MLG Winter Championships: Status Quo wins Halo Reach!

Status Quo was one of the favorites to win the MLG Winter Championships and they proved this correct last night. Micahel "FlameSword" Chaves (who we got the chance to talk to before he headed into battle this weekend) and his team defeated the league’s 2011 champions, Instinct, It was however a long road to victory. During the winners bracket finals Status Quo lost to Instinct three games to two.

The team was then relegated to the losers bracket finals to face off against Ambush. At first it looked like Status Quo wanted to stay there when Ambush defeated them 5-0 in CTF on Zealot. After that Status Quo must have decided they weren’t content with the losers bracket at all. The team came back with three straight wins, sending them to the championship series.

Despite Instinct's defeat of Status Quo, they came back with a vengeance, though it was still a hard fought battle.

Neither team dominated over the course of the eleven-game series, with Status Quo and Instinct trading wins back and forth. Status Quo got things started with an easy CTF win on Countdown by score of 5-1. The next time it was Instinct’s turn, winning a Team Slayer match on Battle Creek 50-35.

The next match was anything but close. Status Quo squashed Instinct in King of the Hill on Nexus with 250 seconds on the clock compared to Instinct’s 137. In game nine Status Quo proved their CTF skills once again on The Pit with five flag captures to none.  In game 10 Instinct showed that Team Slayer is clearly one of their stronger gametypes. The team deftly held the upper level of Penance to win in the game 50-36.

Finally game 11 was the kind of match every Halo player both loathes and relishes. It was close. Real close.

The map was Countdown, and while Status Quo may be able to throw down in the location during CTF matches, they aren’t quite as adept in its environment during a game of Team Slayer. The lead was traded back and forth for the majority of the game. Things especially looked bleak for Status Quo when Instinct managed to secure not one but two sniper rifles, one of them in the hands of star player Igoturpistola.

Amazingly, the power weapons didn’t win the day for Instinct. Status Quo narrowly won the game 50-48.

Check out the full results of the tournament below, keeping with the prizes they won:

Halo Reach 4v4
1st Place: $20,000
2nd Place: $12,000
3rd Place: $8,000
4th Place: $5,600
5th Place: $3,400
5th Place: $3,400
7th Place: $1,800
7th Place: $1,800

1. Status Quo
2. Instinct
3. Ambush
4. Dynasty
5/6. Shady Halo Kids
5/6. Warriors
7/8. Fnatic Classic
7/8. Carbon

9-12

Believe the Hype
Link Legendary
Dirty Mike N Da Boyz
Mighty Ducks

13-16

SV
Str8 Rippin
Severance
Apex Devastation

17-24

Stay Dreaming
Gimme My Money
Configure
Reality Check
Rack City
The Agency
Underrated
Ability

25-32

Unit Encore
Purple Parrots
SyA
Most Hated
OutPlayedYou
Four Play
Hive Mindset
Defiance