We’re back with Qualifier 2 of the second Circuit, as our teams fight for a place in Major 2! As with last week, only the top two teams from this week’s action would go on to the upcoming Major; and a chance to qualify directly for Major 3.

Day 1

As with previous weeks, the action came straight from the get go. Brawl Stars Pro kicked their day, and ours, with a swift two for nothing in the Middle lane as they started their first game of the week, before moving to the Baron lane for a clean fight that set them up with a 5-0 lead within 3 minutes. Raven Squad had drafted an engage heavy composition, and being so far behind never allowed them to utilise their strengths. The first game ended with a fiesta.  With 42 kills to their name, Brawl Stars Pros clearly decided to have some fun, Teleporting into Raven Squad’s base in attempts to backdoor, one by one.

The second game of the Best of Three series started a little slower. After a remake, Raven Squad started the game with a lead, albeit it only in kills. Claiming the first Rift Herald of the game at 5 minutes, Raven Squad then moved over to the Dragon. The Dragon Pit turned into a bowl of death, with Brawl Stars Pros not only stealing the objective but also picking up three kills; putting them 2k ahead in Gold.

The game quickly devolved into another fiesta, as Brawl Stars Pros were able to use their mobility to draw out fights, constantly re-engaging onto Raven Squad, never giving them room to breathe or regroup. Two straight minutes of fighting in the Baron lane took the scoreline from 7-5 to 13-13. The game swinging into Brawl Stars Pros’ favour, as they claimed an ace and Baron, pushing for a 12 minute win.

We then jumped over to Haters vs Team SNO, and this series didn’t disappoint either. The game started with an invade, and First Blood going to Haters in just 10 seconds. Haters continued to apply the pain, invading again to steal the Red Buff away as well as kill the opposing Jungler too. The game descended into even trades, with Haters only edging ahead through objectives.

The game broke open, or seemed to, at the 8-minute Dragon, where Haters used the Corki package to cut off the entrance, and a Xin Zhao ultimate to break Team SNO apart; leading to an Ace for the blue side team. Even though we saw relatively even trades, Haters had a lead and stayed ahead. It took one more Ace, again around the Dragon, for them to close the game.

The second game opened a little slower, but the even trades stayed true. However, Haters developed a lead by simply not dying. Even though the fights were close, members of Haters would get away with slithers of health, and it was through this that they created a lead for themselves. Tokki’s Riven and Nori’s Vayne led the charge for Team SNO, but Haters were able to match it and punish any over aggression. This led to a 15-minute Ace, and the series ending victory for Haters.

Our finals series came between Lunchables and Team Name Pending. Lunchables made full use of Corki’s poke to start the game off strong, able to bully the opposing Ahri to take over the Middle lane, before eventually getting a solokill on her as Pasta tried to roam; gaining First Blood for Lunchables. As their lead slowly grew, Lunchables used their engage tools, with Camille and Alistar at the forefront, and slowly began to run away with the game. Being 15-4 at 10 minutes, and around 12k ahead on Gold, it was their game to lose. Against such a mountain, Team Name Pending surrendered, and the first day of this second Qualifier finished.

Elsewhere, we saw Brawl Stars Pros 2-1 Farewell Boba, a reflection of the previous week, but FB came back to take the #2 Seed for Group A. Team SNO took down Chilly Mountain to keep their week alive, moving on to join Haters going to the 8 team bracket from Group C. Untouched was Group D, where Chunky Monkeys steamrolled their way through the Group, Midnight joining them as the #2 Seed.

Quarterfinals

Going into Day 2, we had the bracket set. Only the top two teams would be going to Major 2, so all these teams were fighting for a Finals spot here.

We watched Apex is Cute clash with Team SNO to start the second day, and SNO seemed to start Game 1 strong. With the amount of harass across the lanes, SNO were able to apply pressure and invade the Jungle too. We got an explosion of action around the first Dragon at 5 minutes, and Tokki’s Mundo got a Triplekill for Team SNO as they walked out of the fight 4-2.

Even though the game felt like it was in Team SNO’s favour, Apex is Cute controlled the map and held the Gold lead; even if it was only by a small amount. They forced this advantage at another Dragon fight, around the 10-minute mark, and Coldwingzz got a huge Wind Becomes Lighting, killing three, and netting the Xin Zhao a Quadrakill. With their control over the map, Apex is Cute was able to claim Baron for themselves, and push in for the win for a 22-minute victory.

Game 2 seemed to go a similar way, but this time Team SNO held their lead. Starting off with an early 2-1 score line, APC was never able to fully wrestle control away; even though they had pushed through the Baron lane to knock on the Base Turret doors. This time, the game was firmly in SNO’s favour, the engage power of Rakan and Xin Zhao enough to lead them to a 18-minute victory, 24-7 on kills, and setting up for a Game 3.

We had yet another slow start for Game 3, a messy Dragon lane fight led to a two for nothing trade for Apex is Cute, but another two for nothing trade went the way of Team SNO just minutes later to equalise the score line. However, using Rakan’s Grand Entrance, Team SNO took over the game from thereon. A clean Tower dive gave them another two Kills, before a rinse and repeat for a third; even with blinking health bars, SNO still got out alive.

As Team SNO worked to slowly take the game in their favour, Apex is Cute was able to use Twisted Fate, Camille, and Nami to find picks and equalise the scoreboard. In doing so, they took themselves into a Gold lead. With Rift Herald at their disposal, APC were able to lead three to one on Towers, lending them a 6k Gold lead by 10 minutes. A 16-minute Baron bait spelt the end, Team SNO grouping in their red-side Jungle as they moved to contest, they just lined themselves up for Apex is Cute cut through them with their AoE abilities. A Nami Tidal Wave through a choke point, anyone?

With the Ace, Apex is Cute ended the game, and the series, and took us to the Semifinals.

Off-stream, Brawl Stars Pros 2-0’d their opponents, and Farewell Boba found a 2-1 victory over Chunky Monkeys; Haters also went through due to an forfeiture.

Brawl Stars Pros vs Haters

The second series had us jump to Brawl Stars Pros versus Haters in their Semifinals series.

Game 1 started with some action, as CoriGG landed a two man bubble with the Nami, lining up for an easy dive in the Dragon lane. While it did give a Doublekill to ERICEX’s Xin Zhao, two of BSP fell to the Tower to keep the scoreboard even. In a similar fashion, a few minutes later Brawl Stars Pros showed perhaps a little too much aggression, with ERICEX leading the charge once more and falling in Haters’ lines. In return, however, BSP were able to snipe out their low health opponents from the safety of their tower, Twisted Fate and Varus Q’s coming in huge.

After the skirmish, Haters got onto the Rift quicker than their opponents, picking up the Dragon as Brawl Stars Pros reset, before collapsing onto Hitman’s Darius. But the collapsers became the collapased, and Brawl Stars Pros found the fight they needed to shoot them into control. From there, it was their game to lose. A 10k Gold lead, and an easy Rift Herald to extend it, giving them the items and power they needed to control the game. With Baron under their belt, Brawl Stars Pros pushed in for the Game 1 win at 16 minutes, 21k Gold ahead and 26-12 on Kills. The score line said dominance, but Haters didn’t go down without a fight.

Game 2 came with priority on engage once more, this time the Nami was dropped however, a Champion which had helped Brawl Stars Pros in their Game 1 win. With that in mind, Haters came out swinging, diving for First Blood in the Baron lane before the 2-minute mark. This smallest of leads allowed Dawn to take over, getting a solokill on the Irelia against Hitman’s Gragas as soon as she had access to her Ultimate. ERICEX came to respond, ganking on full health against the low health Irelia, but Haters were able to turn it around with help from Andrew who had roamed up, and Dawn somehow got a kill and got away with their life; that was until Corki arrived and fired a Barrage to claim Brawl Stars Pros’ first kill of the game.

After that early fumble, Hitman turned it around. Multiple times we saw the Gragas get solokills onto the Irelia, using the Explosive Cask to throw her under tower to her doom. The icing on the cake was stealing the second Dragon of the game with a Barrel Roll.

Being 13-10 on Kills and dead even on Gold at 15 minutes should show how well matched these teams were. A phenomenal showing from both teams and the players individually. 

A three for nothing Dragon fight allowed Haters to look for Baron as they wrestled for control, but Brawl Stars Pros were able to respond and contest. Even though Haters were able to get an Ace and the objective, they walked away with only two alive with the buff. Haters were unable to utilise the Baron Buff properly, and Brawl Stars Pros were able to find an Ace to sling them into the lead once more. After such a close game, BSP exploded into the lead in the closing minutes to secure themselves a spot in Major 2.

Apex is Cute vs Farewell Boba

The second Semifinals was between Apex is Cute and Farewell Boba, and Game 1 came with heavy teamfighting comps as per usual. A Jarvan IV to set up for a Seraphine and Ezreal on APC’s side vs the AoE damage of a Ziggs, Malphite, and Wukong on FB’s side. As expected, the early game was a quiet one as the teams sought to level up and gain access to their high impact Ultimates.

The teams finally met at 5 minutes, as Apex is Cute started the Rift Herald and Farewell Boba contested. A huge steal came through from Weeeeee’s Senna, but Yozora gave his life in return.

Even though APC had a lead to start with, the Rift Herald allowed FB to close the gap; the game came to even Gold by 10 minutes, with Farewell Boba just sneaking ahead by a few kills after an extended fight. We’d seen both these teams in the preceding week, and we knew they could both put up a fight; and that is what they did. Apex is Cute tried to sneak a Baron, behind 9-14 on Kills, this felt like a sure-fire way to get back into the game. But somehow, against all odds, it was stolen away by Nasus’ Spirit Fire. With a decent lead, Baron, and control over the map, there was nothing stopping Farewell Boba from claiming Game 1.

Apex is Cute brought a change for Game 2, focusing more on pick power with a Twisted Fate and Nami, while Farewell Boba stuck to their engage tools. The action came quicker this time, with First Blood at 2 minutes on the dot as Yozora’s Wukong found a kill onto Isjerboa’s Ezreal. Even with Apex is Cute finding this pick, Farewell Boba came back to find three kills; showcasing the strengths of either compositions.

The game looked good for Farewell Boba, with a decent lead and control over Dragons, the only thing putting APC ahead was the amount of Towers they had destroyed and the Gold that comes with it. That was, until, FB tried to push a Middle lane advantage a little too hard, and took a bad fight under the Apex is Cute tower. The game ebbed and flowed, the teams taking it in turns to find a pick, get a Gold lead, and then falter. The final chapter came when Farewell Boba were able to rush a Baron, Apex is Cute unable to respond and then unable to defend against the buff, allowing FB to end the game and the series.

Brawl Stars Pros vs Farewell Boba

This took us to a Finals between Brawl Stars Pros and Farewell Boba, a match up we became familiar with in the first Qualifier of this Circuit. Last week, Brawl Stars Pros took both series; a 2-1 at the start and then a swift 2-0. Would this be a repeat? Or had Farewell Boba studied the VoDs?

The teams came in with the regular drafts we'd seen this week, but Brawl Stars Pros picked up Janna as a disengage option as Farewell Boba took Nami for themselves. In their final pick, Farewell Boba took Akshan. We’d only seem him once before, so eyes looked to see if he could swing the game in Farewell Boba’s favour.

Farewell Boba played for the 2v2 Middle lane, with Yozora basically setting up a tent. It’d spell doom though, as the first 2v2 skirmish would give over First Blood to Brawl Stars Pros, but the tag team continued and they claimed the first Rift Herald at 4 minutes for Farewell Boba.

Brawl Stars Pros kept the sheet clean, and were able to use all their lockdown tools to break apart Farewell Boba’s engages. Akshan can’t Heroic Swing out of Camille’s baby cage. It was 10 minutes before Brawl Stars Pros gave over their first death, but when you’re hovering at a 10k Gold lead; a couple of deaths is nothing. Combining Wukong’s Cyclone and ability to get on the backline with Galio’s Heroic Entrance worked wonders. Farewell Boba fought back, but it was just chips on BSP’s armour, and they closed the game out with a commanding lead after a near Pentakill, stolen away by the scumbag support.

With the Wukong banned and out of the picture, Farewell Boba took to Game 2 with an Akali, a Champion we saw throughout the first week. Mali’s Katarina locked in on the opposing side told us these teams meant business. While our casters answered the important questions in life, such as “why does Jarvan IV sweep with his lance instead of stab?” and “why are Farewell Boba saying farewell to Boba?”, the teams were quietly farming; with Farewell Boba avoiding a 4-man dive on the Dragon lane.

First Blood came in the fourth minute, as Tsuki's Lucian was able to turn his bullying into a Kill, a Culling to chip away at Hitman’s Gragas before an Ignite for the fade away kill. Knowing the opposing Jungler was near the Baron lane, Brawl Star Pros looked straight for Dragon in response; taking the objective before collapsing on the Graves who tried to trade it for a Rift Herald. Brawl Stars Pros took their first Kill and stole away the objective, their game had started.
The teams kept swinging at each other, both had claimed their Major 2 spots but they wanted the glory of winning this Best of Three series. Even when Farewell Boba took the lead in terms of Kills, that first Rift Herald had given Brawl Stars Pros a Gold advantage that would take work to break.

Our first 5v5 fight came over a Dragon at 9 minutes, and while Farewell Boba found an amazing engage it meant they spent all their crowd control at the start of the fight; nothing to stop Mali’s Katarina.

"Theres nothing that can stop him from just Beyblading all over them"

Brawl Stars Pros walked away with a four for two trade and the Dragon, and around 5k ahead on Gold by 10 minutes. This game was theirs to lose.

Even when Farewell Boba was able to hold the Katarina in place, it just wasn’t enough and the rest of BSP rose the occasion, defending Mali and providing resets. A Quadrakill just minutes after the Dragon fight seemed to seal the deal, the game only prolonged due to Brawl Stars Pros’ desire to give over the Pentakill, which LightningT didn’t agree with.

The game got messy, and even with Brawl Stars Pros’ lead it was clearly nowhere near a definite win for them, it felt like it was on a knife edge, with Farewell Boba’s challenging everything that BSP wanted to do. The climax came with an out-of-nowhere fight, and Mali claimed another Triplekill as the Katarina cleaned the five for nothing fight.
10 minutes. 22-10. 12k Gold lead. Strong stuff coming from Brawl Stars Pros once more, and they go on to Major 2 as the higher seed from this Qualifier.

This weekend will see the top teams from this Circuit’s Qualifiers, as well as the last Major, fight it out over a $10,000 Prize Pot.
August 28-29 will see Tribe Gaming, NME, Cloud 9, Immortals, Grilled Cheese, Sentinels, Brawl Stars Pros, and Farewell Boba clash, the top 2 teams qualifying straight to the Regional Championship, and teams 3-6 qualifying for Major 3. Make sure you’re here on Saturday, 5pm EST, as the action kicks off!