Xipto lock in top-four finish with 2-1 win over KRÜ

In a meeting between regional powerhouses, Xipto Esports Xipto Esports Asia-Pacific Rank #2 Tara Ryona Shannen Tan shirazi Kelly Jaudian Alexy Alexy Francisco enerii Odella Abraham Kamiyu Camille Enriquez eliminated KRÜ BLAZE KRÜ BLAZE Latin America South Rank #4 dods Caue Fernandes conir Constanza Reyes romily Romina Alvarez micaela Micaela Ferreyra biazik Beatriz Begnossi , securing a top-four finish in GCC Berlin in the process.

The three-map series was played out on Haven and Abyss, with Haven being KRÜ's map pick, Abyss being Xipto's, and Pearl being the decider. KRÜ won Haven 13-6, Xipto won Abyss 13-10, and Xipto won Pearl 13-9.

On Haven, KRÜ's defense half was highlighted by early-round aggression which rewarded them with map control. A lobby, C long, and mid were dominated by the Chilean team for much of the first half. Early aggression was always going to be key in a Neon-versus-Neon matchup, and KRÜ's balance of eagerness to fight and patience gave them an 8-4 advantage as they shifted to attack.

The aggression on defense translated well to attack. KRÜ dropped just two rounds in the second half, cruising to a 13-6 win. KRÜ Duelist dods , who currently has the highest total kills at GCC 24, ended the map with 17 kills, while Sentinel player romily ended with a server-high 20.

Xipto took to Abyss with an attack-sided team composition. With no Sentinel and opting for a double Controller look, they boasted a lineup of agents that had plenty of post-plant utility.

Astra's Gravity Well, Brimstone's Incendiary and Orbital Strike, KAY/O's FRAG/ment, and Sova's Shock Bolt and Hunter's Fury gave Xipto not just a luxury of options in the post-plant but also plenty of damage-dealing utility to earn them space.

The impact of dods, whose best work has come on Neon in this competition, was minimized on Abyss. She had a server-low rating of 0.76, playing on Jett. Back on Neon, Pearl was an opportunity for her to bounce back.

Xipto again fielded a zero-Sentinel composition, featuring a double Controller, double Duelist look with Alexy on Jett.

If there was any indication that Pearl was going to be a back-and-forth affair, look no further than how it started. The two sides traded the first three rounds, with the fourth being more topsy-turvy than the three that preceded it.

No team won more than three rounds in a row in the second half. That was until Xipto snowballed momentum towards the end of the map, clinching four straight, making their 8-4 halftime advantage all the more valuable.

Xipto Initiator player Kamiyu , playing on Fade, had quite possibly her best map of GCC 24, ending with a game-high 29 kills as part of a server-leading 59-kill performance.

Following a short-lived run in the lower bracket that saw them eliminate GIANTX GC GIANTX GC Europe Rank #15 Miyori Eylül Sudem Sarıoğlu Smurfette Yağmur Gündüz ness Neslişah Demir Joliinaa Tina Agéli sarah Sarah Ahmed , KRÜ bow out of the GCC in the 5th-6th position for the second year in a row after being eliminated by the current Xipto core of Team SMG GC Team SMG GC Inactive enerii Odella Abraham Alexy Alexy Francisco shirazi Kelly Jaudian Kamiyu Camille Enriquez last year.

After suffering their first defeat in 21 matches across regional, continental and international play, Xipto bounced back and survived. They secured a top-four finish and will play MIBR GC MIBR GC Game Changers Rank #6 srN Nicolas Niederauer sayuri Camila Obam Jelly Julia Iris Mel Melissa Souza jubs Juliana Oliveira in the lower semifinal. This is their second-straight top-four finish after achieving a fourth-place finish as Team SMG GC in 2023.