(Photo credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)

Spacestation Gaming rallied past Team Liquid for a 3-2 win as Overwatch Champions Series' North America Stage 1 playoffs got underway on Friday.

Awaiting Spacestation in the upper-bracket final will be the Dallas Fuel, who throttled LuneX Gaming 3-0 on Friday.

Team Liquid and LuneX Gaming will clash on Saturday in the lower-bracket semifinal of the double-elimination playoffs.

The Overwatch 2 online competition, with a prize pool of $75,000, began with six teams playing a regular season with a round-robin format.

The top four teams advanced to the regional playoffs, which through Sunday, and all sealed berths in North America Stage 2. All playoff matches are first-to-three except for the grand final, which is first-to-four.

The championship team will receive $30,000, the runner-up $15,000, with both teams receiving berths in the OCS Champions Clash, scheduled for May 22-24 in Tokyo.

On Friday, Spacestation Gaming opened with a 2-1 win on Busan Control before Team Liquid captured Blizzard World Hybrid 2-1 and Watchpoint: Gibraltar Escort 3-2. Spacestation pulled level by claiming Suravasa Flashpoint 3-1, then sealed the match by prevailing 144.86 meters to 67.6 meters on Runasapi Push.

The Fuel cruised past LuneX 2-0 on Busan Control, 144.86m to 77.94m on Runasapi Push and 3-1 on Aatlis Flashpoint.

Overwatch Champions Series' North America Stage 1 prize pool

1. $30,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2

2. $15,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2

3. $12,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2

4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2

5-6. Extinction, Disguised -- $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation

--Field Level Media