EU Spring Series Qualifier Recap
Following two days of high-octane qualifier action, the eight-team lineup for this weekend’s European Spring Series has been finalised. After a ridiculous day of upsets, four of next season’s ten RLCS sides have missed out on a spot in the offseason’s first big competition.
The day started off excitingly as RLRS side Triple Trouble were unable to make it past the first couple of lower-bracket rounds. Early exits also fell upon another Rival Series side in the form of RJM, who fell to Awkward Turtles, and World Championship quarterfinalists Veloce Esports, who crashed out against Shaky and Servette a long way from the qualifying matches.
The final matchups of the upper bracket saw Endpoint and The Clappers reach the finals. Despite some reverse-sweep nerves coming over Endpoint fans after a zero-second winner in game three from Canyons, with goals like this one from stand-in Metsanauris, there was never any real doubt that the British organisation would be featuring in the weekend’s bracket as they took the series 3-1. With the screams of Stax and Boyoroyo echoing in the background, it was a truly incredible series filled with unbelievable strikes from both sides
Elsewhere, The Clappers secured an incredible upset spot after taking down Singularity 3-1. Trying out Mognus for the first time, Singularity did well to get as far as they did but it was the bubble side who would ultimately take the spot, securing at least $13,000 as they, like Endpoint at the same time, were able to take their series in four games.
After an agonising couple of hours, Canyons and Singularity were back in action. Coming up against Canyons was an AS Monaco side with plenty of momentum behind them. Since losing to Singularity in the upper bracket, they had taken out top seeds Oxygen Esports and RLCS new boys Solary to put them within a series of qualifying. However, with a world champion-calibre performance, the former RCD Espanyol side took the win and moved on to the finals.
Finally, Singularity were unable to take down Team BDS, as the French side took home the final spot in the top eight with a 3-1 victory, having just taken down two of the bubble scene’s finest in Stormtroopers and Magnifico. It was a statement to make from the promoted side in their first competitive outing since winning the Rival Series at the end of March.
With the qualifier now over, the stage is set for the following teams to take to the pitch in this weekend’s final bracket (teams in bold denote qualified teams, teams in italics denote invited teams based on their top-four RLCS finishes):
- Renault Vitality (Fairy Peak, Kaydop, Alpha54)
- Dignitas (ViolentPanda, Yukeo, AztraL)
- mousesports (kuxir97, Speed, arju)
- FC Barcelona (Deevo, Ronaky, Flakes)
- The Clappers (archie, Calix, Joreuz)
- Endpoint (Virtuoso, RelatingWave, Metsanauris)
- Canyons (Stake, Tox, Zamué)
- Team BDS (MaRc_By_8., ClayX, Monkey Moon)
Image via ZeeboDesigns.
