Cloud9 stun FaZe in ESL Pro League Season 16 quarterfinals

FaZe’s hopes of achieving the grand slam have been squashed after the CIS Cloud 9 roster pulled the rug out from under them.

Counter-Strike’s ESL Pro League Season 16 has had a series of upsets. However, with one of the main title contenders now out of the tournament, it leaves the trophy up for grabs with more teams in reach.

Cloud 9 took down the international powerhouse 2-1, with the first map not going Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov’s and the squad’s way. Inferno (13-16) was a tough start for Cloud 9, with Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken breaking through their CT side with ease, leading to the event loss from the FaZe roster.

Ancient (16-8) was another story entirely. Cloud 9 came out swinging, with ​Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov leading the charge to bring down the international titans. Unfortunately for FaZe, their T-side attacks were lackluster, leaving Cloud 9 to rely on their solid aim and teamwork to get the job done. 

The last map, Mirage (16-11), was a closer endeavor for the FaZe roster. However, Abay “HObbit” Khasenov picked up his game to help the Cloud 9 roster win the T-side half (9-6). All that was left was a solid defense from the rest of the squad to take the victory. 

Cloud 9 now progresses to the semifinals to take on Team Liquid after the North American team’s successful bout against MOUZ.