Elevate completes lower-bracket run to rule Garena Summer Invitational
MANILA, Philippines — Elevate captured the Garena Summer Invitational (GSI) title after a grueling lower-bracket run, defeating Al-Ula Club, 4-3, in the grand finals to emerge victorious in the first Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM) LAN event held in the Philippines since 2024.
The triumph came as a redemption arc for the all-Filipino squad, which earlier fell to Al-Ula Club, 4-1, in the upper bracket finals — a result that avenged Al-Ula Club's defeat during the Garena Masters Season 10 grand finals earlier in the year.
Dropping to the lower bracket, Elevate faced Team Star Magic in a tightly contested series. Despite Star Magic rallying from a 0-3 deficit to close the gap at 2-3, Elevate held firm, shutting the door with a win in Standoff-Control to secure a return to the finals.
In the championship round, both teams traded blows across the series. Al-Ula Club opened with a win in Takeoff-Hardpoint. The Red Rebellion then responded by equalizing in Coastal-Search and Destroy but Al-Ula Club regained the lead once more after closing out Standoff-Control to go up, 2-1.
Momentum shifted in the second rotation as Al-Ula Club squandered a 100-point advantage in Hacienda-Hardpoint, allowing Elevate to mount a comeback and tie the series. Riding that swing, Elevate dominated Firing Range-Search and Destroy once more to move to match point.
Al-Ula Club forced a decider after taking the final Control map, setting up a winner-take-all Search and Destroy. With both sides tied at 4-4 at halftime, Elevate’s defense proved decisive, pulling ahead to secure a 9-5 win and the championship, denying Al-Ula Club yet another trophy.
Despite the loss, Al-Ula Club’s Brazillian standout Lucas “Lucaszin” Ferreira acknowledged the team’s growth across LAN appearances and the lessons taken from the tournament.
“Yeah, to be honest, I'm really proud of everyone. Like our team improved a lot, like the way we played last LAN, last LAN in China. So like I said, it's our second LAN. So we, like I said before, everyone wants to win here. But we use that tournament also to grow as a team because we need to learn how to handle it, like play on LAN events instead of online. So I'm really proud of everyone,” he said.
Coming back from the lower bracket is not new to the squad, which has been one of the country's top CODM teams since 2023.
“Sabi ko lang sa kanila, enjoyin lang yung game, kasi sanay na kami sa lower bracket run lage, alam na namin yung gagawin doon pag napunta kami doon. proud ako sa boys yung hard work nila,” said Elevate head coach Mark “Olea” Olea.
“Yung mga ganun pang ngayari, sanay na kami talaga. Sanay na kami yung hinahabol, kasi dati kami lagi lamang. Ngayon kami naman yung humahabol, nakaka-adapt na rin kasi yung mga teams eh. Pero bukod dun, ano, sa mind set din po namin, iba po mind set namin pag grand finals po talaga,” said Patrick “Peejay” Sagudo.
For Johnkelly “Yop1” Manalang, the win carried a deeper meaning as he realized a long-held goal of competing in front of a home crowd.
“I used to pray for times like this. Pangarap ko talaga makapaglaro sa mga big crowd. Lalo na sa Filipino fans, syempre, masarap sa feeling. Kaya naiyak ako sa stage kanina eh. Kasi, yun yung ano eh, una kong pangarap bago ako mag pro,” said Manalang.
The support of the local audience also played a role in fueling the team’s run, even in moments of adversity.
“Nakaka-motivate po na kahit natatalo kami [sa ibang rounds] yung crowd, parang kuha-pabor pa din po sa amin. Kaya, nasa isip ko po noon, mahirap po sayangin to. Kaya parang, need ko pa mas galingan. Pati lang po po para sa pamilya ko, para din sa mga sumusuporta sa amin,” Sagudo added.
Justin “Susanoo” Cecilio, for his part, likened the victory to their first championship.
“Parang every trophy kasi, parang first time lagi. Kaya, we're so happy right now din. Nung naririnig yung crowd na sumisigaw para sa amin, the best feeling ever for me. Yun talaga,” he said.
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