FLUFFY AIMERS win Heatwave Series 2023

Over the weekend, six teams battled it out in the playoffs of CS Heatwave Finals, a LAN event in Miami, Florida. Among the competitors were three ECL teams in Rocket, Badass, and FLUFFY AIMERS.

In the quarterfinals, FLUFFY AIMERS and NoVum received bye rounds while Apes just barely scraped by Revel in a 2-0 series. Revel took the primates to 29 rounds in the first map and over thirty in the second, but were unfortunately unable to take a map home. The Rocket-Badass game was closer, with each at least getting one map before Rocket came away with the third, eliminating their ECL opponent.

On to the semifinals, NoVum made it extremely close against Rocket, taking it all thirty rounds on Overpass before just falling short of the finish line. NoVum's T-side on Overpass was strong and kept things in an even keel, but once Rocket got onto their own T-side, they just rolled over their opponents and cruised to a spot in the grand finals. On the other side of the semis, FLUFFY AIMERS and Apes battled it out all the way to a map three that FA controlled from start to finish, setting up the grand finals.

On Rocket's map of Overpass, FLUFFY AIMERS made it look like their home as they nested and held onto thirteen CT-side rounds. A successful pistol round all but secured it as FA went on to win the map 16-2, but not until after Blake "Elk" Swinson would win an honorable knife duel, so really, who won the moral victory?

FLUFFY AIMERS started their T-side strong on their home pick of Vertigo, but Rocket made it a competitive game, racking up six CT-rounds before the bell rung. Despite losing the pistol, Rocket's T-side started off strong, nearly equalizing the score. However, once FA got themselves onto a full buy and destroyed the economy of their opponents, there was no way back in for Rocket. FA won Vertigo 16-10, securing first place and a $3,000 prize in ROK Esports' Heatwave Series 2023.

Final Standings:
1st: FLUFFY AIMERS (Peeping, LEARSI, Jason, dea, intra) - $3,000
2nd: Rocket (aleph, Elk, nero, droid, brett) - $1,000
3-4th: Apes (Irish, Average, Sora, Kermi, Shawta)
3-4th: NoVum (bird, Brazy, clx, vin3, kashz)
5-6th: Badass (snav, Fr3nk1e, dare, shane, nbgee12)
5-6th: Revel (Jachro, BATSPEED, Gman, P3nny, KaJohnRay)