Astralis demolish 100 Thieves, win IEM XIV Beijing

Astralis delivered a commanding performance to sweep 100 Thieves 3-0 and capture the IEM XIV Beijing championship trophy.

This championship victory represents Astralis’ most significant tournament achievement since their StarLadder Berlin Major championship run. 100 Thieves reached the Grand Final stage following their organizational transition from Renegades, but couldn’t overcome Astralis’ championship experience in the decisive matches. The Beijing first-place finish positions Astralis firmly in contention for the Intel Grand Slam Season 3 championship and the accompanying $1 million grand prize.

Astralis navigated Group A competition with flawless 2-0 victories. 100 Thieves competed in the same group, finishing with a 2-1 record after winning their initial match against ENCE and falling to Astralis. 100 Thieves secured their playoff berth by defeating ENCE in their second encounter during the group stage.

The playoff bracket commenced with 100 Thieves confronting Team Vitality. Despite the 2-1 series scoreline, the matches demonstrated clear team superiority. 100 Thieves controlled Mirage decisively with a 16-8 victory. Nuke developed into an intense battle concluding 16-14, but 100 Thieves dominated Vitality on Inferno with an overwhelming 16-2 score to advance to the IEM XIV Beijing championship final.

While 100 Thieves displayed formidable form during their victories, Astralis demonstrated even greater championship caliber. Following their straightforward group stage progression, the Danish squad encountered FaZe Clan in the playoffs and delivered a comprehensive defeat. Astralis secured Dust 2 by humiliating FaZe 16-0 before eliminating them with a 16-2 result on Nuke.

IEM Beijing finals map selections unfold according to strategic planning

The IEM Beijing map veto process developed predictably as 100 Thieves eliminated Overpass while Astralis removed their permanent ban, Mirage.

100 Thieves selected Vertigo with their initial choice, a logical decision considering the map’s recent gameplay modifications and inherent unpredictability. Astralis secured Nuke for the second competitive map, aiming to capitalize on their opponents’ historical vulnerabilities on this level combined with their own established strength there. 100 Thieves has struggled consistently on Nuke throughout the past six months, achieving victory in fewer than half of their matches played on this specific map.

Train emerged as the subsequent selection from 100T, a sound strategic decision providing them substantial opportunity to secure at minimum two maps. Astralis concluded the selection phase by choosing Dust 2, designating Inferno as the potential deciding map.

100 Thieves and Astralis demonstrate competitive intensity on Vertigo

The opening confrontation on Vertigo developed into an intensely competitive affair.

Astralis established early momentum on their Counter-Terrorist side, propelled by Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander reversing a disadvantaged two-versus-four scenario. 100 Thieves responded with a second-round forced purchase that transformed into a victory and 5-2 advantage resulting from Astralis’ inconsistent mid-map control positions.

Astralis gradually discovered their competitive rhythm. The tenth round witnessed the score equalized at 5-5 following an exceptional defensive stand at the A bombsite featuring two precise AWP eliminations by Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen.

The match stood tied 7-7 approaching the concluding round of the initial half. Astralis successfully defended against a B-site assault from 100 Thieves following a dev1ce double elimination to claim the half 8-7.

100 Thieves equalized the match again by securing the CT-side pistol round after Jay “Liazz” Tregillgas, Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad, and Sean “Gratisfaction” Kaiwai pursued a retreating Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth. At 9-8, 100 Thieves committed a tactical error by retaining second-round SMGs while Astralis deployed SG-553s and AK-47s, overwhelming the A bombsite. Despite the equipment disparity, 100 Thieves narrowed the situation to a one-versus-one scenario, but Xyp9x secured the critical clutch situation for another tied score.

100 Thieves achieved an impressive economic round victory utilizing only one Krieg conserved by Justin “jks” Savage the previous round alongside upgraded sidearms. Jks’ Krieg would register merely one elimination, but Liazz secured two with a USP-S, placing Astralis into a disadvantaged two-versus-three situation. Liazz subsequently acquired a primary rifle, leaving dev1ce in a precarious one-versus-three position.

Dev1ce registered another elimination and planted the explosive device, but lost the round to a defusal under concealment of a deployed smoke screen. 100 Thieves couldn’t capitalize despite the stealth defusal attempt. Following thirty intensely contested rounds featuring repeated momentum shifts, Astralis captured 100 Thieves’ map selection 16-14 through methodical anti-economic play.

Astralis establishes comprehensive control over 100 Thieves in Beijing on Nuke

While a 100 Thieves defensive stack in the ramp room secured some early eliminations, gla1ve’s tactical movement through the secret passage secured both the B bombsite and the pistol round victory. At 3-0, Aaron “AZR” Ward’s aggressive positioning ascent up the ladder in the Terrorist lobby generated his team’s inaugural round. Astralis maintained a 5-3 advantage by the ninth round and the Australian squad’s opportunities diminished rapidly thereafter.

100T secured merely one additional round on their Counter-Terrorist side against Astralis’ precisely executed strategies and concluded the half trailing 11-4.An absolutely merciless pistol round triple elimination by dev1ce established the conclusion of the map.

100 Thieves approached securing rounds against Astralis on multiple occasions, but achieved only one additional round. Astralis’ suffocating Nuke defensive system delivered them the map with a 16-5 result and advanced them to championship point.

100 Thieves experiences comprehensive defeat against Astralis on Train at IEM Beijing

Despite facing a 2-0 deficit, 100 Thieves displayed positive demeanor as they initiated Train on their CT side. The opening round progressed favorably as they secured their third pistol round victory of the championship series.

100 Thieves would achieve only two additional scores throughout the entire map.

Astralis elevated their performance to an advanced level on Train. 100 Thieves never established competitive comfort as Astralis outperformed them in virtually every round. Although Astralis didn’t augment their highlight compilation with the Train match, their team coordination demonstrated flawless execution. This prevented them from conceding unnecessary eliminations, preserved their financial advantage, and enabled them to secure the series 3-0 with a decisive 16-3 victory

Astralis emerges as preliminary favorites to capture ECS Season 8 Finals championship

While Astralis didn’t confront their most formidable competitors, the squad delivered exceptionally impressive performances throughout Beijing. Several competitive difficulties in recent months had raised inquiries regarding whether the team was regressing into their summer performance decline, but this tournament demonstrated that Astralis should remain favored to win any championship event they participate in. This encompasses the approaching ECS Season 8 Finals in Arlington, Texas.

Gla1ve emerged as the definitive top performer for Astralis, recording 66 eliminations, 99.3 average damage per round, and achieving a 1.47 HLTV performance rating en route to claiming IEM Beijing Most Valuable Player recognition.

With this championship victory, Astralis has secured direct qualification for IEM Katowice 2020. Additionally, Astralis claims their inaugural victory in the Intel Grand Slam Season 3 competition, joining Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, and Fnatic with one championship victory each.

100 Thieves’ competitive roster performed commendably during their inaugural tournament under the organization’s banner despite the final match scores. The complete team, with Liazz demonstrating particular excellence, executed exceptional plays that could have secured series victories against alternative opponents.

100 Thieves will compete in their subsequent matches during ESL Pro League Season 10’s Group C, commencing November 16 with competitions against eUnited, FURIA and Isurus Gaming. Astralis maintains no scheduled competitions until the ECS Season 8 Finals, which commence November 28.

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