PGL Major Antwerp 2022 is fast approaching and we wrote a grand article on it about the dates, format, qualifiers & teams. But the road to PGL isn’t a short nor an easy one. Teams will have to run through the gauntlet of open qualifiers, with no regards whatsoever to their former achievements if they want to attend the PGL’s grand tournament with a massive prize pool of $1,000,000. PGL Antwerp will pit the best of the best against each other in May.
American RMR are about to kick off today, with APAC and European Group A begins further down the week.
Format
Let’s take a look at the format. It's been tweaked a little bit for the Americas region since it was unfair when compared to other regions.
Swiss Stage:
- 16 Team Swiss System Format
- Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3
- All other matches are Bo1
- The Buchholz system is used to seed matches from Round 3 to 5
- 6th place decider is resolved via a Bo3 single-elimination gauntlet
- 1st place decider is resolved via a Bo3 single-elimination match
- Top 6 Teams proceed to the PGL Major Antwerp
- Bottom 10 Teams are eliminated
The first two rounds of the Swiss-system will be played on the opening day of the event. Following the opening bouts, teams with a 1-0 record will compete on the mainstream, while teams with a 0-1 record will compete on the B stream. Following the first two rounds, the 1-1 teams will play off on the second day before going on to the final best-of-three matches in the afternoon for teams with 2-0 and 0-2 records.
The third day will feature solely BO3 matches, with six series played before the final three on the final day. According to the statement made by PGL on Thursday, two further matches will be played on April 15 to determine the sixth slot at the Major between the clubs with a record of 3-2
Schedule & Betting Odds
Players that are highlighted in bold have the odds in favour. You can click on the dates to take yourself directly to the detailed match page, and watch the matches as they play out live.
- FURIA Esports vs. Leviatán (April 11, 2022 - 11:00 CEST) 1.05 vs. 7.50
- Party Astronauts vs. Isurus (April 11, 2022 - 11:00 CEST) 1.52 vs. 2.40
- Case Esports vs. Bad News Bears(April 11, 2022 - 12:15 CEST) 1.52 vs. 2.35
- Imperial Esports vs. São Caetano Esports (April 11, 2022 - 12:15 CEST) 5.80 vs. 1.10
- Evil Geniuses vs. paiN Gaming (April 11, 2022 - 13:30 CEST) 1.58 vs. 2.25
- Complexity Gaming vs. Team oNe eSports (April 11, 2022 - 13:30 CEST) 1.17 vs. 4.50
- Team Liquid vs. 00 Nation (April 11, 2022 - 14:45 CEST) 1.17 vs. 4.50MIBR vs. 9z Team 9z (April 11, 2022 - 14:45 CEST) 1.75 vs. 1.95
Analysis
The qualification tournament comprises some of North and South America's top stars, including FURIA, Liquid, Complexity, Evil Geniuses, Imperial, and 00NATION and same can be said by taking a look at the betting odds.
The bouts will be televised on two concurrent streams beginning Monday. with FURIA playing other Argentinians of Leviatan, which they will have no problem taking head on, and Party Astronauts taking on the South American mix of Isurus.
Case will face Bad News Bears, while Imperial's "Last Dance" with the legendary FalleN on its roster will face Sao Caetano in the tournament's first Brazilian derby. These two matches will be followed swiftly by Evil Geniuses vs. paiN and Complexity vs. TeamOne.
The last two matches of the first round are MIBR facing 9z and Liquid facing 00NATION in one of the day's more exciting matchups.
Matches in Round 2 will continue later on the same day.
