We have finally arrived at the big stage, with Stage 3 being the round where we get to see who goes to the playoffs. No more second chances, no more hiding strategies, this is the big game that players prepared all season long for.
| Team A | Score | Team B |
|---|---|---|
| MOUZ | 16–14 | PARIVISION |
| Imperial | 16–14 | The MongolZ |
| Passion UA | 8–13 | G2 |
| Spirit | 13–8 | Liquid |
| paiN | 13–10 | 3DMAX |
| Vitality | 7–13 | FaZe |
| Natus Vincere | 13–2 | FURIA |
| B8 | 13–10 | Falcons |
MOUZ vs PARIVISION: With MOUZ being heavy favourites for the series, PARIVISION stunned them with tough competition as both teams struggled to put together rounds consistently. Momentum swayed between both sides until MOUZ put the nail in the coffin by the end of Overtime to edge out a close win on Day 1 of Stage 3.
Imperial vs The MongolZ: Two teams without any clear favourites gave us a stunning match. Blending skills with wits, both teams threw everything in their arsenal to get their first win of the Stage, but with levelled scorelines across both halves in regulation, the Brazilian side pulled ahead and closed the series with a 16-14 scoreline.
G2 vs PassionUA: G2, having skipped a few events, doubled down on their preparation for the major, and the same was on display against PassionUA. Total control of the game for the entirety left no chance for the Ukrainian side to get going. Not only did they dominate, but G2 also looked solid and a league above as they secured a 13-8 win.
Spirit vs Liquid: Starting on the defence on Train, Spirit roped in a heavy lead of 8-4, and while Liquid still posed a chance for a comeback, Spirit looked like by far the better team in every aspect, while making Liquid look like underdogs. Having given away a massive lead, Liquid at best could trade rounds with Spirit, but never managed to put consecutive rounds together as the CIS side secured a convincing win.
paiN vs 3DMAX: A tale of two underdogs that gave us a close match-up as expected. Neither team looked explicitly better than the other, but paiN, with a bit of luck on their side, managed to get a 13-10 win over the French side.
Vitality vs FaZe: Shocker of the day as FaZe, who once stood a single match away from elimination, dominated Vitality as if they was the best team in the world. Having started with a levelled scoreline at the end of the first half, the FaZe defence came out swinging and put Vitality down 13-7.
NAVI vs Furia: Furia was the team everyone counted as a Major contender given their recent performances; however, NAVI not only dominated them but wiped the floor with FURIA on a hot streak. A 13-2 domination saw NAVI present themselves to the world as a force to be reckoned with in Stage 3.
B8 vs Falcons: Another Falcons fumble coloured their opening game at this Major. Clearly the favourites to win the game, the Falcons dropped the ball big time, from whiffed shots to unorganised team play, they hardly played as a team and gave B8 the chance to put down a big name early on in the series. A 13-10 win for B8 set the Falcons’ training straight as they began their Major campaign.
Opening day for Stage 3 went out great with all the teams delivering 8 matches of absolute entertainment. While Day 1 sets the stage, it’s hardly indicative of a team’s performance in the coming rounds. Miracle runs are not new in CS, and to write teams off or declare them favourites from today’s results would be a little far-fetched.