Today was the fifth and final HWC NA Online Qualifier. Pro and amateur teams competed in this online tournament to rack up as many HWC points as possible heading into Las Vegas, as well as trying to win some extra cash. Here are the results.
First: Team EnVyUs / $750 / 550 HWC Points
Yearning to solidify their status as the best team in Halo, nV hoped that this tournament would provide them with a great victory to help boost their momentum going into Vegas. Demonstrating their great level of chemistry and talent, nV swept Team Doubted in the quarterfinals and Evil Geniuses in the semifinals. They faced a red hot 3sUP team in the grand finals, but their experience and chemistry proved to be the determining factor as they defeated 3sUP 4-1. This was a great win for this group that hopefully comes a long way heading to Vegas.
Second: 3sUP / $250 / 360 HWC Points
This 3sUP club came into this event to win, defeating everyone with their near perfect play. This club was able to keep up with everyone they encountered and maintained enough composure to hold things down when situations got dicey. Being able to 3-1 Luminosity in the quarterfinals and 3-2 Team Liquid in the semifinals, 3sUP looked poised to take it all in the grand finals, but they lost to a more experienced nV club 4-1. Despite the loss, I was very impressed with everyone’s performance. Doing everything they had to do to win, I saw a lot of amazing plays from every player, proving the great potential this club has. I was definitely impressed with Abel “Rammyy” Garcia and everything he did in this tournament, proving his worth once again with a solid performance in which we witnessed the smart, composed slaying style Rammyy is notorious for having. Being able to rise to the occasion whenever he was needed, this tournament was a testament to the great potential Rammyy has as a player. They suffered a rough loss in the end, but it was a very promising performance that clearly states that this team is a lineup to be reckoned with.
Third: Team Liquid / 200 HWC Points
This was a solid placing for Team Liquid as they look to gain some momentum heading into Vegas. Dominating the open bracket and defeating a hyped Imperium Gaming team in the quarterfinals, Team Liquid came into their semifinals match against 3sUP with great momentum. Despite all the momentum, Liquid fell to 3sUP 3-2 in a very close series that could have gone either way.
Fourth: Evil Geniuses
With the legend Tom “OGRE2” Ryan now on the roster, EG hoped that the added chemistry and experience to this squad would improve their overall ability to win. With a fourth place finish at this event, we can clearly see that this roster change has certainly been an upgrade for the club. With a surprising performance in the quarterfinals, upsetting Str8 Rippin 3-1, EG came into their semifinals match against nV with a positive mindset, knowing that they were capable of defeating them. Unfortunately, they lost 3-0, appearing to be very disorganized and uninspired in the end.
Fifth: Imperium Gaming
With this club consisting of two of the hottest amateur players in the scene and two more experienced players guiding them to greatness, Imperium had plenty of hype entering this tournament. With even myself predicting this club to be a potential powerhouse, ImP didn’t disappoint with a fifth place finish. Dominating the open bracket, ImP entered their quarterfinals match against Team Liquid with plenty of confidence. Unfortunately for them, they fell short to the more experienced club 3-1, but with a hard fought series, I doubt this is the last we’ll hear from ImP.
Sixth: Luminosity Gaming
After another week of dysfunctional chaos, Luminosity once again sees itself outside of the top-three, having to settle for sixth. Losing to a heated 3sUP in the quarterfinals in a series which, at the time, looked like Luminosity could win, this club ran out of momentum in the end. This team better start to get their act together to avoid this trend of negativity.
Seventh: Team Doubted
Featuring former pro player Daniel “Demon D” Yakovleff, known for being one of the more predominant players back in Halo 3, who won MLG Orlando 2009 under team Believe the Hype, very few had a solid idea of how this team would do at this event. Fortunately for them, they fought their way through the open bracket to meet nV in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, they lost to nV 3-0, who made relatively quick work of them.
Eighth: Str8 Rippin
This was a very disappointing finish for Str8, as they placed eighth, losing 3-1 to EG in the quarterfinals. Jonathan “Renegade” Willette had a poor performance in this tournament, averaging a 0.94 K/D. Being one of the more explosive slayers on this team, I expect much more from this young player and his lackluster performances force me to once again question if his emotionally driven performance is something this club needs to look into more. I have stated numerous times that this team depends on Renegade’s ability to show up when needed, but depending on someone as young as him isn’t the right formula, in my mind, as he simply isn’t seasoned enough to handle the pressure. Looking at how Rammyy played just as I expected him to perform this tournament, outsmarting his opponents while maintaining his composure, I believe that Str8 should now seriously consider picking him up to assist Renegade as his “right hand man” in action. I have stated numerous times that Rammyy and Renegade would be most efficient helping each other out so that Renegade has that sense of security that he doesn’t need to be at his best at all times and Rammyy can play a more passive slaying mode where his ability to outsmart players becomes more vital to the team, but if Renegade struggles at a time, Rammyy will be there to pick up the slack, allowing Str8 to continue competing.
What did you think about the fifth HWC NA Qualifiers?
Zachery Chevere can be contacted on Twitter @EsportsZach and emailed at zachchevere@gmail.com
