XSE GangKui Cup: Recap

It all started with one of the best results in recent Australian CounterStrike history.

April 1st, Shanghai. Day one of the GangKui Cup LAN Finals. Eight teams, $15,000 & precous VRS points on the line, with a field loaded with Asian heavyweights.

Semper Fi walked out and beat TYLOO 2-0.

The same TYLOO that would go on to win the entire tournament.

Let that result sit for a second. On LAN, in China, against one of the region's most storied organisations, Semper Fi delivered a statement performance. It wasn't a fluke. It was a 2-0.

The tournament didn't end there, and that's where it gets painful. FlyQuest shut us out 2-0 the following day, dropping us into the lower bracket. From there, Rare Atom ended the run 2-0, sending SemperFi home with a 5-6th finish.

It's a result that deserves two readings.

On paper, 5-6th. In reality, a team that beat the eventual champions on the opening day of a LAN in China and had every right to go deeper.

FlyQuest carried the Oceanic flag to the grand final, falling to TYLOO 1-2 in a tight finish. Second place at a $15,000 international LAN. The region is competing.

The hunger is there. The level is there. Semper Fi will be back.

That's Semper Fi.

Always Faithful.