Championship Sunday at the HCS NA Super continues to point to the major shifts in the pecking order of North America, as Gamers First secured the top four at the tournament with a crushing 3-0 sweep of eUnited in the losers bracket quarterfinals.
G1’s rise to prominence in Halo Infinite‘s competitive scene has been a major talking point since the roster’s acquisition of ex-FaZe Clan star Bubu Dubu in June. Taking victory in two different weeks of the HCS Open Series since then, predictions from both analysts and fans saw G1 making a significant impact in the NA Super this weekend. However, the thorough dismantling of previous grand finals competitor eUnited showed that G1 aims for even greater heights in the run-up toward Worlds.
King of the Hill in game one served as a mission statement for that goal, when G1 quickly developed an ever-growing lead over eUnited after the opening few minutes. Control of the power weapons remained firmly in the hands of G1 and Bubu Dubu, allowing the team to push aggressively into teamfights with an advantage that made sure they came out on top. With the Stalker Rifle, Bulldog, and Rocket Launcher consistently in his possession, Bubu Dubu topped the leaderboards while his team secured a 4-1 victory, sitting pretty with 20 kills and a 13.3 KDA. The end screen of statistics also revealed another of G1’s strengths, with three players in the double digits for assists as proof of their teamwork and support system within a match.
That structure of teamwork that served G1 so well in game one translated perfectly into games two and three. Aquarius Slayer looked confidently held in the hands of G1 after the initial struggle for control, with eUnited relegated to repeatedly flipped spawns once power positions were wrestled away from them. Flawless execution on the part of G1 meant that eUnited had little chance to pull momentum back in their favor, and what started as a two-kill swing in G1’s favor at the 17-kill mark had grown to a 12-kill advantage by the 34-kill mark. Manny was the main victim of G1’s lockdown, mustering only five kills with 13 deaths by the match’s conclusion. Both he and Suspector’s lack of total damage spoke volumes of G1’s control of the map and the pace.
If they wanted a chance at a reverse sweep, eUnited had to go big in game three’s Oddball on Recharge. The emergency nature of their predicament initially gave them the boost they needed, taking a significant lead over G1 in the first round. With three minutes left on the in-game clock, eUnited led comfortably 70-14. But as proved in game two, G1 wasn’t one to make a mistake once they finally broke eUnited’s setup in Hydro. Piece by piece, G1 clawed away at eUnited’s lead until they took the lead with a rigid setup in Pipes.
Stealing away a round one that had looked to be eUnited’s for the taking, eUnited in round two was comparatively deflated, and G1 took full advantage of it to take game three without a single round lost. G1’s Swish offered a standout slaying performance to secure his team the victory, finishing the match with over 1,000 more damage than any other player and with 27 kills overall. G1’s strength throughout the series was the consistency of all four players, but when one needed to step up, they were more than capable of handling the spotlight.
G1 will face off against Cloud9 for a chance at the top three, and with the momentum and confidence taken from their set against eUnited, the unpartnered team has a good chance of causing a major upset and making a deep run into the Super.
