Seeing as PGL Bucharest is a somewhat real event, we actually got four quarter-finals from their studio. Y’know, as opposed to the forever disappointing six-team playoffs at every other event.

It was a surprisingly short day given the amount of Counter-Strike that was played. The day began with GamerLegion vs. Falcons, and we were pretty confident the Falcons’ run was over by the end of map one.

13-7 in favour of GamerLegion, Falcons were about as flat as we’ve come to expect them to be, with both NiKo and degster suffering at the bottom of the scoreboard. Not that it mattered for much, the duo turned it on in the next two maps to send Falcons through.

We were then treated to FaZe vs. 3DMAX, or, as we will now call it, FaZe. Seriously, 3DMAX may as well have just stayed in the hotel.

13-0 on Anubis and 13-5 on Nuke, 3DMAX were utterly woeful, and that’s even more true considering how bad FaZe are right now. broky and frozen had their way with the Frenchman, and that made us happy, because the French deserve nothing but sorrow (sorry, french readers).

Sadly, our joy came to an abrupt end in the next game. Because Aurora lost. To Complexity. Yes, Complexity.

The Americans may have somehow looked like a legit team in Bucharest, but come on, Aurora just can’t be losing to teams like Complexity. Sure, XANTARES might be ill, but even then, the talent in the rest of the squad should be enough to get past cxzi and nicx.

All we want is to be able to say that Aurora have the balls to contest playoffs against the best in the world. But if they’re losing to Complexity, what hope is there for them to ever win in a real event?

It may have been 2-1, and Grim and hallzerk may have had the best games of their lives, but this loss is just unforgivable. So for now, consider us off the Aurora train. At least until XANTARES plays like XANTARES again. Then we won’t be able to help ourselves.

The fourth and final quarter-final came in the shape of G2 vs Virtus.pro, which, all things considered, gave us some faith that G2 might not be completely useless when m0NESY leaves them for Falcons.

A 2-0 win after a 13-11 on Dust2 and a 13-9 on Mirage, G2 barely needed their superstar as HeavyGod and malbs both topped maps to send VP packing.

There’s hope there, at least. It might be faint, and they’re not going to find their Luke Skywalker in hades, but stranger things have happened.