The journey wasn’t easy, however, as the group stage saw them battle though a tight three-map win over NiP before Jakub "jcobbb" Pietruszewski put on a 1.45-rated clinic against fnatic, sending them into the playoffs. While jcobbb’s entry fragging was a game-changer, the real stars of the grand final were Patryk "Demho" Tomaszewski and Milan "hypex" Polowiec, who stepped up when it mattered most.
The series started with a bang, as Apogee completely shut down OG’s Ancient pick. But just when it looked like they might run away with it, OG answered back on Nuke, storming to an 11-4 halftime lead and extending it to 12-5. Apogee refused to back down, though, as hypex and jcobbb went on a rampage, dragging the game into overtime before ultimately falling 14-16.
Then came Dust2, which followed a familiar script with Apogee taking an early 2-0 lead only to drop 10 rounds in a row. But, just like on Nuke, they clawed their way back on the T-side, forcing yet another overtime. This time, they didn’t let it slip, closing out the map to go up 2-1.
With all the momentum on their side, they charged into Anubis, built a 7-1 CT-side lead, and never looked back, securing the series and their spot at PGL Bucharest.
Their performance didn’t go unnoticed. FaZe Clan’s karrigan praised their composure and smart calls, while Apogee’s sport psychologist, Anna "anjdasuder" Suder, celebrated their resilience and ability to deliver in high-pressure moments.
For OG, this was a tough pill to swallow. They had been riding a wave of strong performances, with stand-in AWPer Nico "nicoodoz" Tamjidi making the headlines with a 1.19 rating over 18 maps. But his costly misses on Dust2’s CT side ended up tilting the game in Apogee’s favor. Still, OG’s deep run should earn them some valuable VRS points, and nicoodoz at least has his insane 1v4 clutch against NAVI Junior to look back on.
