Outsiders began their Pro League campaign with a deserving 2-0 triumph over #IHC. Despite beginning the year with loss in quarterfinal appearance at IEM Katowice, Outsiders has struggled to live up to standards they created by winning the IEM Rio Major in 2022. The Mongolians, who entered the competition in Malta as an outsider with a chance to shock the field, failed to make an impact against the Russian squad.

Match opener

Outsiders and IHC’s initial ESL Pro League Season 17 match on the B broadcast began on traditional map they both favored, Inferno, and the match lived up to its promise of being competitive. Outsiders prevailed in the opening pistol round while playing defense, and they narrowly avoided death in the ensuring complete pistol save. After a shaky start, IHC turned the game around to 4-2 before Dzhami #Jame Ali and friends took back the advantage, winning the first half 9-6.

Petr #fame Bolyshev and Alexey #Qikert Golubev reversed a 2v4 in the second pistol round to reach double figures in what turned out to be a tight half. Early gun rounds ended Jame’s sluggish play, and there were numerous indications of conflict, particularly with newbie Aleksandr #KaiR0N Anashkin, who was unable to make an impression (0.37 rating and three kills on the attack), but Outsiders eventually prevailed, 16-13, following a back-and-forth battle late in the game.

IHC got the game started on Overpass, but it wasn’t until 2-2 that Sodbayar #Techno Munkhbold had the opportunity to get a knife slain and then win a 1v3 clutch to keep the Mongolian team ahead thanks to an enormous mistake by Outsiders on the B site against a nearly complete eco. Despite the psychological blow, Outsiders recovered quickly and won the next round to retake the lead to a 9-6 interval.

There was nothing left to say after Outsiders won the second round forcebuy on the offensive after losing in handguns, and they firmly took the map 16-7. Surprisingly, Jame completed the winning stage with only 8 wins and 10 deaths across the entire tournament’s 23 matches.

Stay tuned

While IHC are now down in the first round of the lower bracket where they will play MIBR for a chance to escape the triple-elimination last chance bracket, while the Russians will now face fnatic in the Group A upper bracket.