For 768 days, Soniqs PUBG failed to reach the grand finals in an international competition.

Last week, the dry streak finally ended.

A program highlighted with all-star talent and the results to prove it — 5 regional and 1 global championship — expectations have heightened with each international event Soniqs PUBG has attended. Despite a proven track record in domestic domination, the program historically faltered when the stakes were highest. But with one change at the beginning of the year, Soniqs entered PGS 1 last month with perhaps its best chance to break back into the global top-16.

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While Soniqs PUBG prepared to make a deep run in PGS 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Soniqs’ Rainbow Six Siege program were facing an entirely different set of challenges 6,000 miles east in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Recently rebuilt, Soniqs’ R6 program looked like a world-championship contender — on paper. In actuality, the team struggled through all levels of competition at the beginning of the year. After placing outside the top-13 at the Six Invitational in February and barely securing 6th in NAL Stage 1 in March, Soniqs weren't expected to perform well in Denmark. In fact, they weren’t even expected to qualify for the tournament.

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To secure the grand finals in PUBG and make playoffs in R6, Soniqs needed to bring a new level of competition each team failed to find in the past.

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For PUBG, the coaching change made in January seemed to quickly pay off. With a renewed gameplan, Soniqs were able to avoid being hot dropped in the group stage of the tournament. After racking up 75 points in the group stage, Soniqs advanced to the winners bracket — one step closer to the grand finals.

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Similarly, Soniqs’ R6 team looked like a completely different roster during the play-in stage of their tournament. Faced with a group of easier teams, Soniqs quickly established a dominant playstyle which carried them quickly into the second phase of the tournament. In Phase 2, Soniqs needed to win three out of five games to secure playoffs and finally get the chance to prove themselves.

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Back in Malaysia, the Soniqs were already a contender in the tournament. Needing to place top-8 in a field of 16 teams to reach the grand finals, Soniqs focused on consistent results across all 12 qualifying games. The results spoke for themselves, with the team accruing 73 points, a top-6 finish and a long-awaited berth to the grand finals.

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Despite having a rough start to 2023, Soniqs R6 team mirrored this same consistency during Phase 2 of their tournament. Soniqs quickly jumped to a 2-0 start after dismantling Dplus and DarkZero, by scores of 7-2 and 7-1 respectively. Their pace slowed against tournament favorite W7M, ultimately losing to the team in overtime, but Soniqs rebounded with a playoff securing 7-3 win over Wolves.

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With PUBG back in the grand finals for the first time in over two years and facing the top-16 teams in the world, it was going to be an uphill battle the whole way. Across three straight days of competition, Soniqs hovered top-3 until the final day. During the final six games of the tournament, Soniqs slipped in the standings but remained top-10. When the dust settled, Soniqs PUBG finished top-8 in the world.

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Now in the playoffs, Soniqs R6 team faced similar challenges. To reach the grand finals, Soniqs would have to defeat Ninjas In Pajamas and W7M. With two opponents from Brazil, largely considered the most talented region in the world, and a rematch against W7M the odds were stacked against Soniqs. 

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This didn’t stop Soniqs from picking up a commanding 2-0 victory against NIP, an upset many weren’t expecting. With this victory, Soniqs rematched W7M for a spot in the grand finals. Ultimately, Soniqs would drop both maps to eventual tournament champions W7M and end the tournament top-4 in the world.

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With unexpected success at both tournaments, Soniqs’ rosters resolidify themselves as top contenders across the world. Over the summer and during the off season, both teams will continue to build upon their recent performances before returning to competition.

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