KRÜ BLAZE sends GIANTX GC home in three-map victory

In the second elimination game at the Game Changers 2025 Championship, KRÜ BLAZE KRÜ BLAZE Latin America South Rank #5 mmonch dods Caue Fernandes conir Constanza Reyes micaela Micaela Ferreyra biazik Beatriz Begnossi eliminated GIANTX GC GIANTX GC Europe Unranked 2-1 with a dominant map one and three. KRÜ BLAZE move on in the lower bracket, while GIANTX GC are out of the tournament in two matches.

Starting in Split, it was an ideal start from KRÜ BLAZE and its double-Controller composition with Viper and Omen. KRÜ won the pistol and converted the bonus to win the first four rounds, until GIANTX GC and its double-Duelist composition with Waylay and Raze got two round wins. Moving onto an eco round, the two healers from KRÜ got value and won a thrifty round to shift the momentum on its side. Just after, micaela ended a late hit from GX with a near ace.

The rest of the half was one-sided as KRÜ BLAZE ended the half up 10-2. KRÜ won the second pistol and, despite a bonus round loss, won the map 13-3 to get ahead in the series quickly.

Now, GIANTX GC needed to fight its way back in the series through its map pick of Haven, running a standard double-Controller composition with Neon, Killjoy, Sova, Viper, and Omen. KRÜ had some slight variation to that composition, instead opting for Fade over Sova and Waylay over Neon. KRÜ kept the pistol round successes going with another win to start Haven, but GX GC fought hard toward the end of the first half to enter halftime up 7-5.

Then, after GX won a pistol and converted its bonus round, it looked like all the pressure moved to KRÜ. Down 11-5, KRÜ slowly chipped away at the lead, with conir standing out as the attack-side Killjoy with 22 kills on the attack half, nearly more than the rest of their team combined. However, Smurfette was styling on Neon, helping GX pull the map to overtime. A map point was lost for each team, but GX converted its second map point with a Smurfette Operator pickup and a 16-14 map win.

Pearl would be the decider for the series, and GIANTX GC decided to be bold and run a composition with no Duelists. KRÜ ran a more standard composition with double-Initiator and Jett to lead the way, and starting on the attack side was a blessing for KRÜ. After winning the pistol, converting the bonus round, and reaching a 6-0 lead, it was on GX to solve the defense side with the unique composition they chose. Smurfette improved on Chamber as the map went on, but dods ended the attack half with a 14/9/2 statline. KRÜ were up 7-5 at the half, but now the no-Duelist comp needed to attack.

KRÜ won the pistol, converted the bonus, and never looked back. A perfect six round wins on defense earned KRÜ BLAZE the 13-5 map win, while dods ended the defense half with a near-deathless 14/1/0 statline.

In the win, the standout performer was dods, who played amazingly on both Raze and Jett in the two one-sided map victories for KRÜ. They ended the series with a 1.36 match rating, 69 kills, 185 ADR, 308 ACS, and 16 first kills.

With this win, KRÜ BLAZE will face Nova Esports GC in the second round of the lower bracket. GIANTX GC, instead, are eliminated from the tournament and will have to wait until next year for another chance at a GC Championship.