NADE shocks Eternal Fire in EWC open qualifier

NADE defeated Eternal Fire in a three-map series on Friday at the Esports World Cup open qualifier. Samet “jottAAA” Köklü led NADE. The win advances NADE to the next round and sends Eternal Fire to the elimination bracket for Saturday.

The open qualifier began Friday with 64 teams split into groups. After the first eight groups completed two rounds earlier in the day, groups 9–16 played their opening matches. Winners advance into the playoff stage; teams that lose must win elimination matches to continue in the event.

Other opening-day results included 2-0 wins for Liquid, NRG and 100 Thieves. Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen of 100 Thieves recorded a match rating of 2.85. Virtus.pro beat Sangal 2-0, and FOKUS required overtime to defeat Partizan on Inferno.

Tournament organizers scheduled a large slate of matches for Saturday. Notable ties include K27 versus SINNERS, FOKUS against Sashi, and Liquid versus Metizport. Results will determine which teams move directly into the playoff bracket and which play elimination matches.

Friday’s play completed the opening day of the 64-team qualifier. Teams that lost their openers face multiple elimination rounds on Saturday if they want to reach the playoffs.