Remember how we all predicted that Team Freedom would stand alone atop the NA HGC? Good job everyone, that was a really strong call. Upsets about in North America, and it seems that no one is safe but Freedom. There’s a political metaphor in there somewhere. Anyway, these are the biggest matches of Week 3 from a storyline perspective. For the EU version, follow click the words you're reading right now.





Gale Force Esports vs SpaceStation Gaming

This is a week of redemption for both teams. Every team had LFM circled as their easy win for the season, like the free space on a bingo card. Unfortunately, whoever made GFE’s card swapped that space out with a heartbreaking upset.GFE have had to hold that loss close to their chest all week long, they cannot afford a second upset, especially in a week where they also have to face Team Twelve.

On the other hand, SpaceStation Gaming are searching for answers. The team’s surprising role swap has not worked out yet this season, despite moments of excellence from Jschritte and Casanova. I spoke with Cas this week and he said the team made this role swap to improve their communication, and have yet to play to their full potential. Currently sitting below LFM in the Media Poll, SSG need a win right now.

Marquee Matchup: Fury vs Equinox

Former teammates, good friends, and now rivals, the tank matchup is fraught with interesting drama in this matchup. Fun fact, both of these players have played tank for Gale Force in the past, and been subsequently removed from the roster. Now Fury is back on the squad, and Equinox is back in the role. Neither player can afford a loss in this matchup, but only one may stand at the end of the series.

Tempo Storm vs Simplicity

After their win over Team Twelve, Tempo Storm were the kings of North America, the unquestioned number one team. They got to enjoy their reign for two whole days until Team Freedom stole the crown. Fans poured so much expectation into this Tempo roster, that anything short of number one will be a colossal failure. Tempo should have a week of breathing room with two easy matches to get things back on track.

However, HGC viewers expecting Simplicity to roll over and hand Tempo Storm the win may be surprised by the results of this match. In their first week Simplicity looked surprisingly solid. K1pro’s support roster is strong, and his synergy with KingCaffeine is as good as ever. Zuna is back to making plays in the back line, and no one expected Hosty to come out of the gate with a god-tier Hanzo. According to social media, Hosty was also playing in less-than-ideal circumstances during their loss last week to Team Twelve. If the team is back to full strength and has another solid week of practice under their belt, they may have just enough to put a roadblock in front of Tempo’s path back to the top.

Marquee Matchup: Jun vs k1pro

Last week Tempo Storm tried out some….unique strategies against Team Freedom, but in every game Jun was right there with superb cleanses, excellent crowd control, and pixel-perfect positioning. Easily the most consistent support in North America, Jun is the steady hand guiding this unorthodox team to victory. On the other side, k1pro has been impressive in his first two weeks as a support. His Stukov is rock solid, and his Alextrasa showed promise. Both players have proven to be world class talents in the past, but can k1 keep pace with Jun’s unshakeable consistency? He’ll need to level up once again to keep Zuna and Hosty safe and secure the upset for Simplicity.