⁍ Gambit and HellRaisers each recorded their first wins at the Intel Extreme Masters XV — New York Online: Commonwealth of Independent States event on Friday.

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⁍ Gambit dispatched Ethereal in convincing fashion 2-0 during their Group B match.

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⁍ HellRaisers overcame a first-map setback to secure a 2-1 win over Winstrike Team.

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– The world’s best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players are in New York City for the Intel Extreme Masters, a qualifying round for the e-sports’ World Championship. The top 12 teams from round-robin play will move on to the best-of-three playoffs, which begin Oct. 25; the winner will nab $20,000, 2,500 Regional Major Rankings points, and 350 ESL Pro Tour points. The top three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs; the second- and third-place teams will be relegated to best-of-three best-of-three finals, which will take place Oct. 25. The Los Angeles Times notes that this is the first year that e-sports’ World Championship will be held in the US, and the first time it’s been held in New York. The tournament will feature some of the biggest names in the game, including last year’s champion, Team Liquid, as well as up-and-comers like Gambit and HellRaisers.