Coming into the event there were clear favourites from both groups, but with room for upsets, all teams were looking to put their best foot forward.
Group A started out on the main stream with mYinsanity vs Virtus Pro, followed by ePunks vs Team Liquid. Prior to the event there have been questions raised about the form of both Virtus Pro and Team Liquid, and even though their first series results differed, they still left a lot to be desired.
The German team ePunks came in with confidence and the potential to cause upsets, drawing interest towards the team. However, they were unable to turn up when it matter most, losing their first set against Team Liquid and then to Virtus Pro to drop out of the tournament.
It seemed as though mYinsanity was going to continue rolling through the European scene after they tore through Virtus Pro in their first series, but Team Liquid was not going down without a fight. After the first game went in favour of mYinsanity, Liquid rallied and not only handed mYi their their first map loss to a European since April, but also a series loss that they may not have expected.
Arguably the tighter of the two groups, Group B still had favourites in Team Dignitas and Fnatic, but teh89 and CrowingChickens had shown that they're not to be taken lightly.
Group started out as expected, with Dig and Fnatic winning their first series to send teh89 and CrowingChickens into the first of the elimination matches. With everything on the line, the series between teh89 and CrowingChickens was an intense back and forward affair that went the distance, with teh89's tournament experience coming through in the end to take the series and move on in the tournament.
Team Dignitas and Fnatic have been consistent names when it comes to European Heroes of the Storm, and with Dignitas' dominance waning over the past few months, the matchup could go either way. As with the winners game in group A, not only was it a close, drawn out affair, but the final result went against expectation.
After Dignitas and mYinsanity held the top two spots in Europe for the past few months, the way day one turned out has really shaken things up, and it is going to be very interesting to see how the rest of the tournament shapes up.
Day two will start at 11:15 CEST with the rematch between mYinsanity and Virtus Pro followed by the other rematch of teh89 vs Team Dignitas.
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