FaZe Clan rally for win in CS:GO Esports World Cup opener

The hands of an esport gamer clutching the controler at Encore Esports Gaming Lounge in New Rochelle on Thursday, December 20, 2018. E Sports FaZe Clan overcame a nine-point deficit to defeat BetBoom Team 13-11 on Nuke as the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition got underway on Wednesday at the Esports World Cup in Paris. Denmark's Jason "JBOEN" Boe Nielsen recorded 19 kills and a plus-2 kill-death differential for FaZe Clan in a Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal match. The event features 32 teams divided into four groups in the double-elimination opening stage. All opening matches consisted of a single map, while the remaining group-stage matches will be best-of-three. The top four teams in each group will move on to the single-elimination playoffs. Playoff matches will be best-of-three until the grand final on Aug. 22, which will be best-of-five. The championship team will receive $600,000 and 1,000 Esports World Cup club points. The runner-up will get $340,000 and 750 points. In the other Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal matches, Team Falcons topped K27 13-6 on Dust II, Astralis downed MIBR 13-6 on Inferno, and Legacy routed Ninjas in Pyjamas 13-5 on Cache. In Group A, JiJieHao edged Team Spirit 13-10 on Mirage, GamerLegion trounced Luminosity Gaming 13-3 on Nuke, G2 Esports nipped M80 13-11 on Mirage, and BIG bested Aurora Gaming 13-9 on Cache. In Group C, Team Vitality blitzed 100 Thieves 13-4 on Nuke, B8 pushed past PARIVISION 13-11 on Cache, FUT Esports outlasted TYLOO 13-10 on Mirage, and MOUZ handled Lynn Vision Gaming 13-8 on Dust II. In Group D, Natus Vincere beat 3DMAX 13-9 on Inferno, The MongolZ toppled magic 13-7 on Mirage, 9z Team blasted paiN Gaming 13-3 on Cache, and FURIA dumped Wildcard 13-10 on Inferno. The upcoming schedule: THURSDAY Group A upper-bracket semifinals JiJieHao vs. GamerLegion G2 Esports vs. BIG Group B upper-bracket semifinals Team Falcons vs. Astralis FaZe Clan vs. Legacy Group A lower-bracket quarterfinals Team Spirit vs. Luminosity Gaming M80 vs. Aurora Gaming FRIDAY Group C upper-bracket semifinals Team Vitality vs. B8 FUT Esports vs. MOUZ Group B lower-bracket quarterfinals K27 vs. MIBR BetBoom Team vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas Group C lower-bracket quarterfinals 100 Thieves vs. PARIVISION TYLOO vs. Lynn Vision Gaming SATURDAY Group D upper-bracket semifinals Natus Vincere vs. The MongolZ 9z Team vs. FURIA Group D lower-bracket quarterfinals 3DMAX vs. Magic paiN Gaming vs. Wildcard Group A lower-bracket semifinals Teams TBD SUNDAY Group B lower-bracket semifinals Teams TBD Group C lower-bracket semifinals Teams TBD Group D lower-bracket semifinals Teams TBD Counter-Strike: Global Offensive -- Esports World Cup prize pool (with money winnings and Esports World Cup club points) 1. $600,000, 1,000 points 2. $340,000, 750 points 3. $190,000, 500 points 4. $110,000, 300 points 5-8. $60,000, 200 points 9-16. $35,000, no points 17-24. $20,000, no points 25-32. $10,000, no points --Field Level Media