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The IEM Dallas 2023 Grand Ultimate is lastly upon us, after per week of continuous CS:GO. We’ve had upsets galore, and it’s solely proper that ENCE and MOUZ get to face off for his or her first ever S-Tier trophies.
The MOUZ Story
You’ll be able to’t kill this MOUZ. Credit score: Helena Kristiansson | © ESL
What a story this has been for MOUZ. They weren’t precisely excessive on our IEM Dallas 2023 energy rankings, however now they’re within the Grand Ultimate and verging on one thing particular.
After their abysmal efficiency within the BLAST.television Paris Main 2023, you’d be forgiven for considering this iteration of MOUZ was accomplished and dusted. A crew going by way of the motions earlier than inevitable roster adjustments. How fallacious we have been. This was a MOUZ energetic, led by IGL dexter with a career-best efficiency. In a sea of Danish IGLs, it’s been the Aussie that has stood out up to now. He was merely exceptional, and appears nailed on for event MVP.
They needed to qualify for the IEM Dallas 2023 Playoffs the exhausting method, by way of the Decrease Bracket, beating FURIA and OG with out dropping a single map.
Then, the Playoffs, the place they confronted a resurgent Astralis with their new-look roster. Certain, MOUZ gave Astralis their possibilities, however in the end it was one other 2:0 win the place they by no means appeared beneath risk of defeat.
No huge stage choke for MOUZ. Credit score: Helena Kristiansson | © ESL
A Semi-Ultimate conflict towards Heroic awaited. The Danes have been those that condemned MOUZ to the Decrease Bracket in Group A, and have been odds-on favorites to repeat the feat within the Playoffs. Nonetheless, it appears Heroic’s chokes on the massive stage have began to take an actual psychological toll on the crew. They by no means actually bought going, as MOUZ took the sequence 2:1. IEM Dallas 2023 Grand Ultimate secured.
Now, MOUZ stand on the verge of historical past. Even throughout karrigan’s period as IGL, the crew has by no means received an S-Tier event. Now, they only need to beat ENCE to recover from the road. That received’t be a simple process, with ENCE occurring a Cinderella run of their very own. Each groups have a lot to struggle for on the massive stage.
Straightforward Work For ENCE
Credit score: IEM on Twitter
The runners-up of IEM Dallas 2022, ENCE are again for extra this yr. Final yr, solely Cloud9 stood of their method. This time, it’s MOUZ who can forestall their date with future. However ENCE have been one other crew that confirmed loads of resilience all through the event, and are in with an excellent shot of victory within the IEM Dallas 2023 Grand Ultimate.
Their Group Stage run was plain crusing. Complexity provided little or no problem within the opener, with ENCE securing a 16:7 victory. It was a promising signal of fine issues to return. Like MOUZ, they’d suffered a horrible BLAST.television Paris Main 2023 run, however this was the start of an excellent bounceback. FaZe have been subsequent to fall in a 2:0 clear sweep. Playoffs have been secured.
They then confronted Astralis for a Semi-Ultimate berth. At occasions this sport was Astralis’ to lose, however they couldn’t shut it. Take nothing away from ENCE, although. When alternatives come up, they nonetheless need to take them. And grasp them they did, confirming a Semi-Finals spot towards FaZe.
And so we come to it. That Semi-Ultimate. The primary two maps have been nice enjoyable, however when all’s stated and accomplished, we’ll possible have a look at that third map on Historic as considered one of finest CS:GO matches ever performed. By the point we’d reached the 59th spherical in OT5, each groups have been virtually enjoying deathmatch on the server. It felt like it could by no means finish, with the final match on LAN to go that lengthy Astralis vs NRG at StarLadder Main Berlin all the best way again in 2019.
Credit score: IEM on Twitter
In the long run, the distinction ended up being FaZe’s karrigan dropping simply 22 kills throughout 59 rounds. It’s an unwinnable kill tally. However we have to focus on ENCE’s psychological power right here. In OT4, FaZe took a 3-round lead, but ENCE introduced it again with ease. In NertZ and SunPayus, that they had two gamers comparatively new to the Tier 1 scene. Did they crumble beneath stress because the rounds piled on? Completely not – they thrived beneath it, leading to a exceptional 31:28 scoreline on the end.
With such a sport performed out, it’s merely unthinkable that ENCE may not win the IEM Dallas 2023 Grand Ultimate. However we mustn’t overlook MOUZ, who’ve supplied moments of high quality all through. To provide a prediction, we predict ENCE will do it. It’s simply robust to think about some other situation after this.
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