Oxygen Esports is a Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Winter Split Major hopeful, representing the North American region. They are currently holding fifth place, the last place to qualify for the Winter Major. Considering the marginal points gap between fifth-ninth place contenders, it’s surely a cause for concern.
Can they maintain their position and form and stay on track in the RLCS 2021-22 Winter Event 3?
Oxygen Esports’ phenomenal performance begin to spark attention among RLCS fans since the Winter NA Regional Event 1. They managed to make it into upper bracket seeding, only to lose to The General NRG, followed by Spacestation Gaming’s sucker punch. At the time, Oxygen Esports’ upper bracket run felt like a fluke as they didn’t stand a shot against the powerhouses.
Yet, they never gave up and returned to the drawing board. They revamped their defensive strategy that effectively halt even seasoned teams from scoring easy Rocket League goals. All while they kept several winning trick shots up their sleeves for the last minute. It’s a risky yet strong tactic that often puts experienced teams in a desperate situation with little time left.
Despite their growth, they ultimately lost to Spacestation Gaming yet again in the Winter NA Regional Event 2. Albeit this time, it was a narrowly close series that ended 4-3 in favor of Spacestation Gaming. That aside, Oxygen did defeat several notable opponents along the way, namely Version1 and Team Envy.
Unlike other powerhouses and Winter Major hopefuls, Oxygen Esports is a relatively new team in the Rocket League Esports scene. They initially debut in the year 2020, but the founding members are no longer in the current line-up anymore.
Recent miracles have partly been due to Jesus “gimmick” Parra, who joined the team back in January 2022. The acquisition is arguably a power move from OXG since gimmick is a well-established Rocket League player in the RLCS, having earned more revenue than Oxygen Esports itself.
Nevertheless, OXG hasn’t been this successful in the RLCS until recently, so Gimmick’s addition is certainly good news.
Third time’s the charm as they say in folklore. They will surely face Spacestation Gaming once more before the RLCS Winter Major 2022. However, this is the least of their concerns if they intend on securing tickets to the RLCS Winter Major.
One of the winning conditions is that The General NRG, G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, and Spacestation Gaming occupy the top four finish at the Winter Regional Event 3 again, while Oxygen secures a humble fifth.
However, that’s assuming the top dogs remain as strong as ever, and no other candidate could topple the giants. In another dire scenario, a fifth-place finish is necessary for Oxygen Esports to be comfortable in top five of the RLCS 2021-22 NA Rankings. However, with the requirement that neither Version1, Rogue, nor Shopify secures a top-three finish.
Hence, this scenario puts the three candidates as direct rivals of OXG Esports.
Expecting to win against the top four, namely NRG, G2, FaZe, and SSG is rather optimistic and unrealistic. At least, we would get to watch Oxygen Esports face G2 Esports, the first runner-up on RLCS NA Winter Ranking.
Instead, Oxygen Esports should prioritize ensuring the other teams stay down. It’s not the first time they defeated Version1 and Shopify Rebellion, so chances are Oxygen Esports will win these repeats. However, Rogue is the wildcard team that could potentially challenge them. Rogue isn’t a shabby team, albeit unfortunate to face FaZe Clan in the lower bracket of Winter Regional Event 2.
Up against a prominent team, Rogue just isn’t cut out for the level of play. We can’t say the same for Oxygen Esports, whose kit certainly doesn’t match up to FaZe Clan either. They concluded the closed qualifiers with a clean winning streak, so they are heading into the Winter Regional Event 3 with confidence. The group stage will be a breeze for Oxygen Esports, so the real ordeal begins in the Playoffs instead.
You can catch their journey to secure a spot in the first RLCS Winter Major 2022 this weekend. Perhaps even consider betting on Oxygen Esports’ victories if you enjoy the adrenaline rush of Rocket League betting.
