The MLG Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship has come to a close, and both the championship title and the $500,000 grand prize went to Luminosity Gaming. It was a long road to the finals, though, and we’re here to show you how the games played out in the semi-final and final rounds.
Day 5: NatusVincere vs. Astralis
2-0, favor of Na’Vi
Day 5 first saw the Ukrainian NatusVincere (Na’Vi) go up against Astralis, the Danish squad formerly known as TSM before they reorganized under their own banner.
The first map was Inferno, and it was a heated race the whole way through, with both teams playing like the pros they are as Na’Vi took the first half, and their CT time, 8-6. Astralis didn’t make it easy for them, but eventually falls as NaVi took 8 of the next 15, and eventually won the map at a nail-biting 16-14.
Whatever fire the Danes had in the first Map was seemingly extinguished after that near miss, however, as Na’Vi went on and reduced Astralis to ashes in Dust2 – taking the map (and the match) 16-5.
Day 5: Team Liquid vs. Luminosity Gaming
2-0, favor of Luminosity
To determine who would take on Na’Vi in the Finals, Luminosity Gaming (a squad put together by in-game team leader and fan favorite FalleN) went up against the homeland heroes, Team Liquid.
In the first map, Mirage, Team Liquid roared out of the gates and kept up the pressure until they secured Map Point at 15-9. The clean-up and Liquid’s victory on the map seemed like a formality — until, of course, “the play“.
As Liquid ran a 5-man push, Luminosity’s Coldzera and his AWP found them — first with a kill on adreN, followed by a jumping no-scope collateral on EliGE and “in the running for best CS:GO player in the world” s1mple, before bringing it home with a point-blank shot on a jumping, low HP nitr0. While Luminosity’s TACO finished off Hiko, Liquid’s last man standing on the map, the momentum picked up after Coldzera’s one-man rally and Luminosity went on to a 6-0 sweep before picking up the Overtime (and the map) 4-0.
Cache would see more of the same, as Team Liquid managed a respectable CT finish, coming out ahead 9-6 by the switch and starting off on a tear 6-0 in their Terrorist games – once again securing Map Point (15-6).
And then:
Putting on their best Keanu impersonation, Luminosity becomes untouchable for the next nine games, finding a second Overtime — and a second Overtime victory (4-1), winning the match 2-0 over Liquid.
While an impressive feat, worth noting is that by all reports Luminosity isn’t supposed to be the Neo here. Their clutch comeback combo was fantastic, but the fact that Team Liquid — the first North American team to make the quarters of a Major since 2014, and the first ever to make the semifinals — was even in that position against the Luminosity Gaming powerhouse is close to a victory in its own right.
The $70,000 prize and the fans don’t hurt either:
Day 6 Finals: Na’Vi vs. Luminosity Gaming
There was an All Star game on Day 6 leading up to the Grand Finale — but the real show was the Finals match to see who would be the MLG Columbus champions, and who would “only” walk away $150,000 dollars richer as the second best.
First map: Mirage. Na’Vi took an early lead in their CT rounds, putting up a strong 11-4 start before the switch. Luminosity Gaming answered back in kind, winning 11 of their CT rounds and tying it up 15-15. At this point, “win the Overtime” seemed to be Luminosity’s plan for the weekend as they took it 4-2, securing the first map 19-17.
As Overpass started, the fans settled in — would it be another razor’s edge victory? Could Na’Vi take it to three, or would Luminosity win their fourth straight Overti– I mean, match?
The boys from Brazil put these questions to rest as quick as they could. The dragon of Luminosity had finally awoken before halftime — and they took the map, the championship, the trophy, the cool half a million prize, anything that wasn’t nailed down, and we’re pretty sure Na’Vi’s kitchen sink with a crushing 16-2 victory.
And with that, you have your MLG Columbus Major Champions: Luminosity Gaming.
