OpTic, Thieves sweep in Super Saturday

Day 2 of Week 2 in the Major IV qualifiers has wrapped up, and the pressure is only mounting as teams continue their push for postseason positioning.

With Champs spots hanging in the balance, players delivered in the clutch, turning the tide with game-changing plays and high-impact performances. Whether it was taking over in Hardpoint or closing out clean sweeps, several stars stepped up when their teams needed them most. Let’s take a look at the Players of the Day who made a statement and helped shape the playoff race during a pivotal day of qualifiers.

Diego "SupeR" Escudero - Miami Heretics

Result: 3-1 victory over Vegas Falcons
Series Stats: 2nd Straight Series with 100+ Kills (101), Lobby-High 1.23 Series K/D, and a 2.25 K/D in Search & Destroy.

The Spanish rookie continues to dominate Search & Destroy for the Miami Heretics. SupeR went 9-4 (2.25 K/D) in Map 2 with 1,188 damage and 6 assists to lead the team to a 6-3 victory. The map performance put his stage SND K/D at 2.15, which leads the League.

Dylan "Nero" Koch - Minnesota Rokkr

Result: 3-1 victory over LA Guerrillas M8
Series Stats: 109 Series Kills (only player above 90) with Lobby Highes in Series K/D (1.22) and Damage (12,373.

Nero played the Hero in today's Minnesota match against the LA Guerrillas M8, providing the slaying punch in the 3-2 victory to stay in the fight for Champs. It was his 7th 100+ Kill Series of the year, but only his 2nd since February. He was at his best in the Map 3 Control, finishing 25-15 (1.67 K/D) with 2,681 damage and 20 non-traded kills. If this version of Nero sticks around, Rokkr might still have a chance to catch OpTic for the 8th seed.

Paco "HyDra" Rusiewiez - LA Thieves

Result: 3-1 victory over Vegas Falcons
Series Stats: 106.6 Slayer Rating in 3-0 sweep, leading the Thieves with 59 Kills and a 1.20 K/D over the three maps.

One of the most consistent players in the League, HyDra got back to his old ways in the 3-0 beatdown of Vegas. Paco went positive in every single mode, but was most impactful in the Map 2 SND. Going 8-4 (2.00 K/D) with 860 damage & 3 opening duel wins, he led the team to a comfortable 6-2 victory on Rewind. The duo of HyDra & Thomas "Scrap" Ernst continues to terrify the rest of the CDL.

Mason "Mercules" Ramsay - OpTic Texas

Result: 3-0 victory over Carolina Royal Ravens
Series Stats: 1.51 Series K/D in the 3-0 sweep over Carolina. Lobby Highs in Kills (65), K/D, and Damage (8245) while setting records in Map 3.

The rookie showed that his first series was not a fluke, absolutely dominating the Royal Ravens in the 3-0 sweep. While he finished with a 1.51 Series K/D, his best work came in the Map 3 Control. Mercules started with a 10-2 Round 1 and didn't slow down from there. He'd go on to finish the map 34-11, to set the record for best single-map Control K/D at 3.09, beating out Nero's previous record of 3.00. That also included a 17-2, 8.50 K/D on the defensive side in the Control. It certainly looks like OpTic found their next Star player.

📸 Photo by @OpTic

Check out the final day of Week 2 tomorrow at 3 pm EST with THREE Champs important matches!