📝 Statements and Surprises: OWCS NA Stage 3, Playoffs Week 1 summary

Six teams entered, only four remain.

The first weekend of the Stage 3 Playoffs has concluded, with four teams advancing in their brackets and two bowing out of the 2025 season. While some games went as expected, others served as statements for what’s to come next weekend.

After a weekend filled with exciting matches that showed the best North America has to offer, the planes to Stockholm are now in sight.

Game of the Week: Spacestation Gaming 2 - 3 Geekay Esports

“That win felt insane. We really needed that, I can’t lie.” - Riley “cuFFa” Brown

In Week 6, Geekay Esports took on Spacestation Gaming. That match went the full distance, with Spacestation coming out on top through a strategic ban process and capitalizing on Geekay’s mistakes. This win ultimately secured them as the No. 2 seed.

Heading into the first weekend of the playoffs, Team Liquid, as the No. 1 seed, selected their opponents first and chose NTMR, meaning the Week 6 series would feature an early rematch.

Geekay Esports looked the weakest they had all year long, due mostly to forcing Benjamin "UltraViolet" David’s Wuyang into nearly every match and ignoring the same strategies that worked for them in previous metas. Spacestation Gaming, on the other hand, was in an optimal position, seeing as they decisively won the mind games against Geekay in Week 6 — capitalizing on Geekay’s struggles would formally punch their tickets to Dreamhack Stockholm.

The difference in both teams’ confidence was on full display heading into the first Upper Bracket Semifinal.

High confidence or not, Geekay refused to repeat the same mistakes of their last matchup. After the Week 6 results, coaches Eric "Wheats" Perez and Kim "GgulTaek" Jeong-youn seemingly studied the tapes of Spacestation’s close 3-2 victory over Extinction in Week 5 and used similar strategies.

Spacestation’s strategy in Stage 3 has revolved around the dominant presence of Xander “Hawk” Domecq’s Zarya — a character that has seen a notable rise in playtime after the Season 18 patch that nerfed Ramattra’s overall armor. Midway through the Stage, the Omnic tank regained some of his armor, allowing him to once more contest Zarya. These buffs enabled Coraline “Hitori” Engler and Extinction to bring Spacestation to five maps on the back of her signature Ramattra.

If a lower-tier team like Extinction could punish the Zarya pick, could Geekay accomplish the same? Riley "cuFFa" Brown answered that on Samoa: Yes.

The Ramattra pick, combined with a shift away from Wuyang compositions, allowed Geekay to once again thrive in the comps that brought them success in Stage 2. Although Samoa was a close map that went all the way to three rounds at 99-99, cuFFa’s tank selection allowed the team to gain an early lead in the series.

Geekay continued the momentum as Spacestation selected Rialto. Much like Map 1, this one also went the distance — both teams completed the map and brought forward extra innings, with Geekay attacking first due to the time bank deficit. Although their first attack was close, Geekay hoped to continue the momentum by winning Rialto and firmly taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

That plan ended when Geekay made the same mistake as Team Liquid had back in Week 3.

The C9 on Rialto was brutal, costing Geekay Esports the map and tying the series at 1-1. That ending continued the negative energy heading into King’s Row; while Geekay had quickly opened up Point A thanks to the Zarya ban, they were unable to fully bring the cart further than the gates of Point C.

Despite this noticeable setback, Spacestation struggled on their attack and nearly got full held, until Hawk and Rocco "Kronik" Iacobacci opened up with crucial eliminations that began cart progress for the team.

Even when the cart began rolling, Geekay kept the pressure high, and once more, another map in this series came down to the wire. After a well-timed Suzu by Christopher "Cjay" Smith that stopped Denis "Lethal" Tari’s EMP, Spacestation regained control of the momentum and won the map.

At this point, it seemed as though not only would Spacestation win the series, but they would win in better fashion than their previous encounter. In the comms check portion of King’s Row, nearly all the players on Geekay seemed frantic and out of sync, especially evident by the swaps to Sombra by Lethal.

Now the series was 2-1 in favor of Spacestation, and the next map type selected was Flashpoint — a gamemode that Geekay had yet to win a single submap on against either Liquid or Spacestation.

In the previous series against the other top teams, Geekay was forced to play Suravasa due to a bug that temporarily disabled Aatlis from selection. With the issue now fixed and Aatlis back on the table, Geekay selected this map — except this time, they looked dominant.

Geekay had full control of the tempo the entire flashpoint, and didn’t so much as stop to let Spacestation catch their breath. Halfway through the third flashpoint, Hawk made the necessary tank swaps to reposition the tempo back in their favor.

Spacestation began a reverse sweep after winning the third point, and it looked as though Geekay’s last gasp had petered out. Entering the fourth point, both teams traded control, and the teams were tied at 82-99 in favor of Spacestation, and what ensued was a nearly two-minute overtime clash.

In the end, it was Geekay that came out on top on Aatlis. Joseph "Lep" Cambriani nearly brought the entirety of Spacestation to the point, however, he was a split second away from reaching the point. The map went to Geekay, and now the series was tied at 2-2

With everything tied up, the next map chosen would be the same final map as the previous Week 6 series: New Queen Street. Not only would the loser be knocked out of the tournament, but the winner would book a ticket straight to the OWCS world finals in Stockholm.

Geekay was in a similar position as their previous matchup: they had already exhausted the Zarya ban and would need to find a way to counter SSG’s most dominant hero pick. Last time, Hawk and Kamden "Sugarfree" Hijada utilized the Zarya-Reaper combination to overwhelm Geekay’s Winston-Wrecking Ball strategy. But this time, the coaching staff realized there was a much more pressing concern to their path to victory.

The first weekend of the Stage 3 Playoffs coincided with the release of the Season 19 balance patch, and one notable change that affected North America specifically was with Reaper. His Shadow Blink Minor Perk was now moved to a Major Perk, and his Wraith Form speed bonus was reduced from 50% to 40%. These changes made it evident that Reaper would not be able to quickly deal with the cuFFa’s tank selection as he had been all stage long. The threat to Geekay’s success was not Sugarfree’s Reaper — it was Kronik’s deadly Freja.

Kronik truly made a name for himself in Stage 2 largely thanks to his early adoption of the Danish hero, and Geekay’s coaches took notice. Freja is much more consistent against the dive tanks that cuFFA specializes in, and taking this out of the equation would force Spacestation to play directly into their hand.

And it worked, Geekay dominated and took an early 120-meter lead. Sugarfree couldn’t synergize as well on Reaper with Hawk’s Zarya, and both players were getting outdueled by William "WMaimone" Maimone’s Tracer. This decision to ban Freja forced Spacestation to swap off Zarya and onto D.Va, abandoning the strategy that had given them the most success in the stage.

Although Spacestation nearly reversed the bot's progress in overtime, it would be Geekay that came out on top, formally punching their tickets to the OWCS World Finals.

As cuFFa stated in the post-match interview, this was the victory the team needed. After a turbulent stage and trying to force compositions they struggled on, Geekay returned to the strategies that brought them success all year long. This not only punched their ticket to Stockholm but also made clear that Geekay Esports is not going anywhere.

Although it was tough and messy at times, this was an earned victory that advanced Geekay into the Upper Bracket Finals. For Spacestation, they would need to continue their journey in the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals against Team Z.

Player of the Week: Alexander "Zeb" Shepard from Sakura Esports

As the top squads battled for a ticket to Stockholm, one tank player stepped into the limelight and stole the show in golden fashion.

Alexander "Zeb" Shepard has been a notable presence in the OWCS era, previously playing for Citrus Nation in 2024. While he was often overlooked in 2024 in favor of other tank options, no one could deny his performance on Orisa, and he quickly built a reputation on the hero.

In Stage 3, Zeb stepped into the starting tank role for Sakura Esports following the departure of Jonathan “CLEAR” Foraker, and has steadily been improving his performance. He has since become one of the most consistent players in North America, but the world was reminded of just how dangerous his hidden weapon can be.

Sakura Esports’ upset victory over NTMR was defined by Zeb's dominant Orisa pick. Even when the hero was banned, his adaptability was on full display, as he showcased his expanding hero pool that led Sakura to victory.

While he might not be the flashiest player, Zeb’s Orisa is a force to be reckoned with — and seems to be hitting his peak at the perfect time.

For his dominant Orisa that led Sakura Esports to an upset against NTMR, OWTV is proud to recognize Alexander "Zeb" Shepard as this week’s North American Player of the Week.

Playoffs Week 1 Review: Blossoms in the Nightmare

Team Liquid 3 - 0 NTMR

Upper Bracket Semifinal 1

Team Liquid entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, and they were ready to prove why. They had dominated all stage long with their flexibility and coordination, and now was the time to formally lock in their position at the World Finals. After a brief bout of trolling with the DhillDucks in Week 6, it was time to focus.

But NTMR was no pushover. While they hadn’t won any matches against any of the top three teams, they had managed to stay competitive by taking maps off both Spacestation and Liquid. And their match against Geekay was filled with asterisks as the team was plagued by internet issues. If there was ever a time to make a statement, it was here against the best in North America.

Team Liquid, however, controlled the tempo of this game and easily punched their ticket to DreamHack Stockholm. To their credit, NTMR was never truly out of this series at any point and even kept every map competitive. Special recognition goes to Alex "seeker" Taylor, whose Hanzo performance on King’s Row helped keep the series close.

In the end, NTMR lost 0-3 and was sent to the Lower Bracket to face Sakura Esports. While it was unexpected of them to beat one of the top three in the Upper Bracket, they proved they could recapture some of their Stage 2 magic. After quickly shaking off the loss, their attention now turned towards Sakura.

NTMR 1 - 3 Sakura Esports

Lower Bracket Quarterfinal 1

After the loss to Team Liquid, NTMR was ready to move on in the Lower Bracket and return to the Semifinals and battle for the last ticket to the World Finals. Before they could do that, all they needed to do was beat Sakura Esports.

In Week 4, many analysts — including OWTV — expected Sakura Esports to punch upwards and challenge NTMR. But NTMR quickly disposed of the hopeful squad in a dominant 3-0 sweep. This match was expected to be the same, and when the Season 19 balance patch seemed to keep the meta largely intact, there was little expectation for any surprises to happen.

Despite previous results, Niels "Natsuki" van Herwijnen stayed optimistic about his team’s path in the playoffs.

Watch Interview — Natsuki: "They don't want to lose a 27 year old IT consultant" | Sakura Esports

But immediately as the series began on Samoa, something seemed off. NTMR looked uncharacteristically lethargic. Xomba was running circles around Julian "Rokit" Pizana, xten was outplaying Alex “seeker” Taylor on Cassidy and Freja, and Aidan “NenWhy” McHenry seemed to be getting picked off more than usual.

This trend continued on the second map, where NTMR played right into Sakura’s hand. They had banned Zarya, which allowed Coach Robin “Zei” to ban Symmetra and unleash the real star of the show.

On King’s Row, Alexander “Zeb” Shepard unleashed his hidden weapon: Orisa. Zeb had built a reputation as a dominant Orisa during his time with Citrus Nation. He took full advantage of Orisa’s biggest counters being banned and paved the way for Sakura to dominate King’s Row.

Perhaps it was hubris — or maybe they had forgotten — but either way, NTMR was unprepared. Seeker couldn’t find any picks on any hero he chose, NenWhy continued to be pressured out, and Ryan "Painkiller" Cooper lost the mirror match convincingly.

NTMR attempted to retake control of the series by bringing Sakura to Watchpoint Gibraltar, where they easily won 3-0 and brought the series to a 2-1 score by putting NenWhy on the bench and bringing in Ryan "squid" Ruffell. This was familiar territory for this core, as in the Stage 2 Playoffs, they nearly lost 1-3 to Extinction before coming back to win 3-2. If they could save their playoff hopes, then they could do it again here. On Suravasa, NTMR made the decision to ban Zeb’s Orisa and firmly put away Sakura once and for all.

But the victory never came. Instead, Zeb and xten unleashed a powerful Zarya-Reaper combination that completely overwhelmed NTMR. Painkiller, who looked to be the only other tank in the region that could match Hawk’s Zarya, refused to match Zeb and instead locked Ramattra.

In the comms check for NTMR on Suravasa, the entire core seemed to be struggling. Gone was the cool, calm nature this underdog squad had shown against the lower four teams in the region; now they were going home.

Sakura had demonstrated that their map win against Team Liquid in Week 6 wasn’t a fluke — it was an omen. They could indeed compete with the top teams in North America, and now move onward in the Lower Bracket.

Team Z 0 - 3 Spacestation Gaming

Lower Bracket Quarterfinal 2

Spacestation Gaming was not happy with their loss against Geekay Esports. This team has higher aspirations than finishing in 5th-6th place — they needed to get back to the field. Their opponent waiting for them in the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals was Team Z. Although Team Z surprised the region by qualifying over Extinction, taking down the current No. 2 seed would be next to impossible.

As quickly as the match started, it was over before anyone had time to blink. Team Z suffered a 3-0 defeat to Spacestation back in Week 2, and this playoff match was no different. The players on Team Z fought hard, but they were no match for an angry Spacestation squad hungry for revenge.

Despite the loss, Team Z finished their season on a high note in the playoffs. While there were many challenges in 2025, this squad proved they still have what it takes to compete with North America’s best.

A 5th-6th Finish for NTMR and Team Z

With the conclusion of the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, both NTMR and Team Z’s 2025 seasons must come to an end. Based on current information, both organisations are expected to return for the 2026 season. But for now, we must bid farewell to two of the most competitive rosters in North America.

Team Z - 5th-6th Place

The 2025 Season has been difficult for Team Z. After missing out on Stage 1, this core was forced to requalify through the Promotion/Relegation tournament to rejoin OWCS in Stage 2. However, internal issues once again derailed their run in Stage 2, and they were once more forced to fight out in another Promotion/Relegation tournament in the offseason, where they were ultimately successful. And just before the start of Stage 3, their former organization, Supernova, dropped the roster, leaving the players to fend for themselves.

Tank player Colin "Astro" Czulinski reflected on the team’s troubles in Stage 3 and how the evolving Wuyang meta affected them, saying:

“This stage was pretty difficult for us. I think our schedule was pretty hard, but also the consistent Wuyang nerfs really screwed us the most compared to all the other teams. Pretty unfortunate, but what can you do?”

While their season and Stage 3 didn’t progress as they had hoped, Team Z managed to win an impressive 3-1 against Extinction, qualifying for the playoffs. Astro commented further on the playoff berth and how it was a nice way to end the season.

“We were definitely expecting more from this stage, but I’m just happy to be playing in playoffs for the first time this year, so it’s a mini win for me.”

Much like Ryan alluded to in his interview with Renanthera, Astro confirmed that it is unlikely the former-Supernova core will be competing together in 2026.

“For 2026…I think it’s nearly impossible that we will keep the same 7 player roster that we just played with.”

But even with the uncertainty, Astro and the rest of the team seem eager to continue their OWCS journey.

“I think everyone wants to play at the beginning of 2026. The break in between now and 2026 should be enough, at least for me.”

2025 has certainly been a challenge for Astro and the rest of Team Z, but after ending on a high note, the atmosphere certainly improved. While the future of this team remains uncertain, the determination Team Z demonstrated throughout 2025 has made them one of the most inspirational stories in the OWCS era. As the team closes their computers, we wish Team Z the best of luck heading into 2026.

“On behalf of the entire team, it’s been a blessing to be receiving the support we’ve been getting this stage. Personally, it makes the experience just feel surreal and like I’m actually a professional athlete having people support me who I’ve never met before. Nonetheless, [I’m] super grateful.”

NTMR - 5th-6th Place

Throughout 2025, the NTMR organisation demonstrated a great deal of dedication to Overwatch esports. As one of the many unpartnered teams in OWCS, NTMR stood out as a beacon of inspiration for all orgs looking not just to enter Competitive Overwatch, but esports in general.

As Suravasa ended, so too did the season for this squad — and with it, NTMR’s streak of making every OWCS LAN event. When reflecting on the organisation’s Stage 3, Julian "Rokit" Pizana stated:

“I’d consider Stage 3 to be a complete failure for NTMR. Although there were multiple factors that hindered our performance compared to last stage, (losing players, tricky early stage meta), we just weren’t capable of performing when it mattered most and I apologize on behalf of everyone for the “performance” we put on.”

Even with the challenges of the season, Rokit reflected on both his own 2025 and the organisation’s overall success, and remained optimistic for the team heading into 2026.

“As for 2025 I’d say it was an overall success for both myself and NTMR as a whole. This year I made my first international event and felt like I proved I’m capable of competing at the highest level. As for NTMR, they made 2/3 LANs as an unpartnered organization and did so by qualifying over a partnered team each time...I do believe no matter what that the organization will continue to prosper and keep upsetting the best teams in the world.”

Rokit continued his own growth in 2025 and even gave a glimpse of his goal for the next season.

“As for me, I hope to finally cement myself a serious contender for best Flex DPS in North America and will continue doing everything I can to ensure that dream becomes a reality. I once again apologize for the unacceptable performance in Stage 3 and hope that we can move forward with a positive outlook and do everything we can to be the best team and players possible moving into 2026.”

2025 was an incredibly successful year for the NTMR organisation. In Stage 1, the team qualified for the Champions Clash by winning the North American region, and even went on to upset Crazy Raccoon at that tournament. When their roster was bought out by Geekay Esports in Stage 2, many assumed their chances of making international events had come and gone. But as Rokit mentioned, he improved as a player and helped bring that team back into international competition at the Midseason Championship — which marked Rokit's first-ever Tier 1 LAN.

While the World Finals will be the first major since the 2024 Dallas Major without them, NTMR can close out 2025 knowing they truly demonstrated how passion and dedication can truly bring success to any team.

“Life is this crazy thing and sometimes you just go out like a buster and there’s nothing you can do about it. Most important thing for all of us is that we look forward to the future and make sure we’re in a better position going into the new year…While the year didn't end well I’m overall very pleased with it as a whole, especially considering I know that I left nothing on the table during the second half of 2025.”