The first play-off matches of ARRMY’s 17th season are now behind us. At stake are not only progression to the next rounds, but also promotion to ARRMY Rising and the LAN Finals. Our partners provided plenty of thrills — from VoFoxen Prospects’ complete dominance, through the painful experiences of VoFoxen Rising and PEST E-Sport, right through to Masuria Esport’s near-miss performances.
VoFoxen Prospects – ARRMY Rising secured, LAN just a step away
VoFoxen Prospects began the play-offs with a bye, which counted as one qualifying win. The team then left their opponents in no doubt.
In their first series, VoFoxen Prospects defeated WKEYENJOYERS 2–0. On Anubis, the score was 13–3, and on Dust 2 an even more decisive 13–1. Their next opponent, KKNB.es, was also unable to stop the team’s momentum. VoFoxen won 2–0 with scores of 13–9 on Cache and 13–11 on Ancient.
Three qualifying wins — two secured on the server and one via a BYE — give VoFoxen Prospects a 3–0 record. Most importantly, qualification for ARRMY Rising is now assured. The team needs just one more win to reach the LAN finals.
VoFoxen Rising – one win short
VoFoxen Rising also received a bye, so they started with one qualifying win to their name. In their first match, the team were awarded a walkover – POMPKA failed to appear on the server.
Unfortunately, their next opponent was Nexora. Unfortunately, because the match ended in a 0–2 defeat for VoFoxen Rising. On Anubis, the team lost 9–13, and on Mirage 8–13.
VoFoxen Rising’s final record stood at two promotion wins and one defeat. This time, it wasn’t enough to secure promotion to ARRMY Rising or a place in the LAN finals. It’s a shame, as the path to the next stage was really short.
PEST E-Sport – two convincing wins and a painful exit
PEST E-Sport did not have a bye, so they had to earn every victory directly on the server. The team got off to a very good start in the play-offs, beating sevenskull rising 2–0. Ancient ended 13–4, and Anubis 13–6.
The next best-of-three series was even more one-sided. PEST E-Sport defeated Sokudo 2–0 — 13–4 on Ancient and a resounding 13–0 on Mirage. After two victories, the team were close to the promotion they so desired.
However, the decisive series against RZUFODTYL ended in a 1–2 defeat. The contest spanned three maps: Mirage finished 19–22, Ancient 13–7, and Nuke 13–5. PEST’s play-off run ended in the third round.
They were one win short of promotion to ARRMY Rising, and two short of the LAN finals. It’s a painful result, but two clear victories show that the team came very close to achieving their goal.
Masuria Esport – still in contention for both goals
Masuria Esport began the play-offs with a BYE, which gave the team one win towards qualification. In their first match, the team confidently defeated Adversa Esports 2–0.
On Ancient, Masuria won 13–10, and on Nuke 13–8. With two wins under their belt, the team remains in contention and is in a very strong position ahead of the next round of matches.
Masuria are one win away from qualifying for ARRMY Rising and two wins away from the LAN finals. Everything remains in the team’s own hands, and their current form provides a realistic basis for aiming for both goals.
The ARRMY 17 play-offs showed just how small a margin can separate promotion from elimination. VoFoxen Prospects have already secured their place in ARRMY Rising and are one step away from the LAN. Masuria Esport are still fighting for both goals, whilst PEST E-Sport and VoFoxen Rising end their campaigns with a real sense of disappointment. GLHF!
VoFoxen
Masuria Esport
PEST Esport
Source: OPEN S17 PLAYOFFS tournament – bracket – arrmy.gg
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