100 Thieves have successfully advanced to the Stake Pulse Beat III playoffs following a hard-fought 2-1 series win against Liquid. The team entered the tournament seeking redemption after their quarterfinals elimination from ROG JOURNEY Autumn.
Their campaign started impressively with a clean 2-0 sweep of JijieHao, earning them a crucial qualifying match against Liquid. The European mix delivered a statement performance on Dust2, their map selection, completely dismantling Liquid with a flawless 13-0 scoreline. Swedish star Alex "poiii" Nyholm Sundgren led the charge with exceptional individual stats: 13 kills against 5 deaths, an impressive round swing of +18.01%, and a stellar 2.55 rating. The team dominated the T-side 12-0 before securing the second pistol to close out the map.
Liquid responded forcefully on their Inferno pick, establishing an 8-4 halftime lead after intense back-and-forth exchanges. They extended their advantage to 12-4 after winning the second pistol round and conversions. Despite 100 Thieves mounting a four-round comeback attempt, Liquid maintained composure to take the map 13-8.
The decider on Mirage featured competitive action with both squads trading small streaks throughout a balanced 6-6 first half. After Liquid claimed the second pistol, more exchanged rounds gave 100 Thieves a narrow 10-9 advantage. A critical eco-round victory provided the momentum shift 100 Thieves needed to close out Mirage 13-9 and secure the series.
According to HLTV's VRS prediction model, this victory significantly boosted 100 Thieves' Major invitation probability from approximately 30% to 55%. Their quarterfinal playoff match is scheduled for Friday, October 16th.
