M80 have earned their spot at BLAST Open Porto after a commanding performance in the North American Closed Qualifier, defeating Voca 2-0 in last night's grand finals. The team's run through the bracket was nothing short of exceptional, as they didn't lose a single map and never allowed opponents to reach double digits across all six maps played.
The grand finals kicked off on Ancient, where M80 established early dominance with a 4-0 lead on their CT side. They maintained control throughout the first half, closing it out 9-3. Voca attempted a comeback after the side switch, winning the CT pistol round and the following two rounds. However, M80 quickly shut down any hopes of a reversal by claiming four consecutive rounds to close out Ancient 13-6.
Cache proved to be a more competitive affair. M80 started strong on the T side with a 3-1 lead, but Voca responded with three rounds to briefly take their first lead of the series. M80 regained control by winning four straight rounds, though Voca managed to steal one more before halftime, leaving the score at 7-5 in M80's favor. The second half saw the closest action of the night, starting with a 2-2 split despite M80 taking the CT pistol. While Voca had opportunities to mount a comeback, M80 sealed the deal by winning three consecutive rounds to reach match point before closing out the map 13-9.
With all four regional qualifiers now complete, BLAST Open Porto's confirmed roster includes Inner Circle, Lynn Vision, M80, and Sharks. The tournament is scheduled to begin on August 26th at the BLAST Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, with twelve additional VRS invites expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
