With the North America League 2024 Stage 2 Last Chance Qualifier kicking off later today, we have written a guide for you to not miss out on anything regarding the team's last shot at qualifying for the BLAST R6 Major Montreal.
Format
North America's Last Chance Qualifier for the BLAST R6 Major Montreal will be a single-elimination bracket with BO3 matches. This means that the last standing team will clinch the region's fourth seed to compete in Montreal, Canada.
Teams
Here's a look at the eight teams that will compete in North America's Last Chance Qualifier to clinch a BLAST R6 Major Montreal spot:
M80
After a fifth-place finish in the North America League 2024 Stage 2 group stage, the green roster defeated the BLAST R6 Major Manchester champions in the playoffs quarterfinals. Unfortunately for them, back-to-back defeats against DarkZero Esports and Spacestation Gaming saw them falling to the Last Chance Qualifier.
Surprisingly enough, this is the first time that M80 features in a Last Chance Qualifier after three consecutive top-two finishes in the North America League, including a first-place finish in the North America League 2023 Stage 1.
With 350 SI Points, M80's participation at the Six Invitational 2025 should be the next one to be secured. However, to not rely on results elsewhere, the green roster must make it to Montreal.
Wildcard
Wildcard's sixth-place finish in the group stage was followed by a narrow 1-2 defeat against Soniqs in the North America League 2024 Stage 1 playoffs. Later on, Wildcard secured the league's fifth place after an unexpected 2-0 victory over the BLAST R6 Major Manchester champions Cloud9 Beastcoast.
Cloud9 Beastcoast
The team's back-to-back 0-2 defeats against M80 and Wildcard saw the squad finishing in sixth place in the North America League 2024 Stage 2, which gave them the third seed at the Last Chance Qualifier.
While the players have already secured a spot to compete at the Six Invitational 2025, it would be disappointing to see the current BLAST R6 Major champions not being able to defend their crown.
Luminosity Gaming
Luminosity Gaming headed to the second split of the season after competing at the Esports World Cup, the roster's first international performance since signing for the blue organization.
Despite the team's short time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it's worth remembering how they qualified for the competition. After two BO3 series against M80 and Spacestation Gaming, the blue roster earned the right to compete in the Esports World Cup. The Last Chance Qualifiers for Montreal will follow a similar bracket format: could Luminosity Gaming benefit from it?
Oxygen Esports
Although Oxygen Esports finished in the penultimate spot of the North America League 2024 Stage 2 with one victory and seven defeats, it's important to highlight the final results of most of the team's losses: six of the team's seven defeats saw twelve rounds being played, with two of them going to overtime.
Therefore, despite Oxygen Esports' performances having been underwhelming throughout the second split, the difference between them and the top teams in the region is smaller than what some viewers may think. Oxygen Esports are far from being dead.
CL4L
Shortly after parting ways with Mkers, the ELEMENT THREE champions made it to the Last Chance Qualifiers after only dropping two maps against the North America League 2024 Stage 2 roster LOS. The Americans took the Open Qualifier's first seed after back-to-back wins against the Brazilians.
LOS
After finishing at the bottom of the standings of the North America League 2024 for the second stage in a row, the Brazilians have slightly improved their performance: this time, unlike in the first split of the season, they have reached the region's Last Chance Qualifier.
SSG Academy
Spacestation Gaming's academy roster made it to North America's Last Chance Qualifier after victories against FLUFFY AIMERS and Bello. While the roster included the former top-flight players Mitch "Dream" Malson and Nathanial "Rampy" Duvail, the team's squad to compete in the bracket is still unclear. As of now, the former Oxygen Esports player has already ruled himself out of the tournament.
Bracket and matches
Here's a look at the bracket and the games that will be played starting from today, October 14, until Wednesday, October 16:
Quarterfinals
- Match 1: M80 vs. SSG Academy (October 14 20:00 GMT -4)
- Match 2: Luminosity vs. Oxygen Esports (October 14 22:30 GMT -4)
- Match 3: Wildcard vs. LOS (October 15 20:00 GMT -4)
- Match 4: Cloud9 Beastcoast vs. CL4L (October 15 22:30 GMT -4)
Semifinals
- Match 5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 (October 16 17:00 GMT -4)
- Match 6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 (October 16 20:30 GMT -4)
Grand Final
- Match 7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6 (October 17 00:00 GMT -4)
Montreal and the Six Invitational 2025 Global Standings
As of now, two North American rosters have already clinched a spot to compete at the Six Invitational 2025: Cloud9 Beastcoast (1st, 525 SI Points) and DarkZero Esports (3rd, 440 SI Points).
The third-highest North American team on the Global Standings nowadays is M80 (7th, 350 SI Points), who could miss out on Montreal and still qualify for the Six Invitational 2025 if results elsewhere take place. Meanwhile, Spacestation Gaming (14th, 275 SI Points) and Soniqs (24th, 220 SI Points) are likely to improve their current position on the Global Standings as they will compete in Montreal.
Looking at the current state of the Global Standings, the North America League could send up to seven teams to the Six Invitational 2025, which will be celebrated in Boston, Massachusetts. For that to happen, Soniqs and Spacestation Gaming should sneak into the Global Standings Top 16 to join Cloud9 Beastcoast, DarkZero Esports, and M80, with the sixth roster being Luminosity, Wildcard, or Oxygen, who should win the Last Chance Qualifier and earn enough SI Points in Montreal to sneak into the Top 16. The seventh roster would come from the regional qualifier for the Six Invitational 2025.
Although that would be ideal for the North America League, seeing seven American rosters at the Six Invitational 2025 will be extremely difficult. However, five or even six teams is a quite realistic tally at this point.