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đź“ť OWCS North America Stage 1 Week 3 preview

by Joao “nandreshiram” Mejia

Just on the cusp of the playoffs.

With a shorter regular season combined with a whole lot of ties, Week 3 is shaping up to be one of the most confusing yet interesting weekends. Four teams currently stand with one win apiece, and each of them stand a chance to snag a spot in the playoffs if certain scenarios play out in their favor.

Chaos with LuneX, Disguised, and Team Liquid

OWCS NA standings going into week 3

Prior to the start of the stage, it would have been a shock to see Team Liquid tied with three other teams in relegation contention. Their recent roster troubles and performances have completely shaken up the North American standings.

Following the conclusion of Week 2, Team Liquid and LuneX Gaming remain tied 1-2, with LuneX currently above at a -1 Map Differential compared to Liquid’s -5. Both Disguised (DSG) and Extinction sit at 1-3, but because Extinction beat Disguised on Saturday, they currently hold the tiebreaker despite their weaker map differential.

Both the Dallas Fuel and Spacestation Gaming don’t have much say in who qualifies for playoffs if they win their games, and they both currently stand at 3-0 with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs on April 10. But if one of the above teams can snag a win against either powerhouse, it could shake things up even more.

Most likely scenarios

If Dallas beat Extinction and Spacestation Gaming beat Team Liquid. Then:

  • IF LUNEX WIN BOTH THEIR GAMES: LuneX and Extinction qualify due to Extinction winning a three-way tie with Disguised and Team Liquid. For this to happen, LuneX would have to beat both Team Liquid and Disguised.

  • IF LUNEX BEAT DISGUISED, BUT LOSE TO LIQUID: LuneX and Liquid will qualify due to Liquid’s advantage over Extinction.

  • IF LUNEX BEAT LIQUID, BUT LOSE TO DISGUISED: Both LuneX and DSG will qualify due to DSG winning the tiebreaker with Extinction.

  • IF LUNEX LOSES TO BOTH LIQUID AND DISGUISED: Both OWCS Partner Teams, Disguised and Liquid, qualify for the playoffs.

In these scenarios, LuneX holds the most authority, thanks in part to their advantage over Extinction and good map differential from the Dallas Fuel series. However, as previously mentioned, these scenarios are only possible so long as Dallas and Spacestation don’t lose to Extinction and Team Liquid, respectively.

It is important to note that regardless of who wins the Dallas vs Spacestation series, the outcome of the above scenarios will not change.

Most chaotic scenarios

Competitive Overwatch is no stranger to unpredictability. If Dallas or Spacestation lose their series against Extinction or Liquid, the tiebreaker situation becomes a bit more complex. So, let’s break it down:

  • IF BOTH LIQUID AND DSG WIN AGAINST LUNEX, BUT DALLAS LOSE TO EXTINCTION: If these two conditions are met, the winner of the Spacestation Gaming vs Team Liquid series would become more important.
    • IF SPACESTATION WIN: If Spacestation beat Team Liquid, and the above conditions are met, both Extinction and Disguised qualify for playoffs, while Liquid and LuneX get eliminated to promotion/relegation playoffs.
    • IF LIQUID WIN: If Team Liquid win this series, and the above conditions are met, both Team Liquid and Extinction qualify while DSG and LuneX get eliminated.

  • IF LUNEX WIN BOTH THEIR GAMES, BUT LIQUID BEAT SPACESTATION: Both LuneX and Liquid qualify, while Extinction and DSG get eliminated. However, if Spacestation beat Team Liquid, then both LuneX and Extinction qualify while DSG and Liquid get eliminated.

  • IF LUNEX WIN AGAINST LIQUID, BUT LOSE TO DSG:
    • IF DALLAS BEAT EXTINCTION: Both Disguised and LuneX qualify, while Liquid and Extinction get eliminated.
    • IF EXTINCTION BEAT DALLAS, AND SPACESTATION BEAT LIQUID: This would make the map-score in the DSG vs LuneX the tiebreaker.
      • IF LUNEX LOSE 3-1 OR 3-2 TO DISGUISED: Both LuneX and Extinction qualify on tiebreakers.
      • IF LUNEX LOSE 3-0 TO DISGUISED: both DSG and LuneX qualify on tiebreakers.

  • IF LUNEX BEAT TEAM LIQUID, LUNEX LOSE TO DISGUISED, AND SPACESTATION LOSE TO LIQUID: The tiebreakers then go to Rule 11.4, Clauses (v) and (vi), which would be Overall Map Differential and Overall Map Score % (Percentage) Differential. The teams relegated would then be decided based on the maps LuneX won against Liquid and the maps DSG lost to LuneX.

These complicated scenarios are only possible if either Extinction or Team Liquid can pull off upsets on their end. While it does seem unlikely these may happen, anything is possible in Overwatch esports.

Information for Tiebreaker Scenarios sourced from Niels "Natsuki" van Herwijnen.

Game of the week: Spacestation Gaming vs Dallas Fuel

SSG vs. Dallas Fuel week 3

When Team Liquid fell from their perch, both Spacestation Gaming and the Dallas Fuel rose as the two best teams in North America. While both teams have already qualified for the regional playoffs, this match will truly prove who is the current strongest in the region.

Although Dallas has looked the strongest on paper, their recent 3-2 narrow victory over LuneX has raised concerns about the rigidity of their compositions.

At the same time, Spacestation hasn’t been as clean. While they convincingly beat both LuneX and Extinction 3-0, they also went to five maps in a narrow victory against Disguised.

Regardless of past performances, both teams have remained undefeated up to this point and have managed to clutch up when needed. The true test will be who can remain calm and composed, and officially make the argument for the best Team in North America.

Team Liquid vs LuneX Gaming

Team Liquid vs. LuneX

The troubles continued for Team Liquid, as they suffered their first back-to-back 3-0 loss in North America.

This team has been in a bind since needing to make an emergency signing, and is also struggling to incorporate both Yasser "Escanor" Alotaibi and Colin "Coluge" Arai. Many questions are being raised about their ability to remain out of Relegation.

LuneX is also not proving to be an easy win. After recovering quickly from their 0-3 loss to Spacestation, they have managed to win convincingly against Extinction and even pushed Dallas Fuel to five maps. With this team looking hungry to prove themselves, Team Liquid will need to be on their guard.

Losing this match would be devastating for such a dominant roster and could spell further concerns for their 2026 campaign.

Disguised vs LuneX Gaming

Disguised vs. LuneX

Much like Team Liquid, Disguised have had a rocky start to their 2026 season. After decent showings against both Spacestation and Dallas Fuel, many assumed they would simply rise to a comfortable third place.

That was until their 3-0 loss to Extinction, which further complicated their chances of evading the relegation playoffs. Although they won 3-0 against Team Liquid, their chances of qualifying and remaining in OWCS hinge on their victory in this match.

Similar to Liquid, their opponent is a hungry LuneX. If Disguised want to remain in contention for playoffs, they must win this series convincingly, as well as get some extra help from some other teams.

Their fate is largely out of their hands, but if Evan "PGE" Ngo and Alexander "Tred" Madgwick-Smith manage to take down their opponents, they might just squeeze into the playoffs.

Dallas Fuel vs Extinction

Dallas Fuel vs. Extinction

Extinction shocked the world by pushing Team Liquid to five maps and by convincingly taking down Disguised 3-0. However, their recent performance against Spacestation left much to be desired, and they struggled to make any significant dents in their armor.

The same concerns follow into this series with the Fuel. While Extinction is in a better situation, tiebreaker-wise, than Disguised, their fate is also largely out of their hands.

Extinction will need help from the other teams in the region, or they too will risk relegation.

For Dallas, not much rides on their performance in this match aside from seeding. This should be another day at the office for the squad in blue.

Spacestation Gaming vs Team Liquid

SSG vs. Team Liquid

A few weeks ago, this matchup would have been one of the most intense battles in North America. However, Team Liquid’s chances to break through Spacestation’s armor appear slim.

If Team Liquid hope to remain in OWCS, they must win this series or their previous matchup against LuneX. They are tall orders, but nothing head coach Cas "Casores" van Andel hasn’t seen before.

Much like Dallas, this match also doesn’t affect Spacestation much. Regardless of the result, their main focus this week is on their new regional rival, but even so, their performance here could have massive implications for the remaining qualification spots.