The map veto began with Team Heretics picking Sunset and FPX picking Lotus, leaving Icebox as the potential third map.
FPX ran Yoru and Harbor, two picks that they loved to run across most maps in the pool. Heretics ran their Shanghai standard, with benjyfishy on the Cypher and Wo0t on the Raze. After winning the first pistol, Heretics started to get a lead thanks to an ace from Wo0t. FPX fumbled some rounds as well, notably using a Yoru ultimate in a 3v2 to spot both enemies and still losing.
Heretics had solid plans for their post-plants and were able to play around the Harbor utility well. The lead ballooned to 10-1 until a 1v2 clutch from autumn took FPX into the half down 10-2.
A second pistol round loss for FPX proved too big a deficit to come back from, as Team Heretics cleaned up map one 13-4. Wo0t was the star on map one, with his aggression helping him get 27 kills in only 17 rounds.
Lotus was next, with FPX returning to their triple controller comp. Life got a quick 4K to get his team their first pistol win of the series, and a bonus conversion set FPX off to a needed hot start. It took some eco round wins for Team Heretics to stop the bleeding, who fought back to enter the half only down 8-4.
FPX won a second pistol due to some key indecision from Heretics and maintained their momentum from their attack side to finish the map 13-6.
Icebox was the second time FPX ran triple controller this series, with Life moving onto the newest agent Clove. Starting on attack, Team Heretics got their first pistol win of Icebox thanks to a good post-plant on B site. Heretics looked drilled, constantly aware of how FPX played their defense with Clove. Life usually pushed alone near A site, and it would often be read by Heretics for a free kill. That led to Heretics converting their first bonus round, already putting FPX in a tough spot.
It took a thrifty for FPX to get their first defense round win to put them on the board at 5-1. They entered the half down 10-2 for the second time this series, once again needing a miracle to bring their playoff chances back. Life was able to get a 4K to win the second pistol round of Icebox, but a clutch defuse from Heretics prevented an FPX bonus conversion.
The triple controller allowed for some creative attack rounds, especially in mid, that helped mount a comeback. AAAAY and Autumn hit some big shots, taking the map to overtime. FPX had all the momentum coming back from a 10-2 deficit, but to win the series, they would need to win a defense round. The first attempt was a loss, but winning the attack round gave them another chance. The second try was another defense loss and attack win, owing to a BerLIN clutch flank through the enemy spawn.
The third overtime was the third round across the entire map that FPX had won a defense round, this time from an opening kill from Life and a clutch late flank from BerLIN once again. But on attack, Wo0t sliced his way to an ace with his Jett ultimate and took the map to a fourth overtime. Just as the map seemed within reach for FPX, they lost the final round due to a chaotic moment. FPX had to plant in a 1v1, with just over four seconds left, but an audible drop from Boo got BerLIN off the spike, and the FPX player could not see his enemy in their own Clove smoke. Team Heretics scraped out the win to beat FPX 17-15.
