AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 4, 2021 - KRAFTON, Inc. recently announced Virtus.pro as the winners of the PCS5 Europe Grand Finals. On Sunday 3 October, the Europe East roster - made up of players Dmytro ‘Perfect1ks’ Dubenyuk, Yaroslav ‘spyrro’ Kuvichko, Kirill ‘Lu’ Lukyanov and Alexander ‘BatulinS’ Batulin - secured $52,000 from the more than $250,000 prize pool after beating 15 other teams to finish top of the leaderboard.
In addition to the prize pool, all PCS5 Europe teams will benefit from the Pick’Em Challenge, with 30% of net sales from global in-game items being distributed amongst Europe, Americas, Asia and APAC.
Virtus.pro were strong throughout the event and continued to build on the fine form that saw them win PCS4 Europe back in June. They finished top of the leaderboard on both the first and third weekends of action which ultimately ensured they were crowned champions.
FaZe Clan started a little slowly, however their experience shone through as they turned it around to secure second place and $28,500 from the prize pool, they were closely followed by Question Mark who came third and took home $26,500.
Natus Vincere’s xmpl, FaZe Clan’s Fexx and Team Liquid’s mxey were the tournament’s most prolific players, finishing with 54 kills each - xmpl was awarded Kill Leader due to having the highest total damage of the three players. The other special awards were as follows:
- PCS5 MVP: xmpl
- All PCS Team: xmpl, Gustav, Perfect1ks and mxey
- Insane Squad: Virtus.pro
Week 1: Virtus.pro set the pace
Virtus.pro came out all guns blazing, winning the first match of the finals and going on to finish top of the Week 1 leaderboard. They may have already secured qualification to PGC, but the roster showed no sign of slowing down in their pursuit for back-to-back titles.
Elsewhere BBL Esports’ Smash impressed fans and talent alike, he dominated the Week 1 damage charts and was awarded the Player of the Week Powered by Alienware award. Overall the group was matched fairly evenly, with nine teams picking up at least one win over the weekend - setting the tournament up nicely for the next two rounds.
Week 2: Natus Vincere take control
It was more success for Europe East as Natus Vincere stood out on the second weekend of action. Led by key player xmpl, who took the most damage out of any of the Week 2 participants, they dismantled their rivals to finish top of the table. Europe East rosters Tokyo Manji Gang, EXhalatioN and Question Mark also performed well - leaving fans asking if Europe East is the strongest area in the region at the moment.
Experienced rosters FaZe Clan and Team Liquid also turned up the heat on their opponents by claiming important wins. Despite stepping up their performance, FaZe Clan still needed to secure more PGC Points - it was vital they finished strongly in the final week to secure a qualification spot for the PUBG Global Championship.
Week 3 - An exciting battle to the very end
Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, BBL Esports and HEROIC topped the leaderboard heading into the final week and all had their eyes on securing first place. Once again it was Virtus.pro who stood out on Day 5, taking one win and 42 kills across the six matches. They were closely followed by MEA roster Galaktikos who earned a win and an impressive 39 kills.
Question Mark looked good on an explosive Day 6 which saw them win two matches and take a massive 64 kills along the way. The race for the final MEA PGC qualification spot went down to the wire as SMB, Galaktikos and BBL Esports battled it out in the final few matches - in the end it was BBL Esports who proved too strong for their opponents and secured the last place.
FaZe Clan also enjoyed a strong finish. Vital wins in Match 4 and Match 10 ensured that the PUBG Esports heavyweights will be heading to PGC.
At the start of the final match Question Mark topped the leaderboard and looked like they would take their first ever PCS title. However, an incredible 16-kill victory from Virtus.pro saw them overtake Question Mark and take first place by just one point. It’s been an incredibly successful year for the roster who also won ESL Summer and PCS4 Europe. They are currently indisputably the strongest squad in Europe and will be excited to challenge themselves against the world’s top teams at PGC.
The eight Europe squads who have now officially qualified for PGC 2021 are as follows:
- Virtus.pro
- FaZe Clan
- Natus Vincere
- Team Liquid
- Question Mark
- HEROIC
- ENCE
- BBL Esports
For more info, please visit www.pubgesports.com or follow us on social media (Twitter/Instagram/TikTok/YouTube/Twitch). For further assets and press releases, please visit the official PUBG Esports press room.
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About KRAFTON, Inc.
KRAFTON, Inc. is a collective of independent game development studios brought together to create innovative and engaging entertainment experiences for gamers across the world. The company consists of PUBG Studio, Bluehole Studio, Striking Distance Studios, RisingWings, and Dreamotion, each with its own unique expertise.
KRAFTON is responsible for premier entertainment properties including PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG), PUBG: NEW STATE, The Callisto Protocol, TERA, and ELYON. As a technology-driven company that boasts world-class capabilities, KRAFTON seeks to expand its areas of business beyond games to multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information about KRAFTON, please visit https://www.krafton.com.