A collision between unpredictability and consistency will mark, once again, the meeting between Latin America and North America in the PUBG Americas Series Phase 1 (PAS1) Grand Final, which will be held from March 24 to 26, starting at 4 PM PT, with live broadcast in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Four finalist players made an analytical forecast of the PAS1 decisive tournament, pointing out the North American Luminosity Gaming as the main candidate for the title and Soniqs, Shoot To Kill (STK), 00NATION, FIUMBA and Synergy Esports as the other main teams. They spoke not only about the teams themselves, but also about the playstyle that will clash in the championship race.
Latin America vs North America
Out of the 16 participating teams, eight came out of the North American Regional Playoff and eight from the Latin American Regional Playoff.
“LATAM likes to fight for edge spots and has a lot more unpredictability in their plays compared to NA. The players all have really good mechanical skills that often make these plays hard to fight against. NA plays a lot more slow and predictable. Both regions have their own top teams that outsmart the weaker teams in the respective region. It will come down to which teams are best at adapting to these clashing and unique playstyles”, says Luminosity’s Jake “Snakers” Winant.
Tristan “Shrimzy” Nowicki from Soniqs follows the same lines of differentiation between Latin America and North America.
“I think a lot of the SA teams are very unpredictable in their rotations, specifically early game crashes and sends, you never know what to expect when they enter the lobby and it makes it extremely fun and you have to stay on your toes and be very aware to compete against them”, says the player.
TROGLODITAS players joined in an assessment about the competitive scenario in the Americas for the upcoming Grand Final.
“We believe that the level of the Americas will remain very strong and we will have electrifying clashes during this final. The two regions are very similar tactically, but the North American region has more tactical soundness and use of resources superior to that of South America. The South Americans, on the other hand, often present more creativity in their plays and surprise factors that can turn the game to the south’s side”.
Best in each subregion
For Alejandro “AleeRv” Velasco from Synergy his team and FIUMBA are the best teams in Latin America for PAS1 Grand Final.
“FIUMBA has a very aggressive game, with a lot of personality and confidence. This makes them perform superlatively compared to other LATAM teams. But this can also work against them in some situations. Synergy is a team that also has a lot of experience. Perhaps it is not as aggressive, but it is a team that moves very well within the map and deals well with the information that the surroundings provide”, says AleeRv.
“The two teams are difficult to face as they very rarely find themselves in situations not planned by them. A strong point of both is that they know how to deal with situations to make a profit”, adds the player.
Ignacio “Dr4FTk1NG” Falzone from FIUMBA considers 00NATION and his team as the main strengths of Latin America.
“00NATION for its aggressive playstyle and their ability to resolve fights; Another strong point of 00NATION is that they take advantage of the space that other South American teams give them. FIUMBA is the other strong team because they know how to control the free space on the map and are agile when it comes to making decisions”, explains the athlete.
For the two North American players, FIUMBA, Synergy and 00NATION are also the Latin America powerhouses.
“Synergy placed 4th in PCS7, and 2nd in the Latam regional qualifier behind 00NATION. They have a smart playstyle that always gets them points. 00NATION has some of the best players in LATAM, with guizeera’s insane gunskill and sparking’s leadership and experience. Both teams will be the biggest challenge from LATAM in contesting top 4”, says Snakers.
In Shrimzy’s view, the two teams “have insanely talented fraggers and a lot of experience to challenge for the title”.
When it comes to North America, there is unanimity: Luminosity and Soniqs are ahead of the other North American teams in the race to win PAS1.
“Both teams have strong core rosters and all of the top players in the region. LG has a really smart and adaptive playstyle and Soniqs has a strong core that’s difficult to fight against, along with their history of regional strategy and success”, says Snakers.
“The two teams are on a level above all others and have a lot of firepower and intelligence to move and fight on the map. In addition, all players know how to resolve situations that arise on their own. A good way to face them is to try to find them at a disadvantage or fighting with other teams to try to discount some of their players”, says AleeRv.
Shrimzy would put STK in the top 2 if he wasn’t picking his own team, Soniqs, to be at the top.
“LG has been competing against us for 1st place for the last 2 years. They are very smart when it comes to bad shifts and getting points. STK has the STK buff since they no longer have an org behind them and they’re hungry to prove themselves”, says Soniqs’ player.
Favorites
It is for no other reason that both Soniqs and Luminosity are pointed out by the finalist players as the main candidates for the title.
“I think SQ and LG are no doubt the favorites to win the Grand Final. STK has a solid chance at contesting the top, but LG and SQ have won every regional in the past few years, have the longest standing rosters, and just proved to be far above the rest in the recent regional qualifier”, says Snakers.
“The favorite team to win the Grand Final is LG for their perseverance throughout the tournament and the synergy that the players have with each other, as they have been playing together for some time and played a big role in the PGC, which I think psychologically is a boost of spirits”, ponders Dr4FTk1NG.
“LG is the favorite, as it is a team formed a long time ago, has very good players and understands the game very well. They see it as a job and every day they want to be the best. This is a point that makes them a team above the others”, emphasizes AleeRv.
More than the title
But the PAS1 Grand Final will not only award the champion, as the tournament will also distribute a total prize pool of US$ 95,000, qualify three teams for the PUBG Global Series 1 (PGS1), which will be the first international championship of the season, and give 1,200 points points for the 2023 PUBG Global Championship (PGC).
“It is extremely important to qualify for PGS1. It will be a huge learning experience, and another opportunity for us to go for a podium finish at a global tournament. Since there are only 3 regionals this year, and this is a Major one, it is very important to get as many PGC points as possible. Placing in the top secures a PGS global qualification and a strong start to the year”, reflects Snakers.
“Our goal is to qualify for the PGS1. Every day we analyze and practice to get to the best shape. This doesn’t just mean that the game improves, but there are many factors to analyze in order to do well in this type of tournament. Having already qualified for the PAS gives us the opportunity to start adding points for the PGC and prioritizing being in the best shape thinking about it”, explains AleeRv.
Shrimzy’s Soniqs is already qualified for PGS1 as they are a PUBG partner team, but they aim to obtain PGC points.
“Racking up PGC points is extremely important because PGC is the end goal. Becoming a World Champion is the main goal for every team but you have to take it one tournament at a time to be able to get there”, says the player.
To catch all the thrills of the PAS1 Grand Final and watch the best players from the Americas, tune in to the official PUBG streaming channels on March 24-26.