Between the conclusion of the group stage and the opening few matches of the double-elimination bracket, Day 2 was filled with plenty of drama and excitement.
Like most tournaments in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the drama started with OpTic Gaming. The Green Wall, which lost its opening round match to compLexity Gaming, needed to win its next two group stage matches in order to qualify for the double-elimination bracket. With the pressure on, OpTic cruised through both PNDA and LDLC Gaming on the strength of terrific overall team performances to finally qualify. As a result of the Day 1 loss, however, OpTic was forced to traverse the double-elimination bracket as the second seed from Group H, which placed them in the unenviable position of facing Team EnVyUs in Round 1.
In easily one of the most anticipated face-offs of the tournament, OpTic appeared to be no match for the rejuvenated EnVyUs squad. Stage 2 hero John "John" Perez in particular gave OpTic fits, registering ridiculous K/D numbers in Round 2 Search and Destroy and Round 4 Capture the Flag en route to a 88/73 series K/D. With the 3-1 series loss, OpTic, the favorites to win Call of Duty XP, will now need to win six straight matches from the lower bracket in order to make it to the finals.
While OpTic's struggles have been well documented, its rival from last season, FaZe Clan, appear to be peaking at just the right time. It's not just that FaZe haven't lost a match yet in the tournament (4-0), it's that they've done it in such dominating fashion, not dropping a single round in any game. And while FaZe's first two opponents of the tournament weren't the competition's cream of the crop, FaZe's next two opponents, Team eLevate and Infused, certainly had aspirations of championship glory. Always a team that plays better in front of a crowd, FaZe appears to be on an entirely different level at CoD XP. If James "Clayster" Eubanks and the rest of the team can continue their strong performances through the pivotal Round 2 matchup against Team EnVyUs, there might not be a team that can stop them.
On top of the success of North American favorites such as FaZe Clan and Team EnVyUs, Call of Duty XP might go down as the year of the Europeans, as a record-breaking six teams from across the pond qualified for the double-elimination bracket. While HyperGames, Epsilon Esports, the aforementioned Infused, and Millenium didn't survive their respective opening round matches, each of those teams could make a run through the lower bracket. And what's more, the two surviving European teams, Splyce and FAB Games, will square off to start Round 2, assuring that at least one European team will make it into the upper bracket semifinals.
Considering the winner of that matchup will face either Team EnVyUs or FaZe Clan, a finals berth through the upper bracket seems difficult, but certainly not impossible. In a renaissance year for European Call of Duty, it's been refreshing to see so many teams from overseas place well at the biggest international tournament of the year and should be considered an encouraging showing for fans of the region.
