Going into the first matches of the playoffs, the NYXL were pitted against the Seoul Dynasty in an intense four map upset of a series. The NYXL seemed indecisive and scatterbrained, and they paid for their instability by getting their first loss of the stage and being knocked out of the playoffs.
ILIOS NYXL 0-2 Dynasty
The NYXL’s first push was halted quickly after the team tried to rush in and play aggressively. However, their second push was successful as the Excelsior captured the point from Seoul at 40%. This capture was shortlived, though, as the NYXL were forced to pull back from the point and regroup after two members were picked off. The NYXL were unable to recapture and lost the round.
The Seoul Dynasty rushed the point and captured it first, holding the point through fight after fight, even managing to get a team kill on the NYXL. However, with the Dynasty in overtime, the Excelsior were finally able to recapture the point. Unfortunately, the NYXL were unable to hold them off and ultimately lost it again and lost the map.
HOLLYWOOD NYXL 1 – 2 Dynasty
On attack, the NYXL wrapped around the back of the point to try and force the Dynasty off of the high ground. After a long fight, the NYXL were able to take out two players and capture the payload. The Excelsior were back to their slow and steady playstyle, and it seemed to be paying off. New York pushed past the Saloon but they were slowed and stopped just before the second point. After a long hold by the Dynasty, the Excelsior were unable to recapture the payload.
The NYXL defense fell after the Dynasty’s first offensive attack. The Dynasty’s hold on the payload was slowed in front of the bank after MekO landed a massive D.Va Bomb. However, this hold was not for long before the Dynasty pushed through the Excelsior’s defense and won the map.
VOLSKAYA NYXL 6-5 Dynasty
NYXL pushed left and up through the high ground before dropping down onto point A and pushing the Dynasty back. Nenne landed the first kill, and soon after the NYXL took point A leaving them with over six minutes to capture the second point. They rushed the second point, landing a first pick on Fissure and gaining control of the second point with a massive time bank of 4:56.
The Seoul Dynasty sent a Pharah around the back of the point. The New York Excelsior essentially ignored it, letting Jjonak fall early and forcing the NYXL to pull back and give up the first point. The Dynasty’s Pharrah continued to dominate on the second point, ultimately capturing it with 5:02 to spare.
The NYXL pushed through the choke and moved through the high ground on the left, picking off Fissure and pushing the Dynasty off of the first point with 3:43 to capture the second point. The NYXL rushed the second point, getting two ticks before the Dynasty even left their spawn and turning around a team fight that looked like it had gone south thanks to Nenne. They end up with a double cap in round three with 2:53 left to spare.
With the Dynasty running the same DPS-Heavy composition, the NYXL finally seemed to understand how to combat the dominant Pharah that tore them apart in round two. However, the Excelsior got wiped after Dynasty’s second push and were forced to give up the first point. In a long fight, the Dynasty’s time bank was run down to less than two minutes. Despite Seoul having gotten both points, New York still had the advantage.
On attack, the Dynasty pushed through the first point with ease and captured it with around 1:30 to push through the second point. With Munchkin playing Tracer, the Dynasty were able to practically steamroll the NYXL. The Excelsior pushed the Dynasty into Overtime, and ended up pushing Seoul off of the point with over 80% point capture.
The NYXL pushed through the left side as usual on their final attack, getting up onto the high ground and attempting to knock the Dynasty down from it. Seoul responded with aggression, and pushed the Excelsior back to their spawn. With sixty seconds remaining, it was crunch time for the Excelsior. Thanks to MekO, the NYXL got through the first point in a miracle-making four-kill D.Va bomb. In a hair raising snowball to the second point, the Excelsior were able to finally get the second point and earn themselves their first map win of the series.
RIALTO NYXL 2-3 Dynasty
With the NYXL on defense, they attempted to hold the Dynasty right at the first turn. They were able to slow the Dynasty right before the first point with another massive “MekO Bomb” but ultimately fell and were unable to hold. They regained control at the stairs, and ran the Dynasty’s timebank down to just over a minute before Seoul were able to capture the second point. The NYXL held the payload just before the first turn, and in an intense team fight the Dynasty C9’ed just before finishing the map.
On attack, the NYXL pushed around the first corner, forcing the Dynasty to pull back and capture the first point with a time bank of over four minutes. The Excelsior had the payload moving steadily forward, capturing the second point with almost five minutes to spare. The payload was finally slowed and stopped just before the entrance to the final point. After a long, drawn-out fight, the NYXL finally threw all of the ultimates they had at the Dynasty in an effort to finish the map, but it wasn’t enough. The NYXL fell in overtime to the Seoul Dynasty in their first loss of the season.
Conclusion
This matchup was a huge upset for the once undefeated NYXL, who lost to a team that got into the playoffs just by the skin of their teeth. The Excelsior were messy and making too many mistakes. This certainly was not the dominant team that fans had grown to love again throughout the first stage. Hopefully, this trend of performing poorly at playoffs does not continue into Stage 2, and the NYXL can truly redeem themselves by going fully undefeated when they return.