3DMAX Upset ENCE, Secures Spot in EPL S22 Stage 2

3DMAX Upset ENCE, Secures Spot in EPL S22 Stage 2

In a tense battle at ESL Pro League Season 22 Stage 1, French outfit 3DMAX edged out ENCE 2–1 (Dust2 11-13, Nuke 13-5, Ancient 16-14) to book their place in Stage 2. 

ENCE are not yet eliminated — they drop into the 2-2 Swiss bracket where one more win could still push them forward. 

Match Recap & Key Performances

Map 1 – Dust2 (ENCE pick): ENCE struck first, narrowly winning 13-11. Rigon “rigoN” Gashi impressed, pulling off a 1.49 rating as he led ENCE’s efforts. 

Map 2 – Nuke (3DMAX pick): The French side responded emphatically, winning 13-5. They didn’t lose a single CT round. Pierre “Ex3rcice” Bulinge stood out with a 2.03 rating. 

Map 3 – Ancient (decider): The final map was fiercely contested and went to overtime. After a back-and-forth contest filled with clutches and even teamkills, 3DMAX prevailed 16-14. 

In terms of ratings, Bryan “Maka” Canda was the top performer for 3DMAX with a 1.21 rating, followed closely by Lucas “Lucky” Chastang at 1.20. 

For ENCE, Paavo “podi” Heiskanen was the best, with a 1.12 rating, while Ryan “Neityu” Aubry posted 1.07 and Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev recorded 0.99. 

Broader Context & Stage 2 Picture

With this victory, 3DMAX joins GamerLegion and Gentle Mates in clinching Stage 2 spots. 

GamerLegion defeated B8 2–0, while Gentle Mates swept Legacy 2–0 in their deciding matches. 

Some teams, like HOTU, have already qualified earlier by going 3–0 in the Swiss stage. HOTU’s decisive 2–0 win over ENCE was a stark contrast to ENCE’s current situation.

There remain three Stage 2 slots up for grabs, to be fought over in Thursday’s matches. 

Observations & Notes

Historically, this matchup was intriguing: ENCE’s permanent ban was 3DMAX’s strongest map, putting 3DMAX at a disadvantage in draft.

There was also an interesting meta-link — ENCE’s analyst used to work for 3DMAX.

Safe to note: 3DMAX’s current roster is bodyy, Maka, Lucky, Ex3rcice & Graviti. 

ENCE’s lineup consists of rigoN, sdy, myltsi, podi & Neityu.