Wildcard Secures Dramatic Victory and Advances to the Elimination Stage

With this victory, Wildcard becomes the fifth team from the Americas region to qualify for the Elimination Stage, joining the ranks of Liquid, paiN, FURIA, and MIBR who had already secured their spots.

The match was ultimately decided on Ancient, after both teams had convincingly won their respective map picks—Inferno for Wildcard and Mirage for Passion UA.

On Ancient, the two teams clashed in an intense showdown that delivered an unforgettable finish for the spectators in Shanghai. The match carried significant narrative for both sides. For Wildcard, the win was not only a personal triumph, but also marked a major milestone for the Americas region. With the other four teams already advancing, Wildcard’s success solidified the region’s dominance in the tournament so far.

For Passion UA, qualification for the Elimination Stage would have been a remarkable achievement and an emotional high for the Ukrainian team, particularly given the departure of Russian rosters from the tournament during the Opening Stage.

stanislaw the difference maker

Wildcard was on the verge of closing out the match in regular time, but in two pivotal rounds, Passion UA turned the momentum with fast-paced attacks on the B-site of Ancient, forcing the match into overtime. However, in the extended play, Wildcard proved to be the stronger team, securing a 16-13 victory to seal their place in the next stage.

In the end, it came down to the experience of one of the old-timers in the Counter-Strike sphere. 30-year-old Peter "stanislaw" Jarguz not only led his team as the in-game leader but also ended Ancient as the highest-ranked performer on the server. A remarkable performance from the Canadian, who most people probably had written off in terms of qualifying for the last stages of a Major.

Wildcard and the rest of the qualified teams for the Elimination Stage will begin the hunt for the playoffs on Thursday.