Rebekah D. March 18, 2019
With the completion of the Overwatch League’s fifth week of matches, eight teams have now qualified for the Stage 1 Playoffs of Season 2.
The top eight teams in the standings will now have the chance to compete for a first-place prize of $200,000 before the season’s continuation and the start of Stage 2.
To qualify for a slot in the Stage 1 Playoffs, teams had to be the highest ranked based on a ratio of wins per map. The first two teams were chosen from the top of each of the league’s two divisions, with the remaining six teams being chosen regardless of whether they were in the Pacific or Atlantic divisional groupings.
New York Excelsior was the first team to secure a spot in the playoffs as the top team in the Pacific division. New York’s high map-win ratio allowed the team to secure the spot with another two weeks still remaining in the stage.
Vancouver Titans claimed the top spot in the Atlantic Division by the end of week four, with Toronto Defiant close enough behind to secure one of the additional playoff spots.
The remaining five slots were decided during the final week of match-ups as teams finished their last games of the stage. San Francisco Shock and Seoul Dynasty were decided as playoff teams early in Week 5, with Philadelphia Fusion, Atlanta Reign, and Boston Uprising clinching their spots on the final day of competition.
A total prize amount of $500,000 is available for teams in the playoffs, with money being split between each team’s players. The winners will receive $200,000, with runners-up being awarded $100,000. Semifinalists will be awarded $50,000 each, with the remaining $100,000 being divided between teams who placed fifth through eighth in the playoff standings.
The Stage 1 Playoffs begin March 21, though the first round of match-ups has not yet been confirmed. The matches will continue over the weekend, with the finals taking place on March 24.