Cloud9 Complete the Three-Peat, Beat OpTic in HCS Pro Series Week 3

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Cloud9 Complete the Three-Peat, Beat OpTic in HCS Pro Series Week 3

Cloud9 continues it's North American dominance in HCS Pro Series Week 3. 


Halo Infinite is witnessing a dynasty of sorts develop only two months following the game’s release. OpTic Gaming and Sentinels were the first two teams to establish themselves in the early going. However, the guard shifted significantly, and Cloud9 now has a stranglehold on North America. 

Pznguin, Eco, Renegade and StelluR handily won HCS Raleigh, and the train keeps rolling with no signs of slowing down. Cloud9 won the first two HCS Pro Series events to start the year, thus making them the heavy favorites heading into week three. 

Week three provided sixteen teams a chance to secure more HCS Points. Cloud9 looked to defend the throne while others hoped to solve their riddle. In the end, Cloud9 once again looked untouchable. 

Tale of the Tape: Cloud9 vs. OpTic Gaming

In a rematch from last week’s Pro Series Grand Finals, Cloud9 and OpTic would meet once again. The former encountered little resistance en route to their third consecutive Grand Finals appearance. C9 sent Four ata Time, Sentinels, eUnited and FaZe Clan to the lower bracket dropping just one match along the way. 

On the other hand, OpTic Gaming fought through adversity in round two of the upper bracket. After defeating Angry Birds, G2 Esports handed OpTic a 2-0 loss. Pistola and company bounced back nicely, earning 2-0 victories over Unsigned Talent, Spacestation Gaming, eUnited and Kansas City Pioneers. OpTic then defeated FaZe Clan 3-1 in the lower bracket finals to rematch the back-to-back Pro Series Champions. 

Cloud9 Defeats OpTic 3-0 in the Grand Finals

It was just another day in the office for Cloud9–who again proved they are functioning on another level compared to all rival North American teams. The two teams began the series on Aquarius CTF, where they stayed close for much of the match. OpTic secured the first flag capture, and Cloud9 followed suit with six minutes remaining. Cloud9 broke the tie with two minutes left to take game one. StelluR led all players with 29 kills heading into Slayer. 

OpTic hoped to climb back into the series on Slayer Recharge. However, Cloud9 remained a step ahead at all times, showcasing excellent positioning and communication throughout. Renegade took center stage in game two with 19 kills, while only one OpTic Gaming player managed a positive kill-death ratio. Like last week, OpTic found themselves in a 2-0 hole against the best Halo Infinite team. 

The series came down to Streets Oddball, where OpTic could not overcome the Cloud9 juggernaut. C9 took round one with ease, putting OpTic against the ropes. OpTic looked solid in round two until Cloud9 mounted a comeback to secure the tournament victory. For the third week, C9 claimed the Pro Series title, certifying them as an unstoppable force in the HCS. 

Final Standings

  • 1st: Cloud9
  • 2nd: OpTic Gaming
  • 3rd: FaZe Clan
  • 4th: Kansas City Pioneers
  • 5th/6th: eUnited/G2 Esports
  • 7th/8th: Spacestation Gaming/Sentinels
  • 9th-12th: Built By Gamers/Unsigned Talent/Oxygen Esports/XSET
  • 13th-16th: Four ata Time/Solaris/Angry Birds/Complexity Gaming

Be sure to check out the VOD (https://youtu.be/nU6JJ8ISPrU) in case you missed any action. Stay tuned to ESTNN for more HCS coverage ahead of next month’s LAN in Anaheim, CA. 

Featured Image: HCS

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Matt Pryor
Matt is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University. He appreciates all esports titles but primarily focuses on Fortnite and Call of Duty. Matt continuously analyzes gameplay and plays the games himself to better understand in-game decisions by the best players in the world.