FUT Esports FUT Esports Europe Rank #6 xeus Doğan Gözgen MrFaliN Furkan Yeğen yetujey Eray Budak AtaKaptan Ata Tan cNed Mehmet Yağız İpek qRaxs Doğukan Balaban are the final EMEA team to qualify for Masters Shanghai, having swept Karmine Corp Karmine Corp Europe Rank #31 saadhak Matias Delipetro Avez Hazem Khaled Elite Efe Teber SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin marteen Martin Pátek 2-0 in the lower bracket. Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #1 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius also beat FNATIC FNATIC Europe Rank #2 Sayonara Ștefan Mîtcu stand-in Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder in the upper finals, cementing their spot in their second regional grand finals in 2024.

Team Heretics stomp Fnatic to head to regional grand finals

Team Heretics picked Lotus and Fnatic picked Breeze, leaving Split as the potential third map.

Lotus was the most entertaining map of the day, due to both Heretics and Fnatic having strong performances on the map with different compositions. Heretics opted for a double initiator comp, while Fnatic stuck to their double controller comp.

The game began with Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov and Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev leading Fnatic to a 5-1 lead, but Benjamin "benjyfishy" David Fish helped stop their early run. That led to a tied 6-6 half, and the second half was one of momentum. Fnatic won their second pistol and converted their bonus for the second time, yet Heretics took four rounds in a row to keep the map close and take it to overtime. Despite the fact that nobody on Heretics was doing well with first kills, their patience and coordination allowed them to take the map 15-13.

Then came Breeze, a map that revolves heavily around getting the first kill, and Heretics were planning entirely around that. Heretics used their Yoru and KAY/O to secure those early kills often, preventing Fnatic from gaining information without losing a player or two.

While map one was the land of benjyfishy, map two was a true team effort. The two Turkish players on Heretics stepped up, as both Mert "Wo0t" Alkan and Enes "RieNs" Ecirli finished with 18 kills each on KAY/O and Sova respectively. An 8-4 defense half for Heretics turned into a perfect attack side to close out the map 13-4.

Team Heretics move on to the grand finals of the EMEA Stage 1 playoffs, while Fnatic will have another chance at the EMEA Stage 1 title through the lower bracket.

FUT Esports defeat Karmine Corp to go to Shanghai

While the first match of the day only mattered for bragging rights and potential circuit points, the second match was a win-and-in scenario. Either Karmine Corp would keep their chance to fight internationally, or FUT Esports would take their reinvigorated roster to Shanghai.

Karmine Corp picked Icebox, FUT picked Sunset, leaving Lotus as the final map if needed.

Icebox began with Martin "marteen" Pátek picking up the Reyna, running down mid on pistols to get two early picks and the early lead. KC ran the Reyna without Gekko, passing on the double flash instead for a Sage to slow down their opponents. FUT instead ran a regular Jett, KAY/O, Viper, Sova, and Killjoy comp.

Despite losing pistol, FUT used their kit to empower Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek on Jett and helped him get some crucial first kills. KC were playing a lot slower than expected in their retakes, partly due to Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey moving from Gekko to Sova. FUT then used the ultimates they built up to get easy round wins, and it was a quick 10-2 lead.

Despite the fact that Icebox was their map pick, KC lost it in significant fashion. An anti-eco conversion from FUT thanks to a flank from Eray "yetujey" Budak was the final nail in the coffin for Icebox. The 13-3 score was rough for KC, putting all the pressure on them for map two.

With Sunset next up, KC put N4RRATE back on Gekko. KC won their third pistol round of the series, looking more comfortable with this composition than the one they introduced on Icebox. FUT still proved tough to get past on gun rounds, having a solid lead at the half. Down 8-4, KC needed a stalwart defense to keep themselves alive in the series.

KC won their fourth pistol round, the first step on a needed comeback. A bonus conversion was the second step, which N4RRATE helped secure. KC then fumbled some key rounds, including losing a 2v1 and not clearing corners on a late retake. It was all yetujey and cNed on Sunset, who both finished with more than 21 kills. FUT took the map 13-10 and the series 2-0.

Across the series, FUT outdueled KC. Only one person on KC got over 28 kills. For comparison, FUT had four players get more than 28 kills, and that was thanks to their great aim on eco rounds.

FUT Esports will be the third EMEA team to make it to Masters Shanghai, and will face Fnatic in the lower final of the Stage 1 playoffs. Karmine Corp are eliminated from Masters Shanghai contention, and will be seen next in Stage 2 regional play.