The sixth-seeded Atlanta Reign upset the third-seeded San Francisco Shock 4-3 as the first round of the Overwatch League playoff concluded Friday in Burbank, Calif.
The second-seeded New York Excelsior registered a 4-1 win over the seventh-seeded London Spitfire to set up a winners-bracket semifinal matchup with Atlanta, to be played Sunday.
Eight teams are competing in the season-ending, $3.5 million playoffs, with all matches running until one team wins four maps. Two teams earned spots in the final eight last week by advancing out of a play-in tournament.
The Reign alternated wins and losses through their Friday match. They took Busan 2-1, dropped Numbani 3-0, then won Horizon Lunar Colony 1-0. The Shock then claimed Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2-1, lost Lijiang Tower 2-0 and won King's Row 6-5. Atlanta closed the series with a 3-2 decision on Rialto.
The Excelsior had a smoother time in their victory. They jumped to a commanding lead by capturing Busan 2-0, Numbani 4-3 and Temple of Anubis 4-3. After London took Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2-1, New York posted a 2-0 win on Ilios.
Losers-bracket action starts Saturday with the eighth-seeded Seoul Dynasty taking on the fourth-seeded Hangzhou Spark before the Spitfire meet the Shock.
The two winners-bracket semifinals are set for Sunday, with the top-seeded Vancouver Titans facing the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Gladiators ahead of the Reign-Excelsior matchup.
-- Field Level Media