ESC Gaming has advanced to the playoffs of Mad Catz CS:GO Invitational together with TCM-Gaming from the second group stage's group 2B, sending 3DMAX and logiX packing.

First round in the heavily delayed group saw ESC Gaming pull off a 16-8 win versus logiX after hours of delay on de_dust2_se, while TCM-Gaming took down 3DMAX 16-13 on de_inferno_se.

Second round saw logiX suffer another defeat, this time against TCM-Gaming, on de_dust2_se. TCM-Gaming guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs with a 16-6 win. Mad Catz ViennaBest of 1 TCM-GamingMatchpage 16 6 24th February 2013 logiX 16Mirage_ce 6

3DMAX pushed ESC Gaming to their limits on de_train_se as they were fighting for their life in the tournament, and were able to score five rounds at the end of their terrorist half after stellar play late in the half.

The team built around Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovács' AWPing battled back, coming as close as a 11-12 deficit and a four-on-two situation to tying the game, before clutch play by the Poles allowed them to sneak back in.

Big clutch by Loord and TaZ kept ESC in the game 

Wiktor "TaZ" Wojtas and Mariusz "Loord" Cybulski won that round in a fashion so many of us are used to from Counter-Strike 1.6, splitting up all across the map and scoring key entry frags, splitting the defense up.

3DMAX would go onto win the next round, but another successful weak buy from ESC Gaming allowed them to clinch their fourteenth round, after which they never looked back, winning two more rounds for a 16-12 win. Mad Catz ViennaBest of 1 ESCMatchpage 16 12 24th February 2013 3DMAX 16Train_se 12

ESC Gaming will now face off against TCM-Gaming for first place in group 2B, and a chance to meet LDLC.com in the quarter-finals at 10:00 . Loser will go on to face Anexis in the morning.

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