On the path to becoming the first Chinese team to ever reach the playoffs at an international competition, EDward Gaming destroys T1 2-0. After being eliminated from Masters: Tokyo, T1 is now looking ahead to the August 2023 Champions event.
The roster of EDward Gaming consists of team captain Guo 'Haodong' Haodong, Zheng'ZmjjKK' Yongkang, Wang 'nobody' Senxu, Wan 'CHICHOO' Shunji and Zhang 'Smoggy' Zhao.
Match Recap
On the opening map of Fracture, where T1 had previously defeated EDG, things would go differently this time. Coming into the series, the Chinese team appeared to be hitting the right note, and each member of the team performed admirably. An element that was frequently absent from EDG's past encounters with T1 and NAVI.
EDG quickly reached the finish line after grabbing an 8-4 lead in the first half thanks to their tenacious defense, which included a Smoggy 4K in the second pistol. The playoffs were the only thing on EDG's mind as they won the map 13-4.
EDG continued their strong streak as they chose Haven, a map they had previously had success on versus T1. T1's defenses gave way as ZmjjKK continued to play at a star level. After gaining 18 kills in the first half alone, EDG played a very flawless second half, losing only two rounds.
After switching sides, T1 made a good start, winning both the pistol and bonus rounds to reach four in a row, giving themselves a chance on the map. Unfortunately for the Koreans, this streak came to an end when EDG's first defensive round was sparked by an unsuccessful push into A Link. With a 12-6 advantage, the Chinese kings soon restored their position by claiming the map and series point. T1 was unable to overcome the lead as EDG easily won the series 2-0 and advanced to the playoffs.
While T1 was eliminated, EDG's victory qualified them for the Masters: Tokyo playoffs.