VCC OCE Season 6 has officially kicked off, and the opening week has delivered everything we could have asked for.
From dominant 2–0 performances to unexpectedly one sided maps, the first two rounds have already given us some early contenders, players putting up ridiculous numbers, and teams desperately needing to find their footing.
With the group stage consisting of seven teams per group and the top four advancing to playoffs, there is very little room for teams to fall behind.
Here’s everything that happened during the opening rounds, and what to look out for heading into Week 2.
BUT FIRST - VCC OCE Patch Notes 6.02
XZRT Esports (XZRT) has rebranded to Dark Horse Esports. This article will refer to them as Dark Horse (DHE).
The Polars (ICY) has been disqualified from this season of competition, as explained in [this post]. Their matches will be overturned into a 0-2 win for each of the teams they have competed against, both maps having a 13-7 scoreline. This has been reflected in this article.
Week 1 Recap
Dark Horse Esports (#8) 2–0 Touch Grass (#13)
The first match of VCC OCE Season 6 immediately gave us a statement performance. Formerly known as XZRT Esports, Dark Horse Esports entered the season as the #8 seed against #13 seed Touch Grass, one of the two solo-signup teams competing this season.
The result was never particularly close.
DHE opened the series on their own pick of Lotus and quickly established a 9–3 halftime lead. Touch Grass showed flashes of individual brilliance through Cryptic and thund3r, but DHE’s structured approach continued to break down the defence before closing Lotus 13–5.
Split was even more brutal.
A huge 4K from Tawheed helped DHE secure the bonus round, and the team proceeded to turn their early advantage into an 11–1 lead. After winning the pistol to start the second half, DHE finished the map 13–1.
Tawheed was the clear standout, finishing the series with a 1.75 rating, 339 ACS, 43 kills and only 16 deaths. He also recorded 9 first kills, a +7 first-kill differential and an incredible 84.6% KAST.
Perhaps most impressive was his 52% headshot percentage across the series.
His performance was so dominant that DHE’s other four players combined for a positive +34 kill differential of their own.
DHE couldn’t have asked for a better opening statement.
PupilsOfTheGame (#7) 2–0 Disproportion (#6)
The first Group A matchup of the season ended in unusual circumstances. PupilsOfTheGame were awarded a 2–0 victory over Disproportion, with both maps recorded as forfeits.
Still, the result gives POTG an important opening win without having to spend any rounds in the server.
For Disproportion, however, their season would immediately become a fight to recover the lost ground.
SigmasOfAus 0–2 VOLTA
VOLTA opened their campaign with a convincing 2–0 victory over SigmasOfAus, although the scoreline doesn’t quite tell the whole story. SigmasOfAus were able to remain competitive on both maps, but VOLTA consistently found the extra rounds when it mattered.
The biggest difference was rek9, who produced an outstanding 1.61 rating across the series. The VOLTA Sova finished with 23 kills and only 11 deaths, alongside 307 ACS, 200 ADR and 90% KAST. His 2.09 K:D ratio was easily the best mark in the server.
lin was also a major contributor, recording 41 kills, 285 ACS and +12 kills, while sacred added another 22 kills at a 1.39 rating. For SigmasOfAus, ATYT led the way with 36 kills and 264 ACS, while Nova finished with 35 kills and a +3 differential.
Despite those individual performances, VOLTA’s ability to consistently win the important rounds proved decisive.
VOLTA walk away with a strong opening win, while SigmasOfAus will need to find a response quickly.
ATLAS 2–0 SEL’s Warriors
ATLAS made one of the biggest statements of the opening week with an absolutely dominant 2–0 victory over SEL’s Warriors.
The #4 seed wasted no time establishing control, winning their own map pick of Split by a massive 13–4 before completely dismantling SEL on Abyss, 13–1.
The star of the series was spenty.
Across the two maps, spenty posted a ridiculous 1.68 rating, 294 ACS and 32/11 K/D, while also recording 20 assists and 94% KAST.
That KAST figure is particularly impressive. Spenty was involved in almost every successful round ATLAS played.
ATLAS were also remarkably balanced, with every player finishing the series above a 1.10 rating. On the other side, cfoo was SEL’s best performer with 25 kills, but the rest of the roster struggled to find their footing. SEL’s lowest rating came from sel at just 0.33.
ATLAS have immediately established themselves as one of the teams to watch in Group A.
Cherrys Are YUCK 2–0 NS Overtime
The #1 seed looked every bit like the #1 seed.
Cherrys Are YUCK produced another extremely convincing 2–0 victory, taking down NS Overtime 13–4 on Lotus before following it up with an even more dominant 13–3 on Split.
The series was effectively controlled from start to finish.
dazies led the way with a 1.52 rating, 279 ACS and a huge 37/14 K/D. tea was not far behind, putting up 38 kills at 307 ACS, the highest ACS in the series.
Cherrys themselves also had an exceptional outing, finishing with 35 kills and a 1.47 rating. The numbers paint a pretty clear picture: NS Overtime simply couldn’t keep up with the firepower coming from the other side.
Dazies’ 91% KAST was another standout statistic, while Cherrys himself managed an incredible 94%.
With a 2–0 opening record, Cherrys Are YUCK have immediately put themselves at the front of the Group B race.
50 Shoplifters 2–0 The Polars
50 Shoplifters get away with the skin of their teeth, originally having lost 1-2 against The Polars, but has been granted the win after The Polars has been disqualified from competition.
Even still, a win is a win for 50S. They will take it as an important asset moving forwards into the groups.
The forfeiture gives 50 Shoplifters an important early win in what is shaping up to be a very competitive Group A.
TXG 2–0 SigmasOfAus
TXG continued their strong start to Season 6 with a 2–0 win over SigmasOfAus, but the first map was anything but comfortable.
Split went all the way to 15–13, making it one of the closest maps of the opening rounds, and giving this powerhouse a run for their money at this competition. Following this scare of a map, TXG followed with a masterclass on Summit, putting their star duelist VANILLA on Iso and allowing him to perform.
The TXG duelist finished with 43 kills, 347 ACS and 215 ADR, alongside a ridiculous 14 first kills.
His 43/16 performance was one of the most dominant individual map-series performances of the opening week.
Aaryan14 also provided an enormous amount of support with 36 kills and 21 assists, while SilentPH contributed 32 kills and 25 assists.
SigmasOfAus were led by Nova, who finished with 41 kills and 251 ACS, but TXG’s superior conversion of opening duels eventually proved too much.
After two dominant series, TXG are looking increasingly dangerous in Group B.
NS Overtime 0–2 TXG
Following the fright of their previous matchup against SigmasOfAus, TXG’s second completed series of the opening rounds was a dominant 2–0 against NS Overtime, closing out this highly anticipated match in a rather anticlimactic fashion.
TXG controlled both maps, winning Lotus 13–4 before shutting down NS Overtime 13–3 on Split. Once again, VANILLA was the headline performer.
He recorded an absurd 1.80 rating, 347 ACS and 43/16 K/D, while also securing 14 first kills. That means VANILLA alone accounted for 14 of TXG’s opening kills across the series — an enormous amount of early-round pressure.
Aaryan14 also produced a strong 1.31 rating and 31 kills, while every TXG player finished with a positive K/D.
For NS Overtime, rice was their best performer with 23 kills, but the team struggled to generate enough impact elsewhere.
Two matches, two 2–0 victories. TXG are making their ambitions very clear.
Mommysgoodboy 2–0 PupilsOfTheGame
Mommysgoodboy continued their impressive start to the season with a 2–0 victory over PupilsOfTheGame.
Unlike some of the other sweeps, this one began with a competitive Lotus. POTG managed to reach nine rounds, but MGB were able to close out the map 13–9.
Haven was a different story.
MGB took control and finished the map 13–5 to secure the series.
The standout performer was PPGaming23, who put together one of the best individual performances of the week.
He finished with a remarkable 51 kills, 340 ACS and a 1.59 rating, while also contributing 22 assists.
His 51 kills were the highest total recorded in the series.
MrK added 33 kills and a +10 differential, while xaptos contributed another 32 kills.
For POTG, potato led the team with 35 kills, but MGB’s depth proved decisive.
Mommysgoodboy now have an early foothold in Group A and look like a serious playoff contender.
Disproportion 2–0 50 Shoplifters
Disproportion bounced back from their opening forfeit in emphatic fashion, taking down 50 Shoplifters 2–0.
The series started competitively enough, with Disproportion winning Lotus 13–7, but Haven quickly turned into a one-sided affair as DSP closed it out 13–4.
destroxx was the clear star.
He finished with 36 kills, 285 ACS and a 1.43 rating, while also posting a massive +17 kill differential.
xia0ling matched the 36-kill mark and actually recorded the highest ACS on the team at 316, while FeS added another 38 kills.
It was an excellent team performance from DSP, with three players finishing above a 1.30 rating.
50 Shoplifters struggled to keep pace, with Niaz being their highest-rated player at 1.03.
After their opening forfeit, Disproportion have responded in exactly the way they needed to, keeping them at a neutral standing into the third round.
The Polars 0–2 ATLAS
ATLAS manage to scrape this win after the forfeiture from The Polars. After losing 1-2 against the disqualified team, ATLS should be happy with this, as they now lead the pack as the provisional leader of Group A. Hopefully Mr Consistent won't have another shocker that was his Split performance.
ATLAS now move forwards into the group stage with a clear advantage, now being the clear favourite to make their way out of this group.
VOLTA 0–2 Dark Horse Esports
The final completed matchup of the opening rounds produced one of the most entertaining series of the week.
Dark Horse Esports entered the match after their dominant 2–0 against Touch Grass, while VOLTA were coming off their victory over SigmasOfAus.
The first map was completely controlled by DHE.
Ascent ended 13–3, with DHE immediately putting themselves in a commanding position.
But Lotus was a completely different story.
VOLTA fought all the way back and pushed the map into overtime before DHE eventually closed it out 15–13.
Tawheed once again led the way for DHE, finishing the series with 38 kills, 263 ACS and a 1.22 rating.
However, it was inky who quietly posted the highest rating for DHE at 1.13 while recording 41 kills.
For VOLTA, sacred was their standout player, finishing with 40 kills and a 1.10 rating, while Max added 31 kills.
The most interesting statistic may be the first-kill battle. Tawheed finished with 8 first kills and 8 first deaths, while Max managed a +3 first-kill differential.
After the 13–3 opening map, VOLTA nearly dragged the series into a third map — but DHE held their nerve in overtime.
DHE now sit at 2–0, while VOLTA fall to 1–1.
Week 1: The Numbers
The opening rounds have already produced some ridiculous statistics.
Tawheed — Dark Horse Esports 43/16 against Touch Grass, 347 ACS and 9 first kills.
VANILLA — TXG 43/16 against NS Overtime, 347 ACS and 14 first kills.
PPGaming23 — Mommysgoodboy 51 kills against PupilsOfTheGame, 340 ACS and 22 assists.
spenty — ATLAS 1.68 rating, 294 ACS, 32/11 and 94% KAST against SEL’s Warriors.
dazies — Cherrys Are YUCK 37/14, 279 ACS and 91% KAST against NS Overtime.
The Early Group Picture
After the completed opening matches, the early standings are already beginning to separate.
Group A
ATLAS have opened with a perfect 2–0 record, 4–0 in maps and +33 round differential, giving them the strongest start in the group. Mommysgoodboy are also undefeated at 1–0, while PupilsOfTheGame, Disproportion, 50 Shoplifters and SEL’s Warriors are all sitting on 1–1 records.
Group B
Dark Horse Esports and TXG are both perfect at 2–0, with DHE currently holding a +32 round differential and TXG +29. Cherrys Are YUCK are also undefeated at 1–0, while VOLTA sit at 1–1. Touch Grass, SigmasOfAus and NS Overtime are all looking for their first wins.
With four playoff positions available in each group, the difference between getting into the top four and being left behind could come down to only a few rounds.
Week 2 Preview
The opening two rounds may be finished, but the schedule only gets harder from here.
Round 3 brings several matchups that could completely change the shape of the groups.
SEL’s Warriors vs Mommysgoodboy
SEL’s Warriors will be looking to recover from their opening loss to ATLAS, while Mommysgoodboy enter this matchup after a convincing victory over PupilsOfTheGame. For SEL, this is an important opportunity to stop themselves from falling behind.
TXG vs Touch Grass
TXG have started the season on fire, while Touch Grass are still searching for their first victory.
After TXG’s performances against SigmasOfAus and NS Overtime, Touch Grass have one of the toughest possible challenges ahead of them.
Can the solo-signup squad bounce back against one of Group B’s early favourites?
PupilsOfTheGame vs 50 Shoplifters
Both teams will be looking to establish some momentum.
POTG will want to put their opening forfeit and loss to Mommysgoodboy behind them, while 50 Shoplifters will be hoping to recover after their loss to Disproportion.
SigmasOfAus vs NS Overtime
Two teams enter this matchup still searching for their first win.
With both sides currently sitting at 0–2, this could be one of the most important matches of the round. Whoever wins will finally have some breathing room in the race for the top four.
ATLAS vs Disproportion
ATLAS have been almost untouchable so far.
After a 4–0 map record and +33 round differential, Disproportion will have their hands full.
However, DSP have just bounced back from their opening forfeit with a strong 2–0 victory over 50 Shoplifters.
This could be one of the most interesting matchups of the round.
Dark Horse Esports vs TXG
The heavyweight matchup of Round 3.
Two of Group B’s undefeated teams finally collide.
DHE have already shown off their firepower through Tawheed, while TXG have produced some of the most impressive individual numbers of the opening week through VANILLA.
Both teams are sitting at 2–0.
One of them is about to lose that perfect record.
The fourth round brings another set of critical matchups.
Mommysgoodboy vs 50 Shoplifters
A crucial Group A matchup between two teams fighting to establish themselves in the playoff race.
Cherrys Are YUCK vs SigmasOfAus
The #1 seed takes on a SigmasOfAus side desperate for their first win.
Touch Grass vs VOLTA
Two teams with plenty to prove match up, VOLTA with the advantage in the group, currently 1-1.
PupilsOfTheGame vs ATLAS
POTG face arguably their toughest challenge yet against the undefeated Group A leaders.
NS Overtime vs Dark Horse Esports
After two difficult opening series, NS Overtime have another enormous challenge in front of them.
Dark Horse Esports are here to fight for their crown, as the current leader of Group B.
The Season Is Just Getting Started
Two rounds are down, but the VCC OCE Season 6 group stage is already proving that nothing can be taken for granted.
ATLAS and Dark Horse Esports have started with perfect records. TXG have produced some of the biggest individual performances of the week. Cherrys Are YUCK have looked every bit like a #1 seed, while teams such as Disproportion and Mommysgoodboy have already shown that they can fight their way into the playoff conversation.
And with several teams still searching for their first victory, the pressure is only going to increase.
The first two rounds have given us a glimpse of what these teams can do.
Now comes the hard part. Can they keep it up?
All we can do is wait and see.
RealTobyG
VCC OCE Production Manager
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