A Familiar Path, A Different Ending? M80’s Playoff Test Is Looming

Author: Gonzo

Stage One of the 2025 North American League kicked off with a statement win by Shopify Rebellion, crushing LFO 7–2 on June 12th. That match set the tone for what would become the first undefeated regular season in North American history. Rebellion stormed through Stage One with a perfect 9–0 record, only pushed to overtime once by Envy, and quickly looked like a top-three team globally. But when the playoffs arrived, their momentum stalled.

They started strong, trading maps with M80 before closing out the decider to advance. Then came the Upper Bracket Final against DarkZero, a team SR had previously beaten 7-5. The series followed a familiar script until Chalet, a map Rebellion had looked dominant on before. DarkZero rallied from a tied half and took the win 7–4, knocking SR from a potential Championship finish down to third. The slide didn’t stop there. In the Lower Bracket Final against Spacestation Gaming, SR dominated the opening map, but then dropped two straight overtime thrillers, narrowly missing the Grand Finals. It was a collapse that brought back memories of Evil Geniuses' infamous fall from grace in the early days of North American Rainbow Six.

As Stage Two got underway, the league saw a familiar story with a new cast. Envy came in hot, dismantling Cruelty and pulling off an upset over Cloud9. But while the spotlight was elsewhere, a quiet storm was building in the middle of the pack. M80 who just placed sixth was starting to click. In order to understand where this team is now, it’s important to understand who they are.

Kyno, though young, has the second-most Tier 1 experience on the roster and brings reliability as a shield player. Long-time veteran Hotancold provides stability and a voice of experience that anchors the squad. The core trio of Gunner, Dfuzr, and Gaveni, all just over a year removed from winning a Major under Beastcoast with Hotancold came into this stage facing their first NAL season without their former coach. That brought on one of the biggest offseason questions after a short stint with Budega that fell unsuccessful: Who if anyone could replace Fett?

Enter Fabian.

Fresh off his coaching stint with PSG Talon and a playing career that places him firmly among the top five Rainbow Six players of all time, Fabian was the answer M80 didn’t know they needed. His arrival brought instant credibility. While critics emerged early after a 6–3 finish in Stage One, questions about his coaching style were slowly silenced as M80 began to string together win after win in Stage Two. They rolled through the regular season, only seeing overtime twice, and by the end, they stood alone at the top of the standings.

Now, the spotlight turns to playoffs once again, and the same question that haunted Shopify Rebellion looms over M80: Can they maintain their regular season dominance when the stakes are highest?

There’s no doubt the challenge is real. By this point in the season, M80 has played some of these teams as many as four times. There’s a wealth of film available, tendencies mapped out, and strategies studied. The question isn’t just whether M80 is good enough, it's whether they can keep evolving fast enough to stay ahead. Can Fabian motivate and mentally prepare this team to peak when it matters most? Can they avoid the same complacency and overconfidence that tripped Rebellion up when everything was on the line?

It’s also worth remembering just how young this M80 core is. Gunner, Gaveni, and Dfuzr have only about two and a half years of Tier 1 experience on average. They’ve already shown they can win, but now comes the hard part handling pressure, managing expectations, and reinventing themselves against teams that know their every move. They can’t afford to lean on what’s worked so far or fall into the trap of assuming what got them here will get them through.

This team’s ceiling isn’t limited by talent, it's defined by mentality. If M80 can stay focused, adaptable, and united, they have everything they need to win a second Major with this core and the first under the M80 banner. With Fabian at the helm, the tools are there. Now it's just a matter of whether they can learn from Shopify Rebellions stumble, and write their own ending.