G2 put down their best performance of the year in the $50K JBL Quantum Cup this weekend. The all controller team will be feeling confident ahead of playoffs in January.
20 of the best Apex Legends teams in North America went head to head this weekend in the JBL Quantum Cup. With $50k on the line, this was a highly contested tournament. Could NRG continue their strong form? How would edge teams such as G2 and ESA fare with no Sentinels or C9 in the lobby?
Importantly, this was the last major tournament before the end of the year. The $50k prize pool made it one of the highest non ALGS prize pools all year.
G2 back in business with big victory
G2 put down one their best performance of the year to take home the top spot this weekend. The all-controller team of Dezignful, Gentrifying and Resultuh were on top form.
G2 haven't had a fantastic end to 2021 by their standards, with inconsistent performances. They have suffered as a result of the Valkyrie meta, which has seen edge teams have to readjust to a new style. However, this was a vintage performance.
In a scorching 4 game streak, the G2 team dropped an incredible 54 kills. While G2 didn't manage to win any of the 12 games across the weekend, they dropped incredible kill totals.
When G2 are playing at their peak, they can take on anyone in the world.
Can G2 deliver in playoffs?
With the ALGS playoffs coming in January, the question is, can G2 replicate this level on the biggest stage?
Notably, Pro League winners Sentinels were not playing in this tournament.
Sentinels are widely considered the best edge team in North America, playing the same style as G2. Can G2 take their crown and drop these high kill totals when Sentinels are in the lobby? Or was this success down to their absence?
The JBL top 5
- G2 - 113
- XSET - 92
- SSG - 89
- FURIA - 83
- Premier - 82
TSM struggle to find an identity
It was a disappointing weekend for TSM. Since they picked up Verhulst they have struggled to find an identity. In the final weeks of Pro League; they tried Valk, Caustic Gibby. Then they moved onto Valk, Wraith, Gibby. By the end of the weekends action, they were trying Valk, Wattson, Gibby.
The result of all these changes? TSM have yet to find momentum since the departure of Snip3down. They slumped to 13th this weekend, only finding a Top 5 finish in 1 of the 12 games.
While fans would no doubt be glad to see Wattson back in Competitive, TSM fans will hope that they can find an identity sooner rather than later.
For instance, even through a mixed set of results, the weekends champions G2 have always stayed true to their identity.
TSM running out of time before playoffs
A new teammate always leads to a period of settling in, however it feels like TSM don't know what they are settling into. Rather than sticking to an identity, they are chopping and changing. They have limited time before playoffs and will need to settle sooner rather than later if they are to be successful.
However, TSM are big occasion players. If anyone was to put down a top performance out of nowhere, it would be TSM. ImperialHal is one of the most successful Apex players in the games history. Can he inspire them to victory in the playoffs?
ALGS playoffs just weeks away
The North America ALGS playoffs are on the 23rd of January. The top 20 teams from the Pro League will be going head to head for a huge $250,000 in prize money. With first place set to scoop $100,000 this will be one of the most closely fought tournaments since the ALGS Championships.
For coverage of the ALGS playoffs and much more, stay tuned to esports.gg!