Issue 17: Tiebreakers beckon (probably)
Teams begin securing their tickets to Arlington, while others climb up to Div 1
Here’s your 30-second summary for this issue of Ancient Tidings:
Turns out Dendi isn’t as saintly as we presumed; he stood-in for that cult of demons, Arkosh
As teams begin securing their Major tickets… others resign to the drop down to Div 2
Let the tiebreakers commence!
Dendi stands-in for Arkosh
Imagine that. Someone who’s always been associated with good vibes in the pro scene since pretty much its inception… being corrupted by the forces of darkness that is Arkosh.
They lost. So much for awakening, eh?
ESL One Malaysia
ESL One Malaysia was announced a while back; a non-DPC tournament taking place after the conclusion of the Arlington Major. Scheduled right on time to fill in the inevitable drought that follows after every Major.
Out of the 7 potential invites, 6 are already set in stone. What do you think about the invited teams, so far? For a tournament in SEA, having only 1 invited SEA team (so far) might seem a bit odd to some, I’d wager.
Teams climbing out of Div 2
We’re beginning to get a clearer picture of Div 1 of the next DPC season, as this one begins wrapping up. Let’s look at a few teams that proved successful in making the climb back up to play with the big kids on the playground:
iG: Really, no surprises here. A squad comprising of 4 of the 5 players that won a Major as well as secured a top-4 finish at the past TI… with the 5th player being none other than Fy, F-God.
Nigma Galaxy: A team of 5-TI winners has no business being in Div 2, let’s be real. For what it’s worth, they did seem to really be enjoying themselves as they demolished every single opponent they came across. I’m excited to see their prowess at ESL One Malaysia.
Into the Breach: ITB’s always been a middle-of-the-pack team in Div 2, so seeing them be undefeated (at the time of writing, worth mentioning they haven’t faced off against Nigma Galaxy yet) and securing their place in Div 1 next Tour is refreshing. Let’s hope UK Dota this time around fares better than its last outing in Div 1 (Symetrical, former Alliance offlaner).
Lilgun: I believe they’re the first fully Mongolian team in the DPC. They made a name for themselves with cheese picks, but over the months they’ve expanded their playstyle to enable them to take victories confidently with more confident heroes. Fun team to watch, glad they’re back in Div 1!
Western Europe
Division 1
Team Secret vs Gaimin Gladiators
Just some solid games all around. A close three-game series, featuring comebacks and some incredible individual plays all around.
Also, the first series with Zayac playing as an official member of Secret.
Liquid vs Entity
Not necessarily the closest of series, but regardless, seeing a fan-favourite player come tantalizingly close to a rampage while vibing on camera is always an entertaining experience!
North America
Division 1
Nouns vs TSM
The perpetual “fourth-placers” of the NA region, facing off against major grand finalists that… haven’t been doing quite as hot recently. It’s great for NA Dota seeing two teams that aren’t EG or QC prove to be competitive on a high level.
A comeback versus a really, really farmed Alchemist is always a welcome sight, but when it’s built off the back of a mid Bristleback… ah well. Pick your poison.
Southeast Asia
Division 1
Talon vs SMG
Seems like SMG has grudge matches with multiple teams this Tour. kpii was, after all, a former member of the squad.
Talon’s playstyle has been described as a bit slower than their counterparts in their region, as they depend on 23Savage hitting his timings after which they begin taking over the map. They’re not necessarily a fast-paced, in-your-face kinda team like SMG, so this match promised to be a fascinating clash of ideas.
We see a safelane Lina in this series which… proved to be quite a good decision this time around. kpii’s Brewmaster continues to be a thing of beauty.
BOOM vs T1
A Tour ago this would’ve been the talked-about match for the SEA region. Right now, though… these teams haven’t been looking quite as crisp as they used to. A team like T1, sitting firmly in the middle of the pack has probably been a bitter pill to swallow for its fans.
BOOM, on the other hand, weren’t looking quite as untouchable as they did previously… despite only dropping one series earlier to Talon. However, their coach, Mushi, having to stand-in for skem, their pos 5 might’ve thrown a wrench in the gears for their chances towards a victory in this matchup…
Game 1 of this series had a truly spectacular wombo-combo; something that I feel just isn’t as visible these days, given the current state of the meta.
Eastern Europe
BetBoom vs Outsiders
BetBoom made quite a splash at the Stockholm Major. Along with Thunder Awaken, they were the team that played fast and won fast.
Had Outsiders not been embroiled in controversy, perhaps it’d be them playing at Stockholm, who knows?
Either way. Key match up for the region, and it turned out to be pretty good.
That’s it for this issue of Ancient Tidings! What are your predictions for the teams heading to Arlington? Let me know below!