ATK claims third-place in ESL Challenger League S45

Featuring South African player Gareth ” MisteM” Ries as the in-game leader (IGL), ATK Arena’s CS:GO squad convincingly made it to the playoffs of the ESL Challenger League Season 45 North America and competed with seven other top teams from the region. Here’s what went down during the playoffs.

ESL Challenger League S45 NA results

The eight teams, including ATK, competed for their share of the $50,000 prize pool. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s nearly R1 million! The double-elimination playoffs didn’t start all too well for ATK’s squad, as they lost 2-0 against paiN Gaming.

From there, ATK managed to claw their way back through a large portion of the lower bracket. ATK beat Nouns Esports 2-0, with the second map going into overtime. Then, ATK took their revenge against paiN Gaming with a reverse sweep to knock out the Brazillians.

Speaking of Brazillian squads, ATK couldn’t pull off a win against MIBR, as they beat ATK 2-0 to end their run at ESL Challenge League Season 45 North America. MIBR made it to the grand final, but Evil Geniuses Black had a one-map advantage. This, however, didn’t stop the Brazillian side, as they managed an incredible comeback, beating EG Black 3-2 with the final map, Overpass, going into overtime.

With their third-place finish, ATK wins $7,000 and keeps their spot in the ESL Challenger League North America for Season 46. We hope to see them perform even better next season, as the winner gets a spot in the upcoming ESL Pro League.

Header image via Valve.