Banner Image: Ubisoft / João F. @itsmeERROR
Following a week of matches in Europe's Esports World Cup 2024 Open Qualifier, we finally know the eight teams that will compete in the Closed Qualifier. The best three rosters will qualify for the Esports World Cup 2024, where the winner will get US$750,000.
Here's everything you need to know about Europe's Closed Qualifier for the Esports World Cup 2024:
Dates
Europe's Esports World Cup 2024 CQ will be played from July 5 to July 7. Unfortunately, the dates for each match day haven't been revealed yet.
We expect the quarter-finals to be played on July 5 and the semi-finals on July 6. Meanwhile, we expect the match to decide the third seed and the grand final to be played on July 7.
Format
The format used in Europe's Esports World Cup 2024 CQ will be a single-elimination bracket with BO3 games.
Three teams will qualify for the Esports World Cup 2024, including the grand finalists and the third seed of the competition. This will be decided in a game between the two sides beaten in the semi-finals of the bracket.
Teams
These are the eight teams that will compete in Europe's Esports World Cup Closed Qualifier:
G2 Esports
Following the team's disappointing performance in Manchester, G2 Esports decided to part ways with Benjamin "Benjamaster" Derelli and Jake "Virtue" Grannan. Instead, the European powerhouse added Roberto "Loira" Camargo and Alexandre "BlaZ" Thomas, from Black Dragons and Geekay Esports, respectively.
Despite playing with two brand-new signings, G2 Esports had no issues qualifying for the Closed Qualifier after a 2-0 win against Wolves Esports in the Upper Bracket quarter-finals. As confirmed by Karl "Alem4o" Zarth, the team will undergo a bootcamp in Berlin, Germany, to prepare for the next stage of the tournament.
Virtus.pro
The Russians made it to the Closed Qualifier after defeating two top-flight teams in the Upper Bracket. After beating WYLDE, the Bears defeated the BLAST R6 Major Manchester grand finalists following wins on Clubhouse and Kafe Dostoyevsky.
Team Secret
In Manchester, Team Secret finished among the best eight teams at a Six Major for the first time since the Six Raleigh Major, which took place in August 2018. Despite the team's result in England, Team Secret made a roster change as Luiz "Miracle" Abrantes was replaced by the former G2 Esports player Jake "Virtue" Grannan.
Fortunately for the European-majority squad, the Australian seems to have adapted well to the roster's playstyle as the team qualified for Europe's Esports World Cup CQ after a 2-0 win against ENCE.
Into the Breach
Into the Breach qualified for Europe's Esports World Cup CQ after a rock-solid 2-0 victory against Fnatic. Curiously enough, the British-majority side had previously defeated Into the Breach Academy.
Team BDS
The BLAST R6 Major Manchester grand finalists fell to the Lower Bracket after the team's shocking 0-2 defeat against Virtus.pro. Fortunately, the players redeemed themselves after beating MamanJaegers, an organization-less roster that included the former G2 Esports player Lucas "Henry" Reich and the recently-benched Wolves Esports duo of Bastien "BiBooAF" Dulac and Axel "Shiinka" Freisberg.
Wolves Esports
After missing out on the BLAST R6 Major Manchester, the French squad decided to make two changes as they temporarily benched Bastien "BiBooAF" Dulac and Axel "Shiinka" Freisberg to play with Lasmooo and Asa.
Despite the team's defeat against G2 Esports, Wolves Esports managed to qualify for Europe's Esports World Cup CQ after a 2-0 victory against Into the Breach Academy.
ENCE
Although ENCE's Siege six-man roster was one match away from qualifying for Manchester, the team decided to make two roster changes as they parted ways with Théo "Frenchy" Leguay and Baptiste "JaKs" Dedienne. Instead, the team signed Bryan "Elemzje" Tebessi.
Following the squad's 0-2 defeat against Team Secret in the Upper Bracket, the team beat the Challenger League 2022 champions Dunlimited to qualify for Europe's Esports World Cup CQ.
Fnatic
Fnatic's narrow defeat against Into the Breach in the Upper Bracket saw the orange organization falling to the Lower Bracket. Fortunately for the roster, the team qualified for Europe's Esports World Cup CQ after a 2-0 victory against the French squad of Fly Boys Gang.