OpTic and Cloud9 square off for the second straight week in the HCS Open Finals.
Competitive Halo is trending in the right direction ahead of the first Halo Infinite LAN. Amateur and professional teams have worked diligently since the early release of Infinite’s multiplayer mode. Countless scrimmages and VOD reviews helped produce last weekend’s HCS Online Open, where OpTic Gaming bested Cloud9 in a thrilling bracket reset.
The first North American online tournament set a precedent never before seen in Halo with a record 406 registered teams. One weekend later, Halo Infinite’s competitive scene broke another record. A total of 512 teams registered to compete for seeding points.
Week two of the Halo Championship Series (HCS) season saw another collection of outstanding teams battle their way to the top eight. However, it was OpTic and Cloud9 yet again who reached the Grand Finals, and the former proved they are on top.
Tale of the Tape: OpTic vs. C9
GGs to everyone we played today. Onto Sunday#GreenWall
— OpTic Trippy (@TriPPPeY) November 27, 2021
OpTic and Cloud9 reversed roles this time around, as OpTic went undefeated through the winner’s bracket. Lucid, Trippy, aPG and Pistola looked outstanding again, flawlessly defeating G2 Esports, Spacestation Gaming and Cloud9 en route to the Grand Finals. After last weekend’s bracket reset, OpTic rode that momentum into their second consecutive Finals appearance.
The Cloud9 squad of Eco, Renegade, Stellur and Pznguin looked equally impressive, knocking Inconceivable and Pioneers to the lower bracket before running into the OpTic buzzsaw. As fate would have it, OpTic and Cloud9 would meet in the Grand Finals for all the marbles.
OpTic Bests Cloud9 in Grand Finals
Our Grand Finals are starting NOW! We have a rematch of last week’s epic showdown between @OpTic and @Cloud9!
Tune in live! 👇https://t.co/e5eEldZtkm | https://t.co/zEAg7RP3Em pic.twitter.com/yNY6y1ZGfI
— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) November 29, 2021
Momentum favored OpTic heavily heading into the final set of the second HCS Online Open Series. They managed not to drop a single map heading in, and Cloud9 lost only to OpTic before their showdown in the Grand Finals.
Game 2 goes to #OpTicHalo 50-42 on Slayer Aquarius.
ONE MORE.https://t.co/Q5vFnsIHV3 pic.twitter.com/mSZ7ZomrZP
— OpTicUpdate (@OpTicUpdate) November 29, 2021
OpTic established the early lead in the series, taking out Cloud9 4-2 in CTF on Bazaar. Pistola and company then bested Cloud9 50-42 in Slayer on Aquarius. Cloud9 had a steep mountain to climb, needing to win three consecutive matches to force a second best-of-five series. OpTic had Cloud9 on the ropes, but C9 showed their resilience in game three of the Grand Finals.
.@Cloud9 ain’t going out like that! They take Oddball on Recharge to extend the series!
Game 4 – Live Fire Strongholdshttps://t.co/e5eEldZtkm | https://t.co/zEAg7RP3Em pic.twitter.com/5OmJcfvLfD
— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) November 29, 2021
Cloud9’s chance to climb back into the series occurred in Oddball on Recharge. The two titans battled back-and-forth and were tied at one apiece heading into the final round. Despite an outstanding last-ditch effort by Lucid, Cloud9 narrowly escaped with the 2-1 victory to keep their dreams alive.
BACK2BACK 🏆
HCS OPEN #2 CHAMPS. @aPureGangster @Lucid_TW @iGotUrPistola @TriPPPeY @Lunchbox pic.twitter.com/3jBBFNc98G
— OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) November 29, 2021
After dropping their first map of the entire tournament, OpTic had the challenging task of thwarting a late surge by Cloud9. It all came down to Strongholds on Live Fire, where the two teams once again traded points and kills. However, OpTic closed the door on Cloud9 with a close 250-233 victory. For the second straight weekend, OpTic Gaming cemented themselves as undoubtedly the best current Halo Infinite team.
Final Scoreboard
- CTF on Bazaar: OpTic over C9 4-2
- Slayer on Aquarius: OpTic over C9 50-42
- Oddball on Recharge: C9 over OpTic 2-1
- Strongholds on Live Fire: OpTic over C9 250-233
Final Placements
- 1st: OpTic Gaming
- 2nd: Cloud9
- 3rd: PioneersGG
- 4th: eUnited
- 5th/6th: G1 / Spacestation
Next Tournament: Halo Infinite Qualifier Kick-Off
The next #HaloInfinite Qualifier kicks off Wednesday 12/1 in all regions! Competitors will be battling it out for Pool Play + expenses paid to the @HCS Kickoff Major in Raleigh, NC!
Register now for free!
👉 https://t.co/w3bhKQiwQb pic.twitter.com/qhTZjvVA0R— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) November 29, 2021
OpTic is operating on a different level, and they figure to be favorites heading into Raleigh next month. The next tournament to watch is the Halo Infinite Qualifier coming this Wednesday, December 1. It’s free to enter, and teams will compete for a spot in Pool Play at the Raleigh Kick-Off Major and expenses paid trip to the LAN event.
The Qualifier supports a maximum of 512 teams, so be sure to register before it’s too late. Can OpTic Gaming continue their dominance over the North American region? We’ll have to find out this week!
Featured Image: HCS