9INE, FORZE, ECSTATIC in final three of CCT Online Finals

30/5/2023 - 12:08

ECSTATIC are awaiting the winner of 9INE vs. FORZE in the grand final.

Just three teams remain in the running for the title of CCT 2023 Online Finals 1, a $200,000 online event. The tournament started on May 23 and featured 16 teams, all battling it out in a double-elimination bracket to determine the victor.

CCT circuit studio finals moved online

Heavyweight teams such as Ninjas in Pyjamas, Into the Breach, and BIG secured invites to the event but have failed to make it far, with Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen and company's 9-12th place exit the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

9INE are one of the three remaining teams, and the Polish squad had to run the gauntlet after losing their opener to Sharks in a shock defeat. The Poles fought through Astralis Talent, eliminated Ninjas in Pyjamas and Bad News Eagles, and took revenge against Sharks to make it into the final four, where they comfortably defeated BIG to reach the consolidation final.

kraghen's ECSTATIC have qualified for the final without dropping a map

9INE's lower bracket final opponents will be FORZE, who had a more straightforward path to this point. They beat HAVU in the opening round, with wins against Bad News Eagles and Into the Breach qualifying them for the upper bracket final. There, they were bested by ECSTATIC in a two-map series, meaning they require two straight wins — including revenge over the Danes — if they are to claim the title.

Date	Matches
CCT 2023 Online Finals 1
30/05/2023	9INE 16:30 FORZE	Match

ECSTATIC are awaiting the winner of 9INE versus FORZE in the grand final. The Danes came into the tournament as an underdog but proved to be far from that, and are yet to drop a single map in the event thus far. 2-0 victories over Movistar Riders, BIG, Sharks, and FORZE mean the squad is in the driver's seat to claim the title, especially considering the extra preparation they will enjoy compared to their eventual opponents, who will play two series today.

The ESL Challenger Melbourne 2023 semi-finalists don't have any individuals in the top five highest-rated players at the event, and are instead at the final hurdle due to a committee of fragging output by Jason "⁠salazar⁠" Salazar (1.19), Magnus "⁠Nodios⁠" Olsen (1.18), and Marcus "⁠maNkz⁠" Kjeldsen (1.15).

The CCT 2023 Online Finals 1 grand final is scheduled to begin at 19:30 , with ECSTATIC facing off against the winner of 9INE vs. FORZE for a chance to pick up the title and $100,000 cash prize.