by Argentinean esports organization, 9z, has secured a place in the Extreme Sports League (ESL) Pro League Season 18, following their victory in the South American qualifier last Friday.
They managed to outperform Meta, BESTIA, and 00NATION in the final rounds of the qualifier to clinch a spot in the esteemed Counter-Strike event.
ESL Pro League Season 18 commences on August 30, featuring 32 teams vying to win the lion’s share of the $850,000 prize pool.
The South American qualifier was a single elimination event that featured teams such as 00NATION, Fluxo, O PLANO, Age, Meta, and BESTIA. 9z recorded victories over Age, Meta, and BESTIA before advancing to the finals.
On the other side of the bracket, Fluxo ascended the ranks by defeating O PLANO in the round of 16, securing Ancient with a score of 16-12. Fluxo then faced off against 00NATION in the semi-finals, where they lost 0-2. This defeat set the stage for a grand final face-off against 9z.
The Argentinean lineup exhibited top form in their competition against 00NATION, achieving a swift 16-7 win on 00NATION’s map pick, Anubis. The team known as 9INE solidified their victory on Ancient, where they secured a 16-11 win by the end of the match after standing at 6-9 at map half.
9INE’s triumph in the qualifier guaranteed them a place in ESL Pro League Season 18. Only 30 teams have qualified so far, meaning the final two spots are reserved for the top performers in the NC Europe qualifier, scheduled for July 14.
The ESL Pro League Season 18 will take place in Malta, from August 30 to October 1. The current list of teams for the CS:GO event includes:
Group A
- Vitality
- Grayhound
- Movistar Riders
- GamerLegion
- FURIA
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Astralis
- Another Qualified team
Group B
- BIG
- MOUZ
- Heroic
- Monte
- ENCE
- Evil Geniuses
- MIBR
- Another Qualified team
Group C
- ATK
- FaZe
- Apeks
- Natus Vincere
- fnatic
- Rate Atom
- Imperial
- Another Qualified team
Group D
- Virtus.pro
- G2
- Complexity
- Liquid
- 9INE
- Cloud9
- Lynn Vision
- Another Qualified team
Teams that have qualified via the qualifiers
- 9z
- Rooster
- NC Europe Qualifier
- NC Europe Qualifier
