We’re headed into the playoffs for the Six Invitational 2022. Sure, the group stage is important, but the stakes are raised with this bracket. The majority of teams have two chances at glory before getting sent home.
Four teams – including the Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski-led DarkZero Esports squad – have one more chance. It’s a lose-and-go-home situation for them. Can Team Liquid or DWG KIA stay consistent to win the whole thing? Can North America shape up and go on a run? We’ll know everything we need to know by Feb. 20.
Six Invitational 2022 playoffs preview
All the Six Invitational 2022 action starts on Monday at 4 p.m. EST. The first day of playoffs is packed with multiple teams squeezing two games in before getting back to their Stockholm hotel to rest.
How to watch Six Invitational 2022:
- Twitch Stream A (English)
- Twitch Stream B (English)
It’s a new playoff format with the same satisfying Siege gameplay. Here are some of the best matchups of the incoming bracket.
TSM FTX vs Ninjas in Pyjamas
Ninjas in Pyjamas were the Brazilian wonders in 2021, going all the way to defeat Team Liquid 3-2 with a map advantage in the grand final. The defending champions aren’t looking as hot coming out of the groups stage this time. The team fell to both Team Empire, the leader of the group, and SANDBOX Gaming. Nothing about those losses says they can’t go on a hot run now, though. They got hot at the perfect time last year.
TSM, on the other hand, is looking more stable after a semi-successful run in Group C. The Brady “Chala” Davenport-led squad come out on top of their group leader FURIA Esports in an incredibly tight series. Nearly every TSM series has been just as close. A few rounds were the difference between where they are now and a first-round bye. The matches against Thailand’s Elevate and DarkZero could have gone the other way.
Whoever wins this has a good chance of overcoming FURIA later in the day.
- Winner Prediction: TSM
Spacestation Gaming vs NAVI
The Six Invitational 2022 playoffs bracket is more competitive than ever this year. Any team could win, but some have a much steeper path to victory than others. Spacestation Gaming (SSG) has to go through Natus Vincere and Team Empire on the same day. It’s doable, but the American squad will need to shore up mistakes if they hope to conquer two good teams with little rest between each match.
The same goes for NAVI, but we’re pulling for the Americans to take this one. It looks like Ubisoft is trying to prevent an all-Latin American grand final with how the bracket is broken down. Hopefully SSG can prove that America can still dance with Brazil.
- Winner Prediction: Spacestation Gaming
Team Liquid vs FaZe Clan/Oxygen Esports
We’re not discounting the efforts of either team heading into the playoffs bracket, but the winner of the first winner’s bracket match between FaZe and Oxygen has to face the steep challenge of playing Team Liquid immediately after. Team Liquid – who placed second at last year’s Six Invitational – has been playing at a different level in 2022.
CYCLOPS athlete gaming, who had the honor of being the only team to take a map off Team Liquid, has already gone home. Everyone else is rooting against Team Liquid because no one wants to play Team Liquid. You have the beat the best to be the best.
- Winner Prediction: Team Liquid
DWG KIA vs Elevate/Soniqs
The only two remaining Asian-Pacific teams may have to face off once again. Elevate has looked fierce, but DWG KIA has looked that much better. The first-round bye should help the South Koreans finish off whoever makes it out of the first round.
Headphone users – consider yourselves warned.
👇 👇 👇 👇@ElevateGG's winning moment#SixInvitational pic.twitter.com/qX82rVrLgQ— Rainbow Six Esports (@R6esports) February 12, 2022
It’s a shame, though. It’s clear how hard each team has worked, especially Elevate who made their way to Stockholm from Thailand, and now they could play one another in the early rounds of the playoffs bracket.
- Winner Prediction: DWG KIA
Keeping hope alive in the Six Invitational 22 playoffs loser’s bracket.
While DarkZero – and every other team who hasn’t played as well as they’ve needed to – are down early in the tournament. We’re keeping an eye on Candian’s DarkZero squad as a Darkhorse to knock someone out in the first round of the loser’s bracket. You can watch them play on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST.
