Catch up on the results leading up to the final four here.
The RLCS Season X Oceanic Championship Fall event’s final-four double-elim bracket began with the only team to have survived all the way through from the Open Qualifiers — the Gaming Gamers — taking on a red-hot Renegades outfit.
With Renegades, Mindfreak, Gaming Gamers, and Cringe Society eyeing off the prize in the Fall final four, the stakes were high. However, like they have proven time and time again, Renegades showed no mercy to their compatriots.
On their first stop, they put forth an offensive explosion that left the young lineup of Gaming Gamers panicked and scattered. They were held goalless for two games, as the mismatch between the two squads widened with every Renegades strike.
While Gaming Gamers managed to get on the board in games three and four, it wasn’t enough to take at least one point off the Renegades, as the Oceanic titans steamrolled to the Winner’s Final in a confident 4-0.
On the other side of the top four, a hungry Cringe Society was squaring off against the new Mindfreak lineup that was looking more and more impressive with each passing game. Each game went blow for blow, with a coin flip seemingly the only thing keeping these two teams apart.
However, with Decka finding some confidence for Cringe Society, they managed to find the cracks in Mindfreak’s playstyle in game six, breaking the tie and capitalizing to take the series 4-2.
Mindfreak did manage to mount a comeback in their match against Gaming Gamers. With a top three finish on the line, Mindfreak came out strong, shutting out the young squad in the first two games, much like Renegades did in the first set.
The Gaming Gamers did eventually warm up to the occasion, but the damage was already done. Mindfreak were mechanically and mentally outclassing them, and while it wasn’t a clean sweep like the earlier set, it was still a decisive 4-2 for Mindfreak. There was a shining light for GG though, with Fiberr’s performance re-asserting himself as one of the young prodigies to keep an eye on.
Renegades and Cringe Society faced off on the top half of the bracket in what has become somewhat of a 2020 classic. While the rivalry has typically been one-sided towards the Renegades, Cringe Society managed to break the trend. Drippay was playing with a renewed sense of confidence, pulling incredible plays out of a hat to secure a clean sweep for Cringe Society, and a place in the grand final.
Renegades then had to work back into the grand final against Mindfreak. Riding the momentum of their win against Gaming Gamers, Mindfreak managed to take the first game, however the Renegades quickly took things into their own hands.
They controlled the tempo of the game, whether that be aggressive or passive, and looked a cut above the Mindfreak roster. While the underdogs put up an admirable defense, it wasn’t enough to lock Renegades out of another rematch against Cringe Society for the title, as the veterans took the series 4-2.
Out for revenge, Renegades came out swinging against Cringe Society in the final, managing to tie up the set despite the game disadvantage early on. However, through a new-look Drippay, enabled by the plays of Decka and Torsos, Cringe Society managed to steady the ship, taking Renegades to overtime in the final games of the series and keeping their cool, securing their first title of 2020 with a 4-2 victory.
Cringe Society had been touted as an OCE super team that had been struggling to reach its potential. However, with not one but two victories over their rivals, they may have finally ascended as the Kings of Oceanic Rocket League.
It’s not as if they weren’t challenged, going to overtime five times against the Renegades. However, there’s now some bite in this rivalry that had long been one-sided, and it could just shape up to be the most intense one the region has seen.
The ESL Rocket League Championship Fall Regional 2 kicks off on September 5.
