MIBR Academy have already shown they can punch above their ranking at this event, especially after sweeping Isurus twice despite entering those series as the lower-ranked team. However, ShindeN represent a much tougher playoff test. The Argentine side arrive in strong form, recently beating Imperial in the ESL Challenger League Season 51 Finals to qualify for ESL Pro League Season 24, which says plenty about their current level.

There is also a recent head-to-head between these teams, with ShindeN winning 2-1 two months ago. MIBR Academy now have revoltz instead of brn$, but with fewer than five official matches played alongside the core, it is hard to say that change completely shifts the matchup.

In terms of the vetoes, the only real concern for ShindeN is Nuke, where they have struggled on their own pick lately. Even so, their overall map pool looks strong enough to survive a close series. MIBR Academy can take a map for sure, given their good form, but ShindeN should advance.