It’s been an eventful week in the Oceanic Pro League, and the games haven’t even started yet.

Mammoth took their first win, Legacy lost their star mid laner and now it’s looking even more likely that the Chiefs are in the driver’s seat to win their first Oceanic title since 2016.

Emma van der Brug, Harry Taylor, and Alex Leckie-Zaharic are here to talk about the biggest matches of the week, with playoff positioning already on the line as Order take on Pentanet.GG on Friday at 4pm AEDT.

Emma’s Feature Match of the Week: Dire Wolves (7–3) vs Legacy Esports (9–1)

Prediction: Dire Wolves def. Legacy

Starting the split off with three 1-1 weekends in a row to start the split, the Dire Wolves have stepped up their game and have just completed their second 2-0 weekend in a row.

This puts them comfortably into third position overall in the Oceanic Pro League – just 2 wins behind second place Legacy and three wins above fourth placed Order and Pentanet.GG.

Legacy had a surprise announcement during the week after another 2-0 weekend. Their rookie mid laner Jang“Emenes” Min-soo announced his departure from the team. His replacement at the time of writing is yet to be announced.

• Read more: Legacy Esports part ways with rookie mid laner EMENES

This week will be a test of how well the Legacy roster can overcome losing such a key player in their team. The remainder of their roster is established in the team and the bottom lane will retain their synergy. Legacy is under the guidance of Tim “Carbon” Wendel and will make the correct and best decision they can go into the week’s matches, regardless of the outcome.

This is the week for Dire Wolves to take down Legacy. With the big change of the loss of Legacy’s mid laner, it’s going to be a huge test to see how they can bounce back.

This is the time for Dire Wolves to pounce, and with two 2-0 weekends in their pockets with solid performances across the board, they’re looking solid.

Their last match was very much in Legacys’ favour, but with the loss of Emenes, it’s time for the Dire Wolves roster to show that they are not just all bark.

Sett has emerged as a consistently strong pick, and with Ryan “Chippys” Short playing the champion, it fits into his playstyle well. Park “Mir” Mi-reu was chosen as the Snowball Team of the Week for good reason.

His recent performances on Sylas have really shown how adept he is at playing him. He consistently makes the most of his kit, using the versatility of his ultimate to be as effective as possible in any situation.

These key reasons are how Dire Wolves will take down the Legacy roster. The roster is still not to be underestimated due to the strength of the other players, but due to the reliance on their past mid laners performance, it will take some time to adjust to the changes.

Harry’s Feature Match of the Week: Order (4–6) vs Pentanet.GG (4–6)

Prediction: Order def. by Pentanet

Week 6’s play kicks off with a mid-table clash full of implications when Melbourne-based Order meets Perth representatives Pentanet.GG.

The two squads find themselves tied at 4-6 apiece in a tiebreaker for fourth place coming into the start of the sixth week of play, with Pentanet breaking the tie on head-to-head with their week 3 victory. A win here will elevate the victor away from the other?—even if just temporarily?—on the standings.

This match is really close. With both teams wanting to put their best foot forward to break away from each other, it’s hard to predict who will win. Ultimately I do see Pentanet taking it in what should be a close affair.

Pentanet takes advantage in both terms of recent form and previous meetings.

Last week saw Pentanet hang with the now third place Dire Wolves in a close 51-minute thriller on Friday night which saw both sides trade the advantage before the Wolfpack secured a second Baron Nashor, as well as a four-stack Elder Dragon, to secure the victory.

Order’s Week 5 saw their 1-1 curse broken… but not in a good way.

Faced with the monumental task of going up against a powerful Legacy team before facing the undefeated Chiefs the day after, the week was going to be tough for them, and it proved to be, handed two lopsided losses.

The players of both teams have seen recent changes in their personal contribution and form, but the Pentanet players seem to be in a better position to pick themselves up, and re-find the consistency they need to show their best.

On the other side of the Rift, Order players have seemed to be a bit lost and getting outshone by their opponents. Whilst a lot can change in a week, I’m not convinced that the change will come straight away. Instead, it will be a process, giving Pentanet the edge this weekend.

Alex’s Feature Match of the Week:  Mammoth (1–9) vs Avant Gaming (3–7)

Prediction: Avant def. Mammoth

This would have been easier to just write off as an Avant win in literally any other week so far. Yet Mammoth did what some thought would be impossible and claimed a win.

Although the win was over their fellow wooden spoon contenders, Gravitas, it’s an improvement considering their loss to them earlier in the split.

Avant are just lagging behind the playoff cut, only a win away from joining Order and Pentanet.GG in a three-way tie for fourth. Their fate is in their own hands, as alongside Mammoth, they have a matchup against Order to play.

Order are currently staring down a three-game losing streak, and failing to fire against Pentanet and Avant on Friday completely reshapes the league. That chaos is exactly where Avant wants to be, and can force their way into fourth with a 2-0 week.

This means it’s the kind of week that Avant won’t be happy with a scrappy victory over Mammoth.

This game isn’t just about beating the last-place team, it’s a launch pad to completely turn around their season. A fast, decisive victory with composed rotations and manoeuvres will set them up to take the fight to Order later in the day.

Mammoth, on the other hand, shouldn’t get too ahead of themselves. They’re still sitting dead last in the standings, but the win is a good start to somewhat salvage the season.

If they can play some calm and collected League of Legends, and choose their battles carefully, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for them to double their win record.

However, at the end of the day, you have to put faith in the scoreline. Avant has already beaten Mammoth once this split and they’re favourites to make it a double on Friday.

For Mammoth, this is their best chance to build some momentum by taking a win against the other team in the bottom three.

This game could get messy depending on who fires up on the day, but this week the safe bet is on Avant Gaming to take the win and keep themselves in playoff contention.

The Oceanic Pro League returns this Friday.

Follow @ammeplays, @ImHarryTaylor & @Alexicon13 on Twitter.

Produced by San Hoàng

In what comes as a surprise to Oceanic Pro League fans, Legacy Esports has decided to part ways with Minsu “EMENES” Jang, leaving the veteran organisation a player down halfway through their best split in years.

EMENES burst onto the scene at the start of the split, putting up dominating games to push his team into title contention from day one. The mid laner’s rookie season record was—until his departure—only marred by a single loss to org rivals The Chiefs in Week 4.

The promising import has tweeted previously about his problems with the quality of Oceanic solo queue, but the first news of a change in the roster came this morning, when EMENES himself announced he would be looking for a team.

Within hours Legacy Esports officially announced the org had dropped their Korean signing from the roster, with head of esports Tim “Carbon” Wendel expressing his disappointment over letting the rookie go. He added the decision was made in “the best interests of the team and with a view to creating an environment of capable of sustained success going forward.”

He also stated Legacy Esports has “a strong culture and sets high standards regarding preparation, training, and behaviors and we will not compromise our values.”

Sitting firmly in second, Legacy’s campaign to win their first OPL title may have stalled. There is currently no word on a substitute for the OPL’s sixth round, or a more permanent replacement. Legacy face the Dire Wolves (7–3) and Gravitas (2–8) this weekend.

Snowball approached Legacy Esports regarding EMENES’ replacement, but the organisation declined to comment at this time.

The Oceanic Pro League returns Friday.

Photography courtesy of Riot Games

As the city of Melbourne finds more and more opportunities to hitch its wagon to esports, the Chiefs Esports Club and retail precinct QV have announced a partnership that puts each at the forefront of this movement. The two have partnered to create a pop up gaming experience during February and March.

Titled the QV Gaming Dome and running from February 24th to March 15th, the three week event will be a one-stop shop for everything esports right in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

Those who go along will be able to meet League of Legends pros like Brandon “Claire” Nguyen and Romeo “Thien” Tran, who both currently play on the Chiefs’ Oceanic Pro League team, but also veterans of the scene like Jackson “Pabu” Pavone and Brandon “Juves” Defina.

If League isn’t your cup of tea, the Chiefs have also announced that other members of their org will be there, including AFL player Mitch Robinson and FIFA pro James “Cripsy” Williams. While those more familiar with esports may take more from the Gaming Dome, both Chiefs and QV have ensured that gamers of all backgrounds will have something to take their fancy.

The full list of attractions is extensive – attendees will be able to face off against the professional players and content creators of our community is the feature attraction. But if you just want to play some games with your friends then the QV Gaming Dome can make it happen.

Many exhibition matches and viewing parties will be on offer over the three weeks, with plenty of Q&A and signing opportunities for esports fans.

Mere weeks after the Chiefs announced their education partnership with Bond University, the Oceanic mainstay has taken another step to affirm their position among our premier esports organisations. This event will allow anyone interested in the world of esports to learn about the industry and what career paths they can take to become more involved in the burgeoning Oceanic scene.

With Australia’s IEM tournament taking place in the Victorian capital at the cities’ flagship Melbourne Esports Open, as well as locations like Fortress Melbourne popping up and BAM12 on the horizon, Melbourne is quickly making a case to truly be Oceania’s home of esports.

This partnership between the Chiefs and one of Melbourne’s biggest retail precincts stakes that claim even further, and shows that esports is quickly breaking into the mainstream in the region.

Follow The Chiefs Esports Club on Twitter.

After three years of epic moments, and playing host to some of the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams of all time, IEM is leaving Sydney, swapping Qudos Bank Arena and the Harbour City for Melbourne Park and a southern switch according to sources.

A new teaser from ESL Australia features host Danny Kim, resplendent in a Renegades jersey and an Australian flag, waltzing up to Qudos Bank Arena. He appears ready to claim his seat, but is soon told there will be no IEM in Sydney for the first time in three years.

The first question raised by the announcement is where the Oceanic IEM event will take place this year, and a clear frontrunner has emerged.

We normally send @DannyKimHD out just before our big events, but for #IEM this year, he wanted to queue up early.

Things didn’t go to plan, however… pic.twitter.com/xCdpZYcRU2

— ESL Australia (@ESLAustralia) February 3, 2020

Fans have been clamouring for ‘IEM Melbourne’ for years, especially following the success of the Melbourne Esports Open. According to sources close to Snowball Esports, they may finally get their wish, with Australia’s premier CS:GO event heading south.

For those already pulling out their esports calendar, keep in mind there have been no dates confirmed by ESL yet, but sources have suggested IEM’s move to the Victorian capital will likely coincide with the ever-expanding MEO.

MEO has traditionally taken place towards the end of August to coincide with the Oceanic Pro League grand final. If IEM locks in its arrival to Melbourne Park, fans may be treated to a doubleheader with the best CS:GO and League of Legends on offer.

As well as the two headlining events, it’s expected Rainbow Six’s Oceanic Cup will still be played on Margaret Court Arena in the opening days. However, there has been no confirmation the Overwatch Contenders finals will be hosted this year.

While it looks like Melbourne esports fans may have less travel to contend with in 2020, there has been no confirmation the premiere CS:GO event will be permanently moving to Melbourne, or if this is a one-off switch for the calendar year.

There is one thing that’s certain though ?— with the Melbourne Esports Open, the upcoming debut of Fortress Melbourne, and now IEM Melbourne, it’s a great time to be an Australian esports fan, and there’s sure to be plenty more on the horizon.

Follow ESL Australia on Twitter to keep up with the latest IEM news.

Header image credit: Helena Kristiansson | ESL Australia

Following the ‘Great Oceanic Exodus,’ this Oceanic Pro League offseason has forced teams to look far and wide for new talent to fill the gap left behind by some of the region’s best heading abroad for the Championship Series and the European Championship.

Part of filling that gap has been the move to bring more young players, often with little competitive experience, onto the big stage to see if they can blossom into the next generation of Oceanic superstars.

The flipside of that is they are often unknown to even the most diehard of Pro League fans ?— luckily, Snowball Esports is here to clue you in on who you should keep your eyes on when the OPL returns on Friday, January 31.

Dragku

Dragon Guo – Avant Gaming

Despite playing just eight Oceanic games in his career thus far, and only four in the OPL as a substitute, Dragon “Dragku” Guo already has a competitive pentakill under his belt, an achievement very few professional players can say they’ve claimed at all.

Dragku is easily the least ‘rookie’ of the rookies on this list, however, with just four games player in the OPL under Avant Gaming’s banner last year in place of Ryan “Chippys” Short, he still counts a new face in the league.

After his short stint with Avant following a brief roster shuffle towards the end of the split, Dragku clearly proved himself, and those performances have earned him a place in one of Oceania’s oldest teams

Dragku is definitely one of the strongest top laners of the league’s new stock, and now has the opportunity to really make a name for himself this season. However, with the top lane arguably turning into the OPL’s most-stacked role in 2020, he will have to bring out some brilliant play in the coming weeks to really leave his mark on the scene in his first full year.

Souli

Paris Sitzoukis – Pentanet.GG

Paris “Souli” Sitzoukis spent last year watching and learning the art of the jungler from legendary Oceanic star Samuel “Spookz” Broadley. Now, he has the chance to prove himself on the big stage with Pentanet.GG, the OPL’s 2020 newcomers.

Apart from a single Pro League game last year, and a four-game stint with the short-lived Lynx in the Challenger Series in 2017, Souli hasn’t had much top-level experience. He has collected some, however, representing Australia at the IeSF 8th Esports World Championship in 2016.

His track record has been mixed ?— his record in the OPL currently stands at 0–1 after a defeat at the hands of the Dire Wolves last season ?— but the year he spent with the team, growing and learning alongside veterans like Spookz, as well as Simon “Swiffer” Papamarkos and James “Tally” Shute will set him in good stead within the Pentanet roster.

Oceania has had no shortage of talented junglers: Shern “Shernfire” Tai just made his LCS debut with four-time champions Team Liquid while big-money signing Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pederson battles visa issues, and Spookz has now stepped into a coaching role with the Golden Guardians in the same league.

Now, Souli has the potential to add his name to the pantheon of the region’s best junglers, and will be hoping to truly kick-start his career with a bang on the west coast roster in 2020.

EMENES

Jang Min-soo – Legacy Esports

Korean import Jang “EMENES” Min-soo stands as one of the most-hyped players coming into the Pro League this season, rounding out an already-powerful Legacy Esports roster as their starting mid laner in their championship campaign.

Formerly known as Viole, EMENES spent time as a trainee with Gen.G, who boasted a world championship-winning roster at the time. He also learned a few tricks from Song “Fly” Yong-jun and Yoo “Naehyun” Nae-hyun while with LCK champions Kingzone DragonX.

In the 2019 edition of KeSPA’s annual amateur tournament, the KeG Championship, EMENES and his future fellow KZ trainees took out the title while representing the South Korean city of Ulsan.

Now, EMENES enters the OPL with experience from some of the best teams in the world, but the question is: will he be able to cut it at the professional level? With a stellar cast of players around him, the young South Korean is certainly one to keep your eye on in 2020.

Vital

Ha In-seong – Dire Wolves

Ha “Vital” In-seong ?— formerly known as Bowstring until a name-change just last week ?— is the second import on this list, and perhaps the more mysterious of the two. The young star signed with the Dire Wolves in December under his old name, and beyond that just one failed Challengers Korea bid fills out his entire pro career.

The potential star is just 17 years old, so moving from Korea to Australia could be a big jump for the youngster, but the Wolfpack are sure to be more than accommodating for their so-called superstar AD carry. He’s a Challenger-level player in Korean solo queue, which is no mean feat itself, and has been heralded as an explosive and aggressive bot laner.

This year, Oceania’s traditionally deep bot lane pool has been pinched by the Oceanic exodus that saw stars like Calvin “k1ng” Truong, and early adopters Victor “FBI” Huang and Lawrence “Lost” Hui depart from North American shores.

That leaves Vital to carve his own place in the league’s ADC history, and the youngster may prove to be a key part of the Dire Wolves’ success in 2020 if he can settle into the OPL.

Isles

Jonah Rosario – Legacy Esports

Jonah “Isles” Rosario has been touted as one of the region’s best up and comers, and in his brief career has already proven he’s deserving of the hype ?— the new star played three games for Avant Gaming last year, and claimed the OCS regular season title with Mammoth Academy before falling to the Dire Cubs in the final.

There’s already been a lot of talk about the new support, who has often been seen duoing with skilled domestic bot laners like Ronan “rare7” Swingler. This split, however, he’ll be paired with veteran Australian star and OPL champion Quin “Raes” Korebrits in Legacy’s bot lane, with the combo likely set to push Isles into the limelight in the opening weeks.

If there’s only one player in this list you want to watch, make sure it’s Isles ?— the stage is set for the rookie support to make some major waves with the trees as they make a bid for their first-ever Pro League title, starting with Avant Gaming this Friday evening.

The Oceanic Pro League returns on January 31.

Photography courtesy of Riot Games

After the announcement that they would be taking over the Oceanic Pro League slot held by the Essendon Football Club late last year, speculation has been rife about who the new Perth-based Pentanet.GG team would field in the upcoming split of the OPL.

Today, we officially have our answer, as the organisation announces the first five players that will play under their banner in 2020

As reported by Snowball in December last year, the new Pentanet roster will be headed up by two OPL champions in former Rookie of the Year Brandon “BioPanther” Alexander as well as former Bombers, Order and Sin Gaming support Jake “Rogue” Sharwood. They’ll be joined by a mix of veteran and young talent as Pentanet looks to bring some esports pride to Western Australia.

“Our mission at Pentanet.GG is to develop a new wave of esports talent, with a long-term focus to bring local West Australian talent from the community leagues all the way through to international competition,” said founder and managing director of Pentanet Stephen Cornish.

“I’m extremely proud to have a wholly domestic team of Aussie gamers onboard for our inaugural OPL season.”

That new wave of talent features players like Jarod “getback” Tucker and Paris “SOULI” Sitzoukis, but also veterans like Mark “Praedyth” Lewis whose expertise will hopefully be able to rub off on his younger compatriots as the team prepares for their OPL debut in just a few weeks.

Pete Curulli, Pentanet’s general manager, also chimed in on the new team, mentioning that he’s “excited to welcome our inaugural OPL roster to Pentanet.GG for 2020. I’ve had a chance to speak to them a fair bit over the last couple of months as a team, and individually, and I’m really proud that they’ll be the first professional players to wear our colours.”

“There’s a high standard we’re aiming for at Pentanet.GG, and I’m confident that this group of guys have what it takes to set it and create a benchmark for new players joining our teams and leagues over time. Bring on split one.”

Looking at this roster on paper, there is plenty to be excited about. With two veterans of the Oceanic scene holding down the bottom lane, Praedyth and Rogue have the experience and skill to go toe-to-toe with Oceania’s best, and we’ll get more of an idea of who they’re facing as we count down the days towards the season start.

Getback’s signing to Pentanet marks the first time he won’t be pulling on a Dire Wolves jersey since he was signed to the team in early 2018 after winning “The Next Gamer”. His performance in the second split of 2019 was a shining light on the Dire Wolves roster that placed fourth in the regular season, three wins clear of the Order roster that then knocked them out in the first round of the Gauntlet. The preservation of his existing synergy with BioPanther means he’s not starting from scratch, and should help him ease into his new role

Speaking of BioPanther, it’s hard not to talk about his explosive entry into the OPL in Split 2 of 2018 and the sheer talent that he possessed. While he hasn’t been able to return to the highs of winning his debut split with one of the strongest rosters in recent Oceanic history, he’s remained relevant in the discussion for the best top laner in the region. That consistency will set him in good stead for his signing to Pentanet, where he is in the same boat as Getback, having never played for a team other than the Dire Wolves.

SOULI is the most unknown quantity in the new roster, having only played one game on the OPL stage after being recruited as the sole substitute for Order in early 2019. However, for him to be signed after playing a single competitive game in the last two years could point to his potential as a player. I, for one, look forward to seeing what a year under the tutelage of Oceanic legend Samuel “Spookz” Broadley has done for the young jungler.

This roster has the potential to trade blows with the best teams in the region, but as is always the case for new rosters, the team has to gel first to have any chance to take the title. It took the Bombers two splits to get it right and win their third split, and there is certainly no reason their replacements can’t do the same if they hit the ground running when the OPL returns.

The Oceania Pro League is returning on January 31, 2020, with games to be played on Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm AEDT.

Photography courtesy of Riot Games

Sources close to the ORDER organisation have confirmed that former Intuition ADC Ronan “Dream” Swingler will join the Melbourne side.

He will replace Victor “FBI” Huang who left the Melbourne said earlier in the week alongside Jake “Rogue” Sharwood.

Dream first emerged onto the Oceanic scene as PVA, and played for Lynx Gaming in Split 2 of the 2017 Oceanic Championship Series. His potential for explosive play was spotted by SIN Gaming in the offseason of 2017/2018 and he was picked up by the side to play alongside Cuden in the bot lane.

After Split 1, he was given a new opportunity to play for OCS team Intuition and helped the side led by Richard “Phantiks” Su to an undefeated first place finish in the regular season. The team won 13 straight games before dropping one to the Dire Cubs in the semis and narrowly missing out on promotion to the OPL after a 2-1 loss to Chiefs Academy in the final.

Swingler comes into the side ready to make an impact, and for a team that has yet to place above fourth when playoffs time rolls around, his spark will hopefully help reignite ORDER in what can easily be a title-contending year for them.

He won’t be alone however, as the same sources also confirm that top laner James “Tally” Shute, jungler Samuel “Spookz” Broadley and mid laner Simon “Swiffer” Papamarkos have all re-signed with the organisation as the team looks to improve on their two third-place regular seasons

Starting his career on Legacy Esports, Tally left the side he’d played on since late 2014 to join Jake “Spawn” Tiberi’s newly formed ORDER at the beginning of the year. He’s a player that can excel given the opportunity, and with the topside of the map remaining intact, he may receive more resources come Split 1 2019.

In the jungle for 2019 is Spookz, most famously a member of the Chiefs where he played from mid-2014 to the end of last year, where he left the side to join ORDER. He’s a player who can always make a case to be included in the upper echelon of Oceanic junglers. As his team reforms around him with Tally and his longtime ally Swiffer, he’s got an opportunity to prove he’s one of the best Oceania can offer.

Swiffer is the last member to re-sign with the org, and also made his name as the mid laner for the Chiefs Esports Club. After gaining a reputation as one of Oceania’s most fearsome players, Swiffer is yet to achieve again the peak performance that he reached in 2016 but with this altered lineup we may see a return to form for the veteran mid laner.

At this time, ORDER is yet to reveal a support but as the offseason continues to develop, keep your eyes out for further information in the coming days.

For more OPL roster news, follow Snowball Esports on Twitter and the #OPLTrades hashtag.

With each team only having two games left to lock in their spot in the Top 4 and the playoffs, every shot, every missed opportunity and every goal could have massive consequences on who we see lifting the trophy in just a few weeks time.

The Chiefs were sitting pretty at the top of the table, undefeated after taking down the Brisbane Deceptors the previous week, while it was the Sydney Roar and the aforementioned Deceptors nipping at their heels in the standings.

It was derby week, and our first match was for the title of best team in Victoria as ORDER suited up to do battle against Avant. For ORDER, they could put their destiny in their own hands with a win here as going 2-2, one win above Ground Zero, meant that while GZ were expected to beat Avant, ORDER could lock their playoff spot by taking down the Chiefs.

Avant had failed to win a series, and had failed to win a game since Week 1 after being thumped by both the Chiefs and the Roar in Weeks two and three respectively. They needed this win here to go into their match against Ground Zero with a playoff spot on the line, if they won, the speculative results would favour them moving on.

But it was ORDER that drew first blood in the derby, taking away the first game 2-1 on DFH Stadium and immediately putting their Melbournian counterparts on the back foot. They followed it up with another drubbing on Mannfield, going 2-0 up in the series with a 5-2 scoreline.

Avant really needed the win here to keep any chance of a playoff spot alive, and they found it on Mannfield again with a 2-1 victory, forcing it to Game 4 and prolonging defeat for at least another round. The fourth game on Champions Field was close, and five minutes regulation passed with a 2-2 draw, but overtime was where ORDER shattered Avant’s dreams as they put one away to win 3-2 and the series 3-1.

Avant had now been eliminated from playoff contention, but our next team also needed a win to give themselves a chance to advance. Perth Ground Zero had only managed one win against the sub-strength Roar but could tie it up with ORDER with a win over the Deceptors before they played the win-less Avant in the final week.

?Get your engines fired up for the final week of League Play with last week’s Top 5 #RocketLeague Moments thanks to @ASTROGaming!

?@DumboRL | @SYDRoarSports | @SydneyChiefs | @ORDER_army | @SSteveRL pic.twitter.com/VapvuACZCe

— Gfinity Australia (@GfinityAU) November 28, 2018

The first game was a goalfest as the Deceptors put in six goals on DFH Stadium, with Ground Zero putting in three of their own in an effort that would have put them in the running for a win in most other games. Game 2 was a bit quieter, as Ground Zero put an early goal in before the Deceptors put in three of their own on Mannfield to move to match point.

A single loss from almost certain elimination, it was time for Ground Zero to try and step up to take the win, but it was just too much as the Deceptors netted two goals to one to keep themselves in contention for that top spot and sent Ground Zero to just above it as they now needed to win against Avant and have other results go their way to make it to the finals.

Our last series of the day was the Sydney derby between the Roar and the Chiefs, and with both teams back to their full strength and their first clash since Throwdown’s RLOC finals, it was sure to be an absolute blinder. The Chiefs were undefeated until now and could lock a playoff spot with a win here, while the Roar were looking to break out of the cluster of teams in the middle of the pack.

For what had been built up as an epic end to the day’s play, it felt relatively anticlimactic. The first game on DFH Stadium, the Roar came away with three goals to the Chiefs’ one and the victory to boot. They followed it up again with a close 1-0 game, but it was still enough to go two up in the series.

A last chance hurrah didn’t eventuate for the competition leaders as their two goals on Mannfield were outpaced by the Roar’s three and they fell to their first loss of the competition with just a week’s play to go.

It remains to be seen who will emerge this week as our regular season champions and who will make it from the clump at the bottom of the leaderboard.

The Gfinity Elite Series returns with Street Fighter V and Rocket League this Sunday. Tune in on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to watch every game live. Head to gfinityesports.com.au for details on schedule and tickets.

The third week of the Gfinity Elite Series have come and gone with a mixture of close games and disaster. For some teams, their playoff hopes are still alive but for others they’ve crumbled into dust as the season advances. Welcome to this week’s Gfinity CS:GO recap.

Brisbane Deceptors vs Sydney Chiefs

The Deceptors were still hunting for their first win of the Gfinity season after a 16-13 defeat at the hands of Melbourne Avant and an unfortunate but undeniably epic 22-20 double overtime loss against Avant’s Melbournian counterparts in ORDER.

However, for that win to eventuate, they had to go through the Chiefs, who coming into the tournament had looked like a title contender but had fallen in two horrid performances against Perth Ground Zero and Melbourne Avant, and now were also hunting for their first win.

It would be tough however, as the starting squad was unavailable and MoeycQ stepped in to fill the breach in the secondary side. They were weakened but weren’t going to go down without a fight as it was now do-or-die for both teams.

Starting on CT, the Chiefs played well enough to bounce out to an early lead against the struggling Deceptors side, moving into the half-time break with a 9-6 lead. Nothing to sneeze at, but not insurmountable for the Deceptors either.

However, the Deceptors’ CT side couldn’t handle the Chiefs’ prowess on Cache as bombs blew up again and again for the Sydneysiders. The second half was close, coming to 7-6 in favour of the Chiefs, but those 7 rounds were enough to push them to a 16-12 victory and leave the Deceptors holding the wooden spoon with a Week 4 matchup against the winners of the next series.

Melbourne ORDER vs Perth Ground Zero

ORDER had emerged as frontrunners in the competition after a dominating win over Sydney Roar and the aforementioned double overtime win over the Brisbane Deceptors, and were hoping to continue that run into Week Three.

Their opponents would be Perth Ground Zero, who’d dispatched the Chiefs in astonishing fashion, with a 13-2 CT side before a clean 3-0 T side before going down against Sydney Roar 9-16. They would come into the match both favoured to win by the fans and the bookies, as ORDER were using their secondary lineup with sonic replaced by peachy, a relatively unproven side.

It’s not often that we see an utter shellacking in competitive CS:GO, with 16-3, 16-2 and 16-1 victories few and far between. In this season of Gfinity, only the two teams taking on each other here could claim a feat like that, with ORDER beating Roar 16-3 and Ground Zero taking down the Chiefs 16-2.

And if you had to pick a team that would be on the receiving end of the shellacking, you wouldn’t have picked the undefeated Melbourne ORDER, especially against Ground Zero who’d lost to a team that ORDER had smashed 16-3 earlier in Week 1. But I suppose we can let that slide due to the inexperience of the substitute squad.

But that’s what happened as GZ put on an absolute clinic on Mirage, led by a phenomenal performance from BURNRUOk to take a 16-0 victory over the hapless ORDER. They first won 15 rounds in a row on the ostensibly favoured CT side before a pistol round put ORDER out of their misery.

Ground Zero now eagerly await the Deceptors this week, knowing that the team could be at an all time morale low heading into their date with deStiny and the GZ squad. ORDER, on the other hand had an opportunity to get their championship run back on track against the on-form Melbourne Avant.

Melbourne Avant vs Sydney Roar

Before the season started, most people had written off Sydney Roar as a team that would languish at the bottom of the leaderboards, and Week 1 certainly lent credence to that theory. However, the young squad bounced back to take a win over Ground Zero and set themselves up for a fairytale run with a win over Avant.

However, Avant had easily looked the strongest team in the tournament and would have no hesitations about laying the smackdown down onto Roar given the opportunity. They’d dispatched the Deceptors 16-13 before shutting down the Chiefs 16-8 to take first place on points.

Playing on Dust II, it was the unproven Roar who sped out to the early lead, and then resorted to trading rounds back and forwards with Avant to win their T-side half 9-6. The boys from Sydney had the makings of a performance that would show that their previous win was no fluke and they were a contender.

However, you have to remember that this is the until-now undefeated Melbourne Avant, and they weren’t going to lead a 6-9 deficit stop them from claiming the now wide-open first place position. Now playing on T-side and facing down an eager Roar, Avant flexed their muscles and got to work.

Roar took a round here and there, but over time Avant claimed victory after victory to first catch up to the Roar, then surpass them to finally take the win 16-13 after a 10-4 second half.

With the win, Avant have an opportunity to put away one of their closest competitors, fellow Melbourne team ORDER while we have the Sydney derby with Roar doing battle against the Chiefs.

The Gfinity Elite Series returns with CS:GO tomorrow from 3pm AEDT. Tune in on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to watch every game live. Head to gfinityesports.com.au for details on schedule and tickets.

With two weeks of League Play under the team’s belts, it had been the Brisbane Deceptors and the Sydney Chiefs that had emerged as the frontrunners of the competition, as both teams were the only ones to have the clean sheet so far.

The Chiefs had been playing with three subs while their main squad was off in Las Vegas, but they were back and ready to continue Change, Requiem and Kia’s run through the competition.

It was the other part of the original Chiefs squad that was competing with them as Jake had led the Deceptors to victories over the Melbourne Avant and Melbourne ORDER, successfully claiming dominance over the Victorian teams. Posting a 3-1 and a 3-2 victory, the Deceptors were yet to win in a clean sweep unlike their rivals.

The first game of the day was in fact a top of the table clash between the two teams, and it would be a good test for the newly reunited Chiefs squad in their first outing on Australian soil since their fourth place finish at the RLCS World Championships. If the Deceptors wanted that 3-0, it had to be an effort to rival that of world champions Cloud9.

But Drippay, Torsos and Kamii didn’t waste any time firmly stamping their dominance once more on Oceanic Rocket League as they won the first game of the series 5-2 on DFH Stadium before following that up with another 5-2 thumping on Mannfield. 0-2 down, the Deceptors hunted for an opportunity to take a game off the Sydney powerhouses but couldn’t as the Chiefs won Mannfield again 3-2 to claim sole position of first place.

?Start your day with a boost & watch @ASTROGaming‘s Top 5 #RocketLeague Moments from Week 3!

? @KamiiRL | @BNEDeceptors @JakeRL_ @yeatzy_ @SSteveRL | @ZeN_OCE | @shadeyRL pic.twitter.com/aIQir8AIuh

— Gfinity Australia (@GfinityAU) November 21, 2018

The next game of Round 3 was the Melbourne Order looking for their first win against the Perth Ground Zero, who themselves had already faced the Chiefs and the Roar before their subs returned, managing to take a win over the Roar. If the Order wanted any chance at a playoff, the time was now as a matchup with the Chiefs was looming.

The Order started off on the right foot as they knocked in an overtime winner after going 2-all in the first game on DFH but a resounding 5-1 thrashing in Game 2 firmly put the momentum in the favour of Ground Zero. A 1-0 lead in Game 3 didn’t eventuate in the victory however, and the Order took it 3-1 to move to match point

On their final chance, Ground Zero took Game 4 to overtime and eventually put away the winner to go to Game 5 for all the marbles. In a anticlimactic finish, it was the Melbourne Order who ran in five goals to one with some exceptional team play to take the win and their first victory in Gfinity Season 2.

Our last game featured the returning Tainted Minds squad from their endeavours in Vegas, and much like the Chiefs, they were looking to reannounce their presence against the Melbourne Avant. CJCJ, Shadey and Express had been served faithfully by Delusion, Decka and Tulendeena with a 1-1 record but now it was the Oceanic champions’ turn to win.

The Sydneysiders certainly roared onto the field in their first showing as the team that dominated the competition this year, taking two quick 3-0 and 3-1 victories and take full control of the series. Avant hoped for a comeback in Game 3, but the Roar put on their most clinical performance of the series with goal after goal to take the game 6-2 and the series 3-0.

With the two Sydney sides at full strength and slated to face off this week, it’s an opportunity for teams like the Deceptors and Ground Zero to pick up crucial wins against each other to close the gap in the race for playoff positions. Expect a show this week as the best teams in Oceania clash in the name of king and…..well, city for regional pride.

The Gfinity Elite Series returns with Street Fighter V and Rocket League this Sunday. Tune in on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to watch every game live. Head to gfinityesports.com.au for details on schedule and tickets.