3DMAX reach CS Asia Championships final after overcoming Liquid
3DMAX reach CS Asia Championships final after overcoming Liquid
At the CS Asia Championships 2025 (CAC 2025) in China, French side 3DMAX secured their place in the grand final after defeating Liquid 2–1 in the semi-finals.
Under IGL Filip “Graviti” Brankovic, 3DMAX overcame a challenging route through the bracket that included a group-stage hiccup before bouncing back to win key matches in the playoffs.
Match breakdown
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Map 1 – Dust2: Liquid’s pick. The board showed 3DMAX suffering a slow start, after building an 8-2 lead as T-side but letting it slip. Ultimately, Liquid closed the map 13–10.
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Map 2 – Nuke: 3DMAX’s pick. They established rhythm and dominance on the CT-side, closing out 13–7 to tie the series.
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Map 3 – Inferno (decider): 3DMAX surged to a 5–1 lead, and despite some T-side resistance from Liquid, they held firm and sealed 13–8 to clinch the series 2–1.
The victory marks 3DMAX as the first team to lock in a spot in the best-of-five final at this event.
Graviti speaks: resilience and reset
After the series, Graviti offered insights into the team’s mindset:
“The team played good overall… we made Liquid uncomfortable on the maps we played against them. On Dust2 we finished the side 8–4, but on T-side we gave them too many entries and didn’t win some clutches.”
“If you don't reset, you will [mess] the tournament. Everyone just knows we have to focus, and that's it… we were confident to beat them.”
Graviti also acknowledged the challenging path their team has taken this event — including a surprising group-stage loss to Legacy.
Road to the Final: 3DMAX’s event journey
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Group stage: 3DMAX opened with a dominant 13-1 win but then dropped a match to Legacy, raising doubts about consistency.
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Playoffs: They defeated Lynn Vision and Virtus.pro in earlier rounds, then edged past fnatic in a three-map quarter-final before taking down Liquid in the semis.
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Grand Final: With the semis behind them, 3DMAX now await the winner of the other semi (either Legacy or the team opposing them) to face off in the best-of-five final.
Why this matters & implications
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Momentum for 3DMAX: Overcoming big names like fnatic and Liquid shows they’re hitting form at the right time. With Graviti at the helm and strong performances across the board, they’ve become serious contenders.
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Liquid’s setback: As one of the favourites entering, Liquid’s loss raises questions about their closing ability, particularly on own picks and map transitions.
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Tournament narrative: With 3DMAX in the final, the event storyline shifts to whether they can convert this strong run into their first trophy under Graviti’s leadership. As the article notes: “The French side are a best-of-five final away from hoisting their first trophy during Graviti’s tenure as IGL.”
Key moments and tactical takeaways
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On Dust2, 3DMAX’s early 8–2 lead showed potential, but allowing Liquid to recapture rounds highlighted issues in closing T-side rounds and clutch situations.
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On Nuke, their CT-side dominance underlined a strong default and disciplined structure — a contrast to map one.
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On Inferno, the 5-1 start and clean pistol round win at series point showed composure under pressure.
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The ability to reset mentally after losing their own pick demonstrated maturity. Graviti’s comments reinforced the importance of mindset in high-stakes matches.
What to watch in the Final
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Map pool: Given what we observed, if the final goes to 5 maps, how 3DMAX handle each opponent’s picks will be crucial.
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Closing ability: Can they maintain their composure when leading — something they faltered on earlier but improved as the semis progressed?
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Liquid’s opponent in final: If they face either Legacy or the other semifinalist, the style of play will differ; adapting to that will test 3DMAX’s flexibility.
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Trophy moment: For 3DMAX, this is a shot at their first championship with this core and leadership — the psychological lift from clinching could be a factor.
In short: 3DMAX’s path to the final has been far from flawless, but the semis win over Liquid is a strong statement. They showed grit, adjustment, and tactical resolve. If they bring the same mindset to the grand final, they’ll be tough to stop.
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