DarkZero drops to play‑in as Osaka Major kicks off with surprise match‑ups and big‑name absences

Their drop to Phase 1 turns the early rounds into a high‑stakes scramble for a coveted Swiss‑stage slot.

Play‑in drama begins

m. m. m. The match set the tone for a day where every round could mean survival or elimination.

Following the opener, All Gamers clashed with LOS, while Dplus faced Weibo Gaming in back‑to‑back Bo1s. The schedule also featured KINGZERO eSports taking on Virtus. pro at 1:30 p. m. m. m. Each bout was a winner‑takes‑all sprint, with teams fighting for a place in the upper finals.

The day’s two best‑of‑three upper finals—scheduled for 4:20 p. m. m. m. The exact match‑ups remained TBD at the time of writing, but the stakes were crystal clear: a single loss would send a team packing, while a win secured a foothold among the tournament’s elite.

Eugene Bozhenko summed up the buzz around DarkZero’s situation: > "We expect big things from DarkZero, and they’re definitely part of our Osaka Major prediction picks" – Eugene Bozhenko

Swiss stage sets the stage

While the play‑in battles raged, the Swiss stage loomed with the heavyweight trio of FaZe, Falcons and 100 Thieves already seeded into Phase 2.

The Swiss format promises a grueling round‑robin where each win reshapes the leaderboard.

Notably, several marquee names failed to qualify for Osaka altogether. FURIA, Team Secret and CAG by VARREL were absent from the roster, a fact that left many fans wondering how the competitive landscape would shift without these traditional powerhouses. Their absence, however, opened the door for under‑the‑radar squads to make a statement on the world stage.

What’s next for the contenders?

As Osaka’s neon lights illuminate the arena, the R6 community is glued to the streams on YouTube, Rainbow 6 Twitch and Rainbow 6 Bravo Twitch. Twitch Drops add an extra incentive for viewers, turning every match into a potential reward.