Cloud9 picks up their second consecutive tournament win in the Halo Championship Series.
Competitive Halo Infinite is booming early in the season, and the totem pole has already taken shape following the first offline Major of the year. Two weeks removed from HCS Raleigh, the season’s first significant online event featured the cream of the crop. Sixteen teams earned the right to compete in the first Halo Championship Series (HCS) Pro Series after the Kickoff Major and subsequent HCS Open Series.
Cloud9 were the top dogs of the participating rosters following their impressive victory in Raleigh, North Carolina, last month. Others involved included two-time online winners OpTic Gaming and Sentinels alongside top non-partnered teams Built By Gamers and Complexity Gaming. The qualified teams split into a double-elimination bracket, where a top-eight finish was the ultimate goal.
However, only one could call themselves the HCS Pro Series Champions. Let’s see how the shockingly one-sided tournament unfolded across several hours of intense gameplay.
Tale of the Tape: Cloud9 vs. FaZe Clan
The NA #HCSProSeries Week 1 Grand Finals are set!@Cloud9 ⚔️ @FaZeClan https://t.co/e5eEldZtkm | https://t.co/zEAg7RP3Em pic.twitter.com/nsa7SXb6vo
— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) January 7, 2022
The stacked HCS Pro Series field saw Halo’s elite teams compete in a grueling bracket. Cloud9 and FaZe Clan ultimately found their way to the Grand Finals out of the winner’s and loser’s side, respectively. As expected, Cloud9 rode the hot hand into this tournament and sent EXO, G2 Esports, Sentinels and FaZe Clan to the loser’s brack without dropping a map. It seemed all teams were merely playing for second following Cloud9’s clinic.
FaZe Clan looked strong early; they knocked Complexity, Kansas City Pioneers and eUnited to the loser’s bracket before falling to Cloud9 3-0. Snip3down and company only needed one win in the Loser’s Finals to set up a rematch with Cloud9. FaZe ultimately sent eUnited packing 3-0 on the heels of a fascinating Snip3down grapple play, giving fans the rematch everyone wanted to see.
Cloud9 Triumphs 3-0 Over FaZe
The defending champs pick up right where they left off. Congratulations to @Cloud9 as they take the first #HCSProSeries of 2022! 🏆@KevinEcoSmith @Pznguin @Renegade_JW @TheStelluR @HoaxerTV pic.twitter.com/E4e3UuQPvs
— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) January 7, 2022
It’s safe to say Cloud9 was the heavy favorite even before the bracket reveal. FaZe Clan had an arduous task, which began on Streets Strongholds. Cloud9 looked excellent in the opening match on the shoulders of StelluR’s 20-kill performance. The C9 roster earned a 250-161 victory over FaZe Clan, with each of Renegade, Eco and Penguin each contributing 17 kills on their way to taking the early series lead.
Game two brought Cloud9 and FaZe Clan to Recharge Slayer, where, as noted on the broadcast, C9 enjoyed a 78% win rate. Despite that statistic, FaZe Clan made the second match a fascinating affair. The two teams traded leads until the final moments when Cloud9 overcame a four-kill deficit to win 50-48. Once again, StelluR looked outstanding, with another 16 kills heading into the third match.
It all came down to Capture The Flag on Bazaar; FaZe Clan needed a boost to keep themselves in the series. FaZe earned an early flag capture less than two minutes into the game and held an uncomfortable lead. The Raleigh Champs fired back, securing two consecutive flag captures–one with under one minute left. Cloud9 ultimately won the match 2-1 while Renegade, StelluR and Eco combined for 30 kills.
Final Results
NA #HCSProSeries Week 1 Finals – Results
Congrats to the top 8 teams for securing their spots in next week’s Finals!
🥇 @Cloud9
🥈 @FaZeClan
🥉 @eUnited
4th @Sentinels
5/6 @builtbygamers
5/6 @OXG_Esports
7/8 @PioneersGG
7/8 @SpacestationBracket https://t.co/UT4tSrT2d9 pic.twitter.com/ZS0czcJPtZ
— Halo Esports #HCS (@HCS) January 7, 2022
- 1st: Cloud9
- 2nd: FaZe Clan
- 3rd: eUnited
- 4th: Sentinels
- 5th/6th: Oxygen Esports/Built By Gamers
- 7th/8th: Kansas City Pioneers/Spacestation Gaming
- 9th-12th: Team WaR, G1, OpTic Gaming, G2 Esports
- 13th-16th: Complexity, EXO Esports, Falling Esports, Unsigned Talent
The next step in the HCS Halo Infinite Season brings the top eight teams above to the Finals on January 13. Be sure to mark your calendars to see if Cloud9 can continue this impressive run or if another team can conquer Renegade, StelluR, Eco and Penguin.
Feature Image: HCS
Source: https://estnn.com/cloud9-go-undefeated-win-hcs-pro-series-1/
