GamerLegion has secured a place in Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 21 after edging out TYLOO 2-1 in a hard-fought series. The European squad clinched the win with a 13-7 victory on Mirage, a tough 5-13 loss on Nuke, and a narrow 13-11 triumph on Inferno, where they had to claw back from a 2-7 deficit.

With this result, GamerLegion lived up to expectations, becoming the first team to qualify for the next stage, where they will join eight directly invited rosters. On the other hand, TYLOO remains in contention, now moving to the 2-1 bracket, still with two opportunities to break into the top 16. Given their strong form so far, the Chinese squad remains one of the leading contenders to make it through.

GamerLegion Secures a 3-0 Record Despite Inconsistent Play

Although GamerLegion swept through Stage 1 with a 3-0 record, their path to qualification was far from dominant. They opened their campaign with a shaky three-map victory over NRG, followed by a 2-0 win against a struggling MIBR.

Against TYLOO, they initially looked dominant on Mirage, where Fredrik “REZ” Sterner posted a stellar 2.14 rating. However, they faltered on Nuke, struggling against TYLOO’s well-practiced T-side. Their final test came on Inferno, where they trailed 2-7 early on but mounted an impressive comeback to secure the series.

Reflecting on the match, Ashley “ash” Battye admitted in a post-game interview with Tres “stunna” Saranthus that the team still has work to do. He described the win as a relief, adding, “We can grind out games, but we struggle to close things out when we have teams on the ropes. We’re a young squad, and we let frustration get the better of us sometimes.”

JamYoung Fails to Deliver as TYLOO Falls Short

Heading into this match, Yi “JamYoung” Yang had been the highest-rated player in the tournament, boasting a 1.54 rating. However, he struggled to replicate that dominance against GamerLegion, finishing with a team-low 0.86 rating and delivering underwhelming performances on Mirage (0.53) and Inferno (0.74).

Despite their star player’s struggles, TYLOO still put up a strong fight, coming incredibly close to eliminating GamerLegion without needing JamYoung to carry. His teammates stepped up in his absence, making the series far more competitive than expected.

While no single player stood out on Mirage, both Jingxiang “Mercury” Wang and Qianhao “Moseyuh” Chen shouldered the fragging burden on Nuke and Inferno, nearly continuing TYLOO’s unexpected Cinderella run, which had already included wins over Eternal Fire and 3DMAX.

With another shot at qualification still ahead, TYLOO will now look to regroup and capitalize on their remaining chances to secure a top 16 finish in ESL Pro League Season 21.