On Friday, the Soniqs reclaimed their position at the top of North American PUBG Esports with their second consecutive PCS Championship. The first-place position belonged to the Soniqs for the majority of the event, but the team would ultimately require one more productive performance on the final day to finish on top. The team posted their lowest single-day point total of the tournament on Thursday to open Week 3, setting up what would be an intense final day of the PCS3 NA Grand Final. Over the final eight matches, another stretch of impressive plays and important Chicken Dinners would clear the way for the Soniqs’ second PCS Championship.
Throughout the leaderboard, all sixteen teams were aiming to close out the PCS3 NA Grand Final on a high note. With teams fighting for every potential point to improve their standing, the final eight matches were littered with great moments and highlights worthy of another look.
“LOSHD” HAS THE HIGH-GROUND
Reminiscent of a play we would expect to see during a public match, LosHD pulled off an improbable ‘one versus three’ during Match 2 of Week 3. After climbing onto the roof without being detected by one of the four Gascans’ players, LosHD capitalized from his unexpected positioning as he knocked three players in quick succession.
The play happened just after the Gascans crashed the compound being held by The Rumblers, who lost one teammate during the immediate contact. As the Gascans began to clear buildings looking for any hidden enemies, The Rumblers regrouped, allowing LosHD to get into position.
“MARCELEK” SNATCHES AWAY HARDSHIFTS’ CHICKEN DINNER
Depending on how you look at it, Any Trolls In Chat may have stolen a win from the Houston Harshifts during Match 3 on Erangel. All throughout the late-game action of this match, the Guadalajara Gascans and Houston Hardshifts fought tooth and nail to make it into the top three. Forced to cross a road and push uphill towards the Hardshifts, the Gascans made a valiant effort to topple the Hardshifts but would ultimately fall. This gave the Hardshifts twelve kills with only one enemy player still standing.
Just prior to this fight between the Houston Hardshifts and Guadalajara Gascans, both teams had pinned down “Marcelek” and the rest of Any Trolls In Chat at a security shack outside of “Primorsk”. Once the two team’s attention turned towards each other, “Marcelek” jumped at an opportunity to creep into the zone. From there, he managed to locate and eliminate the two remaining members from Houston Hardshifts. This secured a 16-point Chicken Dinner for ATC and stole what could have been a 23-point win for the Hardshifts.
HONORARY FIFTH TEAMMATE OF THE SONIQS: “TOPDAWG”
Coming into the final week of the PCS3 NA Grand Final, all eyes were set on the Guadalajara Gascans and the first-place Soniqs. Almost immediately, the two teams crossed paths during the opening matches of Week Three. With championship implications on the line, encounters between these two squads took center stage for an exciting finish to the Grand Final.
If for some reason the Soniqs are to send out “Thank You” letters in the wake of their second consecutive PCS Championship, they may want to collect contact information from Illusion’s “Topdawg”. This end-game fight kicked off the last day of the Grand Final and would ultimately be the closest the Guadalajara Gascans came to surpassing the Soniqs.
BEST OF THE BEST COLLIDE ON MIRAMAR
In another back-and-forth with the Gascans, the Soniqs provided another example of the team’s ability to win crucial fights throughout Week 3. This encounter on Miramar showcased the Soniqs’ versatility as the most well-balanced roster in North America. Following the knock onto “TGLTN” by “HoneyBadger”, the Soniqs were caught in a tough position – scrambling underneath the Gascans with one man down.
To our surprise, “HWINN” had already made his way up the hillside, surprising the Gascans and knocking two of their three members. His play immediately alleviated the pressure being applied by the Gascans and allowed the Soniqs to survive the encounter with three members still up. This fight nearly made the “HoneyBadger” highlight reel after he miraculously knocked three Soniqs players as a solo before eventually being eliminated.
MORE OF THE SAME FROM “TGLTN” AND THE SONIQS
As the Soniqs began to build their lead and extinguish any chances of a rally from the Gascans and Oath, it seemed fitting for the team’s star fragger to step forward and clutch a match on the last day of the Grand Final. In the middle of a chaotic zone-nine on Miramar, “TGLTN” won a ‘two versus one’ to claim the match for his team.
One of my favorite attributes about the Soniqs, as well as something that I believe sets them far beyond opposing teams, is their ability to make plays happen as individual players. At any point in the match, any one of the four members can shift an exchange into the Soniqs’ favor. They have proven time and time again that they’re the most dangerous and well-rounded team in North America.
Soniqs had a tough outing on Day 5 of the tournament but bounced back in true form to secure back-to-back PCS Championships on the final day. Throughout the tournament, it was clear that the Soniqs were the best team in the lobby and the entire team deserves credit for an outstanding run through the PCS3 NA Grand Final.