We’re entering the fifth and final weekend of phase one, where we’ll learn the fate of several teams. During week four of the regular season, we saw Team Envy and Wildcard Gaming make huge strides to better themselves in the standings. It is going to take that and a lot more as teams will certainly be on their A-Game down the stretch.
I am interested in numerous potential storylines this weekend like, can the top teams handle the pressure and maintain their consistency when they know a handful of other teams are within reach of stealing a top four placement? Can Tempo Storm bounce back from what was really their first sub-par weekend? Was last weekend a coming out party for Wildcard Gaming, who, during Friday’s matches placed 2nd, 2nd, and 1st to wrap up the day? Can Ghost Gaming and eUnited put it together in the final weekend to escape relegation and qualify for Phase 2 of NPL? And if they are able to make that happen, which two teams are dropping into relegation? It is going to be an intense final week, with a ton on the line, and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.
While teams towards the top of the leaderboard are battling for a top-four finish, the middle of the pack and lower ranked teams are battling to place above 10th and avoid relegation. With only 8 matches remaining in the first phase of NPL, everyone is looking ahead at the recently announced “PUBG Classic”. The Classic will take place at the conclusion of both phase 1 and 2, serving as a mid-season global event, as the top four teams from each region will meet to play for extra prize money and most importantly, bragging rights. That invitation is extended to the top four teams after Saturday’s matches.
From there, our attention will swing to the PUBG Europe League (PEL), which begins on Thursday, March 21st. Setting my North American bias aside, this lobby is packed with talent and experience. I will post an overview and provide a deeper look into the league shortly, as we get closer to the “PEL Kickoff”, a shorter and more action-packed season due to the delayed start of PEL.