Gambit, Virtus.pro advance to IEM Worlds semifinals

Gambit Esports and Virtus.pro snagged the last two semifinal berths in the Intel Extreme Masters Season XV World Championship with victories Friday.

Gambit swept Natus Vincere 2-0 to earn a semifinal matchup with Team Spirit. Virtus.pro edged Astralis 2-1 to set up a semifinal meeting with Team Liquid.

Spirit and Liquid advanced directly to the semis by emerging as group-stage winners last week.

The semifinals of the $1 million, 24-team Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event are scheduled for Saturday, and the final will be held Sunday.

The champion will earn $400,000, 1,800 Pro Tour points and 3,200 Blast Premier points. The runner-up will receive $180,000, 1,400 Pro Tour points and 1,600 Blast Premier points.

All group-stage matches and playoff matches through the semifinals are best-of-three. The final will be best-of-five.

On Friday, Gambit handled Natus Vincere 16-12 on Overpass and 16-6 on Train. Russia’s Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov produced 40 kills and a plus-17 kill-death differential for Gambit. Ukraine’s Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev led Natus Vincere with 35 kills and an even K-D differential.

Astralis opened with a 16-10 victory on Overpass, but Astralis extended the match with a 16-12 win on Train. On the decisive third map, Inferno, Astralis led 8-7 at halftime but Virtus.pro pulled away for a 16-11 win. Latvia’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis paced Virtus.pro with 75 kills and a plus-18 K-D differential. Nicolai “device” Reedtz led Astralis’ all-Danish team with 55 kills and a plus-10 K-D differential.

Intel Extreme Masters Season XV World Championship results, with prize money, Pro Tour points and Blast Premier points:

1. $400,000, 1,800 Pro Tour points, 3,200 Blast Premier points

2. $180,000, 1,400 Pro Tour points, 1,600 Blast Premier points

3-4. $80,000, 1,100 Pro Tour points, 1,000 Blast Premier points

5-6. Natus Vincere, Astralis — $40,000, 825 Pro Tour points, 400 Blast Premier points

7-8. G2 Esports, FURIA Esports — $24,000, 575 Pro Tour points, 200 Blast Premier points

9-12. Evil Geniuses, Heroic, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality — $16,000, 325 Pro Tour points, no Blast Premier points

13-16. mousesports, BIG, OG, Ninjas In Pyjamas — $10,000, 125 Pro Tour points, no Blast Premier points

17-20. Cloud9, Renegades, Complexity Gaming, MIBR — $4,500, 60 Pro Tour points, no Blast Premier points

21-24. Movistar Riders, Team One, Wisla Krakow, Fnatic — $2,500, no Pro Tour points, no Blast Premier points

–Field Level Media