 Two powerhouses in the Global Offensive scene faced off in the first phase of the playoffs.On the first map, Natus Vincere struggled massively despite Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's 18 kills to try to aid the Ukrainian-Russian team.Two unexpected players showed up for Liquid as Epitácio "TACO" de Melo, who is mainly known for his support role to help his teammates succeed, and Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken, who had been struggling with health issues, came out on top for Liquid as the North American team cruised.