FlyQuest stunned with 2-3 capitulation in shock Austin Major exit

History never repeats but it often rhymes; FlyQuest has been eliminated from the BLAST Austin Major after once again opening the stage with two wins, mirroring their efforts in Shanghai six months ago.

Three straight Bo3 losses to HEROIC, Nemiga, and TYLOO consigned the Aussie team to an early flight home, leaving many asking questions about the future of the lineup.

It was like a completely different FlyQuest from day one where they blitzed Fluxo (13-7) and BetBoom (13-6) in quick succession. Corey “Nettik” Browne (1.71 rating vs. BetBoom) and Declan “Vexite” Portelli (2.14 vs. Fluxo) were near untouchable.

But, just like in China late last year, FlyQuest fell apart in the Bo3 qualification matches. Against arguable favourites HEROIC the OCE squad fought valiantly, going down 1-2 (7-13, 13-11, 6-13).

Against Nemiga, a matchup the Aussies were favoured in on paper, FlyQuest coughed up two leads — 9-5 on Ancient and 10-5 on Inferno — with the Aussies ultimately dropping both maps.

On Inferno in particular, FlyQuest duo nettik and Iulian "regali" Harjău sat head and shoulders above all others on the server, but they couldn't get the job done. The loss meant a match against Asian peers TYLOO for the final spot and a chance for revenge following FlyQuest's stunning losses at ACL.

You’d think that FlyQuest was in the box seat with a 13-10 victory over TYLOO on the latter's map pick of Inferno. They should have headed over to Mirage with a lot of confidence to finally put their Bo3 Major curse behind them.

What we saw instead was a masterclass from TYLOO both on Mirage and Anubis with very little fight from FlyQuest's big guns. Mirrored 13-3 losses ended Aussie fans' hopes that they'd get their team through to the second stage of the Austin Major.

They had no answer for Yang “JamYoung” Yi and his pistol round brilliance or for Sheng “Attacker” Yuanzhang who dominated affairs on Mirage. Both maps were over by the half with TYLOO stringing together eight rounds in a row before FlyQuest even got off the ground.

Thus, FlyQuest's run is over, and what stings is their exit in Stage 1 is technically earlier than their previous outing in Shanghai; there, it was the old 24-team format, while in Austin, FlyQuest couldn't survive the round of 32.

I feel FlyQuest's issues lie in their mental fortitude when things aren’t going their way. Their confidence just plummets, and it gets worse and worse as the rounds pile up. It felt like a funeral procession on Mirage and Anubis against TYLOO; in a moment where it was time to stand up, their spirit was absent.

FlyQuest just need to be delusional enough to believe that they can turn around an 1-11 to a 13-11 victory; dare I say, back when they pulled off the crazy comebacks under Grayhound. Every star was sky-high about their goals and aspirations before they achieved it all. It is what makes good teams into great teams.

FlyQuest has plenty of soul-searching to do before they are next to appear at IEM Cologne in mid-July. What form the squad takes isn't clear yet, but after a season of turmoil on the road, a record 70 months without a Bo3 win at a major, and one of the worst T-side ratings for a team in the top 50, it's clear something has to change.