Day 2 of the ESL Challenger League Season 52 Asia-Pacific Cup 1 reduced the field through upper-bracket quarter-finals and lower-bracket elimination series. Rare Atom, The Huns, Chinggis Warriors and NEXVOID progressed in the upper bracket, while Nas, Kaleido, NSN and 5star remained in contention through the lower bracket.

The day produced 4 eliminations and left 4 upper-bracket winners closer to the upper-bracket finals. Rare Atom, The Huns and Chinggis Warriors preserved unbeaten tournament records, while PokemoN and Alter Ego moved into the lower bracket after their defeats.

Several series were settled cleanly in 2 maps, but the elimination side also included extended contests. Nas recovered from a 3-9 position on Ancient to defeat Banzai, and Kaleido required overtime on Ancient and Mirage after dropping its opening map against LEGAM.

The Huns beat Vitalem Aerem in an upper-bracket quarter-final, taking Dust2 13-8 before securing Nuke 13-6. Rare Atom also continued its unbeaten upper-bracket run.

Chinggis Warriors overcame XDM on Mirage and Nuke. After a tight early stretch, they won Mirage 13-8 and followed with a 13-10 Nuke result. NEXVOID produced a reverse sweep in the remaining upper-bracket quarter-final.

Upper-bracket winners take different routes forward

NEXVOID fell 13-7 on Dust2 in its upper-bracket quarter-final, then reversed the series with a 13-5 Inferno victory and a 13-6 result on Ancient. Rare Atom, The Huns, and Chinggis Warriors remained unbeaten.

Rare Atom and The Huns stayed in the upper bracket. PokemoN and Alter Ego entered the lower bracket after their defeats, while Chinggis Warriors also continued without a loss.

The Huns beat Vitalem Aerem 13-8 on Dust2 and 13-6 on Nuke. Rare Atom defeated Just Swing 13-7 on Ancient before winning Dust2 13-8. NEXVOID recovered after dropping the first map.

Rare Atom at ESL Challenger League Asia-Pacific Cup 1
  • Against Vitalem Aerem, The Huns won Dust2 13-8 and Nuke 13-6.
  • Rare Atom took Ancient 13-7 and Dust2 13-8 versus Just Swing.
  • Chinggis Warriors continued their unbeaten run.
  • NEXVOID lost Dust2 13-7, then won Inferno 13-5 and Ancient 13-6.

The lower bracket had no margin for a further defeat. Nas eliminated Banzai after winning Dust2 13-2 and then surviving an extended Ancient map 22-19. The Ancient result followed a recovery from 3-9 down, making it the reported comeback of the elimination matches.

Kaleido also stayed alive after an opening loss. LEGAM won Dust2 13-9, but Kaleido answered with a 16-12 overtime victory on Ancient and a 16-14 overtime result on Mirage. Those 2 overtime maps reversed the series and ended LEGAM’s run.

NSN and 5star each advanced in 2 maps. NSN defeated QuantumX 13-9 on Dust2 and 13-7 on Ancient, with z1ayr posting a 1.59 rating. 5star beat Haunted House 13-6 on Mirage and 13-8 on Nuke, keeping the Mongolian team in the event.

Elimination matches keep Nas, Kaleido, NSN and 5star alive

Nas began its lower-bracket match against Banzai with a 13-2 victory on Dust2. Nas then recovered from a deficit on Ancient and won 22-19, sending Banzai home.

Kaleido completed a reverse sweep against LEGAM after losing Dust2 9-13. Kaleido won Ancient 16-12 in overtime and then took Mirage 16-14 in overtime, eliminating LEGAM.

NSN beat QuantumX 2-0, while 5star also won in two maps against Haunted House. z1ayr recorded a 1.59 rating for NSN, and the Mongolian 5star stayed alive with victories on Mirage and Nuke.

Annihilation — The Huns
Documented subject Documented fact
Nas vs Banzai Nas won Dust2 13-2, recovered from 3-9 down on Ancient, and won Ancient 22-19.
Kaleido vs LEGAM Kaleido lost Dust2 9-13, then won Ancient 16-12 in overtime and Mirage 16-14 in overtime.
NSN vs QuantumX NSN won Dust2 13-9 and Ancient 13-7; z1ayr recorded a 1.59 rating.
5star vs Haunted House 5star won Mirage 13-6 and Nuke 13-8 to remain in the lower bracket.

The Day 2 results separated the unbeaten upper-bracket teams from the lower-bracket survivors. Rare Atom, The Huns, Chinggis Warriors and NEXVOID advanced toward the upper-bracket finals, while Nas, Kaleido, NSN and 5star continued after elimination-series victories.

Banzai, LEGAM, QuantumX and Haunted House exited following their lower-bracket losses. PokemoN and Alter Ego were moved to the lower bracket, where a further loss would end their tournament run.