Dota 2
It's Monday! Which means we're back with our weekly rubric picking the best five matches from the current Dota Pro Circuit Tour 3 week.
The previous week was especially rich in great matches and important events!
- PSG.LGD lost to Vici Gaming. Overall, the last two weeks showed that Ame's squad is chilling and playing for fun since they've already gained a spot at TI and can now rest or test fancy tactics.
- EEU is all about 2-0's. Not a single match in two weeks has ended otherwise. And Team Spirit is back on track after confidently winning NAVI, the main contenders of this Tour.
- S4's Goonsquad had a bad week, sadly losing to Gladiators and Entity. By the way, don't be too excited about Entity sitting atop of the league: they met shaky GG and weak GS, and now the real struggle begins for them.
- In SEA, Talon Esports declared their intentions, beating their main competitors from BOOM Esports and confidently entrenched themselves on the league's top line.
- Are evil geniuses back? Nightfall says Fly brought confidence and structure to the team, and that's notable: two clear wins against Nouns and Wildcard Gaming sends EG atop. You can read a more detailed week's review here.
- Beastcoast has surprisingly lost to Div I newcomers from Wolf Team! Three incredible maps worth watching.
But now, let's look forth. DPC 21/22 Summer Tour Week 3 is about to start.
Credit: u/CorruptDropbear
Team Secret vs. Tundra Esports
When: Tuesday, June 21, 15.00 CEST
Where: DreamHack
Why: Team Secret might have a rough week
This week will be especially interesting (perhaps even painful) for Team Secret fans. Puppey's squad meets one of the strongest teams in Europe and arms up again in a couple of days to battle a great team in great shape. So this week could be deciding for them.
Secret have already spent enough time with the new roster to practice, so now the time has come to prove themselves in matches with a serious opponent. And on the other side, we have Tundra Esports, who are clearly not going to give up without a fight. Can the brilliant Nine outplay the equally brilliant Nisha? Well, to be honest, these teams are so good on paper, and we'll be seeing decent confrontation on each position. It's going to be a great one to watch!
Evil Geniuses vs. TSM FTX
When: Tuesday-Wednesday midnight, June 22-23, 00.00 CEST
Where: ESL
Why: EG's first serious test after updating the roster
As we have already quoted Nightfall above, Fly made the team much stronger and more self-confident. However, the meetings with Noons and Wildcard Gaming can hardly be called serious tests, to be honest. And now comes the important point on EG's comeback path: the match against TSM.FTX will really show if the Geniuses made the right decision and are back on track.
On the other side of the barricades, TSM can have serious problems. Yes, they like PSG.LGD have issues with motivation since they've already guaranteed themselves a trip to TI2022 in Singapore. Still, the chance to put EG in their place should not be missed, right? Moreover, losing to both title contenders in a row is somehow not great: last week, Quincy Crew beat TSM 2-0.
Talon Esports vs. Fnatic
When: Thursday, June 23, 12.00 CEST
Where: BeyondTheSummit
Why: Can Talon close the title race?
Nobody expected such success from Talon Esports. Currently running 3-0 in the SEA League, a solid win over BOOM, and kpii is playing top of his game (he's back!). And after all, don't forget that they've entered Div I only this Tour! And now Fnatic will play against them, also a team in great shape contrary to the community pre-season predictions. They're chasing Talon pretty close, occupying the second line.
Thus, in this matchup, Talon can help either break away from the pursuer and relax a bit in the battle for the Major or vice versa; Fnatic will show everyone that they cannot be written off, and Talon is vulnerable.
NAVI vs. Outsiders
When: Friday, June 24, 15.00 CEST
Where: BeyondTheSummit
Why: Both are desperate to get to Major, and both are in great shape
While Team Spirit showed everyone that they're back on track after defeating NAVI, the latter are still very good and aimed for the Arlington Major. В это же время Аутсайдерс некоторые аналитики считают лучшей командой дивизиона.
It will be a test of strength for both teams: in case of victory, NAVI will most likely close all the questions about their trip to the USA, while Outsiders can gain the necessary confidence and peak the drama in the race for the Major.
Vici Gaming vs. RoyalNeverGiveUp
When: Sunday, June 26, 09.00 CEST
Where: Perfect World
Why: Chinese current best in-form teams meet
While PSG.LGD is resting in China; a severe struggle for precious DPC League places and access to the Major has broken out. Of course, because the previous one in Stockholm happened without the Chinese teams, the players definitely want to catch up and prepare for the TI2022.
Therefore, there is a very serious battle between all the teams in the division now, but two of them stand out: RNG just play very well, and Vici Gaming, despite everyone who wrote them off pre-season, punishes those who relax. These two teams are now sitting at the top of the league, so the winner can break away and get that important boost of confidence for the rest of the DPC 21/22 Summer Tour.