The review of IEM Beijing Online 2020 Europe

IEM Beijing Online 2020 Europe was carried out on November 6-22. The overall prize pool of the championship amounted to $150,000. 16 teams were fighting for the main prize in the form of $60,000 and an invitation to IEM Global Challenge 2020. Team Vitality, which had achieved victory, received 400 rating ESL Pro Tour points, besides the above-mentioned sum. By the way, the overall prize pool of IEM Global CHallenge 2020, to which Vitality has proceeded, will amount to $500,000.

olofmeister who still can?

After NiKo’s departure from FaZe Clan, the management had a question “Who will replace Nikola Kovac?” and the most obvious decision was to return the Swedish CS:GO legend, olofmeister from his inactive state. The last one announced his return on Twitter and there was a discussion of the updated roster. The majority of viewers had been skeptical about how FaZe would have performed at this championship, however, the Europeans managed to surprise fans and demonstrate a few interesting matches. Actually, viewers were right and olofmeister held the last place in his team in two out of three matches at IEM Beijing Online 2020 EU and the number of interesting highlights with the participation of the Swede was a bit more than one. However, the team made it to the final stage and placed 5th-8th in the standings. Would FaZe have performed if there had been someone else instead of olofmeister? We can only guess but, in fact, the team defeated OG in the group stage with a score of 2-1 and beat Vitality with a result of 2-0, which can’t be left without a compliment, especially considering that the French appeared to become the champions. Olofmeister might show himself later but this championship has become not the most successful as a debut tournament after his return from inactive.

The dark era of Fnatic

The Swedish team has been demonstrating not the most satisfying results for the last half a year and the 3rd-4th place at IEM New York Online 2020 Europe where the team lost to OG in the semi-final and earned $12,000 was their most solid achievement. IEM Beijing Online 2020 Europe was the quintessence of Fnatic’s all failed results in their bad streak. Usually, they placed 3rd-4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th-8th at tournaments but this time, the team was defeated in the battle with Complexity Gaming with a result of 0-2 and lost to MAD Lions with a score of 1-2 later. The team has earned $1,500 for the 13th-16th place at the tournament and Fnatic fans consequently have not the best impression from this championship, in turn.

NiKo and G2

The transfer of Niko to the ranks of G2 created a lot of hype around it. It continued from the moment when the rumor about the transfer of the Bosnian appeared and until the transfer and participation of G2 in IEM Beijing Online 2020 Europe. Many viewers were starving to watch how Nikola Kovac would be playing with his cousin, huNter-. Fortunately for G2 fans, the symbiosis of the Kovac brothers worked, like a Swiss watch, and the team logically advanced to the semi-final of the championship, having defeated a few opponents on its way. The first try, as it usually happens, was failed and the team lost a match against NiP and spent the rest of the group stage in the lower bracket. However, NiKo with his new teammates defeated North and mousesports with a score of 2-1 and proceeded to the playoffs. NiKo’s former opponents in the face of FaZe Clan stood on G2’s road to the semi-final. As it had been expected, NiKo and huNter- managed to beat FaZe and even did not lose a map to the last ones. Natus Vincere has become a kryptonite for G2. The battle was interesting on the first 2 maps but G2 Esports was not able to win more than three rounds on Nuke against “The Born to Win” and finished its path at this championship. As a result, G2 placed 3rd-4th in the standings and earned the monetary reward of $12,000.

Natus Vincere

The tag NAVI and one of the players of the CS:GO roster, s1mple are a scary combination to attract the attention of CS:GO fans from all over the world. Matches with Natus Vincere become the most-watched ones at tournaments in most cases. This time, Natus Vincere fans were very happy with the fact how long they were able to follow their favorites because Natus Vincere lasted till the very end, despite them failing to prevail, as a result.

NAVI had a good start in the group stage and beat MAD Lions with a score of 2-1, after which lost a match to Complexity Gaming with a similar result. “The Born to Win” fought the opponents in the CIS derby with Team Spirit with a score of 2-0 and made it to the playoffs. Natus Vincere created a real holiday for their fans in the final stage and beat Astralis, having lost no maps to the Danes. Gla1ve with his teammates achieved victory in 9 rounds on both Overpass and Inferno and lost without reaching Nike and commended NAVI on a good play. The semi-final against G2 was very interesting and, as we have already said, Natus Vincere crushed NiKo and his teammates on the 3rd map, having lost only 3 rounds. Everything positive comes to its end sooner or later. Positive things were over for NAVI in the grand final because the team was defeated in the battle with Team Vitality. The match between the teams was very principled because s1mple and ZyWoo who oppose each other have been fighting for the title of the best CS:GO player in the world for a long time. Nuke and Dust 2 were led by Natus Vincere but Vitality took the initiative on Overpass, Inferno, and Mirage and did not lose more than nine rounds to the CIS team on all of the remaining maps, consequently.

As a result, “The Born to Win” has not proved the tag name, under which the players play, and stopped one step away from the victory. Having become the silver medalist, NAVI has earned $30,000 and also 265 rating ESL Pro Tour points. It is possible that Natus Vincere will prevail next time but Team Vitality has received the title of the winner this time. Despite this, NAVI has managed to earn enough points to make it to the list of eight participants invited to IEM Global Challenge 2020 with a prize pool of $500,000. Natus Vincere might prepare even better and raise the cup of the champion at this tournament.

Team Vitality

It can’t be said that Team Vitality’s path was easy. The team was playing with mediocre success. The French crushed their opponents and prevailed, making great efforts. They did not avoid losses at the tournament too. For example, they were not able to win a map against FaZe Clan in the final of the upper bracket in Group A. The final against Natus Vincere was remembered not only by NAVI fans but fans of the French team too. The grand final was intriguing and so very emotional that apEX couldn’t help himself but throw the middle fingers to Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev in one of the rounds. He apologized to viewers later, however, it seems that not only ZyWoo has personal issues with the Ukrainian in Vitality. The last one, by the way, has performed very well at the tournament and managed to place first in the rate of the best players of the tournament, about which we have written in one of our recent materials. At the same time, we can’t say that he was far from his main competitor in the face of s1mple. Returning to the topic of the spectacular final, we want to remind you that Team Vitality was defeated with a score of 16-5 and 16-12 on the first two maps, namely Nuke and Dust, respectively. The team realized its comeback in the game on Overpass, NAVI’s weak spot, with a score of 16-6 and finished the started business on Inferno and Mirage, having beaten the opponents with a result of 16-9 and 16-8.

As a result, Team Vitality has become the champion of the competition and praised their fans with a wide range of emotions. Following the rise of the French to the top of IEM Beijing Online 2020 Europe was pretty interesting and ZyWoo with his teammates has earned the main prize in the form of $60,000, 400 rating ESL Pro Tour points, and also a direct invite to IEM Global Challenge 2020 with the prize pool of $500,000.

The results of Intel Extreme Masters Beijing Online 2020 Europe

• 1st place: Team Vitality — $60,000/400 pts + an invitation to IEM Global Challenge 2020
• 2nd place: Natus Vincere — $30,000/265 pts
• 3rd-4th place: G2 Esports — $12,000/160 pts
• 3rd-4th place: Complexity Gaming — $12,000/160 pts
• 5th-8th place: FaZe Clan — $5,000/75 pts
• 5th-8th place: Astralis — $5,000/75 pts
• 5th-8th place: BIG — $5,000/75 pts
• 5th-8th place: Heroic — $5,000/75 pts
• 9th-12th place: Team Spirit — $2,500/45 pts
• 9th-12th place: MAD Lions — $2,500/45 pts
• 9th-12th place: mousesports — $2,500/45 pts
• 9th-12th place: Ninjas in Pyjamas — $2,500/45 pts
• 13th-16th place: OG — $1,500
• 13th-16th place: Fnatic — $1,500
• 13th-16th place: North — $1,500
• 13th-16th place: ENCE — $1,500