The Los Angeles Qualifier for the 2018 Overwatch World Cup has concluded.
Six national squads travelled to the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, California, on September 7-9 for the second of four group stages for this year’s World Cup.
Only two spots were available in the World Cup playoffs, which will take place at Blizzcon on November 2-3.
Coming into the qualifier Team USA and Team Canada were the heavy favorites, and they each managed to secure a spot at Blizzcon, between them only conceding a single game to any of the other four teams.
The headline match of the qualifier between the USA and Canada was the very last series, which USA ultimately took 3-1 to secure the top seed.
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USA and Canada join South Korea and Finland as teams confirmed so far for the playoffs. The final four spots will be determined by the Bangkok qualifier and the Paris qualifier, taking place on September 14-16 and September 21-23 respectively.
The final placements from the Los Angeles Qualifier:
- 1 – USA – Playoffs + $15,000
- 2 – Canada – Playoffs + $15,000
- 3 – Brazil – $15,000
- 4 – Norway – $15,000
- 5 – Austria – $15,000
- 6 – Switzerland – $15,000
Though the playoff spots were ultimately locked up by the favorites, the other attending teams did show off some impressive play – especially considering that many featured players who aren’t competing full-time – with the representatives of Brazil in particular turning heads.
The Overwatch World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for aspiring players from less popular regions to showcase their talents. With eight new teams joining the Overwatch League for Season Two, players who perform well now could well find themselves scouted for either the league or a Contenders team in a region with a higher profile. Dallas Fuel’s Mickie famously got his shot after impressing as part of Team Thailand in the 2016 World Cup.