The finals weekend of the EMEA Stage 2 playoffs began today as the four teams remaining in the tournament took to the stage in front of a new crowd in Barcelona, Spain.

After the dust settled, the final two regional slots at Champions Shanghai were claimed; Karmine Corp Karmine Corp Europe Rank #2 dos9 Zhumagali Dastan LewN Burak Alkan Avez Hazem Khaled SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin N4RRATE Marshall Massey defeated FUT Esports FUT Esports Europe Rank #8 s0pp Efe Tur xeus Doğan Gözgen yetujey Eray Budak KROSTALY Okan Alaçam sociablEE Volkan Yonal to make the grand final and therefore complete their miracle run to Champions following a winless Stage 1, while Team Liquid Team Liquid Europe Rank #5 nAts Ayaz Akhmetshin GSR Ognjen Bondžić kamo Kamil Frąckowiak trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Kicks Kimmie Laasner put an end to Fire Flux Esports Fire Flux Esports Europe Rank #3 batujnax Mehmet Batu Özaslan hezacoil Berkay Doğar Kachoww Samet Arıcı DeadInk Utku Onur Aydin reazy Kaan Ürpek ' run to seize the final spot. KC and Liquid will join FUT and Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #4 Jamppi Elias Olkkonen PROFEK Dawid Święć Derke Nikita Niko Sirmitev Chronicle Timofey Khromov Sayonara Ștefan Mîtcu as EMEA's representatives in Shanghai.

Karmine Corp defeats FUT 2-0 to pull off Shanghai qualification run

The day began with the upper final between FUT and KC, who had both stormed through the upper bracket. While FUT had already qualified to Champions based on points, this series meant everything to KC—win, and you're in; lose twice in a row, you're out.

The series started on KC's pick of Lotus, where they were undefeated thus far in Stage 2. They quickly demonstrated why with an overwhelming 10-2 attack half, outdueling FUT and working their way into polished postplants. N4RRATE continued to dominate individually on Chamber, finding 17 kills and four first bloods in the first half alone. FUT strung together a few rounds off a bonus, but KC immediately answered back to take the map 13-6. N4RRATE ended with a 25/11/3 KDA and a 1.80 rating.

Haven was a map where neither team had lost this stage, with FUT's dominance stretching even further back to Masters London. FUT narrowly led 7-5 after the first half, dropping the pistol but punishing KC with two unlikely eco round wins.

However, after equalizing with a pistol, KC began to pull away, proactively earning picks and converting advantaged retakes repeatedly to turn a 7-7 into 13-8 win. N4RRATE once again led the server with 21 kills, going 46/24/11 in the series overall with an impressive 1.65 rating and 193 ADR.

As KC claim a well-earned place in Shanghai, Avez , dos9 , and LewN are all set to make their first global appearances within the VCT circuit. KC moves on to the grand final and will await the winner of FUT versus Liquid on Sunday, Aug 30.

Team Liquid dispatches Fire Flux to seize last Champions spot

KC's win left one spot in Shanghai up for grabs. If Fire Flux were able to make it to the grand final, it would have been theirs, but Liquid took things into their own hands, eliminating Fire Flux and taking the spot for themselves.

FF went for a surprising map pick of Haven, which they themselves had banned in four out of their last five matches. The gambit found little purchase as Liquid shut down FF's Chamber-Vyse composition with a 10-2 defense, converting successful site holds and retakes on C in the majority of the rounds.

A round 14 eco win gave FF a way back in as they closed the gap to 11-9, punishing Liquid's slow and separated attacking side, but the comeback was not to be as Liquid eventually scraped together the rounds needed to win 13-10. trexx topped the board with 25 kills and 323 ACS on Sova.

Lotus played out in similar fashion. Liquid put on another masterful 10-2 defense, shutting FF out across the map as nAts and kamo racked up a combined 31 kills.

A DeadInk 1v3 in the second half was the catalyst for another substantial comeback attempt, but it was again to no avail as Liquid took another 13-10 victory, securing the organization's fifth Champions appearance. FF falls in fourth place after an impressive, action-packed campaign, while Liquid will go on to face FUT in the lower final tomorrow, Aug. 29 as they seek to complete the lower bracket run.