After a strong showing on Split last week, Cloudberries came into Week 4 just 175 points short of a playoff spot. With Ascent and Fracture next in the rotation, the team had two clear paths to qualification: win two matches, or win one and play out the rest of the stage.
Despite last-minute roster changes and some tough map starts, Cloudberries closed Week 5 with a critical win, officially punching their ticket to playoffs.
Week 4 – Roster shuffle on Ascent
Ascent has never been a staple in Cloudberries' pool, but confidence was high going into the week. The team had been experimenting with a Waylay/Tejo/Breach setup during scrims and felt prepared—until a late substitution forced a comp change just before the match.
With Kamui unavailable, Elijah stepped in on duelist, altering the team’s dynamic. Cloudberries ran the following composition:
🇯🇴 Prancer – Cypher
🇨🇦 Cloudberry – KAY/O
🇺🇸 Elijah – Jett
🇨🇳 Wukong – Tejo
🇧🇩 Topphat – Omen
Without their full preparation and facing a red-hot opposing squad, Cloudberries struggled to find their footing. A tough 4-13 loss marked one of their roughest performances this stage.
With one more map to play that day, the team opted to pivot into comfort roles, putting Topphat on Jett and moving away from the original plan. The change paid off. Round by round, Cloudberries found their rhythm, including a key ace from IGL Cloudberry to help close the map 13-6. The win left the team just 50 points away from qualification.
Week 5 – Fracture leads to playoffs
With playoffs in reach, Cloudberries focused less on scrimming and more on team cohesion and communication. For the first time this stage, they were able to field their full starting roster, enabling a return to a more meta composition:
🇯🇴 Prancer – Deadlock
🇨🇦 Cloudberry – Breach
🇺🇸 Kamui – Neon
🇨🇳 Wukong – Tejo
🇧🇩 Topphat – Brimstone
Cloudberries started the match with a dominant opening, winning pistol and bonus rounds to go up 5-0. But a string of misplays turned the first half into a 6-6 tie.
Despite the hiccup, the team remained calm. Knowing that their defense side was more prepared Cloudberries felt confident going into the 2nd half. Another pistol win reignited momentum, and Cloudberries closed the map out 13-8, locking in their playoff spot.
Bonus map & what's next
With qualification secured, Cloudberries played a second, less serious map with Elijah and Askrial subbed in. The team took a lighthearted approach, selecting agents they typically run in ranked.
Despite the off-meta comp, the map went down to the wire. Prancer dropped 31 kills on Clove, but the team fell 15-13 in overtime after a rough defensive half.
With playoffs now confirmed, Cloudberries have shifted their focus toward expanding their map pool—an area they identified as a weak point in their last stage run. Where they ended up playing the opponents best map 2 games in a row.
Cloudberries will return to action in two weeks, looking to win playoffs.
Discord