TYLOO beat Astralis in dramatic fashion to win FISSURE Playground 1

TYLOO have won FISSURE Playground 1, winning their first-ever Counter-Strike trophy as an organization. It is not just a massive day for TYLOO as a team, but also for Asian Counter-Strike as a whole. This is a scene we’ve watched take rapid steps forward over the last few years, and we’re finally at the point where they feel like real contenders as top tournaments. That TYLOO managed to best Counter-Strike’s most decorated organization in Astralis to do so is just the icing on the cake.

Want to know how TYLOO took the grand prize over Astralis in the FISSURE Playground 1 Final? Read on.

TYLOO take 3:1 series with JamYoung brilliance

Despite the scoreline reading 3:1 in the FISSURE Playground 1 Final, things didn’t quite get off to the dream start for TYLOO. It was Astralis who took the opening map of Inferno, showing tons of resilience in tough scenarios to win 13:10. The lights felt all a little too bright for TYLOO, and the Danes had the potential to run away with proceedings.

That, though, is not how things went down. Nuke was an absolute demolition job for TYLOO, taking down an unconvincing Astralis 13:4 on their own map pick. Map three of Mirage is where Astralis will really resent this loss. They were 12:8 up, needing just one round to get back into the lead. But TYLOO, stubborn as always, completed a remarkable comeback to win it in overtime. We can’t guarantee what would’ve happened next, Astralis winning map three would have given them every chance of seeing out this best-of-five series.

So things all ended on Ancient. A good map for Astralis, in theory, if not for JamYoung. The 23-year-old has had a remarkable event so far, and showed no signs of slowing down in this Grand Final. In the last map of Ancient, he put up a stellar 27:14 scoreline to carry his team over the finish line. It was a star-making performance, the type that will see eyes on him for the rest of the year. What began as a FISSURE Playground 1 run with a stand-in coach, ended in lifting that trophy at the end of it all.

Astralis predictability is their downfall

For Astralis, this has to be the one that got away. They were favorites to win FISSURE Playground 1, and looked even better for it having gone a map up here. Individually, they were largely fine (outside of the terrible Nuke), but it was the micro details that let them down in the end.

At times, it felt like TYLOO had Astralis’ number, especially when the Danes were playing on T-side. It always looked as though TYLOO had the right pieces in the right places to stop Astralis’ approaches. Was it great reads, or was it simply predictability? I’m going with a mixture of both, but it’s something Astralis will need to be aware of as they prepare to play at IEM Cologne 2025.

For now, it’s time to enjoy TYLOO. A team on an epic journey with some of the most likable players in the scene. Now, not just great personalities, but champions in their own right.