MIBR secured their survival in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall tournament by defeating magic 2-1 in a lower bracket encounter. The Brazilian squad claimed Ancient 13-8 and Inferno 13-8, while magic managed to steal Mirage with a 13-11 scoreline.
Heading into the matchup, MIBR were heavy favorites as magic competed with their coach filling in for Andrey "AW" Anisimov. The fact that magic grabbed a map was genuinely unexpected given the circumstances.
The opening map Ancient followed expectations, with Felipe "insani" Yuji delivering an exceptional individual display that propelled MIBR to a commanding first map triumph. Despite magic securing both pistol rounds across the two halves, the scoreline remained closer than the actual game flow suggested.
Mirage brought a surprising twist as Abdurakhim "mo0N" Issa sparked a magic comeback. His incredible 17-frag CT-side performance carried the undermanned roster to a narrow victory, leveling the series at 1-1.
MIBR regained control on Inferno, dominating proceedings despite dropping both pistol rounds once again. The victory keeps their tournament hopes alive and marks another positive step for the lineup featuring Tomas "tomaszin" Corna.
For magic, the defeat slows their recent momentum and slightly impacts their VRS points. However, they remain well-positioned for PGL Singapore Major qualification and will look to bounce back at 1win Private Club beginning September 25.
MIBR now await the loser between Aurora and NRG in the lower bracket semi-final.
