Weibo Gaming rally for opening win at Overwatch Midseason event

The hands of an esport gamer clutching the controler at Encore Esports Gaming Lounge in New Rochelle on Thursday, December 20, 2018. E Sports Weibo Gaming pulled off a 2-1 comeback win over Team Liquid as the Overwatch Champions Series Midseason Championship got underway on Wednesday in Paris. The $1 million tournament is part of the Esports World Cup. The 16-team event is starting with a double-elimination group stage. All group-stage matches are best-of-three, and the top four teams from both groups will advance to the single-elimination playoffs. Playoff matches will be best-of-five until the grand final on Sunday, which will be best-of-seven. The championship team will earn $400,000 and 1,000 Esports World Cup club points. In the Group A upper-bracket quarterfinals on Wednesday, Team Liquid took Nepal Control 2-0 before Weibo Gaming rallied for a 3-2 victory on Neon Junction Hybrid and a 3-2 win on Aatlis Flashpoint. Weibo Gaming move on to face Team Falcons, who swept the Dallas Fuel 2-0. The other Group A upper-bracket semifinal will feature Virtus.pro and Twisted Minds. Virtus.pro topped 9z Team 2-0, and Twisted Minds edged T1 2-1. The Group B upper-bracket quarterfinals saw Crazy Raccoon trounce Team Secret 2-0, Spacestation Gaming nip JD Gaming 2-1, Geekay Esports best AG.AL International 2-0, and ZETA DIVISION blitz VARREL 2-0. The remaining group-stage schedule: THURSDAY Group A upper-bracket semifinal -- Weibo Gaming vs. Team Falcons Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal -- 9z Team vs. T1 Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal -- Team Liquid vs. Dallas Fuel Group B upper-bracket semifinal -- Crazy Raccoon vs. Spacestation Gaming Group B lower-bracket quarterfinal -- Team Secret vs. JD Gaming Group B lower-bracket quarterfinal -- AG.AL International vs. VARREL FRIDAY Group A upper-bracket semifinal -- Virtus.pro vs. Twisted Minds Group B upper-bracket semifinal -- Geekay Esports vs. ZETA DIVISION Group A lower-bracket semifinal -- teams TBA Group A lower-bracket semifinal -- teams TBA Group B lower-bracket semifinal -- teams TBA Group B lower-bracket semifinal -- teams TBA Overwatch Champions Series Midseason Championship prize pool, with money and Esports World Cup club points 1. $400,000, 1,000 2. $180,000, 750 3. $100,000, 500 4. $60,000, 300 5-8. $35,000, 200 9-12. $20,000, no points 13-16. $10,000, no points --Field Level Media