For the first time in Teamfight Tactics competitive history, DQA opted to tactically surrender at the North American Regional Finals in order to ensure his invite to the Gizmos & Gadgets World Championship.
The top three players at the NA Regional Finals earned a direct invite to the Gizmos & Gadgets World Championship, and a fourth invite was available, for the first time in TFT history, to the player with the highest average placement over the course of all three days. An “FF” in Teamfight Tactics is a surrender, and it is only allowed to take place if it benefits the player who surrendered.
DQA had an overall placement of 2.83 heading into the third day at Regional Finals, and Guubums was right behind him with an average of 2.92. Guubums was essentially guaranteed a top-three spot heading into the sixth game, unless Ramblinnn finished in first and Guubums placed seventh or eighth.
Guubums was about to finish in seventh during game six with a six Arcanist Malzahar carry and Ramblinnn was on a win-streak after cashing out of Mercenary to hit a Striker/Bruiser build with Sivir and Irelia as the carriers. To ensure Guubums finished sixth and placed in the top three for the overall standings, DQA surrendered with a tactical FF.
The move by DQA was legal, according to TFT competitive gameplay rules, and allowed him to earn the average placement invite to the Gizmos & Gadgets World Championship despite finishing eighth in the overall standings during the third day of the NA Regional Finals. If he had surrendered at the wrong spot DQA would have been disqualified.
Joining DQA at TFT Worlds are BG Milk, TL Goose, and Guubums. Despite finishing first during game six, Ramblinnn finished fourth in the overall standings. This earned him and Inikoiniko an invite to the Last Chance Qualifier in which two players from EMEA, NA, LATAM, and BR regions can get a second shot at an invite to TFT Worlds. A VOD of day three of the NA Regional Finals can be found here.