Gryxr Rejoins the Starting Roster
After a top-5 finish in the world at the Six Invitational, Soniqs did something no one expected.
Atom and Merc were moved to the starting lineup, replacing CTZN and Gryxr. With this change, CTZN moved to M80 while Gryxr remained with Soniqs on the bench.
With this unproven roster, Soniqs hoped to capitalize on a more aggressive playstyle and address weaknesses discovered at SI. This new roster was immediately put to the test for the North American League 2024 Stage 1 split.
The team immediately proved the changes had made a difference. In the first match of the season against DarkZero, Soniqs put together a decisive 7-2 victory on Clubhouse. Next, Soniqs faced the newly rebuilt M80 roster. In a back-and-forth match on Oregon, Soniqs forced overtime but ultimately lost 8-6.
Soniqs bounced back with a hard-fought 7-5 victory over LOS but slowly slipped in the standings. Challenges arose against Beastcoast and Oxygen gaming, resulting in a pair of 7-3 defeats. Despite finishing the group stage with a 7-5 victory over Luminosity Gaming, Soniqs finished 8th and dropped to the Last Chance Qualifiers for a final chance of qualifying for the Manchester Major.
Ahead of the Last Chance Qualifiers, Soniqs made a final roster adjustment by replacing Gryxr on the bench with Geometrics. The goal was simple with the lineup change: win LCQ and qualify for the Manchester Major. With seven other teams in the LCQ it was going to be an uphill battle all the way.
Soniqs began methodically, with clean 2-0 sweeps against Wildcard and Oxygen Esports before facing their toughest opponent yet — Spacestation Gaming. Despite best efforts, Soniqs fell in overtime on Chalet 8-7 before dropping the subsequent match on Consulate 7-4 and ending their LCQ run.
While Soniqs won’t make it to the Manchester Major this time, the team is focused on continuing to fine-tune their play style. There is still a lot more Siege to play in 2024 with a possible trip to the Esports World Cup and the NAL 2024 Stage 2 split later this fall.
