The North American esports scene isn't renowned for packing the best talent, especially when one looks at some European and Korean players. That said, Cloud9 represented the region in style this week at the Boston CS:GO Eleague finals, taking down FaZe in a fantastic series. That's not all, as Optic continues to dominate the Gears Pro Circuit and the Call of Duty scene throws up a few surprises.
Cloud9 becomes first North American team to win a CS:GO major
If you somehow missed this fantastic finale, you need to check out the above video. North America's Cloud9 versus a super-talented European FaZe squad. Each round was packed full of action and insane play, with the NA team coming out tops, almost making it look easy at times.
Cloud9 taking down the European FaZe squad was monumental in not only proving that a U.S. team is a force to be reckoned with but shows esports has a place in entertainment with a packed audience both in the arena and online. Check out that final, though, we highly recommend it.
Optic continues to dominate the Gears Pro Circuit
There were plenty of stories to come from the $200,000 Gears Pro Circuit Mexico City Open, but the one that shocks the least is the continued strength of the Green Wall.
Optic Gaming has now won both major events of season two, having dominated throughout season one, as well. Their road to the title and $80,000 included two victories over Ghost Gaming, with eUnited claiming the third spot.
One of the best stories to come from Mexico City was the incredible fourth place of British-based Fable Esports. On their way to $20,000, they made a stellar run through the lower bracket which included the elimination of one of the big hitters, Echo Fox.
The next big event on the Gears Pro Circuit has now been revealed, heading to Las Vegas starting on April 6 with a prize fund that begins at $150,000.
Call of Duty Pro League throws up some surprises
The Call of Duty Pro League continued this week with the second and final three-day stint in Columbus (for now) of the eight teams in Division A. Not overly surprising is that Optic Gaming secured top spot at the halfway point with a 6-1 record. The reigning world champions, however, looked weak on Hardpoint, losing four maps in a row on the game mode.
That Hardpoint record ultimately led to their downfall at the hands of the British team, Red Reserve, which handed Optic their only loss so far in the Pro League and put themselves firmly in the top four and playoff positions in the process. Red Reserve is making a case right now to be Europe's best team, and it has beaten Optic twice now in recent weeks.
Australia's Mindfreak had a good week, too, and while they're outside the playoffs at 2-5, they jumped ahead of Echo Fox after a resounding 3-0 sweep of the fancied North American squad.
Division B is next up beginning February 6 for their first three days, with teams such as Luminosity, FaZe, eUnited and Splyce going toe to toe.
Full COD Pro League Division A round up at MLG.com
Upcoming live events
- Call of Duty Pro League Stage One - Starts February 6, watch on Twitch or at MLG.com
- Heroes of the Storm HGC Week 3 - February 2 - February 4, watch on Twitch
- League of Legends Championship Series - February 2 - February 4, watch on Twitch
- Overwatch League - February 8 - February 11, watch on Twitch
- Halo World Championship Orlando Open, begins on February 16, watch on Twitch or Mixer
Rich Edmonds is a word conjurer at Windows Central, covering everything related to Windows, gaming, and hardware. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a device chassis. You can follow him over on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.
