The Los Angeles Gladiators remained perfect atop the West region by cruising to a 3-1 win over the Boston Uprising on Sunday in a qualifying match for the Overwatch League’s Countdown Cup.
Los Angeles took the first two maps, winning 2-0 on Ilios and 3-0 on Paraiso. The Uprising stayed alive with a 1-0 triumph on Dorado, but the Gladiators responded with a 1-0 victory on Colosseo to improve to 6-0 in qualifying action.
In other West region action, the Vancouver Titans edged Paris Eternal 3-2 and the Dallas Fuel stayed hot by ousting the Atlanta Reign 3-1.
The Titans opened with a 2-0 win on Oasis, but quickly fell into a hole when they dropped 1-0 decisions on King’s Row and Dorado. They bounced back with a 1-0 win on New Queen Street before taking the decisive fifth map, Nepal, 2-0.
Dallas had a much easier time with the Reign, responding to a 2-1 setback on Busan with wins on Eichenwalde (2-1), Junkertown (2-1) and New Queen Street (1-0).
The three teams in the East that finish the regular season with the most league points will qualify for the playoffs, while the top six finishers in the West will do the same.
The other berths in each playoff bracket will be determined through the play-ins taking place Oct. 14-15 in the East and Oct. 21-22 in the West as part of the Countdown Cup. Seeding for the Countdown Cup is based on results in the ongoing qualifying matches.
Two West playoff bids will be awarded via the Countdown Cup, while one East playoff bid will be at stake.
The double-elimination playoffs will begin Oct. 30. The playoff bracket will culminate in the first in-person Grand Finals in three years at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center on Nov. 4. The grand prize is $1 million, while the runner-up team will earn $500,000.
Action continues Friday with three matches in the West region:
–New York Excelsior vs. London Spitfire
–Paris Eternal vs. San Francisco Shock
–Florida Mayhem vs. Toronto Defiant
Overwatch League — Countdown Cup standings, with points, match record and map differential (*clinched playoff berth)
West
1. *Los Angeles Gladiators, 6 points, 6-0, +13
2. *Dallas Fuel, 5 points, 5-1, +11
3. *Atlanta Reign, 4 points, 4-2, +5
4. *Houston Outlaws, 3 points, 3-1, +5
5. Washington Justice, 3 points, 3-3, -3
6. Boston Uprising, 2 points, 2-2, +2
7. London Spitfire, 2 points, 2-2, -2
8. Vancouver Titans, 2 points, 2-4, -6
9. Toronto Defiant, 1 point, 1-3, -2
10. *San Francisco Shock, 1 point, 1-3, -4
T11. New York Excelsior, 1 point, 1-3, -5
T11. Florida Mayhem, 1 point, 1-3, -5
13. Paris Eternal, 0 points, 0-4, -9
East
1. *Seoul Dynasty, 5 points, 5-1, +11
2. Guangzhou Charge, 4 points, 4-2, +3
3. *Philadelphia Fusion, 3 points, 3-3, +3
4. *Shanghai Dragons, 3 points, 3-3, +1
5. Los Angeles Valiant, 3 points, 3-3, -5
6. Chengdu Hunters, 2 points, 2-4, -5
7. Hangzhou Spark, 1 point, 1-5, -8
–Field Level Media