With the massive European Overwatch field knocked down to just eight teams, Overwatch Contenders determined the top team in the region on Saturday.
Starting with the quarterfinals, all eight teams had already qualified for the first season of Overwatch Contenders—and each was guaranteed at least a bit of the $50,000 prize pool. But with $25,000 on the line for first place, teams came into the day out for blood.
The quarterfinal matches quickly cleared the field, with each matchup—eUnited vs. Movistar Riders, Team Singularity vs. Laser Kittenz, 123 vs. Rest in Pyjamas, and Misfits vs. Bazooka Puppiez—being determined in a 3-0 fashion. Moving into the semifinals, 123 faced off against Bazooka Puppiez, while eUnited matched up with Laser Kittenz.
Related: How to watch the EU and NA Overwatch Contenders playoffs: Schedule, streaming, and more
In a somewhat surprising result, 123 managed to outclass Bazooka Puppiez 3-1. While both 123 and Bazooka Puppiez are unsigned teams, 123 was clearly the underdog. Bazooka Puppiez fields players from a variety of former professional lineups, while the names on 123 remain relatively unknown—up until yesterday. With impressive teamwork and solid mechanics, 123 will be a team to look out for in Overwatch Contenders Season One. Beating Bazooka Puppiez meant securing a slot in the Season Zero finals, where they would take on eUnited.
123 put up a fight against eUnited, taking the series’ first point with a win on Oasis. Their success there, however, was short lived. EUnited just proved to be more mechanically skilled, with better teamwork, and closed out the series by beating 123 on Route 66, Temple of Anubis, Hollywood, and Lijiang Tower.
EUnited took home $25,000 for first place, while 123 earned $10,000. Laser Kittenz and Bazooka Puppiez each garnered $4,000. All eight teams that participated yesterday will move on to Season One of Overwatch Contenders, with the chance to earn a part of the $100,000 pot.
Season One begins August 14 with six weeks of regular season play. Overwatch Contenders will conclude in October with an offline finals. Better yet, all matches of the tournament will be streamed live.
Overwatch Contenders continues today (July 2), where a North American champion will be crowned.
