Dota 2
We are a few hours away from the beginning of The Lima Major 2023, the first big tournament of the year. However, before we get the chance to watch the best in action, we have to share a few words about Division II. Following our analysis of the SEA and South America DPC Division II Week 2 matches, it’s time to do the same for Week 3. Unsurprisingly, the latter was even more important than the previous ones because we’ve learned the names of the teams that have qualified for Division I and those that got eliminated.
We’ve followed these two Divisions since the beginning, so it’s time to learn more about the final results. Make sure to follow us for more information about the upcoming Major.
South America
Starting with South America. This was the Dota 2 2023 DPC region, where almost all teams had equal chances of qualifying for Division II. Most teams had similar stats, so we had to wait until the end of Week 3 to see the final results.
No Runes qualified for Division I
Speaking of results, the first team that guaranteed itself the chance to be among the best in South America is No Runes. It wasn’t easy for the young squad because it had 3 series in Week 3. However, the team won all of them and became the first Division II SA roster to succeed.
The first match for the week was against Lava, allowing the team to secure two fast victories. Game 1 was only 33 minutes, whereas the second one lasted for 30 minutes. No Runes used an exciting draft in both matches that focused on team fights and fast pushing.
After the victory against Lava, No Runes had to face Balrongs. The two squads were direct competitors for the Division I slot, so the match's outcome was crucial.
Hyko and his teammates had no problems in Game 1 and won after just 34 minutes. However, the team had a lot of issues in the second game, which is why it lasted 51 minutes. No Runes relied on their Shadow Fiend and Luna combo, but the team was against Balrogs’s deadly Furion. Even though it tried split pushing, in the end, No Runes won the match.
With just one series away from qualifying, No Runes also defeated Dreamers Esports in the last match. The predominant Brazilian squad used a similar draft to the one in the series against Lava, which was enough to win the match.
Qhali will also head to Division I
Aside from No Runes, who finished first in Division I, Qhali will be the second team from the South American DPC Division II to advance to the first one. Despite losing its first series of the week against Balrogs, Qhali defeated MK and Paradox. This allowed it to finish second.
Southeast Asia
Unlike most other regions, the 2023 DPC Division II Week 3 in Southeast Asia wasn’t that interesting because the top teams had little to no problems. Although we had the chance to watch several Tiebreakers, they didn’t impact the results regarding the two teams that have qualified for Division I.
Army Geniuses finished without losing a single match
There have been a couple of very dominant teams in the 2023 DPC Division II, and Army Geniuses is among them. After securing 4 consecutive victories during Weeks 1 and 2, the team won its final 3 matches this week. Consequently, it became the first team that will take part in SEA’s Tour 2 Division I.
Week 3 started well for AG after winning a back-and-forth series against XERXIA. We didn’t expect InYourdreaM and his competitors to have problems, but several mistakes from their side allowed their counterparts to win the first game.
Fortunately, AG bounced back in the second map after a quick 19th-minute victory. The same happened in Game 3, even though the team needed slightly more time to succeed.
After winning against XERXIA, Army Geniuses had its most challenging match yet because it was about to face Polaris. The latter is also among the big Division I favorites, so winning was of utmost importance.
This series had everything we could have wanted from a top-tier Dota 2 match. We watched 3 games full of action, and one of them lasted for 71 minutes. After tons of great picks and interesting tactics, AG eventually won the match, securing itself the ticket for Division I.
AG’s last series was versus Team Flow. Although this match didn’t matter that much because AG already qualified for Division I, Yowe, and co. had no problems in both games. The first one was slightly more exciting, whereas the second match was just 21 minutes. Once the series was over, AG became the only team in the 2023 DPC Division II Week 3 that finished without losing a single match.
Polaris is the second team from Southeast Asia that will be a part of Division I
Even though Polaris lost one of the important series against AG, the team will be heading to Division I with its counterpart. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, considering Polaris only lost one match.
Week 3 for Akashi and the rest gave them 2 victories and one loss. The team started with a somewhat shaky performance against Atlantis, which ended up in a 2-1 victory. Following the success, Polaris lost the match against AG, which allowed it to focus on the third series versus MAG.
The last match was important for the Dota 2 roster from the Philippines because the team had to win to make sure it would take part in Division I. This didn’t happen in the first game, but Polaris focused on the 2nd and 3rd maps and ripped through their opponents. In the end, it became the 2nd team alongside AG that will go to the 2023 DPC Southeast Asia Tour 2 Division I.
When it comes down to the teams that weren’t so lucky, Ukumari and Paradox Esports from South America finished in the last 2 spots in Division II. Consequently, they won’t be able to take part in Tour 2 of the DPC.
In terms of Southeast Asia, Atlantis, and UD Vessuwan will be the two squads that won’t be able to compete alongside the best in Tour 2. However, they might be able to make a comeback by playing in the open qualifiers.