UPDATE: Red Bull have clarified that KRÜ Esports KRÜ Esports Latin America South Rank #3 keznit Angelo Mori mta Nicolás González Shyy Fabian Usnayo will move into the quarterfinals in place of FOKUS FOKUS Europe Rank #20 . The article has been updated to reflect this.
The first day of Red Bull Home Ground 3 has come to an end, setting the stage for the next two days of playoffs. FOKUS FOKUS Europe Rank #20 and FUT Esports FUT Esports Europe Rank #8 xeus Doğan Gözgen MrFaliN Furkan Yeğen yetujey Eray Budak AtaKaptan Ata Tan cNed Mehmet Yağız İpek qRaxs Doğukan Balaban have been eliminated from the event.
Taken as a pre-show to the 2023 season, the third iteration of Home Ground was the first chance the world got to see partnered teams clash on an international level. The competition was extremely close across both groups, with 100 Thieves 100 Thieves North America Rank #3 zander Alexander Dituri Cryocells Matthew Panganiban eeiu Daniel Vucenovic Boostio Kelden Pupello Asuna Peter Mazuryk standing out as the only lossless team.
In Group B, FUT stood on the other end of the table and stood winless at the event. Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #1 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius and Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Rank #22 nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin Keiko Georgio Sanassy kamo Kamil Frąckowiak came into their final match with one win and one loss, with the latter finding a 2-0 win to jump ahead and finish Group B in second, knocking the former down into third.
100 Thieves were the only team with a flawless groups run (Photo by Red Bull/Twitter).
Group A was the closest of the two, despite it housing the only non-partnered team in the tournament. KRÜ and FOKUS FOKUS Europe Rank #20 shared an 0-2 record when they played their final match against one another. Despite a 2-0 win from the former, the LATAM squad moved into the playoffs in third place after the tiebreakers, sending FOKUS home.
Cloud9 Cloud9 North America Rank #5 Xeppaa Erick Bach Rossy Daniel Abedrabbo v1c Victor Truong moose Kaleb Jayne OXY Francis Hoang and Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #9 trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Derke Nikita Sirmitev Kicks Kimmie Laasner ceNder Jokūbas Labutis Sayf Saif Jibraeel Less Felipe de Loyola Basso played the final game of Group A at a time the two squads held a 1-1 record. Cloud9, who had earlier been upset by FOKUS 2-1, let up just six rounds against Vitality and found a 2-0 win that locked them into first place. Vitality were left in second place.
The second and third-placed teams in each group will play in the quarterfinals tomorrow. 100 Thieves, despite skipping the quarterfinals, will play their semifinal tomorrow against Vitality or Heretics. Cloud9 will get to skip tomorrow and will only play their semifinal on Sunday.
Tomorrow's Red Bull Home Ground 3 games are:
- Quarterfinal 1 - Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #9 trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Derke Nikita Sirmitev Kicks Kimmie Laasner ceNder Jokūbas Labutis Sayf Saif Jibraeel Less Felipe de Loyola Basso vs. Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #1 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius
- Quarterfinal 2 - Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Rank #22 nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin Keiko Georgio Sanassy kamo Kamil Frąckowiak vs. KRÜ Esports KRÜ Esports Latin America South Rank #3 keznit Angelo Mori mta Nicolás González Shyy Fabian Usnayo
- Semifinal 1 - 100 Thieves 100 Thieves North America Rank #3 zander Alexander Dituri Cryocells Matthew Panganiban eeiu Daniel Vucenovic Boostio Kelden Pupello Asuna Peter Mazuryk vs. Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #9 trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Derke Nikita Sirmitev Kicks Kimmie Laasner ceNder Jokūbas Labutis Sayf Saif Jibraeel Less Felipe de Loyola Basso / Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #1 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius