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NAL Day 1 Preview: M80 faces DarkZero Esports in Stage 1 grand final replay, Wildcard and Luminosity to debut today

The North America League is kicking off later today!

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Banner image: Ubisoft / Joao F. @itsmeERROR

The North America League is back in action after a light but long off-season in North America. With two new organizations and many transfers throughout the last five months, the competition looks slightly different from Stage 1.

Here's everything you need to know as we head to the first game day of the second split in North America.

M80 and DZ face off in Stage 1 grand finals replay

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M80 are back in action in the North America League after winning the region's first stage. Back then, the Brazilian-majority roster won the BO3 grand finals against DarkZero Esports by 2-1.

Precisely, the team's Stage 2 debut will be against the purple squad. It will be M80's first appearance since the team's second-place finish in the Gamers8 2023, as they lost the grand finals against Team BDS by 0-3.

Meanwhile, DarkZero Esports had to find a replacement for Matthew "Achieved" Solomon as the Six Invitational 2022 champion decided to retire shortly after the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen. The purple squad decided to sign the former Luminosity Gaming player Jason "Ryce" Ngo, with whom they won Jacob "CaliberJacob" Anderson's BREAKING POINT after defeating Spacestation Gaming in the tournament's grand final.

In the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen, both teams finished Phase 2 with a 1-3 record, as the North American lineups could only defeat Team Falcons.

Soniqs to welcome Luminosity and Wildcard to NAL

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Soniqs were the only team to move to the final phase of the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen as they reached the semi-finals of the competition after beating Ninjas in Pyjamas. However, they were sent home after losing to the eventual champions w7m esports.

After an off-season with no tournaments for Soniqs, the North American lineup will make a return to the server after their final appearance in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Today, Soniqs will welcome Wildcard Gaming and Luminosity Gaming to the North America League. The former Oceania League organization decided to move competitions as they signed a roster led by the Six Invitational 2022 winner Bryan "Merc" Wrzek. Meanwhile, Luminosity Gaming picked up Spacestation Gaming Academy's roster.

Oxygen back in action after disappointing Gamers8 performance

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After missing out on the BLAST R6 Major Copenhagen, the green roster is now looking forward to the next Six Major, which will be played in Atlanta, United States.

Oxygen Esports' debut in Stage 2 is going to be against Beastcoast. It will be the team's firs appearance in the North America League since the arrival of Phish into the team.

Since Phish's signing, the team already featured in a couple of competitions including the Gamers8 2023 and the Game Rogue Summer Series. In Saudi Arabia, despite beating CYCLOPS athlete gaming, the green roster couldn't make it out of its group following two very-one sided defeats against Team BDS and w7m esports. Later on, Oxygen beat Mirage by 3-0 in the grand finals of the Game Rogue Summer Series after not dropping a single map during the Playoffs.

Meanwhile, Beastcoast's appearance today will be the third one after negative results in BREAKING POINT and Game Rogue Summer Series. It will also be reverse's top-flight debut.