National PUBG League: Phase 3 preview and predictions
By Ty Brody
Genesis (ex-Cloud 9)
Over the break, Cloud 9 took to social media to thank their roster and wish them luck moving forward. This news caught the community off guard and left four of competitive PUBG’s best players unrepresented moving into the most crucial phase of the year. Once the dust settled, all four members announced that they intend to finish out the inaugural season of the pro league and compete at the PUBG Global Championship in November under the name Genesis.
As one of the strongest teams in the NPL, I don’t see this change affecting the play of the team. If anything, nothing would make this team happier than proving their critics wrong with a Phase 3 Championship and a strong showing at PGC.
Tempo Storm
What more can be said about the NPL’s back-to-back champions? Everyone appeared eager to crown a new champion on the final day of Phase 2, but before you knew it, Tempo Storm had joined the race and found a way to claim another NPL title. However, the team won’t be entering Phase 3 with the same four-man roster that has dominated in the past.
Over the break, Tempo Storm said farewell to Diondre “YaBoiDre” Bond, who announced his retirement from competitive PUBG via Twitter. Tempo Storm swiftly welcomed in Daniel “Sharpshot” Hernandez, a substitute for the team in the past but most recently played with Wildcard Gaming during Phase 2.
Ultimately, this could prove to be the difference-maker for either Tempo Storm or every other team in the lobby. I imagine the team will be right back at the top of the leaderboard battling for the three-peat, but filling the shoes of “YaBoiDre” may not be an easy task.
Ghost Gaming
The team took a huge step in the right direction over the course of Phase 2 with their top-three placement and invitation to the GLL Grand Slam: PUBG Classic. Despite their successful campaign in the last phase, a seemingly inevitable announcement was made that Ghost’s highly-anticipated prospect would be joining the team for Phase 3.
Jaden “Vegas” James has turned eighteen and is finally eligible for PUBG Esports competition. He joins “Miccoy”, “Drassel”, and “Shrimzy” in hopes to secure a position at the PUBG Global Championship in November. Adding a player like “Vegas” to the already effective roster of Ghost Gaming immediately makes them a true contender for the NPL throne during Phase 3, and a huge part of why I’ve picked them to finish in third.
Spacestation Gaming
Living up to expectations after their signing of Why Tempt Fate (ex-Optic), Spacestation Gaming secured their invitation to the GLL Grand Slam: PUBG Classic with a fifth-place finish in the NPL last phase. The team returns all four players for Phase 3, where they’ll hope to improve on their top-five placement. Two of the SSG members, “Valliate” and “Bahawaka” most recently represented the United States at the PUBG Nations Cup in Seoul, South Korea where the stars and stripes placed tenth. While the tournament may not have gone as well as hoped, another chance to compete on the global stage against the best only benefits this SSG squad.
Amongst a lobby littered with roster changes, SSG should benefit from familiarity for a good early portion of Phase 3. While many competitors sort out the new-team hiccups, Spacestation Gaming will look to take the next step towards NPL dominance. I’m predicting they’ll improve during Phase 3 with a chance to get stronger as a four-man team that is familiar with one another.