After months of wondering how these two teams would match up against each other, the Chicago Huntsmen finally faced the Atlanta FaZe this weekend. The series was a quick 3-0, more of a barometer of the FaZe's recent struggles and the Huntsmen's improvements -- or an indictment of scheduling, depending on how one wants to look at it.
Not to be outdone, the New York Subliners, a team that multiple players and staffs around the league have said would take a series if their event performances resembled their scrims, finally took their first tournament win.
Here is every map from the New York Subliners' home series in a sentence.
Day 1
Toronto Ultra 3, Paris Legion 1
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: Toronto run three ARs to kick off Gun Runner hardpoint, and Cammy pops off in a 250-189 win.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: Legion's stronger setups, mid-map control, and Louqa's sniping skills tie up the series.
St. Petrograd, Domination: After taking B mid-first-half, Paris have a small lead into the second half that Toronto overtakes late in the round for a close win.
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: The Ultra give up Office betting that they can take the map on Docks, and Paris break to make it interesting, but ultimately Toronto wins 250-237.
Chicago Huntsmen 3, London Royal Ravens 1
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: Another three-AR setup, another win, this time for the Ravens.
Piccadilly, Search and Destroy: A Round 4 3v5 sets the pace for the Huntsmen to close out this map with a five-round win streak.
St. Petrograd, Domination: Chicago's 20-point first-round lead looks like it won't be enough, but a late B cap holds off any London last-minute push.
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: The ARs come up big for Huntsmen from both FORMAL and Arcitys.
Atlanta FaZe 3, Los Angeles Guerrillas 1
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: No AUG from Faze, and everyone watching breathes a collective sigh of disappointment.
Gun Runner, Search and Destroy: Decemate closes this out with a 1v3, stalling enough so that even when Simp wins the gunfight, LA take the map.
Hackney Yard, Domination: The Guerrillas keep things surprisingly close even on the weaker side, but FaZe come out ahead.
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: FaZe close things out by staying ahead of the Guerrillas for most of the map.
New York Subliners 3, Minnesota RØKKR 1
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: Four for four with Gun Runner hardpoint starting off a series as New York take this one handily by more than 100 points.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: Another dominating performance from New York as Minnesota cannot keep up.
Hackney Yard, Domination: Asim goes huge as RØKKR keep themselves in the series with a domination win.
Rammaza, Hardpoint: Again New York are the stronger team on spawns and take the series.
DAY 2
Toronto Ultra 3, Atlanta FaZe 2
Rammaza, Hardpoint: Cellium leads things off for FaZe with a 30-20 scoreline and more than two minutes on hills.
Piccadilly, Search and Destroy: Cleanx and Cammy take the lead in a dominant performance.
St. Petrograd, Domination: Toronto get a late first-round triple-cap to make things a bit more interesting, but this map is almost entirely FaZe.
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: Cammy and Cleanx take control on another map as Toronto put this series in their favor, given their stronger S&D performances.
Rammaza, Search and Destroy: Toronto once again look better than FaZe on S&D, and they're through to semifinals.
Chicago Huntsmen 3, New York Subliners 2
Rammaza, Hardpoint: A strong late hold gives the Subliners a lead change at 182, but the Huntsmen come back and break New York's hold that would have given the Subliners the game.
Rammaza, Search and Destroy: Plays from Arcitys, Formal, and Envoy highlight a strong 6-1 round for the Huntsmen.
Hackney Yard, Domination: After the Subliners lead for most of the series, the Huntsmen get a late triple-cap to make things interesting, but spawns favor New York, and Temp comes up big to extend the series.
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: The Subliners take it to map five with strong holds, and three ARs once again come up big.
Gun Runner, Search and Destroy: The Huntsmen are in no way the best S&D team, but they look better on it against New York, and it's these two maps that give them the series and semifinals bid.
Paris Legion 3, Los Angeles Guerrillas 0
Rammaza, Hardpoint: A close hardpoint goes the way of the Legion, who are starting to look more comfortable in an AR-heavy setup.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: It's odd to call this map an upset for Paris, but the Guerrillas have been so strong on S&D that this is a really great showing for the Legion.
St. Petrograd, Domination: The Guerrillas get an early triple-cap in Round 1 that give them about a 30-point lead, but Paris get the 3-0 series sweep with strong second-round B-C control.
London Royal Ravens 3, Minnesota RØKKR 2
Azhir Cave, Hardpoint: Strong breaks and some individual highlights win this for London.
Arklov Peak, Search and Destroy: London slow things down enough and control the map for a 2-0 lead in the series.
Gun Runner, Domination: Although London are able to finish the first half within six points, the second half of this map is all Minnesota.
St. Petrograd, Hardpoint: The RØKKR find coordination and speed that have eluded them for most of their online performances and extend this series to a map 5.
Rammaza, Search and Destroy: Seany stars on Construction in a 6-4 S&D win for the Ravens.
Atlanta FaZe 3, Paris Legion 0
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: FaZe have the upper hand for most of this map and take it definitively 250-174.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: Abezy pops off, and the FaZe run through Paris for a 2-0 lead.
Gun Runner, Domination: Atlanta secure a long-awaited semifinals matchup against the Chicago Huntsmen.
New York Subliners 3, London Royal Ravens 1
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: London start strong, and though a lot of kills and hill control were traded back and forth, they take it in the end.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: Temp takes over Round 11 and ties up the series 1-1.
Hackney Yard, Domination: An early triple-cap gives New York a great start on the first half of this map, and they only further their lead in the second half.
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: New York stay ahead of London and head to the semifinals of their own home series.
DAY 3
Chicago Huntsmen 3, Atlanta FaZe 0
Hackney Yard, Hardpoint: Two key breaks for the Huntsmen make the difference, and Chicago goes up 1-0.
St. Petrograd, Search and Destroy: People were saying that the Huntsmen had to win against a better S&D team, and the Huntsmen's dominion over this map calls into question whether Atlanta were the better S&D team at all.
Hackney Yard, Domination: FaZe look to keep this close, but the Huntsmen capture B flag and quickly expand their lead to sweep the series.
New York Subliners 3, Toronto Ultra 0
Gun Runner, Hardpoint: Accuracy and Attach lead a final break to give New York a close win.
Arklov Peak, Search and Destroy: Accuracy again takes center stage as he helps close out a dominant S&D performance from the Subliners with a 1v3.
Hackney Yard, Domination: A triple-cap with a minute left gives Toronto a chance, but New York quickly flips both B and A after spawning toward A side and closes out a 3-0 sweep.
New York Subliners 3, Chicago Huntsmen 0
Rammaza, Hardpoint: Like their first map against Toronto, the setup requires New York to make another late break to win the map, and they deliver.
Rammaza, Search and Destroy: New York and ZooMaa take control of the series, despite Prestinni and Arcitys' best efforts.
Hackney Yard, Domination: Strong A-B control gives New York a 24-point lead on weak side spawn, and though Huntsmen manage to make it close with a great second-round B cap, New York take it back to win their home event.