FunPlus Following their victory against DRX today, Phoenix will have another chance to play Fnatic in the lower bracket after they were defeated by the EMEA squad in the opening upper bracket match of the VCT Masters Copenhagen playoffs.

The previous Vision Strikers squad, DRX, was eliminated once more after failing to go through the semifinals of the lower bracket. The lower bracket final, where the victor advances to the grand final, is one step closer for FPX.

A Masters event’s DRX lineup has never advanced above the fifth or sixth place finish, with the exception of their own regional Masters tournament. They’ve been to Masters in Berlin in 2021, Reykjavik in 2022, and now Copenhagen. FPX won the series 2-0, and despite their best efforts, they were only able to compete for the fifth or sixth slot.

The game began on Ascent, and both sides played well in the first several minutes. With a score of 6-6 at the interval, neither team was able to pull away for a sustained period of rounds, and the contest appeared close. DRX won the pistol and the first round of the second half, but their advantage in the match was squandered when FPX won six straight rounds against them. They were able to finish the map with a score of 13-9 moving into Fracture, the map choice of DRX.

Though the match went terribly for DRX, DRX may have succeeded in tricking spectators into thinking FPX chose the map. Despite the fact that numerous teams had previously rallied to defeat those ill-fated scores, DRX was unable to do so as the half ended 9-3.

After DRX managed to maintain its lead heading into the break since they had won the first two rounds, there was a brief glimmer of optimism, but FPX swiftly established their superiority. At least a fourth-place result at Masters Copenhagen was guaranteed for FPX after the final four rounds.

Since Masters Copenhagen is the first international VCT competition with a live audience, FPX will not only have the chance to fight for a place in the lower bracket final, but they will also have the chance to play in front of a sizable audience.