B8 fall to HOTU in the ESL Pro League S22 group stage

HOTU claimed victory over B8 in a tense ESL Pro League S22 Stage 1 clash, taking the series 2:1. After losing on Overpass, the team struck back on Mirage and then closed out the decider Ancient with a dominant 13:2, starting the group at 2-0 and moving within one step of advancing to the second stage of the tournament.

Overpass (13:7 B8)

On their opponent’s pick, Overpass, B8 confidently secured the first half 8:4. After switching sides, they displayed a strong attack and closed out the map without much trouble, 13:7.

Mirage (13:10 HOTU)

On their own pick, Mirage, B8 were absent in the first half. HOTU took 10 rounds, gaining a clear psychological advantage. In the second half, despite losing the pistol round, B8 pulled off an impressive streak of 8 consecutive rounds, narrowing the score to 10:11. However, HOTU captured two key rounds to seal the map 13:10.

Ancient (13:2 HOTU)

The decider, Ancient, saw HOTU dominate from the very first round, ending the half with the same score as Mirage – 10:2. Unfortunately for the Ukrainian side, they couldn’t replicate the comeback from the previous map, and the final score ended 13:2 in HOTU’s favor.

Match MVP

Two HOTU players delivered standout performances in this series. n0rb3r7 posted the highest ADR with 90.3, while frontales recorded the best Swing at +5.65% and earned a 1.45 rating.

This defeat is not critical for B8, as they move into the 1-1 pool, while HOTU advance to 2-0, leaving them just one step away from qualifying for the second stage. ESL Pro League S22 Stage 1 runs from September 28 to October 2, with 16 teams competing for a place in the next stage and a total prize pool of $400,000.