Elisa Invitational Winter 2023 winners GamerLegion defeated Copenhagen Flames in a two-map grand final, taking the opening round 16-13 on Ancient before winning 19-15 in overtime on Inferno to seal the deal.

The result marks the team's first tournament triumph since its victorious run through the Thunderpick Bitcoins Series 2 in February. The team had previously suffered from a series of early exits from numerous online tournaments during the first three months of 2023.

The 20-team online competition's international mix received an invitation directly to the second round of finals; they took full advantage of the benefit by first defeating Partizan (2-0) and then defeating Movistar Riders in the semifinal (2-0).

In the grand final matchup against the Danes, the Kamil #siuhy Szkaradek-led lineup got off to a fast start, building a comfortable 9-6 advantage on the CT-side of Ancient due to a 1.61-rated effort from Frederik #acoR Gyldstrand. When it was the Danes' time to defend, they kept things tight and fought back to a tie score of 13-13, but GamerLegion turned up the heat and went on a three-round winning streak to win the game 16-13.

Much of what had happened before, continued in Inferno, with GamerLegion once more having a comfortable three-round lead by the side switch. Copenhagen Flames recovered after a brief spurt in play and made a drive for the map point (15-13), but GamerLegion once more solidified their defensive line, forcing OT, and winning the game 19-15 just in time.

However, Thomas #birdfromsky Due-team Frederiksen's will find it difficult to accept the defeat after making their first grand final showing of 2023.

Prior to their match against GamerLegion, the team had an outstanding run through the Elisa Invitational Winter. They breezed through the group stage with a 3-0 record, followed by a similar performance in the semifinals, where they even defeated BIG, the highest-seeded team in the competition. Nevertheless, the Danish squad ran out of gas and was forced to accept a silver medal for capping off their remarkable journey.

What’s next?

The European roster will surely benefit greatly from the competition win, particularly with the BLAST.tv Paris Major Europe RMR, which takes place from April 6–14, rapidly approaching.

Along with FaZe, Natus Vincere, and Outsiders, siuhy's team was seeded into Group A and will enjoy working their way up to top condition in time for one of the most significant qualifiers of the year.