Week 5 is in the rear view mirror, and just two weeks remain before the playoffs are upon us once more. Who's in the driving seat and who is out of gas after this weekend's action? Read on and find out.
SFV
Epsilon's miserable season continued as they were defeated 4-2 by Method in Friday's first match. Nasty Nas was the cornerstone for Method with two wins, and Verdoyance was able to overcome a failed gamble using F.A.N.G as a character, only to come through later in the match and help seal the win.
Endpoint got their season back on track with a first win since Week 1, as they vanquished Reason 4-2. This match featured a lot of repeated matchups and repeated results; Boltstrike beat JonesArcade twice, Broski defeated Incognitus twice, and crucially GinoDaCampo opened and closed the contest with wins over Undacova.
Last season's finalists Envy and exceL took it all the way to game 7 in a thrilling contest, with Envy eventually coming out on top as Nassim-Claw came through clutch. This was a game full of great execution, fine margins, and boisterous celebrations from TKR and his Envy team, with good reason; this win puts them joint top of the table with Prophecy. Meanwhile, exceL's losing bonus point means Epsilon's playoff hopes were extinguished.
Friday's concluding match was another epic contest, as Prophecy's unbeaten streak came crashing down; Infused were their kryptonite, defeating them 4-3 in another seven-game clash. Infused raced out of the blocks before Akainu helped Prophecy turn things around, but from 3-2 down Infused stayed focused; Shakz denied close friend Shivryuken match point, before Gunslinga downed Zera to finally slay the Prophecy beast.
Rocket League
Both of Prophecy’s unbeaten teams had their streaks ended within 24 hours; Endpoint shut them out 3-0 in Saturday’s opening Rocket League contest. The reigning champions were organised and clinical in their execution, allied to a high tempo that Prophecy struggled to live with; Shakharon’s constant stream of goals were pivotal.
A close second match saw Envy defeat winless Infused 3-2 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
With Doomsee on hiatus last week, Infused took the chance to reshuffle their deck; it didn’t net them a first win of Season 2, but it did get them a first point, and overall their performance was much improved.
Epsilon’s Groundhog Day season continued, with yet another 3-1 loss in the books; this time to unbeaten Reason. Epsilon fought valiantly but just couldn’t hold on to a lead. Great goals from Rix Ronday and Borito B broke their spirit in the final two games. Reason hold the only 100% record in the division now, with a playoff place all but secure.
Finally, Method overcame the absence of the prolific Mognus to defeat exceL 3-1 in a very tight contest that belied the scoreline; three of the four games played went into overtime, the first of which saw over five minutes of overtime played. GMS came through clutch as a replacement for Mognus, backed up ably by Metsanauris and Al0t to put Method 3rd in the table.
CS:GO
Envy clinched their first win since Week 1 with a 16-7 victory over bottom team Prophecy. Envy welcomed back their full-strength Academy team from Clash of Nations, and they delivered a much-needed boost to their fortunes to keep them in the playoff hunt. Conversely, this defeat mathematically eliminates Prophecy from playoff contention.
Epsilon rebounded from last week’s epic defeat to Reason by taking a 16-11 win against Infused. The reigning champions were looking to bounce back fast, and remain tied at the top of the table after getting their season back on track; for Infused, they clinched a losing bonus point which could prove pivotal in keeping them in playoff contention.
Reason had momentum after that huge win over Epsilon last week, and backed that up with a 16-13 win over a stubborn exceL side.This match swung back and forth; exceL led 10-4 at one point before Reason fought back, and at 13-13 the match hung on a knife edge. TeSeS was once again in top form for Reason, finishing with over 20 frags alongside teammates Basso and KS, and a consistent team performance saw Reason home.
Endpoint downed Method 16-7 in Saturday’s final contest, in a far more convincing win than the form guide predicted. Both teams came in tied on four wins each, yet it was Endpoint who raced into a phenomenal 13-2 lead. Method did well to win five games on the bounce and threaten a comeback, but turning round such a huge deficit was always going to be a tough ask. Endpoint’s win puts them joint top of the table with Reason and Epsilon; the race for the top spot remains as close as ever.
Just two weeks of Season 2 remain; CLICK HERE to see the updated league standings and how everyone stacks up. Get your tickets to a live broadcast from our events page, or tune in on twitch.tv/gfinitytv on Friday and Saturday every week to watch wherever you are. Fancy watching last week's show? You can re-watch all previous broadcasts on our YouTube channel!