HEROIC and NIP advance to upper final after Stake Ranked day two

HEROIC showcased resilience on the second day of Stake Ranked Episode 3, edging out Phantom with close 13-11 victories on Ancient and Dust2, despite suffering an overtime loss on Nuke. This performance was sufficient to keep them in the upper bracket and set up a clash with Ninjas in Pyjamas, who had previously defeated Gentle Mates in a straightforward two-map series.

Taiwanese team paiN, considered the top-ranked squad in attendance, had a disappointing outing, having previously lost to Phantom in their opening match. Their struggles continued as they were eliminated from the tournament by 3DMAX in the lower bracket. This early exit highlights ongoing issues for paiN, following a recent defeat to Sharks in the BLAST Open Porto South America qualifier.

Contributing significantly to his team's success, Jeremy "Kursy" Gast switched roles from AWPer to rifler and delivered an impressive performance with a 1.94 rating, guiding his team to victory. Meanwhile, the Wildcard team, fresh off winning the BC Game Masters Championship Season 2, also faced an early exit from the tournament, losing 0-2 to Gentle Mates and subsequently K27, failing to replicate their previous success in Spain.

As the tournament continues, the match schedule for the penultimate day promises exciting action among the remaining contenders.