(Photo credit: Nick Oza/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

GamerLegion, G2 Esports, Team Falcons and FaZe Clan were the first four teams to advance out of the group stage in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition at the Esports World Cup on Thursday in Paris.

Those four teams won their Group A and Group B upper-bracket semifinals to ensure their places in the 16-team playoff field at the $2 million World Cup event.

The event features 32 teams divided into four groups in the double-elimination opening stage. All opening matches consisted of a single map, while the remaining group-stage matches will be best-of-three.

The top four teams in each group will move on to the single-elimination playoffs. Playoff matches will be best-of-three until the grand final on Aug. 22, which will be best-of-five.

The championship team will receive $600,000 and 1,000 Esports World Cup club points. The runner-up will get $340,000 and 750 points.

On Thursday, GamerLegion steamrolled JiJieHao 2-0 in Group A, winning 13-3 on Dust II and 13-8 on Ancient. Russia's Timur 'FL4MUS' Marev had a match-high 39 kills for GamerLegion, while Danish teammate Sebastian 'Tauson' Tauson Lindelof added 30 kills on a plus-15 K-D differential.

G2 Esports battled for a 2-1 victory over BIG, sandwiching a 13-5 win on Cache and a 13-1 runaway win on Inferno around a 16-13 overtime loss on Ancient. Guy 'NertZ' Iluz of Israel led G2 with 57 kills on a plus-21 differential.

In Group B, Falcons swept Astralis 13-7 on Ancient and 13-11 on Dust II. Bosnian star Nikola 'NiKo' Kovac posted 41 kills for Falcons to lead all players.

FaZe had the same results against Legacy, prevailing 13-6 on Cache and 13-8 on Mirage. Canadian Russel 'Twistzz' Van Dulken paced FaZe with 36 kills and only half as many deaths.

Thursday also saw the first two eliminations of the tournament as lower-bracket play got underway in Group A. Team Spirit survived, beating Luminosity Gaming 13-3 on Ancient and 19-15 in overtime on Dust II. Aurora Gaming knocked out M80, 13-9 on Dust II and 13-9 again on Inferno.

The teams that lost in the upper-bracket semifinals are still alive but fell into lower-bracket semis, with those matches taking place Saturday and Sunday.

The tournament continues Friday with six matches:

--K27 vs. MIBR (Group B lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--BetBoom Team vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Group B lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--Team Vitality vs. B8 (Group C upper-bracket semifinals)

--FUT Esports vs. MOUZ (Group C upper-bracket semifinals)

--100 Thieves vs. PARIVISION (Group C lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--TYLOO vs. Lynn Vision Gaming (Group C lower-bracket quarterfinals)

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive -- Esports World Cup prize pool (with money winnings and Esports World Cup club points)

1. $600,000, 1,000 points

2. $340,000, 750 points

3. $190,000, 500 points

4. $110,000, 300 points

5-8. $60,000, 200 points

9-16. $35,000, no points

17-24. $20,000, no points

25-32. $10,000, no points -- Luminosity Gaming, M80, six teams TBD

--Field Level Media