Eternal Fire eliminated after surprising defeat in EWC Qualifier

Eternal Fire's debut at the Esports World Cup open qualifier ended in disappointment as they were eliminated by NADE in a closely contested three-map series. This surprising outcome marked them as the only major team to fall into elimination matches on the first day of the tournament.

The first day featured 64 teams and began with groups 1-8 completing the initial rounds, followed by groups 9-16 participating in their openers. While Eternal Fire struggled, several predicted favorites navigated their matches with ease. Teams such as Liquid, NRG, and 100 Thieves secured emphatic 2-0 victories, with 100 Thieves particularly standing out thanks to Jack "Gizmy" von Spreckelsen, who delivered an impressive performance with a 2.85 rating.

In addition to the dominant wins, Virtus.pro managed to defeat Sangal 2-0 in what was expected to be a competitive matchup. FOKUS triumphed over Partizan, but only after requiring overtime to seal the deal on Inferno.

With numerous matches scheduled for Saturday, fans can look forward to exciting clashes, including K27 versus SINNERS, FOKUS facing Sashi, and Liquid going up against Metizport. The anticipation builds as teams prepare for the forthcoming playoff phase of the tournament.