The PCS4 Americas Last Chance Qualifier featured sixteen squads, eight from North America and eight from Latin America, their goal was to secure a top-four placement which granted them a spot in the PCS4 Americas Grand Final. Following a two-day twelve-match series, four teams rose above the rest to keep their PCS4 hopes alive and will complete the Grand Final lobby beginning on June 10th.
The action kicked off on Friday as the first of six matches began with three consecutive wins from Latin American teams. Right from the start, it looked like LATAM would stack up well against a lobby of unfamiliar teams. This trend didn’t last too long, however, as North American teams would win four of the next five rounds.
We weren’t aware of it at the time, but the top four teams at the start of Day Two would ultimately maintain their position through the second half of the event and secure their spot in the Grand Final. Four North American teams in Dodge, The Rumblers, Guadalajara Gascans, and Team Veritas would punch their ticket to the PCS4 Americas Grand Final, adding to the region’s group of strong teams in the upcoming final.
Each of the teams advancing to the Grand Final has already faced off against the region’s best during the Group Stage. However, there is a massive unknown dwelling above this Grand Final for every team. The WWCD scoring format, where the team with the most wins takes home the first-place prize, is sure to toss a wrench into the traditional playstyle of many teams. That said, it may also open the door for others in an event that’s got a lot riding on the line.
DODGE LEAD THE WAY TO GRAND FINALS
The roster for Dodge has seen a couple of changes in recent months, starting with the addition of HalloSenpai prior to ESL PUBG Masters, and quickly followed by the team’s addition of Vegas heading into the PCS4 Americas NA Group Stage. These two experienced and well-known players joined a lineup occupied by a duo with their own fair share of experience and talent, finna and Lampalot. The NA Group Stage was the team’s first event together as a complete four-man squad, and their results mirrored that.
In my opinion, the addition of Vegas simply strengthened an already talented group and gave them the firepower required to keep pace with the region’s strongest teams. His performance throughout the Last Chance Qualifier lends itself to this train of thought, considering he finished the ‘Bo12’ with 15 Kills, 16 Assists, and an ADR of 325. The team’s other latest addition, Hallosenpai, finished the Last Chance Qualifier in a tie for most kills with 20. Another massive contribution to the team’s performance from one of their newest members. Heading into the Grand Final, if Dodge manages to sustain the team’s synergy, they could find themselves inside the top-eight as a team that didn’t directly qualifier for the final.
THE RUMBLERS RALLY FOR ANOTHER SHOT
The Rumblers fought their way through Open Qualifiers and entered the Group Stage with a roster that many believed had the potential to do well, even when up against the strongest teams in the region. However, the team’s play throughout groups appeared off and out of sync. They fell down the leaderboard but managed to grab hold of the fourteenth position, making them the lowest-placed NA team in the Last Chance Qualifier. Over the past two days, excellent play from LosHD and Cherry helped the team maintain a top-four position to earn a spot in the PCS4 Americas Grand Final. Valliate and Waldoe round out The Rumblers’ roster, but the team’s play as a unit will be the most important thing heading into a Grand Final in the WWCD era.
GAS EM’ UP IN THE GRAND FINALS
Entering the final game of the Last Chance Qualifier outside of the top four, the Guadalajara Gascans left nothing to chance and closed out the qualifiers on a strong note. The team’s single win of the twelve-match series came when the team needed it most in the final match. They trailed the fourth place position by just two points prior to the start of that round, but the team battled to be sure they placed inside the top four with an invite to the Grand Final. The team’s latest addition Hikerman, who joined the team just before the PCS4 Americas NA Group Stage began, finished the series with 17 Kills and 15 Assists. His contribution directly assisted the team and pair nicely with the stats posted by nicoos and oldless.
TEAM VERITAS HOLD FOURTH POSITION
Playing the second half of the Last Chance Qualifier with a target painted on their back, Team Veritas managed to fend off a crowd of teams gunning for their spot thanks to their solid first day and a timely second-place finish during Match 10. Their 21-point performance in that match essentially earned them a spot inside the top four when considering the team would only average 3 points across the other five matches on Day Two. Despite their struggles to close out the Last Chance Qualifier on a high note, they would preserve their position and accomplish their goal of securing their place in the PCS4 Americas Grand Final.
Success as a team will always lead to individual success for the players. Over this twelve-match series, mykLe led his team and the rest of the lobby in both Assists and Damage Dealt. Leading in these categories has earned him a nice $250 USD to pair with the team’s $1,500 USD prize. As for the leader in Kills, the team’s newest member Ethan finished the qualifier with 19, trailing the series leader by a single kill.
NOTABLE MENTIONS AND STANDOUTS
While they didn’t quite reach the top four in this qualifier, I was still impressed by the play from Tactical8, and more specifically, the play from Weum00. He finished the Last Chance Qualifier tied for first in Kills with 20, averaging 288 Damage Dealt per round. This individual performance wasn’t something I expected, but it’s not a complete surprise either. Tactical8 has consistently taken strides as a team and I love the work ethic and direction from their in-game leader, SteeZybb. I’m also a fan of the team’s latest addition, Kropp, who comes over after playing with Dodge and Slappers Only last season. Finally, the play from Decinator was strong enough to place him inside the top fifteen for Damage Dealt and tallied 11 Kills and 5 Assists over the twelve matches.