1WIN and knasigT Secure Spots in IEM Sydney Europe Closed Qualifier

The closed qualifiers, which determine two spots for IEM Sydney, are set to take place from August 23 to 25.

The team lineup for the IEM Sydney Europe closed qualifier has been finalized, with 1WIN and knasigT emerging victorious in the region's second open qualifier, securing the last two berths up for grabs.

1WIN, a team featuring former Young Ninjas rifler Oliver "⁠debo⁠" Hallel and Aleksandar "⁠jayzaR⁠" Zarkovic, along with Victor "⁠virree⁠" Bäckström from 9INE, secured their closed qualifier spot after receiving a Ro16 bye due to Eternal Fire forfeiting the match because of a scheduling conflict with the Thunderpick World Championship Europe Series 1. They subsequently defeated Anonymo and Zen in a swift two-map series, edging closer to their place at IEM Sydney.

knasigT, on the other hand, proved to be the underdog story of the event. After failing to progress past the Round of 256 in the first open qualifier, they demonstrated an impressive comeback, securing a spot in the second day of play, with their only significant challenge being an overtime win against FURIA. They managed to eliminate SHAPITO, the 00NATION lineup featuring Florian "⁠syrsoN⁠" Rische and Jon "⁠JDC⁠" de Castro playing under the QM tag, and ThunderFlash, securing their spot in the IEM Sydney closed qualifier.

However, some notable names faced disappointment in the open qualifiers and won't be competing in IEM Sydney. Zen made a notable run by eliminating Sprout and Movistar Riders from contention before falling short at the final stage. Virtus.pro, who recently claimed a $100,000 prize by winning the CCT Online Finals 2, faced a humbling defeat, exiting in the quarter-finals with a 12-16 loss to ThunderFlash.

Here's the complete team list for the IEM Sydney Europe closed qualifier:

1. Apeks (Europe)
2. 9INE (Poland)
3. Victory Zigzag (Europe)
4. knasigT (Sweden)
5. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Sweden)
6. OG (Europe)
7. BetBoom (Russia)
8. 1WIN (Russia)