The final upper quarterfinal of EMEA Kickoff showcased Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Unranked MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius ' debut against dark horse Gentle Mates Gentle Mates Europe Unranked K4DAVRA Thomas Johner RobbieBk Robbie Boerkamp Minny Patrik Hušek Zyppan Pontus Eek Click Haydem Ali .

Team Heretics shattered expectations in 2024, reaching five grand finals across regional and international tournaments. Once considered underdogs, Heretics return to EMEA as titans, poised to finally lift a trophy and claim the title of the best in the world.

Gentle Mates' roster mirrors Heretics' journey last year: a mix of experienced players and promising rookies with the potential to take the world by storm.

The match began on Abyss, chosen by M8, who ran Click on Jett and Minny on Yoru. Team Heretics opted for a more traditional composition but swapped roles, with Boo on KAY/O and Wo0t on Astra. M8 started strong, securing the pistol and the follow-up eco. Even with a weaker buy in the bonus, M8 converted flawlessly, building their economy and taking a strong 6-0 lead.

Heretics managed to stop the bleeding in Round 7, but M8 quickly regained control, pushing the score to 9-2. A brilliant 1v4 clutch from RieNs secured the final round of the half for Heretics, closing it at 9-3. However, the late heroics weren't enough, as M8's victory in the second pistol sealed the win, allowing them to close out the map decisively at 13-4.

Fracture unfolded with a reversal of fates for the two teams. Team Heretics ran Astra, Skye, and Tejo, while M8 played a more standard comp with Fade, Breach, and Brimstone. Heretics immediately displayed a different look, securing the pistol and bonus rounds for an early 4-0 lead. A creative set play allowed M8 to steal round five, but it would be their only successful attack round.

While M8 managed to win an eco and the follow-up after another Heretics pistol round, it was far too late, as Heretics comfortably closed out the map 13-3 in round 16. Miniboo's performance skyrocketed from an ACS of 62 on the first map to an impressive 367 on the second.

Moving to the decider Pearl, both teams ran similar comps, with Heretics favoring Tejo over M8's Sova. Heretics carried their momentum into the pistol round and secured the follow-up. Gentle Mates successfully converted the first bonus round for the first time in the series. However, strong gun rounds allowed Heretics to extend their lead to 6-1, with both teams trading rounds to close the half at 9-3.

M8 mounted a comeback in the second half, winning the pistol and subsequent bonus to cut Heretics' lead to just two rounds. However, Heretics regained control in the first buy round and maintained its dominance to close the map 13-8.

Heretics advance to face BBL Esports BBL Esports Europe Unranked Jamppi Elias Olkkonen sociablEE Volkan Yonal PROFEK Dawid Święć vakk Vakaris Bebravičius stand-in LewN Burak Alkan for a spot in the top three of Kickoff, while Gentle Mates will fight to avoid elimination against KOI KOI Europe Unranked grubinho Grzegorz Ryczko sheydos Bogdan Naumov Filu Dawid Czarnecki flyuh Xavier Carlson soulcas Dom Sulcas .

EMEA Kickoff continues tomorrow with the following matchups: