Banner image: Ubisoft / @capturedbycyga
With the group stage now over, it's time to look at what happened, continuing with Group B.
MNM Gaming tops group after flawless start
MNM Gaming were the surprise of the group stage as they become the only team to win all of their matches by 2-0 scorelines.
It included victories against the EUL regular season toppers Wolves Esports, the BR6 2022 champions and Jönköping Major grand-finalists Team Liquid, and the Jönköping Major semi-finalists Soniqs.
MNM have been incredibly strong and consistent. Right now, their players dominate the individual standings as three of their five players are among the best 15 names on the list.
Currently, Josh "Yuzus" Pritchard is the best player on the team with a SiegeGG Rating of 1.25, followed by Fatih "Solotov" Türker (1.19) and Luke "Tyrant" Casey.
Soniqs finish in second after only one loss
Many have been following Soniqs very closely as Ben "CTZN" McMillan made his highly-anticipated debut for the American lineup.
The Brit was the highest-rated player in his new team and was the sixth-best overall in the group stage with a SiegeGG Rating of 1.23. Richie "Rexen" Coronado finished just behind him, with a SiegeGG Rating of 1.22.
Soniqs looked far superior to Team Liquid, Wolves Esports, and Dire Wolves, as only MNM could beat them. The team won all of their games 2-0 except for their clash against the Europeans, which ended in a 0-2 loss.
Despite only playing eight maps, Soniqs have already shown six of the nine maps in the map pool as well, which could be a problem throughout the playoffs.
Wolves and Liquid disappoint
Wolves Esports and Team Liquid have not lived up to fans' expectations, as both teams couldn't do anything to stop MNM Gaming and Soniqs.
However, the biggest surprise has been Team Liquid's lack of form. Luccas "Paluh" Molina has been very inconsistent and imprecise when taking gunfights -- shocking for a player that was the best in the world in 2020 and 2021. Moreover, Gabriel "AsK" Santos has been far from his Stage 3 form.
With André "NESKWGA" Oliveira also going quiet, Liquid had to rely on Pablo "resetz" Oliveira, who had the 10th-best SiegeGG Rating (1.18) in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Wolves Esports broke their BO3 duck aterf they defeated Dire Wolves on Day 4 and Team Liquid on Day 5. Team Liquid's defeat against the French-majority roster means that the Brazilians will start their playoff run from the lower bracket -- an unfathomable thought just three months ago.
Dire Wolves sent home
Finally, Dire Wolves finished at the bottom of the standings as they were confirmed to be consigned to fifth place after Day 4.
Despite not winning a single map at the Six Invitational 2023, the Taiwanese squad reached overtime twice against Wolves Esports.
Dire Wolves were the first eliminated team from the competition, as Elevate, CYCLOPS athlete gaming, and Team Secret followed.