FlyQuest has waltzed to victory in their ESL Challenger League OCE Cup debut, taking out THUNDER dOWNUNDER convincingly 2-0 (13-4, 13-9) on the way to the Cup #2 win, the accompanying $1,500 USD prize, and a spot in the APAC Regional Final.
FQ started with the first round bye and from there didn't drop a single map as they stomped OCE's best on their way to the trophy. Four-straight 2-0's over Orgless, Rooster, and TdU twice cements the HyperX Intel Nationals champs as the team to beat ahead of next month's set of LANs in Brisbane.
2-0 and ESL Cup 2 in the bag 💰
Qualified Season 52 Asia-Pacific Finals
It was, for the most part, by the script in the ECL OCE Cup 2 finals bracket. FQ dominated the upper bracket, while our recent LAN attendees battled for the grand final privilege.
LFO 8 shocked a new-look Mindfreak 2-1 early in the lower bracket, while Arcade — orgless at the conclusion of ECL Cup — battled with Abyssal; the latter ultimately fell to Ground Zero 2-1 in the lower-bracket quarterfinals.
Despite a brave effort from Rooster frontman Michael "Chelleos" Hawkins (1.44, 9 maps) the Chooks couldn't keep up with GZ's Kalan "sliimey" Lorenzo (1.25, 46-39), who led Ground Zero to a reverse sweep win in the lower-bracket semifinal.
GZ split both first halves against TdU in the lower-bracket final, but fell to pieces in both second halves with TdU's 2-0 win seeing them meet FQ in the final.
Once more, however, they were humbled by their former IGL in Alistair "aliStair" Johnston; TdU managed just six rounds in the upper-bracket final against FQ, and while they managed better in the main event including a limit-breaking Dust 2, TdU could not match FQ's firepower in the very end.
.@FlyQuestCS defeat @THUNDERdUNDERcs 2-0 in the #ESLChallengerLeague S52 OCE Cup #2 Grand Final to secure their invite to the Regional Final 🥳🥳
View the photo on XWith this win, FlyQuest books a spot in December's ECL Asia-Pacific Regional Final alongside Cup #1 winners TdU (OCE) and NEXVOID (Asia). Asia Cup #2's grand final between NEXVOID and Lynn Vision kicks off later tonight, Sept. 29.
Following Cup #2, two more subregional cups will determine the final team list at the regional final, with the champion there heading to ESL Pro League Season 25 in Saudi Arabia next March.