Image via Ubisoft/@itsmeERROR
Oxygen Esports and Astralis have qualified for the Charlotte Major, which will begin on May 16.
Oxygen and Astralis are currently at 17 points on the stage. Today, Mirage beat beastcoast, putting bc out of striking distance points-wise. The only team with a realistic chance of knocking Oxygen out of their spot is Spacestation -- who play DarkZero on their final day. However, the pair lead DarkZero in points as well. Both DarkZero and Spacestation cannot jump the pair, and beastcoast are out of the running.
Thus, both qualify as they officially cannot be passed out of the top four on the final day of play. XSET can qualify by winning against Astralis in the final game of the playday.
Oxygen, through the first four games of the stage, were inarguably the best team in the stage. They’ve completely revitalized their team after a top-eight finish at SI 2022, and are looking like one of the strongest NA teams heading into the Charlotte Major.
Oxygen only had one loss during the stage – to Spacestation Gaming on the fifth playday. Even then, it took a maximum regulation time affair to knock Oxygen off.
The Oxygen core comes into the Charlotte Major with arguably their best chance to take home some hardware in the history of their roster. They’ll be one of North America’s top hopes, with a squad of international veterans with an injection of fresh talent.
Astralis’s turnaround as a roster is one of the more impressive in recent Siege memory. In 2021, they finished Stage 3 in seventh place, and were fighting on the very last day of the stage to avoid a relegation spot. In the NA SI Qualifier, they failed to make it out of the open bracket – a monumental failure considering the talent and backing they have.
In 2022, they’ve been completely reforged. Seth “Callout” Mik has injected some new life into the team on the strategy end, and Roman “Forrest” Breaux is one of the most improved players in the league.
All the same, it will be the first Major appearance and international competition for four of Astralis’s starting five. Aaron “Shuttle” Dugger participated in the Six Major Raleigh and several Pro League Finals, in addition to SI 2018.
The relatively-young squad has proved that they can hack it in North America’s upper echelon for a stage. "Can they continue their momentum" is the next question for this talented, but young roster.
You can catch Astralis and Oxygen at the Charlotte Major beginning May 16 and ending on May 22.
With Mirage's victory, only two spots remain in North America at the Major.
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