📝Defining the Top: OWCS North America Stage 3, Week 5 Summary

Five weeks done and dusted. As the computers shut off after another successful weekend of Competitive Overwatch, the teams across North America have begun to find their way into playoff berths. For some, it was a weekend for punching up and making their voices heard. For others, it was business as usual. And for one, it was defining themselves as the best.

Game of the Week: Geekay Esports 2 - 3 Team Liquid

“The whole week we practiced pretty hard, but it was pretty difficult to practice for Geekay.”- Rupal "Rupal" Zaman

A long-awaited match between an unstoppable wall and a hungry, unrelenting force: Geekay Esports versus Team Liquid. For Geekay, this was their first true test in this new meta.

A lot of questions hung in the air heading into this match. How strong is Team Liquid really, and can they lock in against the best opponents in the region without the shakiness of prior weeks? How strong is Geekay Esports, and were their sweeps against a result of weaker opponents rather than true dominance?

This was Geekay’s moment to truly silence the doubters and prove that they had a perfect record for a reason. For Liquid, it was a chance to show how they could stay clean and composed against legitimate opposition.

Right out of the gate, the action exploded. On Samoa, Team Liquid looked disorganized and outgunned, while Geekay capitalized on a surprising Sigma pick from Boston "Infekted" Fine, cleanly taking the map with little resistance.

For a while, it seemed as though the doubters would be proven wrong. Geekay looked sharp and calculated, while Liquid seemed as though they learned nothing from their messy win against Spacestation.

That same trend into Hollywood, where Geekay’s defence dominantly dismantled Liquid’s attack. While it seemed as though this was going to be a rather quick day in North America, Diego "Vega" Moran and Elliot "TR33" Chu refused to go quietly.

Vega and TR33 clutch up in the final moments of Hollywood to keep the series competitive

Thanks to this clutch performance from Liquid’s DPS duo, the series tied up at 1-1. Moving into Junkertown, Geekay thoroughly maintained control. While Liquid managed to push the game into extra innings, ultimately they were unable to secure the map due in part to Riley "cuFFa" Brown’s Ramattra in coordination with Oliver "Admiral" Vahar’s calm and calculated Lucio.

By this point, it seemed to be an extremely close affair between these two teams. Geekay had firm control of the initial engagements and had calculated performances, while Liquid seemingly had a hidden clutch factor that allowed them to stay competitive.

Esperança proved to be the most competitive map of the entire series. Both teams traded control of the bot throughout the round, but Liquid’s refined coordination and discipline gave them the edge. When Geekay brought the bot close to taking the lead at the end of the round, Xavier "zeruhh" Zambrano shut it down with a swift Genji play. Liquid took Esperança,and all the tempo.

Heading into Suravasa, Geekay looked drained. This map mirrored the opener on Samoa—but this time, luck would be on Liquid’s side. No one on Geekay could find their footing, and with cuFFA’s Primal Rage booped into the water, the series was as good as done.

Vega boops a primal raging cuFFA into the waters of Suravasa

The series—and Geekay’s undefeated streak—came to a close. Denis "Lethal" Tari and Benjamin "UltraViolet" David left the lobby just as the timer hit zero, as Geekay’s frustrations became apparent. Sealing Team Liquid’s 3-2, remaining the only undefeated team in North America.

This win from Liquid wasn’t just another victory—it was a statement. They have beaten every other top team in the region, solidifying themselves as the strongest force in North America. With Sakura Esports and the DhillDucks remaining on their schedule, they look poised to snag the #1 Seed heading into the playoffs.

For Geekay, this loss brings about some uncomfortable questions. While this series wasn’t particularly one-sided, the collapse on Suravasa was uncharacteristic for a squad that took down Crazy Raccoon in the Champions Clash and pushed Team Falcons to five maps at the Midseason Championship.

Their final opponent of the regular season is Spacestation Gaming next Saturday. If they are unable to secure victory against this squad, it could spell major concerns regarding their chances of making Stockholm.

Player of the Week: Boston “Infekted” Fine from Team Liquid

America’s tank makes himself heard once more.

As Team Liquid secured a decisive victory this week, much of the credit goes to the coordinated efforts of their star tank player: Infekted.

This year has truly been the best of Infekted’s career. In 2024, he made a name for himself by helping bring the Students of the Game (later NRG Shock) to an OWCS Major appearance in Dallas. He later joined the NTMR in their time of need, helping out the squad as they journeyed to the Esports World Cup, and ultimately brought that team to the 2024 OWCS Finals.

In 2025, Infekted answered the call to join Team Liquid. Although the year began shakily, he has since proven himself not just as a driving factor behind their successes but as a player who continues to define his own legacy.

The OWCS era has been a proving ground for Infekted. He has been a cornerstone on every roster he's played for, consistently showing how flexible and dependable he can be. Whether it's anchoring on main tanks, flexing onto off-tank heroes, or diving the backline with his signature Wrecking Ball, you can always count on Infekted to deliver when it matters most.

This week’s performance against Geekay demonstrated not only his flexibility but also his leadership. Infekted guided Team Liquid through every challenge, finally shaking off his infamous map five curse and proving himself as a genuine legend on the world stage.

As America’s tank, OWTV is proud to recognize Boston “Infekted” Fine as this week’s North American Player of the Week.

META READ: Comfort and Adaptability

Similar to Week 4, the meta going into Week 5 stayed largely consistent among similar lines.

Hitscans seemed significantly weaker compared to other flex options at the start of the stage, but as the weeks went on, they slowly found their way back to being a noticeable factor for many teams. Freja, Sojourn, and Cassidy have all seen success from a variety of players.

Now, the rotation of DPS heroes largely revolves around Tracer paired with Reaper or another hitscan option. There is some variation. While flex DPS heroes have seen a slight decline, picks like Echo and Genji remain strong in certain situations—despite Genji’s Deflect nerfs.

While Wrecking Ball and Zarya initially took the position as the strongest tank options in North America, their reign of terror proved to be brief. The lovable hamster is by no means unplayable, but teams without strong Ball players were forced to adapt, redefining the meta in the process. And although the Russian-powerlifter is still a force to be reckoned with, she too has seen her position in the meta slip.

Two notable tank picks have risen in response to Zarya: Ramattra and Winston. Initially, most assumed Ramattra’s Season 18 nerfs rendered him unviable, but his death was greatly exaggerated. While no longer a must-pick, he still possesses many tools to combat both Wrecking Ball and Zarya, which has helped teams silence these once dominant tanks. As for Winston, his bubble remains a threat not only to Zarya, but to many of the current strong picks across the region.

At the current moment, support is the least flexible option in this meta. Support picks have now solidified into a dominant trifecta: Wuyang, Kiriko, and Lucio.

Lucio-Kiriko has been a strong and consistent backline since the fox-based hero’s introduction during the 2022 Overwatch League Playoffs. Wuyang, meanwhile, has remained notable thanks to his high damage and consistent healing output. And, as seemingly since the dawn of Overwatch, Lucio’s speed and pure utility make him a mainstay across nearly every meta— including this one.

Although hero bans sometimes allow for other supports to briefly make appearances, this meta leaves little room for deviation. It all depends on team identity and desired execution: Do you prefer a high-damage setup with Wuyang, pure utility with Lucio-Kiriko, or a hybrid of both with Wuyang-Kiriko?

Hero selection in Stage 3 has centered almost entirely on team preference and strength, with no clear definitive best composition. Unlike in previous eras of Overwatch, the game’s current state allows numerous viable options, giving every team room to find their groove and utilize their strengths to bring them the victory.

Week 5 in Review: Fighting Back

Sakura Esports 3 - 0 Team Z

Team Z struggled throughout Stage 3, barring the lone victory against the DhillDucks. If they wanted to salvage their season and avoid relegation, they would need to start fighting back against the middle-of-the-pack teams —and ideally, find a way to punch upwards.

Changes were needed, and the team decided that change would come in the form of Roger "JUTSU" Lewis. Having not played a single map since Stage 2, slotting him in during such dire circumstances was a significant risk.

Unfortunately for Team Z, that gamble did not pay off. JUTSU struggled to make an impact against Sakura’s dominant DPS duo, and was ultimately subbed out on Map 3 in favor of Devin “peace” Vasquez. While Team Z looked more composed on Map 3, it still wasn’t enough to bring down North America’s current fifth-ranked squad.

On Sakura’s side, this was a much-needed bounce back win following the disappointing loss against NTMR last Saturday. Notably, the coaching staff opted to bench Carson “pdk” Terry and reintroduce Shima “xten” back to the starting lineup. That decision made all the difference. xten dominated the competition throughout the series, leading Sakura to a decisive win that brings them one step closer to securing a spot in the playoffs.

However, this win also brings forth questions regarding Sakura’s ideal starting lineup. While pdk has proven serviceable, he’s struggled to make an impact against tougher opponents—whereas xten’s synergy and mechanical prowess seemingly fits into the starting lineup more naturally. Moving forward, Sakura’s coaching staff will need to decide whether to continue experimenting with rotating the DPS in and out, or fully commit to the player that just secured them a crucial win.

Extinction 2 - 3 Spacestation Gaming

“We did expect a 3-0, but we played really bad…Maybe we underestimated them a little bit.” -Xander "Hawk" Domecq

Last week, Extinction struggled to find even a single round win against Geekay Esports. Combined with the internal issues surrounding Evan "nvm" Johnson’s removal from the team, it seemed as though this roster was once again fighting to avoid relegation among the other mid-table teams.

However, something unexpected happened. In Stage 2, the team surprised the entire region by taking NTMR to two separate five-map series. But that was with a different core roster, and expectations for them to repeat those miracle games seemed all but impossible.

But as the old saying goes: while history doesn’t often repeat itself, it does tend to rhyme.

Extinction became the only team from the bottom half of North America to take maps off a top squad. The biggest x-factor was Landon "Vision" Monteferrante, whose hitscan abilities kept the match competitive and electric from start to finish.

Watch Interview - scuffed: "You need to have an ego" | Extinction

Spacestation, on the other hand, seemed uncharacteristically lost. Numerous mistakes plagued the roster throughout the series, barring the exceptional DPS play from the newly buzzed Kamden "Sugarfree" Hijada.

It wasn’t necessarily due to any specific player that caused the match to go the distance—rather, the entire team seemed off. The likely reason was revealed in the post-match interview, where Xander "Hawk" Domecq revealed how the team struggled to find consistent scrim blocks leading into the weekend.

The series went all the way to five maps, and although it seemed like Extinction might pull off the upset, it wasn’t meant to be. Spacestation locked in when it mattered most and secured the win on Suravasa, denying the upset and keeping their position firmly in the top of the standings.

This match easily could have ended at 3-1, as Extinction narrowingly dropped Lijiang Tower and could have taken an early series lead. However, Spacestation’s veteran roster ultimately proved too strong despite the unusual circumstances.

For Extinction, community consensus had placed the team solidly as the sixth best in the region, due in part to their loss to Sakura in Week 3. This result, however, proved that their roster is more than capable of pushing top teams to the brink—and they’re looking dangerous heading into their final match of the stage against NTMR.

Spacestation, on the other hand, will need to recover quickly from this unforeseen slipup. Their final game against Geekay now carries even more weight, and the team will need to lock in hard and secure the scrim blocs they need to protect their playoff seeding.

NTMR 3 - 0 Team Z

“NTMR has always taken it to the partner teams. We have that underdog energy…I’d be surprised if we didn’t take it to at least one of them in playoffs” - Julian "Rokit" Pizana

Two games in one weekend meant the same problems carried over from the previous series. Team Z once again found themselves in a precarious situation, except this time, they would need to find a way to silence a top four team.

Much like the series against Sakura, Team Z was unable to make NTMR break a sweat. The team again experimented with JUTSU in the lineup, but echoes of the Sakura match continued, and he was unable to make much of a difference.

With this loss, Team Z now finds themselves sitting at a 1-5 record. Unless they can upset Extinction next week—and that same squad also loses to NTMR—they will most likely join the DhillDucks once more in the bottom of the North American standings.

For NTMR, not much can really be said about this performance—they just looked solid. Much of the attention now turns not to this result against Team Z, but rather who they’ll face next weekend.

NTMR sat on the sidelines watching Extinction take Spacestation to five maps— a team that’s currently performing better than they are. Julian "Rokit" Pizana mentioned in the post match interview that the team is slightly worried about their final match of the stage, saying:

“We, watching that match, did not expect [Extinction] to take it to SSG as well as they did. Especially considering it's our only game next week, we are gonna do a lot of prep to make sure we 3-0 that team.”

Extinction, in the last stage, was able to take the NTMR core to two separate map fives. Now, the concern is whether or not lightning manages to strike a third time.

Geekay Esports 3 - 0 DhillDucks

“I don’t think we’re really too worried about [the loss to Liquid] because it’s a regular season game…We’re still a really strong team, it showed us some things we need to work on and flesh out.” - Benjamin "UltraViolet" David

The DhillDucks faced the second of North America’s big three when they took on Geekay Esports last Sunday. Many across the community awaited this matchup with great anticipation, largely due to the previous silly-jaunt that was their series against Spacestation Gaming.

And, on one side of the aisle, that energy continued. Antony “Karmez” Luna once again subbed in for Brad “FrothyFilly7” Husk, and the antics returned. Random Mercy selections, Reinhardt misfires, and of course, singing into the comms were all once again present in this match.

A victory was certainly off the table for the currently winless squad, so instead, the Ducks hoped to use this game to cause as much damage to all of Geekay’s players fantasy scores. All the players seemed to be enjoying themselves and having fun jaunting about the battlefield.

The antics continued even off the field, as the DhillDucks’ social media manager on X (formerly Twitter) joked about Jack “Reyzr” Francis being fined.

It is important to note that this was just another episode of the Ducks-style trolling. Official OWCS sources confirmed that no such fines were issued—just another ounce of chaos and trolling from everyone’s favorite meme team.

On the other side of this fight stood an angry Geekay Esports. Entering this match fresh off their defeat at the hands of Team Liquid, Geekay showed no interest in joining the antics. While many expected them to match Spacestation’s silliness, they instead came to handle business. Geekay simply rolled the Ducks and didn’t look back.

The decision to not play into the silliness can be chalked up to Geekay needing to bounce back and avoid the obvious trap. While the Ducks may be an entertaining squad, now is not the time to get down and play in the mud. With playoffs approaching, Geekay will need to focus and prepare for next week’s match against Spacestation Gaming, which will decide seeding for the playoffs.