The new season of the Rocket League World Championship began at the weekend. In the European regional event, Oxygen Esports scored the first points in the fight for six million US dollars in prize money.
The English-Dutch trio had a very bad start in the Fall Open: A 2:3 against Aogiri. After that, however, Oxygen Esports (OXG) did not show any more weakness and came through the Swiss Stage with three sovereign victories. Endpoint CeX and Team Liquid were beaten 3-0 before a 3-1 win over the Monkeys sealed their place in the play-offs.
Short wobble doesn’t faze OXG
Once there, the eventual champions wobbled briefly in the quarter-finals as G1 mounted a comeback from 2-0 down to draw level at 2-2. In the two final duels, however, Oxygen kept its nerve and won 2-1 and 3-2 by the narrowest of margins. There was no comparison to the semi-final against Quadrant, where a 4-0 sweep secured the final.
The final saw a thrilling clash with Karmine Corp (KC), who had swept Moist Esports 4-1 in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, the first match of the best-of-seven went 2-1 to OXG. Karmine Corp, however, struck back immediately and turned the match around by winning 3-0 and 4-1.
Oxygen was noticeably nagged by this and took a timeout to collect themselves. A successful strategy, because the next change of lead in the entertaining final followed immediately: First the EU team equalised the US organisation by 4:1, before a 3:1 turned the final for the second time.
Surprise world champion flies early
Impressed by the immediate loss of the lead, it was now KC who wanted to use a timeout to refocus before Oxygen’s first match point. An unsuccessful endeavour: OXG played big in the sixth match and outplayed Karmine Corp 4-0.
“REGIONAL 1 CHAMPS!!! So proud of the boys and all the work we put in this past week,” enthused coach Billy ‘billy’ Hinchliffe via Twitter after the triumph.
The Englishman and his protégés have scored important qualification points in the battle for the World Championship with the Open title. In August next year, the successor of surprise world champion Team BDS, who did not make it past the quarter-finals of the European Fall Open, will be sought.
