During Fire Flux Esports’ match against RRQ Akira, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook Luzon, resulting in a lengthy pause in the ongoing M5 World Championship group stage.
The incident occurred at the tail-end of Game 1, where Fire Flux dominated RRQ, taking a 1-0 lead.
The Turkish squad seemed in the zone during the opener, leading by as much as 15k in net worth and securing the win with a dominant 11-3 kill tally.
For Fire Flux coach Sacit “Badgalseph” Arslan, the pause was a significant factor that affected the team’s mindset heading for the closeout win that could have ensured their passage to the knockout stage.
“We were a little bit scared because of the earthquake. After the earthquake, we all went outside, and I think because of that, we also went out of focus,” explained Badgalseph.
(C) MOONTON Games
After the conclusion of Game 1, everyone inside the EVM Convention Center was asked to vacate the premises in anticipation of aftershocks.
The players were instructed to stay outside for around 30 minutes before being allowed to return to the event area after the building inspection was complete.
This sequence of events heavily affected star midlaner Ahmet “Rosa” Batir, as he admitted, “After going outside, our minds went to other things,” said Rosa in the post-game interview.
Fire Flux is now in a must-win situation in their final match against Blacklist International to salvage a spot in the playoff round.
