Virtus.pro are the champions of DH Las Vegas 2017

Virtus.pro faced SK Gaming In the grand final of DreamHack Master Las Vegas 2017. The match was a best-of-3. Earlier, VP.G2A had won against Astralis, while their opponent had bested North.

The match began on Cobblestone, picked by Virtus.pro G2A. The Poles started on defense and won the pistol round. Snatching the initiative, SK Gaming took the B site during a force buy (1-1). Two rounds later, TaZ retook B after three kills (2-3). The score was evened twice more, after which the Brazilians gained a lead thanks to individual plays on entering bomb sites (4-7).

SK Gaming’s series of successful attacks was broken by Snax’s four kills in round 15 (5-10). Switching to defense, SK won the first five rounds, after which Virtus.pro won back three mappoints. Despite VP.G2A’s attempts at a comeback, the Brazilian team repelled another attack by the Poles and won on the first map: 8-16.

The match continued on Train, SK Gaming’s map pick. The Poles started on defense and won the pistol round, but then lost a force buy to the Brazilians (1-1). Four rounds later, FalleN and coldzera won in a 2v5 situation during a safe plant (2-5). Three kills by NEO helped prevent an attempt at an open plant (3-5).

VP.G2A bridged the score gap (5-5), then couldn’t contain SK as they went for an open plant (5-6). Taking the initiative in the following round, the Poles managed to get ahead and gain a three-round lead before switching sides (9-6). SK Gaming prevailed in the second pistol round. Virtus.pro tried to turn the game around during a force buy, but the Brazilians prevented it, evening the score (9-9).

VP.G2A took back the initiative and won three rounds in a row with aggressive plays (12-9). Both teams traded rounds, after which Virtus.pro successfully pulled off a safe plant (13-10). Having broken the opponent’s economy, the Poles took the A site successfully three times, evening the score on maps: 16-11.  

Mirage was the map that decided the champion. The Poles started on defense and won the first two rounds (2-0). SK Gaming took the B site, where coldzera made four kills. Virtus.pro repelled the next three attacks by the Brazilians. In round 7, VP.G2A won a 3v3 after the bomb had been planted, retaking the A site (6-1).

Making active use of the window, SK Gaming evened the score (6-6). A quick Brazilian take of the A site via the middle and the pit took SK to the lead (6-7). Losing again in the following round, the Poles then repelled another attack on the A site: 7-8.

SK won the second pistol round. VP.G2A went for a force buy and entered the A site in a split push, but a series of trades did not go in their favor (7-11). Their economy restored, the Poles entered the B site and won in a 2v3 situation (8-11). Virtus.pro lost the round after that, but then won a force buy, taking the B site (9-12).

An unsuccessful force buy from the Brazilians resulted in a 2v2 on the A site, won by WP.G2A (11-12). The following round saw the Poles even the score, after which they entered the A site, but traded with a net loss and were unable to defend the planted bomb (12-13). TaZ won a 1v2 clutch, giving his team a new chance to come back in the game.

SK Gaming unsuccessfully attempted a force buy and then lost an eco (15-13). In the decisive round, Virtus.pro made a fast-paced entrance through the middle, where confident frags took them to victory: 16-13.

Virtus.pro took the title of champions and the $200,000 in prize money.