Challenger Cup 2 placed some of North America’s most promising teams from the NA Challenger Series 2 into the same lobby as the bottom eight teams from the PCS2 Group Stage. A collection of players that wanted nothing more than to bounce back from their tough outing battled it out with some of the esports’ fresh faces in a two-day event to decide who would advance to the PCS3 Group Stage. Only twelve matches determined which teams advance to take the eight spots available in the next PUBG Continental Series, the remaining eight teams will shift their focus to NA Challenger Series 3.https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQw7GO7-gxQ
The tournament began with an impressive first-day performance from Yaho, as they closed out the first half of the event with a nineteen-point lead over the second-place squad. Their early lead was built by the team’s ability to secure kill points throughout Day One. Yaho and the second-place team at the halfway point, Team Clueless, both wrapped up the first six matches with twenty placement points. The only difference being the nineteen frags that set Yaho out in front. The team managed to win one of the tournament’s twelve matches and maintained their first-place standing all the way up until Match 11 on Day Two, where they comfortably qualified for the PCS3 Group Stage.
Day Two grew into an up and down contest between Yaho, Team Clueless, and the ultimate champions of Challengers Cup, Gravity. Their play on Day Two sent Gravity climbing up the leaderboard to eventually oust Yaho. The team produced their tournament-winning play in Match 9 as the team collected sixteen kills to pair with their win on Miramar. Team Clueless kept things interesting and pulled within three points of Gravity to end the Challengers Cup in second place.
During the twelfth and final match, One Eye Open remained six points outside of the top-eight and needed to leap two teams during the Erangel finale. With two teams ahead of them and a handful within striking distance beneath them in the standings, One Eye Open found a way to compile the necessary points and landed themselves in the top-eight. Their chances came down to the final zone of the final match, adding another chapter in the incredible final-match performances we’ve witnessed in PUBG Esports.
Of the teams to successfully secure a top-eight placement, three will have advanced from NA Challenger Series 2 into the PCS3 Group Stage. While the other five teams will make a return to the NA Challenger Series 3 and aim to improve on their most recent performance. If the Challengers Cup was any sign of the matches to follow, PUBG Esports fans have plenty to look forward to.
The teams advancing into PCS3 Group Stage:
- Gravity
- Team Clueless
- YAHO
- Tactical 8
- Virtue
- San Diego Rarity
- Elus1ve
- One Eye Open