 10:5 in favour of NiP. Having switched onto the CT side of Cobblestone, the Ninjas keep the momentum rolling, crushing TyLoo's T side 6:0. The Chinese prepare for a long journey back home, meanwhile NiP hit the books in preparation for their match against the winner of SK Gaming vs. Cloud9.

Game #4

Natus Vincere vs. Renegades

The last elimination match of the tournament between Natus Vincere and Renegades saw a strong performance from the CIS mix. The teams butted heads on de_Mirage, where it was abundantly clear that Na'Vi had the upper hand in terms of preparation despite falling behind in the early stages. The first half saw the CIS mix kick off on the T side, where they managed to amass a strong lead before its conclusion. The Australian defence was insufficient in trading kills and holding off bombsites, allowing for a 9:6 lead in favour of Na'Vi. In contrast to their opponents, Na'Vi played a flawless defence, where the Aussies were demolished 7:0. Natus Vincere prepare for their match against the victor of FaZe Clan vs. mousesports, whilst Renegades prepare their belongings for departure.

Game #5

Astralis vs. OpTic Gaming

With all elimination matches over, it was time to determine the four teams proceeding straight to the playoffs of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017. First on the menu was the match between Danish powerhouse Astralis and ELEAGUE Season 2 finalists, OpTic Gaming. The teams met on de_Nuke, a map that was favoured towards Astralis according to their recent performances on it. The major title holders kicked off on the CT side of Nuke, where they were able to demonstrate a decent initial half on the defence. OpTic didn't have a shabby performance themselves, leading to a slight lead in favour of Astralis at 9:6. On the aggression, however, things changed drastically.

The Danes were playing on another level, consistently being able to penetrate the defence and trade out the opponents to their advantage. A dominant T side for Astralis culminated in a 7:3 second half, as well as a ticket to the playoffs of the tournament. OpTic Gaming are knocked into the deciders bracket, where they will face North for a place in the quarter-final of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017.

Game #6

Gambit Gaming vs. Virtus.pro

The second decider match between two European representatives saw a solid performance from the CIS mix of Gambit Gaming. The teams clashed on de_Cobblestone, a map that both teams sport quite an impressive win/loss ratio on. Gambit kicked off on the T side of the map, where they demonstrated a terrific offence, consistently outperforming their opponents on the defence. Rounds went by in favour of the Kazakh team, leading to a strong 10:5 T-side finish. Seeing as the lead was rather extensive for the opponents, Virtus.pro tried their best to see past this and play their own game, however Gambit Gaming had other things in mind, as the teams went shoulder to shoulder, with a closing score of 6:5 in favour of the Kazakhs. A 16:10 finish means that Gambit Gaming proceed to the playoffs of the tournament, whilst Virtus.pro hit the books in preparation for their match against Fnatic in the decider bracket of group B.

Game #7

SK Gaming vs. Cloud9

Group C's winners match-up saw SK Gaming breeze past home crowd favourites, Cloud9 in swift manner. The two teams faced each other on de_Overpass. The Brazilians kick off the best of one on the T side of Overpass, where they are able to successfully storm bomb sites and secure crucial frags on their American opponents. A similar performance was seen throughout the first half, with Cloud9 being able to secure rounds on as few as five occasions on their CT side. Having transferred onto the CT side, SK Gaming keep the momentum going, pushing back Cloud9's aggression consistently. The Americans were able to squeeze a single round in over the course of the second half, with SK Gaming taking the other six. The Brazilians ran away with a dominant 16:6 score, securing their placement in the playoffs. Cloud9, on the other hand, analyse their mistakes and prepare for their upcoming match against Ninjas in Pyjamas in the deciders bracket of group C.

Game #8

mousesports vs. FaZe Clan

The final match of the day saw a match between two European representatives in FaZe Clan and mousesports. The best of one was incredibly close and extraordinarily interesting, in the sense that FaZe Clan's future member, Nikola "NiKo" Kovac was matched up against his future teammates in a battle for a spot in the playoffs. The initial half on de_Mirage saw a very close performance from both teams. Neither was able to run away with a significant lead, concluding at an 8:7 score in favour of FaZe Clan's T side. Mousesports tune up their performance after switching, allowing the European mix a total of three rounds before closing out the best of one at 16:10. Mousesports proceed to the quarter-finals of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017, meanwhile FaZe Clan look forward to tomorrow's best-of-three against Natus Vincere.

Below is a comprehensive schedule for all of tomorrow's decider matches (all times expressed in CET ):

19:00 - OpTic Gaming vs. North

21:00 - Virtus.pro vs. Fnatic

00:00 - Cloud9 vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas

03:00 - FaZe Clan vs. Natus Vincere

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