FaZe Clan Defeats Natus Vincere to Win EPICENTER 2018

FaZe Clan pulled off a stunning upset Sunday, claiming the EPICENTER 2018 victory over the hometown hero and tournament favorite Natus Vincere.

The team made up of longtime European Counter-Strike: Global Offensive veterans such as Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer and Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovács, hoisted the trophy after a 2-0 sweep of its Ukrainian opponent.

The first map, played on Mirage, started off strong for FaZe. A Na`Vi rally brought the round count to 12-14 before FaZe managed to quiet the opposition. The second map, Dust2, produced a blowout for FaZe, who coasted to a 16-3 win over a broken Na`Vi.

FaZe and Na`Vi reached the finals Saturday, FaZe through Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team Liquid, and Na`Vi through AVANGAR. Na`Vi had previously defeated FaZe 2-0 in the group stage to earn its place in the playoffs, but FaZe turned that loss on its head to earn the $150,000 first place prize.

The win is FaZe's first since ESL One Belo Horizonte in June and ends a string of disappointing performances at the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier, DreamHack Stockholm, the FACEIT London Major, and ESL One New York.