Renegades sweep LookingForOrg at IEM Fall OCE as they stamp their tickets for Stockholm

The DreamHack Open champions made it look easy as they prepare to depart for the Major.

Renegades have proven themselves unstoppable once more, downing LookingForOrg 3-0 to win IEM Fall OCE – their thirteenth tournament win in a row – and claim Oceania’s sole spot at the Stockholm Major.

Their tournament streak, which now stretches back to the start of 2020, is showing no signs of ending, as Josh “INS” Potter’s squad assured the region the crown of OCE Counter-Strike remains theirs.

“We had jitters in the first map, we were a bit panicky in the comms,” said Jordan “Hatz” Bajic following their 2-1 win over LookingForOrg in the winner bracket final, which ultimately guaranteed their qualification for the Stockholm Major.

“It’s super surreal for Josh [INS], Ali [aliStair] and I – we haven’t attended a major before. We’re incredibly happy, it was a good win for us.”

Many questioned the RMR system and format for the region, which saw just two teams – Renegades and Order – eligible for OCE’s sole spot at the Stockholm Major Challenger Stage as a Contender team.

Order would need to outplace Renegades by two spots to snatch away the tickets to Sweden, while LookingForOrg and Vertex, the two closed bracket qualifiers, could not come close enough to challenge for the Major spot.

But with Order dropping their opening series 2-1 to LookingForOrg, and with RNG breezing past Vertex, the eventual champions needed just one best-of-three win to cement their spot in Sweden.

LFO jumped out of the gates in the winner bracket final, claiming Renegades’ map pick of Nuke by force 16-3, to the surprise of many.

“I think [LookingForOrg] have improved tenfold over the break,” said Hatz. “They’ve developed their own style to the game and they’ve become a lot harder to read.”

It would be as close as LFO would come to the victory, with Renegades turning up the heat on Vertigo to win 16-3, then wiping out the ex-Dire Wolves squad 16-4 on Dust 2.

It was an event to forget for Order, who, for most pundits, now see as the third-best squad in the region following LFO’s resurgence this season.

Order survived a massive scare in the lower bracket, nearly losing their eliminator to a Vertex lineup without James “Roflko” Lytras, before unceremoniously bowing out 0-2 to LFO in the lower bracket final.

IEM Fall OCE Closed Qualifier – Results

DateGame
Friday, September 17LookingForOrg 2-0 8Ballers
Vertex 2-0 lol123
Saturday, September 18LookingForOrg 2-0 Vertex
8Ballers W-FF lol123
Sunday, September 19Vertex 2-0 8Ballers

IEM Fall OCE Main Event – Results

DateGame
Wednesday, September 29Renegades 2-0 Vertex
Order 1-2 LookingForOrg
Thursday, September 30Vertex 1-2 Order
Friday, October 1Renegades 2-1 LookingForOrg
Saturday, October 2LookingForOrg 2-0 Order
Sunday, October 3LookingForOrg 0-3 Renegades

LFO came close to Renegades at DreamHack Open, where they defeated RNG in the upper bracket, but despite a map advantage, fell in straight sets in the grand final.

RNG, this time with the map advantage, came into the IEM Fall final as massive favourites, and looked to secure Overpass with a 12-3 CT half.

But LFO fought back, taking the opening six rounds, then breaking RNG’s T economy straight up. The ex-Dire Wolves line-up continued to chip away but it became too much in round 30, with RNG surviving LFO’s comeback to win 16-14.

Mirage, and up 9-6, Renegades weren’t going to let it become a close affair. Five straight to start the second half put the result beyond doubt, with the champions running away 16-7 victors.

Renegades’ win at IEM Fall OCE also secures them enough EPT points to qualify as Oceania’s representative for IEM Katowice, set for late February 2022.

The team will depart for Sweden in the coming days.

Nicholas Taifalos

Nicholas "Taffy" Taifalos got his start publishing the escapades of some of Australia's pioneers in Counter-Strike and Dota overseas. Now, he turns his eye to events closer to home, from grassroots projects to the height of Oceanic competition and everything in-between. He still hopes for the day Dota makes a glorious return to the pinnacle of OCE esports.

Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas "Taffy" Taifalos got his start publishing the escapades of some of Australia's pioneers in Counter-Strike and Dota overseas. Now, he turns his eye to events closer to home, from grassroots projects to the height of Oceanic competition and everything in-between. He still hopes for the day Dota makes a glorious return to the pinnacle of OCE esports.

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