GG LEAGUE RAMADAN RIVALS - Qualifier 3: Recap

GG LEAGUE RAMADAN RIVALS - Qualifier 3 has concluded with Pakistan's st4rboys and India's Grayfox Esports securing main event spots, finishing in 1st and 2nd places. The main event will still pick up two more teams from the last qualifier for which registrations are currently active:

Qualifier 4

3rd April 2024

Round 1

• THEBRAINDEADS vs Crescent

Crescent came into Mirage all guns blazing with BENZENE stepping to deliver massive impact. Just 4 rounds away from closing out the game after securing a 9-3 first half, Crescent conceded a string of crucial rounds and THEBRAINDEADS pushed the game to overtime where they closed it out 16-13, dropping just a single round.

• Aimers5 vs ROG Academy

After a slow start on Ancient, ROG Academy salvaged a 4-8 half, still in favor of Aimers5 but completely dipped in the second half, managing to secure just a single round. NeO's 22 frags helped Aimers5 close out Ancient 13-5, eliminating ROG Academy.

• Revenge Esports and PREMIER PROS did not turn up for their matches resulting in Grayfox Esports and 2ez Gaming advancing to the next round alongside Carnival Gaming who received a bye.

Round 2

• 2ez Gaming vs THEBRAINDEADS

The Bo1 took us to Ancient where both teams started off with back and forth trades but 2ez Gaming managed to slip through with a 7-5 lead at the end of the first half. Dominant performances from putta and Kuzur1 saw 2ez Gaming close out Ancient 13-8, conceding just 3 rounds in the second half.

• Grayfox Esports vs THEBRAINDEADS

After conceding the initial few rounds, Grayfox Esports bounced right back into the game, sliding an 8-4 lead in the first half. ghostxD's AWP sung as Grayfox Esports did not drop a single round in the second half and closed out Nuke 13-4.

• Carnival Gaming vs Silver Bois

A one-sided affair on Anubis saw Carnival Gaming hand down a 13-1 trashing to Silver Bois, with Ember, SpawN and clouda fragging out to take the game away from Silver Bois with a 11-1 first half.

Round 3

• Shush vs 2ez Gaming

After conceding an early 4-8 deficit on Inferno, 2ez Gaming never really recovered as Shush closed out the first map 13-4. 2ez Gaming showed great promise on Nuke in an attempt to push it into the decider but after two overtimes worth of gameplay, bb1's frag-fest went in vain, as Shush closed out Nuke 19-17 and the series 2-0, marking 2ez Gaming's exit.

• Grayfox Esports vs ELO DELIVERY

ELO DELIVERY put Grayfox Esports at a 4-8 disadvantage in the first half of Mirage but arakyn and ghostxD stepped up for Grayfox Esports, mounting an uphill comeback to close out Mirage 13-10, dropping just 2 rounds in the second half.

It was an arakyn-ghostxD show again on Anubis with Grayfox Esports securing an 8-4 lead in the first half. ELO DELIVERY's comeback efforts were stopped in it's tracks after their 3-rounds streak in the second half. Grayfox Esports closed out Anubis 13-7 and the series 2-0.

• Carnival Gaming vs StrikingKats

After a narrow 11-13 loss on Mirage to open the series, Carnival Gaming found their footing on Anubis with hattyg0D's AWP working wonders on the CT-side. After a 7-5 lead in the first half, Carnival Gaming were pushed to overtime where they eventually closed out Anubis 16-13, levelling the series.

Carnival Gaming got off to a solid start on Inferno with clouda and Ember finding crucial openings round after round to secure a 7-5 half in their favor. SpawN led from the front in the second half where Carnival Gaming dropped just a single round, closing out Inferno 13-6 and the series 2-1.

Round 4

• Grayfox Esports vs Shush

The entirety of the first map was on a knife's edge with both teams fighting tooth and nail, trading rounds back and forth. After two overtimes, Grayfox Esports walked away with a 19-17 win. b05lly and tr1's 21-frags performances powered Shush to a 13-8 win in the second map, levelling the series at 1-1.

With elimination on the line, Grayfox Esports put Shush at a 4-8 disadvantage in the decider. Shush were on the verge of pushing it into overtime, closing the gap at 11-12 but Grayfox Esports maintained composure and closed out the map 13-11 and the series 2-0, confirming their main event appearance.

• st4rboys vs Carnival Gaming

Carnival Gaming secured an 8-4 lead in the first half of Mirage but were able to secure only two rounds in the second half, conceding the opening map 13-10 to st4rboys, despite their early advantage. Bloody put up 25 frags for st4rboys on Mirage.

Going into Ancient, Carnival Gaming conceded the initial few rounds but Rider and SpawN stepped up to salvage a 5-7 first half and even managed to get off to a decent start in the second half but st4rboys held their ground and scraped through with a 13-8 win, eliminating Carnival Gaming.

Round 5

• st4rboys vs Grayfox Esports

The first map took us to Inferno where st4rboys were blown away by lights-out performances from Nox and arakyn. After securing a 9-3 first half, Grayfox Esports kept it clean and closed out Inferno with a dominant 13-3, going 1-0 up in the series.

st4rboys' individuals stepped up on Mirage, restricting Grayfox Esports to just 4 rounds in the first half. Grayfox Esports strung up a couple of rounds here and there in the second half but st4rboys eventually closed it out 13-8, levelling the series.

The decider took us to Anubis where st4rboys flipped the script on Grayfox Esports, securing a 9-3 lead in the first half. Grayfox Esports were given nothing in the second half as st4rboys closed out Anubis 13-3, reverse-sweeping the series 1-2.

Alongside their main event slot, st4rboys are entitled to a cash prize of $500 USD for winning the qualifier. By finishing in second place, Grayfox Esports have secured their main event spot and a cash prize for $250 USD for their runners-up status.