PUBG Global Championship: Semifinals and FaZe Clan’s incredible comeback
By Ty Brody
The PGC Semifinals brought out the best in teams while also delivering the single greatest match in PUBG Esports we’ve seen to date. Unfortunately, it also marked the end of the season for eight more teams, while the top sixteen advance into this weekend’s Grand Finals.
A field that started with thirty-two teams in the Group Stage has now been trimmed down to sixteen following the Semifinals, each with their own shot to be recognized as the best team in the world.
The Semifinals offered another exhilarating finish to the weekend as teams fought until the final match for their spot in the Grand Finals, producing what I’d argue is the single greatest match of PUBG Esports fleeting history.
The Semifinals began on Friday as TSM picked up right where they left off in last weekend’s Group Stage, posting a substantial 54 points across six matches. Since arriving in Los Angeles, TSM has appeared more confident, bordering on aggressive in their approach to securing points via kills in comparison to their Phase 3 campaign in the PUBG Europe League.
Moving into this weekend, the team must maintain their pace during the two-day Grand Finals if they plan on taking home the PGC Hardware, a massive prize pool, and declaring the EU the esports’ most dominant region.
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Directly behind them in second place, The Rumblers turned heads with their 47 point day to kick-off the Semifinals. Other North American teams, Lazarus and Tempo Storm found the success that they would eventually carry into Sunday’s matches.
Lazarus compiled 40 points on Friday just to follow it up with 66 points during Sunday’s matches, exiting the Semifinals with the highest point total of any team. This is a good sign for Lazarus, their fans, and the North American fans who have hitched their wagon to this team. Does it worry me slightly that the team had their best week just prior to the Grand Finals? Sure, but it doesn’t mean the team can’t replicate this success with it all on the line this weekend.
There was plenty of hype surrounding Four Angry Men entering the Semifinals, just take a look at the PGC Pick’Em votes this squad received in-game. Sometimes, ‘hype’ just turns out to be a fallacy, something we’ve seen teams gain leading into an event but never live up to.
However, in 4AM’s case, it’s the real deal. This team proved that once again, on the largest stage throughout PUBG Esports, that their an elite team playing some of their best PUBG at the ideal moment.
During their first day of the Semifinals, Four Angry Men racked up 77 points, outscoring the second-place team by 25 points. This set up the second day of action for the team, where their spot in the PGC Grand Finals was all but official. I’m personally excited to see this team arrive in Oakland for the Grand Finals following another successful weekend in the Semifinals.
If you have any PGC Pick’Em voting coupons remaining, I wouldn’t blame you for joining the other 1.6 Million people who have selected them to win the whole thing this weekend.
In a shorter-format tournament such as the PUBG Global Championship, there isn’t much room for consecutive blunders. When we begin the Grand Finals this Saturday, teams will need to have amnesia of any mistakes made early. If you allow one mistake to compound into a stretch of mistakes, you can likely kiss a PGC top-three placement goodbye.