Team Liquid wins Rainbow Six Pro League Season 7 Finals

Team Liquid proved itself the best Rainbow Six team in the world for Season 7 by blasting its way through the competition in Atlantic City, N.J. over the weekend.

In a strong showing for the LATAM zone of the Rainbow Six Pro League and historic day for esports in the country of Brazil, Team Liquid dispatched of all who stood between itself and the Rainbow Six Pro League championship on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20 at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

The weekend began on Saturday with a best-of-three match which pit the NA zone winner and crowd favorite Rogue against APAC zone runner-up Nora-Rengo.

Rogue started the match not only heavily favored by the US audience at the venue but heavily favored by the oddsmakers as well. Nora-Rengo more than held its own, however. After taking a 4-1 lead on the first map, Nora-Rengo watched that lead evaporate as Rogue won five consecutive rounds to claim the first map 6-4.

On the second map, Nora-Rengo again got out to a 4-1 lead. History did not repeat itself, however, as Nora-Rengo was able to secure a fifth round and the teams entered the third map with a spot in the semifinals on the line. Nora-Rengo proved itself further troublesome on the third map, but Rogue eventually dismissed the upstart in overtime 6-4 and left the stage to see which team they would face in the semis.

The match between EU winner PENTA Sports and NA runner-up Evil Geniuses was next. Evil Geniuses gained the upper hand early, setting the stage for an all-NA semifinal between itself and Rogue by winning the first map 5-3.

The experience and momentum that PENTA brought into the finals showed on the second map, as they dispatched Evil Geniuses 5-2 to again set up a third map that would have everything riding on it. PENTA showed why it was among the favorites with a 5-3 win on the third map, advancing to face Rogue in the semifinal round.

The third quarterfinal match of the day set LATAM winner FaZe Clan up against EU runner-up Millenium.

Millenium kept the streak of EU wins going, securing the first map 5-2. It was the second time that “Coastline” had been played on the day, and both times the lower-seeded team took the map. FaZe Clan gutted out the first map of the day for the LATAM zone, coming back to force a third map with a 6-5 win. Millenium reasserted itself on the third map 5-3, claiming the third spot in Sunday’s semifinals.

The final semis ticket would be punched for either APAC winner Fnatic or LATAM runner-up Team Liquid, who took the stage to decide which team would face Millenium for a spot in the grand final.

Fnatic put up as good of a fight as possible on Chalet, but Team Liquid ultimately prevailed 6-5. Team Liquid capitalized on the moment, showing its superiority and securing the only sweep of the quarterfinal round by taking Oregon 5-2 and ending Saturday’s action on an exciting note.

Sunday’s semifinal and grand final action promised play from the top four Rainbow Six teams in the world right now, and it delivered on that promise with three stellar matches.

Rogue and PENTA Sports took the stage first, with the first of two spots in the grand final at stake. The first map was one that wasn’t played on Saturday, Skyscraper. PENTA secured it 5-2. Border was next, which was the map that PENTA eliminated Evil Geniuses on in Saturday’s quarterfinal.

PENTA was unable to eliminate another NA team on Border, however, as Rogue flipped the script and forced a third map with a 5-2 win. PENTA proceeded to win Oregon 5-1, meaning the US crowd would not get to crown a domestic champion in Season 7.

The final semifinal match carried the potential of setting up an all-EU grand final, but in order for that to happen, Millenium would have to derail the only team who swept its quarterfinal match, Team Liquid.

Coastline was the first map in the match, and Team Liquid won its third consecutive map of the weekend with a flawless 5-0 run. In the moment, Team Liquid seemed unstoppable. Kafe Dostoyevsky was the map that Team Liquid could propel itself into the grand final on.

Millenium wouldn’t be so easily dismissed, turning the tide of the match with a 5-3 win. Both teams would descend upon Border to break the tie and decide which team would take on PENTA Sports for the championship.

Team Liquid was ultimately more successful in executing its strategies, winning Border 6-4 and setting up the championship match with a chance to make history.

After Ubisoft revealed new content and changes to the game coming in Operation Para Bellum, the stage cleared for the more immediate action.

The grand final match’s contingent of maps were Bank, Border and Consulate. PENTA came into the match having went 2-1 on those maps in the tournament, while Liquid had secured its spot in the final by winning a round on Border. The maps went in alphabetical order, and PENTA showed the fact it had already played Bank during the weekend was an advantage.

After PENTA secured Bank 5-1, Border offered somewhat more of a familiar setting for Liquid. Liquid took that map in a tight 6-5 match, giving the crowd exactly what it wanted. One map, five rounds to win the Season 7 title.

PENTA’s recent experience playing Consulate didn’t seem to matter, as Liquid showed little regard for its underdog status and won the map 5-1.

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It was an exciting weekend for Rainbow Six Pro League players and fans alike, as a victory in impressive fashion by Team Liquid was likely not what most expected. It’s proof that tournaments are just as much about which team gets hot at the right time as they are about preparation and strategy.