Throw your predictions out of the window – the CWL Global Pro League is living up to the hype. A few days ago it was all but certain that FaZe would coast through this weekend while Evil Geniuses, Fnatic, and Rise Nation would battle it out for the second seed. This was not the case, as EG would end up taking 1st seed after a 0-2 start to the weekend.
Saturday, we saw FaZe go 0-2, losing to both EG and Fnatic, before clutching up on Sunday versus Rise Nation. Rise would have to settle for 3rd, while Fnatic is now headed for Relegation.
Win/Loss – 4-2
Map Count – 12-9
Arguably the biggest upset of the weekend came from the Evil Geniuses camp. Having barely qualified for Stage One of the GPL and taking the last NA spot, the expectations for EG weren’t high. After an abysmal start on Friday, losing to both Fnatic and FaZe 0-3, EG looked like they would place 4th in Week Two.
Saturday we would see a newly invigorated EG take the series from FaZe 3-0 and Rise 3-2, surprising everyone except guest analyst Patrick “ACHES” Price who predicted their victories. After Anthony “NAMELESS” Wheeler switched weapons from the NV4 to the KBAR, the tides turned for EG.
EG would continue their reign of terror Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Faze and a dominant 3-0 win over Fnatic. These wins cemented EG’s place in the Stage One Playoffs, proving their doubters wrong along the way.
ACHES’s prediction for the second EG v FaZe match
Win/Loss – 3-3
Map Count – 12-13
FaZe did not make the run for Playoffs easy for themselves this weekend. With a hot start on Friday, Faze was the only team to come out 2-0 with victories over Fnatic 3-1 and EG 3-0. They looked poised to take the first seed heading into Saturday.
Unfortunately for FaZe, Saturday would turn out to be a nightmare. After such a hot start, they did not win a series all day. Their day began with a huge upset, as they were dominated by EG, losing 0-3. Later in the day, they lost to Fnatic in round 11 of the Game 5 S&D after almost completing the reverse sweep.
Sunday was do or die time for FaZe as they, like everyone in their group, were sitting at 2-2. They would lose their first series of the day 1-3 against EG, putting them in a situation where they needed to win their next series to qualify for Stage One Playoffs.
Their final series of the weekend would be one to remember against Rise. After going down 0-2, FaZe began a miraculous reverse-sweep. After a dominant win in the Uplink, FaZe would eventually win the Game 4 Hardpoint 250-249. They would carry that energy for a 6-0 win in the Game 5 S&D, completely outclassing Rise.
FaZe qualify for S1 Playoffs after reverse-sweeping Rise
Win/Loss – 3-3
Map Count – 14-11
After a disappointing 17th-20th finish at CWL Dallas, many had their doubts about Rise Nation heading into Week Two. However, this weekend we were treated to a reinvigorated Rise squad who were able to stay consistent in every game mode.
On Friday Rise was able to take an easy 3-0 victory over EG, before falling 1-3 to FaZe. Rise started off Saturday well with a 3-1 victory over Fnatic, but was unable to stop EG from their dominant performance. They would eventually lose 2-3, putting them at 2-2 heading into Sunday.
Sunday we would see Rise take an easy victory over Fnatic 3-1 before they would face FaZe in the final match on the weekend. Rise would come out of the gates hot, taking an early 2-0 advantage in the series. However, FaZe was able to dash their dreams of making it into the Playoffs by pulling out a reverse-sweep to remember. The series would end 3-2 in FaZe’s favor.
Win/Loss – 2-4
Map Count – 9-14
Fnatic was the only team representing Europe in Week Two. They carried the entire region’s hopes with them.
Fnatic, like every other team this weekend, traded series back and forth Friday and Saturday. They kicked off this weekend battling FaZe Clan. After losing the first Hardpoint by a few seconds they would end up falling 3-1 against the NA giants, managing to take the Uplink.
Later in the day, they would take swift 3-0 over a struggling Evil Geniuses. On Saturday Fnatic lost a close series to Rise Nation 3-1, again, keeping the maps close throughout. Their next series, a rematch against FaZe, would be one to remember. Fnatic would take a 2-0 lead in the series before securing the win in a nail-biting round 11 in the Game 5 Search & Destroy.
Unfortunately for Fnatic, they could not keep the dream alive; they would end Sunday with a 1-3 loss to Rise and a 0-3 loss to Evil Geniuses. Fnatic will now join Cloud9 in the Relegation tournament for Stage Two of the GPL.
Tommey after a close Hardpoint loss to FaZe
Next week we will see eUnited, Luminosity Gaming, Millenium, and Epsilon Esports battle it out at the MLG Arena to see who will advance to the Stage One Playoffs and beyond.
Jack Waters is an avid Call of Duty Esports fan and wants to hear from YOU! Find him on Twitter.
Images: CoD World League Twitter
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