The first open qualifier for PGL Masters Bucharest has concluded, with Without a Roof and Marsborne emerging victorious to secure their spots in the upcoming North American Closed Qualifier. Both teams delivered strong performances that showcased why they've been making deep runs at recent competitions.
These two squads will now compete alongside Liquid, NRG, Voca, and Chicken Coop in the Closed Qualifier. Two additional spots remain available through the second Open Qualifier.
Without a Roof faced EMPIRE in a thrilling three-map series. The action kicked off on Ancient, where WaR dominated the T-side with an 11-1 opening half. Despite EMPIRE's attempted comeback, WaR sealed the map 13-7. EMPIRE struck back on their Dust2 selection, building an 8-4 advantage and holding on for a 13-9 victory to force a deciding map.
The finale on Inferno saw EMPIRE grab an early 3-0 lead, but WaR answered with five consecutive rounds. After the teams traded blows to reach a 6-6 tie, EMPIRE won the second-half pistol. However, WaR dominated the gun rounds with a 7-2 surge, closing out the map 13-10 and taking the series 2-1.
Marsborne's path proved more straightforward in their matchup against Incognito. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Inferno and maintained a 7-5 halftime edge. Though Incognito won four straight rounds after the break, Marsborne regained control during gun rounds to finish 13-10. On Incognito's Mirage pick, a back-and-forth first half ended 6-6. Marsborne then nearly swept their T-side after winning the pistol, cruising to a 13-7 victory and completing the 2-0 sweep.
The second North American Open Qualifier kicks off tonight at 9:00 PM.
