A Counter-Strike fan plays the esports game on an oversized gaming laptop at the Counter-Strike Austin Major launch event at The Moody Center Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Austin will be the host city for the Counter-Strike Austin Major esports tournament in June 2025. Spacestation Gaming and Team Liquid made it clear who is the class of the field Saturday as the playoffs got underway at the North American Stage 1 of the Overwatch Champions Series.
After finishing with the No. 1 overall seed after going 6-1 in the regular season, Spacestation opted to face Timeless in the first upper-bracket semifinal and won 3-0. (The No. 1 seed got to choose its opponent in the semis, leaving the other 3/4 seed for the No. 2 seed.)
NTMR, which also went 6-1 and received that No. 2 seed, was handled by Liquid 3-1.
The $100,000 tournament, played online, featured eight teams. The two teams that didn’t make the playoffs, Shikigami and Amplify, will proceed to promotion/relegation for Stage 2.
The fifth- and sixth-place teams in the regular season (Avidity and Rad Esports) were placed in the lower-bracket quarterfinals to face Saturday’s upper-bracket semifinals losers.
Spacestation made quick work of Timeless, winning 2-0 on Nepal Control, 3-1 on Suravasa Flashpoint and 119.32m-27.28m on Esperanca Push. Canadian-American Alex “seeker” Taylor was named MVP of the match.
In the second semi, Liquid shut out NTMR 2-0 on Nepal Control before NTMR evened the match with a 3-1 win on Suravasa Flashpoint. Liquid answered with a 3-2 win on Havana Escort and put the match away with a 128.33m-91.67m win on Esperanca Push. Korean-American Elliot “TR33” Chu was match MVP.
Timeless will play Avidity while NTMR faces Rad Esports in Sunday’s lower-bracket quarters. The upper-bracket final between Spacestation and Liquid will take place March 8.
Overwatch Champions Series 2025 NA Stage 1 prize pool
1. $30,000 (Champions Clash berth)
2. $20,000 (Champions Clash berth)
3. $14,500
4. $10,500
5-6. $7,500
7-8. $5,000 – Shikigami, Amplify
–Field Level Media
