HOTU defeats Luminosity in RLG Tesla Cup opener
HOTU opened their RLG Tesla Cup campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over Luminosity. Even though the Russian squad had to deal with randomized vetoes due to arriving late at the venue, they successfully closed out the series on Mirage and Ancient.
The randomization process, caused by HOTU's late arrival, meant the team could not manually select their bans, resulting in Inferno being selected as the decider. However, the technicality did not impact the outcome, as HOTU proved too strong for their opponents.
On Mirage, HOTU jumped to an early 6:1 lead following a successful pistol round. Luminosity fought back to level the score at 6:6 by the end of the first half. After the side swap, HOTU regained momentum, eventually securing the map 13:11. Aleksandr "dwushka" Pakhnevich stood out on the CT side, contributing a +3.12% round swing to keep HOTU in control.
The second map, Ancient, turned into a one-sided affair. HOTU, led by Aidos "kade0" Hairjan, dominated the CT side to take a 10:2 lead into the break. Luminosity failed to mount a comeback in the second half, ultimately falling 13:4.
The standout performer of the series was Major champion David "n0rb3r7" Danielyan. The rifler delivered a massive 1.76 rating, recording 40 kills and a staggering +7.20% round swing. Conversely, Oscar "AZUWU" Bell struggled for Luminosity, finishing the series with a 0.71 rating.
Luminosity will next face ENVY in the Group B Elimination Match.