After six challenges and one reflection, Red Bull Battle Grounds concludes its first day. North American team Summer’s Rift has been eliminated after losing all three lives. The day ended in full circle with a rematch of the first teams to battle: Team Malaysia and Summer’s Rift. With both teams having only one remaining life, it was a battle of survival.
The Red Bull Battle Grounds playoffs format is unique and structured to amplify the excitement and the intensity of the matches. The five teams are given a pick schedule rotation and take turns being the challenger. The challengers are able to choose any team to battle. Each team is allowed to either accept the challenge or reflect it. If the team chooses to reflect the challenge, they then choose a substitute team in their place. The substitute team has no choice and must participate in the match versus the original challenger. Each team receives one reflector opportunity and three lives. A lost match results in a loss of a life. When all three lives are lost, the team is eliminated from the Red Bull Battle Grounds playoffs. The last two teams will advance to the San Francisco Grand Finals, on May 10.
After the first day of the Red Bull Battle Grounds playoffs, Summer’s Rift has lost all three lives, thus being eliminated from the competition. Invictus Gaming and Team Secret have managed to keep their lives intact, while HellRaisers still have two lives remaining, and Team Malaysia will go into the second day of the Red Bull Battle Grounds playoffs with only one life left.
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs First Challenge
Challenger Team Malaysia
Challenged Summer’s Rift
Status Accepted
Summary
First blood and the almost immediately following second kill went to Summer’s Rift before two disconnects from Siong Tait Lee JoHnNy caused the match to be paused for over 20 minutes, while PCs were replaced. Upon resuming the match, Summer’s Rift made another two kills taking the score to 4:0 in only four minutes of play. Despite the early dominance from the North Americans, Team Malaysia was able to turn the game around and save a life.
WinnerTeam Malaysia
Lives remaining Team Malaysia 3, Summer’s Rift 2
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Second Challenge
Challenger Invictus Gaming
Challenged HellRaisers
Status Accepted
Summary
Invictus Gaming was able to take the lead as Andrey “Dread” Golubev’s Sand King offlane would feed Xu Zhilei “BurNing”‘s Gyrocopter. With the confidence and the gold advantage, IG was able to push through the towers and start to break high ground. After a bad team fight for HellRaisers, IG was able to secure the victory just before the 30 minute mark.
Winner Invictus Gaming
Lives remaining Invictus Gaming 3, HellRaisers 2
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Third Challenge
Challenger HellRaisers
Challenged Team Malaysia
Status Accepted
Summary
HellRaisers were able to secure an early game advantage, as Dread’s Ursa took Roshan twice, while also shutting down Ohaiyo Chong Xin Khoo’s offlane Axe. HellRaisers were able to keep a significant net worth advantage and used it to push through the bottom lane and wipe MY.
Winner HellRaisers
Lives remaining HellRaisers 2, Team Malaysia 2
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Fourth Challenge
Challenger Team Secret
Challenged Summer’s Rift
Status Reflected
Reflected to Team Malaysia
Summary
First blood and second kill went the way of Roshan. After contesting the first Bounty Rune, Gustav s4 Magnusson was trapped by fissure from Chai Yee Fung Mushi‘s Earthshaker. As an attempt to deny himself, s4 activated Roshan. Roshan focused on Tidehunter instead and has Mushi moved in, Roshan’s Slam denied s4. Low on HP, Ohaiyo denied himself giving Roshan two kills and both teams starting even. Thanks to Arteezy’s Gyrocopter high networth and Malaysia’s draft relying on magic damage – which was easily countered with Black King Bars and Glimmer Cape, Secret was able to overtake the Malaysians, reducing them to only one remaining life.
Winner Team Secret
Lives remaining Team Secret 3, Team Malaysia 1
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Fifth Challenge
Challenger Summer’s Rift
Challenged HellRaisers
Status Accepted
Summary
Andrey Afoninje Afonin’s Storm Spirit dominated the early game thanks to the help of Treant’s living Armor. HellRaisers continued to show their dominance taking two Roshan’s and towers easily, however, they had much difficulty breaking highground, forcing a delay in the game and much farming with little action to follow. During this time Summer’s Rift was able to start building strength and networth, giving them an opportunity to start split pushing safely. After an unsuccessful team fight, with the North American’s trying to take down Dread, HellRaisers were able to regain control of the map and push Summer’s Rift back into their base. After twenty more minutes, Summer’s Rift called “GG” at minute 63.
Winner HellRaisers
Lives remaining HellRaisers 2, Summer’s Rift 1,
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Sixth Challenge
Challenger Team Malaysia
Challenged Summer’s Rift
Status Accepted
Summary
This match was truly a Battle of the first to be eliminated. A fight for the death and rematch of the first match Team Malaysia challenged and defeated Summer’s Rift in the Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs. Team Malaysia started early game with four of their heros leading in networth, securing them the early gold advantage. Brian BananaSlamJamma Canavan’s Ursa took down Roshan and armed with the Aegis and a haste rune, he boldly dove into the tier 1 tower and initiated a favorable three for one fight for the North Americans, giving them the opportunity to come back into the game. Summer’s Rift were unable to maintain the momentum and fell to the Malaysians after MY took a thrilling counter-gank and team fight. By 34 minutes, Summer’s Rift had accepted their fate to be the first team to lose all of their lives and be eliminated from the tournament.
Winner Team Malaysia
Lives remaining Team Malaysia 1, Summer’s Rift 0
Red Bull Battle Grounds Playoffs Day 2
Going into the second day of the Red Bull Battle Grounds playoffs, Team Malaysia will have one life and one reflect available for use against their opponents.
Summer’s Rift walks away after the first day with a $5000 prize. The team will still participate in the Fan Day in San Jose, on May 9. The top two teams will enter the best-of-five Grand Finals held at the Historic Warfield Theater, in San Francisco, on May 10.
All matches will be broadcast on the Red Bull eSports stream. Beyond the Summit will be in charge of commentaries and analysis.
More details on the format, tickets, San Jose LAN and Grand Finals, in our Red Bull Battle Grounds guide.
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