The competition in OGN Overwatch APEX Season 4 continues through the group stages as clear lines begin to form between who will qualify out of the groups. GC Busan took four maps and a tiebreaker to beat ROX Orcas, and Kongdoo Panthera run a janitorial lesson by sweeping NC Foxes.
GC Busan vs. ROX Orcas
Map 1: Nepal (Control)
Map 2: Numbani (Assault/Escort)
Map 3: Hanamura (Control)
Map 3 Tiebreaker: Lijiang Tower (Control)
Map 4: Dorado (Escort)
GC Busan and ROX Orcas are the small fish of the big pond of APEX, but there would be one victor between the two of them on this day. Unfortunately for ROX, it would be on the losing end, never quite hitting on all cylinders like the old days in the challenger league. Things just haven't been the same since Jung "TyDolla" Seung-Min left to join Afreeca Freecs Blue.
Despite showing promise in its premiere APEX game, ROX crumbled against GC Busan. Nepal was simply one-sided, and Numbani as well. It was only on Hanamura where ROX grasped onto a rope before plummeting to defeat. Both teams tied and were forced to play a tiebreaker on Lijiang Tower; ROX's desperation allowed it to prevail, and took the team at least one map on this day.
Still, GC Busan's Lee "Hooreg" Dong-eun's Doomfist smashed ROX at the last checkpoint on Dorado for a full five minute stall, before he and the rest of his team rushed the payload to the end for the victory.
Kongdoo Pantera vs. NC Foxes
Map 1: Oasis (Control)
Map 2: King's Row (Assault/Escort)
Map 3: Hanamura (Assault)
The Kongdoo Panthera fans saw today would be a little different than the one they saw take the stage last season, as Kim "birdring" Ji-hyuk sat on the bench. His spot would be taken up by Lee "Curious" Yeong-min, but ready to be subbed out if things went sideways. But even with birdring on the bench, the match went as clean as expected against the NC Foxes.
Oasis was a stomp with Kim "Rascal" Dong-jun ramming a Doomfist into the faces of everyone on NC Foxes, and King's Row demonstrated the weakness of team. It made a mistake when it decided to play Ana in its team composition when no member on its team had high damage values to take advantage of her Nano Boost, nor would Ana be effective healing against Doomfist or a headshot from McCree. Needless to say, losing King's Row with that thinking was inevitable.
Hanamura went to the timebank stage but if Oasis and King's Row were any indication, then the Foxes inability to utilize an advantage fell short of even putting a foot in the door, allowing KDP a clean 3-0 victory in the group stages of APEX.