The European squad Vitality cruised past MIBR in their best-of-three progression match to clinch a place in the playoffs at the Perfect World Shanghai Major. Continuing their flawless performance from both the tournament’s European RMR in November and the Elimination Stage, Vitality remains undefeated.
Their journey began with two best-of-one victories on the opening day of the Elimination Stage, defeating GamerLegion 13-7 and edging out FURIA 16-13. They sealed their playoff qualification with a dominant display against MIBR, dismantling them on Mirage (13-3) and Anubis (13-5).
Led by Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Vitality gave MIBR no room to breathe. On Mirage, their map pick, Vitality dropped just one gun round in a lopsided 13-3 triumph. Anubis followed a similar script, with MIBR managing only three rounds on their CT side. A moment of hope came when MIBR won the T-side pistol round, but Vitality quickly regained control, closing the map 13-5.
MIBR struggled to keep up with Vitality’s precise gameplay, faltering in critical moments such as defending set-piece executions and bomb site retakes. One memorable instance saw Vitality successfully stick a ten-second defusal in a 3v3 situation, exemplifying the Brazilian team’s struggles against the European powerhouse.
Despite the one-sided loss, MIBR’s performance earlier in the Elimination Stage remains commendable. The Brazilian team, which advanced from the Opening Stage in the fifth round, stunned viewers with narrow 13-11 wins over 3DMAX and Natus Vincere on the first day. Rafael “saffee” Costa and Lucas “Lucaozy” Neves carried much of the weight against 3DMAX, while Felipe “insani” Yuji delivered a standout performance against NAVI. However, against Vitality, no single player could rise to the occasion, and the team faltered under the pressure.
MIBR’s strong start in the best-of-one rounds leaves them with a 2-1 record, providing two more opportunities to qualify for the next stage despite this setback.
