Team Falcons defeat 3DMAX to reach the ESL Pro League Season 22 semifinals

Team Falcons secured a hard-fought victory over 3DMAX in a tense ESL Pro League Season 22 quarterfinal, winning 2–1 in maps (9:13, 13:7, 16:13). Despite a confident start from the French squad, Falcons managed to turn the tide on Ancient and push the series to the decisive Nuke, where m0NESY and NiKo emerged as the key figures of success. The team advances to the semifinals, while 3DMAX end their run in 5th–8th place.

Inferno (13:9 3DMAX)

The first map of the quarterfinal was Inferno, chosen by 3DMAX. The French side confidently closed out the first half with an 8:4 lead. Despite Team Falcons’ efforts to recover in the second half through NiKo’s strong plays, they couldn’t find their rhythm on the T side and lost 13:9.

Ancient (7:13 Falcons)

On their own pick, Team Falcons looked much stronger. A dominant T side performance gave them a 9:3 advantage at halftime. Switching to defense, they faced some pressure from 3DMAX but managed to stay composed and close out the map 13:7, forcing a decider.

Nuke (13:16 Falcons)

The deciding map was Nuke. Falcons started aggressively, showing great coordination and communication. NiKo became the key player with an ADR of 98.8, helping his team secure a 9:3 lead. In the second half, 3DMAX responded with their own aggression on the T side. Ex3rcice and company mounted an impressive comeback, pushing the score from 9:12 to overtime. However, Falcons proved stronger in the extra rounds, conceding only one and sealing the map 16:13.

Match MVP

Despite the loss, 3DMAX’s bodyy recorded the highest ADR in the series at 89.1. The MVP title went to Team Falcons’ AWPer, m0NESY, who posted a Swing of +5.92% and a 1.36 rating, consistently helping his team win crucial rounds.

After the match, 3DMAX player bodyy briefly shared his thoughts on the team’s performance in the tournament:

3DMAX end their run in 5th–8th place, earning $18,000 for the team and $40,000 for the organization. Despite the elimination, they can be proud of victories over NAVI, FaZe, and G2, and their deep playoff run. Team Falcons advance to the semifinals, where they will await their next opponent. The ESL Pro League Season 22 main stage continues from October 4 to 12, with the champion set to earn $100,000 for the team and $150,000 for the organization.