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Fans have been itching for the start date of Stage 2 of the Rainbow Six North American League, and the organizers have answered.
It has been almost two weeks since the Charlotte Major was played to a conclusion. This is why fans have been eager to know when action will return to R6.
Via the R6 NA official Twitter account, it was revealed that action will resume on June 14.
“Alright, alright, we hear you loud and clear. Behold! The full R6 NAL Stage 2 schedule! We will be back on June 14th!”
With the announcement, the full schedule of the regional league was also revealed.
Ten teams will compete in the event, which will run from June 14 to July 12. While a piece of the $50,000 prize pool is enticing, teams will be more interested in securing one of the top four spots in the standings.
Each of the first four teams in the rankings at the end of Stage 2 will get seeded to the August Major. They will also get 225 points each for the 2023 Six Invitational Global Standings.
There will be nine playdays in total, with each team playing twice every week. All matches are best-of-1 and will follow a single round-robin league format.
Points will also be given for overtime wins and losses. Below are the fixtures for the opening day:
● DarkZero Esports vs beastcoast
● TSM vs Mirage
● XSET vs Spacestation Gaming
● Astralis vs Soniqs
● Oxygen Esports vs Parabellum Esports
Of all the teams that will be participating, DarkZero and Astralis have had the least number of days to rest ahead of Stage 2. Both teams were the finalists in the just-concluded Charlotte Major.
The final followed a best-of-5 format, and with either team letting up, it came down to the wire. In the end, DarkZero came out the victors, winning Bank 7-3 and walking away with $200,000 from the $500,000 prize pool.
While DarkZero and Astralis made the deepest run in the tournament, all NA teams were impressive in the Major. XSET and Oxygen also reached the playoffs but were sent home by Astralis in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Regardless, DarkZero seems fired up for Stage 2. They engaged in banter with Astralis in the comment section.
This will perhaps be the most competitive Stage in NAL history, given how well all teams are performing. It was a close affair in Stage 1 as the eventual Major winners sealed their Charlotte seed with a win over Spacestation on the final playday.
NA heavyweight TSM missed the Charlotte Major, which was arguably the most surprising thing. They only managed two victories in Stage 1.
TSM started the year on an incredible note, winning the 2022 Six Invitational and earning a $1 million prize. They will be looking to reassert themselves at the top of the NA rankings in Stage 2.
Given how NA has performed on the world stage, they have secured a spot as one of the top leagues in R6. The league will have to prove that its early dominance is not a fluke.
