9Pandas triumph over Eternal Fire to claim victory in PARI Please

The PARI Please 2023 tournament has come to a thrilling conclusion, with 9Pandas emerging as champions after a stunning upset victory over Eternal Fire in the grand final.

The Russian squad, ranked second lowest coming into the tournament, progressed through the group stage with flawless victories against BetBoom and MIBR before dispatching FURIA in the semi-finals.

Overview

The grand final saw 9Pandas face off against Turkish superteam Eternal Fire, who were heavily favored to take the title. However, it was 9Pandas who dominated the series, winning all three maps – Anubis (13-9), Overpass (13-7), and Mirage (13-11) – to secure the trophy and the $60,000 prize money.

For 9Pandas, the victory marks a significant achievement, with the team’s underdog run culminating in their first international LAN victory since ESL New York in 2016. The team’s veteran rifler, Denis “seized” Kostin, had expressed his desire to qualify for the Major in Copenhagen in a recent interview with HLTV, and his team’s performance in the PARI Please tournament certainly gives them some credibility to achieve that goal.

For Eternal Fire, the loss to a team 24 spots below them in the world rankings is a disappointing result. The Turkish squad had come into the playoffs without a single map loss to their name and had been in good recent form, making a quarter-final appearance at ESL Pro League S18. However, they were unable to get going in the final and will now set their sights on the upcoming ESL Challenger Jönköping 2023, where they will face Monte, TYLOO, and Nouns in Group A.

The grand final

The grand final was a thrilling affair, with 9Pandas dominating early proceedings on Anubis, taking an 8-0 lead before eventually winning the map 13-9. Overpass saw Eternal Fire take a short-lived lead before 9Pandas struck back to take a 6-1 lead.

The Turkish squad tied up the halftime score, but 9Pandas went on to win the map 13-7. Mirage began in favor of 9Pandas, who were up 8-2 early on, but XANTARES helped Eternal Fire mount a comeback with a crucial triple kill in the pistol round. However, 9Pandas kept their composure and eventually secured the map 13-11, with seized converting a 1vs2 clutch to secure the title.

The final standings of the PARI Please 2023 tournament are as follows:

1. 9Pandas – $60,000
2. Eternal Fire – $20,000
3. 3-4. MIBR – $10,000
4. 3-4. FURIA – $10,000
5. 5-6. BetBoom
6. 5-6. Aurora
7. 7-8. Movistar Riders
8. 7-8. PARIVISION

Overall, the PARI Please 2023 tournament was a thrilling event, with 9Pandas emerging as unlikely champions after a series of impressive performances. The team will now look to build on their success and continue their push towards qualifying for the Major in Copenhagen.