Rare Atom delivered a historic victory on home soil, eliminating fnatic in a decisive elimination match at the Perfect World Shanghai Major. This result marked Rare Atom’s first Major series win in front of their home audience, a moment celebrated by an energetic crowd at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.
The upset dashed the hopes of Pick ‘Ems players worldwide, as the lowest-seeded team in the tournament sent fnatic packing with a 0-3 record. Rare Atom’s win on Vertigo secured their place in the tournament’s history, making them the first Chinese team to clinch a Major series win at home. This achievement echoes a similar triumph in 2018 when TYLOO defeated Spirit at the FACEIT Major in London to advance to the New Legends Stage, now known as the Elimination Stage.
The match began on Ancient, where Rare Atom took an early 8-1 lead. However, the Europeans staged a remarkable comeback, turning the game around to secure a 13-10 victory. Moving to Inferno, Rare Atom found themselves down 0-6 on the T side, but a stellar performance by Major debutant Junhao “ChildKing” Peng helped the Chinese team claw back to tie the score at 6-6 before ultimately winning 13-10 to level the series.
The final map, Vertigo, saw Rare Atom maintain control from start to finish. They opened with a 6-1 lead that transitioned into an 8-4 first half, followed by a dominant T-side performance that sealed their 2-1 series victory. The crowd erupted in support as Rare Atom celebrated their win, with fans capturing and cheering for ChildKing after the match.
Rare Atom moves on to another elimination match in the 1-2 pool, where the home crowd will have at least one more opportunity to rally behind their team.
