From 10 to 13 October in the club " Kyiv Evortion Arena »Lan finals took place Starladder Starsies Season VII. In the seventh season, the league included three disciplines: Point Blank, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive And Dota 2. The teams were selected here according to the results of the online part.

► Thanks to Valve, as well as players in Dota 2 and CS: Go for such an event attendance.

Unfortunately, we personally did not succeed in supporting the teams, but we very carefully monitored the course of the Lan finals in a direct broadcast and now we will share my impressions with you. Let's go growing. So…

Point Blank

The championship title was played Unique , AOEXE , USSR And Astana Dragons. Formally, the “dragons” who won the preliminary online stage went in the main favorites. But experts were more inclined towards newly -made world champions AOEXE (English, Freed, Tuwkan, John_k, Johnny).

► did not have time to relax AOEXE after the tournament in Thailand, but here to fly to Kyiv.

The planet could not only compete with the strongest team Astana Dragons , but also Unique – Champions of Minsk TechLabs Cup by. But who had almost no chance of gold, so it is USSR. The Azerbaijani team seems to have arrived in Kyiv by inertia and did not set high goals. Their first match with AOEXE confirmed our thoughts.

Kazakh dragons are so harsh ..

For two cards ( VVG And Midtown ) USSR won only five battles, which is very little even for such a meager discipline as a scarce Point Blank. The parallel semifinals corrected the situation – Astana Dragons Closed with Unique not for life, but for death, but we watched their battle in all our eyes.

► Astana Dragons against Unique. First card (starting the game in the 11th minute)

Business center "Dragons" took to the paws thanks to the player BELGIUME. For nine rounds of half, he made seventeen frags, which significantly easier for his team, taking the side with a score of 7: 2. We could not play such a turn in Unique, although another fight scrape for decency (10: 3).

In the role of catching up Unique We did not stay long and after a couple of minutes equalized the score in the series on Metro (10: 4). To universal surprise, here both teams played much brighter in the attack than for a stronger defense. In the last round player AD Push left 1B2 and installed a bomb at point A, but could no longer protect it.

► USSR players react very sharply to all game moments.

The name of the next rival AOEXE It was determined on the map Luxville. Here are more experienced Gray And the company appeared in all its glory, winning half with a score of 6: 3. Finish the missing four rounds Astana Dragons There were no problems, the total account of the third card is 10: 4. Unique after USSR went into the lower net.

Overcome the champions?

On the second day, the final of the upper grid and the small final of the lower. Let's start with the second.

Although the meeting of yesterday's losers Unique And USSR I came out tense, with the naked eye, TechLabs champions have been visible. The culmination was the decisive third card VVG , Especially her final two rounds. With a score 8: 8 USSR shooter LOL1HP killed two terrorists (in Point Blank play female models), but Danilos , FARSH1K And DAZZLE They answered four fragments. Lodging Th30 I could not win the round of 1B2.

Events developed in a similar vein in the last battle, where Danilos distinguished himself again. Unique won with a score of 10: 8 and became the first finalists of the lower grid.

► The third confrontation map Unique and USSR

The second after a couple of hours Astana Dragons. On the eve of their match against AOEXE Gray He told that the "dragons" would also easily take the world championship if they had entered the struggle for him. The daring statement, apparently, was decently redressed AOEXE , And they attacked Astana Dragons with double energy.

As in the previous match, the teams needed to play all three cards – Midtown took AD, a Metro went to AoEXE. Points over I had to Sandstorm. Arabic-style map previously met Lan Finals Starseries , Therefore, we did not know who to put on.

► UNIQUE team is still very young, but it plays well!

We will not describe each round, better look at the game in the record-it’s a pity that for some reason the hot overtime did not get there for some reason. And Aoexe won it, once again confirmed their champion ambitions. Astana Dragons went to the lower grid ..

Another title!

… where immediately got on Unique! Apparently, all thoughts Astana Dragons They were occupied by a possible match-rare with AoEXE, because they played the final of the Luzers from their hands badly. But we will not belittle the merits of the guys from Unique, to whom the victory in the final of Luzerov compensated for the loss to the Dragons on the first game day.

Thus, in the final came together AOEXE both unique and these groups have a lot in common. Firstly, both Russian. Secondly, both are equipped with young and ambitious players. Thirdly, both recently took LAN: some-the World Cup, while others TechLabs. Well, fourthly, on both sides of the barricades there are ex-players Znation -Once the strongest squads in the CIS. Intrigued? See the record!

► Grand finals of the seventh season-AOEXE against Uniquet

The final location of the teams in the discipline of Point Blank:

  1. AOEXE (Russia) – $ 8,000

  2. Unique (Russia) – $ 4000

  3. Astana Dragons (Kazakhstan) – $ 2500

  4. USSR (Azerbaijan) – $ 2000

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Over the past couple of months, a lot of events have occurred on the European CS: Go-scene that directly influenced Starladder Starsers. In the seventh season, almost all the best teams of the Old World, including the French, registered Verygames , ignoring the last season.

After fifteen rounds, the following picture was drawn in the standings: NIP And Fnatic They took the first two places, followed by the debutants Verygames , And they closed the four Astana Dragons. As you can see, not only silver medalists of the sixth season gave Mahu in the online part Na’vi , but also the triumphs of the fourth ESC Gaming. The Poles, by the way, recently moved to Universal Soldiers.

► How to find out what is VeryGames on the stage? Stirlitz gave a parachute dragging behind him, and the French – a hair gel and green headphones from Razer.

Since the Swedes on the Internet were stronger, in the semifinals of the upper grid they, of course, could not play among themselves. Therefore, the current champions of the sixth season and the winners of the online part NIP The rivals went Verygames , A Astana Dragons Once again I had to measure strength with well -acquainted Fnatic (met in August on TechLabs Kiev ).

Fanatics against dragons

Like other tournaments, the cards here were chosen by captains who removed everything they did not like from the list. The first to play de_DUST2 , not very changed since time Counter-Strike 1.3. Traditionally, having played the side on the “knives”, AD took a strong attack, and the black-orange team went over to the side of the defense.

► Astana Dragons – “Dream Team” with champion ambitions. From left to right: Dosia, Markeloff, Adren, Ange1, Edward.

In the first pistol round, the Dragons rushed to point A, where they quickly put the bomb so that it was clearly visible from the “length”. Subsequently, this location of the charge helped Ivan Sukharev ( Edward ) take the round, being in a difficult situation, and even in the minority.

Having won the "Pistols", Astana Dragons I immediately took four more rounds in a row. While the “dragons” won the battle for the battle, the Swedes could not navigate in any way – it seemed that they were not used to local cars. However, they soon still took their first round and, moreover, even won half with a score of 9: 6.

After the change of parties, the Swedes did not miss their. General account of the first card – 16: 9 in favor Fnatic. Defeat on de_DUST2 Ours were not very upset, because the next on the list was de_mirage -business card of the Slavic-Kazakh team. There, the Scandinavians had little chance of winning (10:16).

► Astana Dragons against fnatic (de_mirage)

Expected to win their cards, the teams switched to de_cache. Although this is an old card and often played on it in Source , In the CIS, it is not known to everyone. But the players who played a bunch of online tournaments have already managed to study it. This is especially true Astana Dragons – Earlier they stopped at de_cache ESC Gaming , And now they sent to the lower grid and Fnatic (16:14).

Remove the curse

The next match of the first day was the confrontation NIP And Verygames , already managed to become legendary. Before the Kyiv Lan Final, the French played two dozen matches from the ninja and lost everywhere. It was time to remove the Swedish curse, and Kyiv was suitable for this.

► Christopher Alesynd (Get_right) and Tobiwan – a wonderful duet for commenting in English.

It is in Kyiv NIP A couple of months ago, they cut off their victorious series in eighty more than won cards in a row. It so happened that even in the heyday Counter-Strike 1.6 The Swedes often played here uncertainly (remember at least Arbalet Cup Best of Four And MSI Beat it ).

Already on de_inferno, we had the feeling that the hour has come to ruin curses. Unsuccessfully playing in the first half, in the second the French pushed and equalized the score. When numbers 14:14 appeared in the table, Scream And Shoxie At first they took a good attack on “A”, and in the last round the Swedes generally died in different parts of the map. Victory Verygames with a score 16:14!

► Historical victory VeryGames over nip on de_inferno

The current champions could recoup on de_mirage , But they were not allowed. The best team of all times and peoples in the game in CS: S The Mirage won on the courage, and without problems (16: 6). The upset Swedes fell into the losers, where the next day they lowered all the sports anger at compatriots from Fnatic.

The best game of the year?

On the third day, only one meeting was planned, but what! In the final of the upper grid came together Verygames And Astana Dragons. On de_mirage "Dragons" rushed from a place without overclocking and won the first half with a score of 11: 4. To the honor of the French, in the second half they almost managed to make a "Cambet", but the card still went into the piggy bank of the Kazakh team.

“It was not possible to win the first, take the second,” – mentally shrugged their shoulders Nathan Schmit ( NBK ) with comrades, starting in an attack on de_inferno. Nevertheless, the attack of Napoleon fellow countrymen once again lifted, and they again took only four rounds. But in defense Verygames won with a score 16:13. The next on the list was de_nuke.

► VERYGAMS against Astana Dragons, second card

Here the "dragons" did not succeed. It is unlikely that anyone expected that in the attack they would gain only one round and change the side with a humiliating score of 1:14. It’s difficult to return to the game after this, and soon torment Astana Dragons On this map stopped (2:16). Debutants Starseries We went out to the Grand Final!

Without the right to error

After the next triumph Verygames everyone was interested in the name of the Jimmy Winner sister sites second finalist. It was determined in the final of the lower grid, where Ange1 And the company tried to break resistance NIP. As in other matches Astana Dragons , Here they also had to play all three cards, and the last de_DUST2 became a real decoration of the Kyiv Lan Final.

► the third card – a contender for the best game in the past year

Starting almost from the first shootout, each battle of the third card was terribly tense and ended in situations of 1B1 or 2B2. It became especially hot in additional rounds, although they might not have been if they could F0rest And Fifflaren did not take the phenomenal round, remaining 2B5.

In a similar style, the Swedes were saved in the first overtime, but they no longer had enough strength for more. In the last round, the “dragons” through the parapet made their way to an open point and alternately killed all enemies, without losing a single fighter. It was not possible to take the second title in a row in a row of the sixth season.

► from the ship to the ball! Verygames – Champions of the seventh season Starladder Starseries

Unfortunately, Grand final Disappointed. In the development of events, he resembled the final Raidcall Ems One , Where Verygames We beat the former ANGE1 team – Virtus.Pro. Do not pay attention to the final accounts de_mirage And de_inferno – The French won deservedly. For the entire LAN final EX6Tenz and the company blew only one card, while winning six. Well done!

The final location of the teams in the CS: GO discipline:

  1. Verygames (France) – $ 7500

  2. Astana Dragons (Kazakhstan) – $ 4000

  3. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Sweden) – $ 2000

  4. Fnatic (Sweden) – $ 1,500

Dota 2

The last and, of course, the most popular discipline Starladder Starsers. Four teams theoretically fought for the championship, but in fact there were two applicants. Recently Russians Team Empire And Rox.KIS significantly raised their level, but compete on equal terms with the finalists The International 3 They still can't.

► Alexey Berezin (Solo), famous for his story about "322".

Long before the start of the LAN finals, most experts understood that in the final they would converge Natus Vincere And The Alliance. And although not one and a half million, but twelve thousand were played in Kyiv, the matches promised to be fantastic. Neither one nor the other team was just going to lose.

The International in Kiev

Having defeated the Russians in the semifinals of the upper grid, the two best teams of the world first came to face in the final of Winner. The first card won the “Born to Win”, but already in the second Swedes they equalized the score in the series. To do this, they had to bet on Riki , Wisp , SkyWrath Mage , Clockwerk And Elder Titan , While Na’vi took Antimage , CHEN , Windrunner , Batrider And Rubick.

► Refuse a fan of joint photography is a real crime!

The beginning of the match was completely for the champions The International 3 , who quickly led with a score of 4-0 and came off on gold and game experience. A few minutes later, the picture changed sharply – both teams alternately killed five heroes with each other (“Team Wipe”), and a short truce came in the game.

Then Natus Vincere started another adventurous fight, following which three heroes and an important central side were lost. Experienced Swedes, as a rule, no longer miss such advantages – 1: 1, and the commands all start with a clean sheet.

► na’vi against The Alliance. Game for going to the final

The next game brought directly to the grand final, and it won it in one gate The Alliance. The audience did not know whether to rejoice at the victory of the Champions The International 3, or to be upset by the defeat of local favorites. Well, at least, no one made the tragedy from this – Na’vi still had a chance to recoup through the lower grid.

Sweet revenge

All that needed to be done is to get around again Team Empire. Unlike their full -time meeting on the first gaming day (then " Empire »I won the first match), here at Andrey Chipenko ( Mag ) and the company was no chance. Two games flew by one moment, and heroes Natus Vincere mechanically destroyed the Imperials, running throughout the map.

► Whatever the tournament, Natus vincere is always among the favorites.

Grand final Starladder Starsies Season VII Exactly repeated the decisive duel in Seattle, but with two differences. Firstly, there were fewer at stake, and secondly, the Swedes in Kyiv began with advantages in one game. And the match caused an incredible excitement – we have not yet seen so many visitors in the “Arena” (people had to sit on the floor and right under the stage!).

Naturally, all records of the number of spectators in blue screens were also beaten. So, on streams Vitaliy Voloya ( v1lat ) And Toby Dawson ( Tobiwan ) there were 155,000 and one hundred thousand spectators, respectively. The players of the audience did not disappoint and gave out very spectacular games. Who won them and how? Watch the fights in the record!

► na’vi against The Alliance. The second final game (formally third)

The final location of the teams in the Dota 2 discipline:

  1. Natus Vincere (Ukraine) – $ 12,000

  2. The Alliance (Sweden) – $ 6,000

  3. Team Empire (Russia) – $ 3000

  4. Radical Online Extremists (Russia) – $ 1500

When writing an article, Starladder photos and video materials were used.TV