Virtus.pro have won Flashpoint Season 2 and by doing so, have secured the largest single event prize in the organization's history.
Virtus.pro are the new rulers of Flashpoint, succeeding Season 1 champions MAD Lions. The triumph marked the organization's largest monetary prize in its CS:GO history despite them being former Major champions. Only goes to show you how far the professional scene has come.
Virtus.pro Still a Name to be Reckoned with
Virtus.pro's CS:GO glory days seem well behind them but even if that is somewhat true, the current CIS iteration of the squad has been rock solid since replacing the long-standing Polish tradition at VP. The global coronavirus pandemic kept the team from winning anything at inter-regional level but Flashpoint gave the CIS side the opportunity and they seized it.
In a rare instance of cross-region play this year, Virtus.pro emerged above the competition at Flashpoint Season 2. The bracket unfolded in a very peculiar way. The two finalists - VP and OG, had an interestin outing in particular.
WE DID IT + rep +$500 000 + 3000 Blast Premier Points From open quali to the championship Thanks to @Qikert, @vpbuster, @xDsanji, @yek1ndar, @JAMEPAIN for the awesome CS and these emotions! Thank you, fans for believing to the end! GGVP #GOGOVP pic.twitter.com/Q2wLOAgS0Y
— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) December 6, 2020
The champions conceded their only defeat during the event to OG, in the group stage. That win didn't do much for OG in the long run. They lost their first playoff match, which lead to a long, impressive run through the lower bracket right up to the big game.
Having already beaten Dzhami "Jame" Ali and co., OG probably felt good about their chances. The miracle almost came to be when Mirage was won by the lower bracket side for a 1-0 lead in the Bo3 final. Adjustments followed from Virtus.pro.
The traditionally strong Train aided the CIS team's bid for the title, which was to be decided on Inferno. A different tradition - that of dramatic match endings on that map, was broken. VP took the advantage early on and never let go if it.
This is the first major international trophy for Virtus.pro since moving back to a CIS roster. The $500,000 check they collected is a fair reward for that achievement. The record-breaking prize is a reminder of a couple of things.
- The money now is not even comparable to the prizes in the dawn years of CS:GO when VP were Major champions.
- Virtus.pro is still a factor in professional CS:GO. They might not be the Plow anymore, but it feels good to know that the white bear's claws are still sharp.
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