Banner image: Ubisoft/Kirill B.
Team Empire stymied one of the greatest comeback efforts in “Rainbow Six Siege” history to defeat BDS 2-1.
On Consulate, the final map of the series, BDS appeared to be all but dead. They were down 6-1 in round count, and looked like they were about to be en route to an early exit from the Mexico Major.
BDS notched six rounds in a row to push the map into overtime, but lost the map 8-7.
Team Empire emerged from group D in second place. They crushed Spacestation 2-0 in the quarterfinal round behind a strong performance from star Danila “dan” Dotsov. The Russian side escaped the comeback effort from BDS to secure a spot in the Major finals. “We were just playing. We didn’t focus on how many rounds were lost,” said dan. “Of course when you’re up 6-1 and you lose five rounds in a row it’s kind of hard, but all of those rounds were really close.”
Particularly, Empire seemed poised to advance during round 11. Danil “JoyStiCK” Gabov used a nitro cell to kill the first BDS plant attempt with a mere eight seconds left in the round, and then somehow snuck upstairs past two BDS members. He was a split second away from killing the second planter and securing the one vs. three clutch when Stéphane “Shaiiko” Lebleu shot him first from a floor below, through an open hatch.
JoyStiCK said that he overexposed himself to a play from the hatch. “It was a close round, and there was a lot like this during this best-of-three,” the Russian said.
Empire are the victors of the most recent Six Major: Six Major Raleigh. COVID-19 cut short plans to have more Majors, the international competition was cut to regional competitions, dubbed “Mini-Majors” unofficially. Exactly two years and three days since Empire won the Raleigh Major, they’re back in the finals of the next Major.
The stars of the match were Dmitry “Always” Mitrahovich and JoyStiCK, who each dropped 34 kills.
Team Empire will face off against Team oNe in the finals of the event, but dan and JoyStiCK say Empire, as always, isn’t going to change what they do. They got here by playing their game, not someone else’s, and that’s exactly what they’re going to do.