Dota 2
Usually, the DPC in all regions starts at the same time so that teams have equal chances of winning. However, due to the conflict in that part of the world, Valve decided to postpone it indefinitely.
After waiting for more than a month, Beyond The Summit replaced Epic Esports Events and organized the DPC. Of course, teams don’t have enough time to follow the same format as in other regions. So, instead of having six weeks of epic action, we saw a double-elimination bracket and a third-slot decider.
Tour 2 of the DPC in EEU started on April 27 and finished on May 2. During that time, we saw more than 15 games in Division I. Sadly, there were no Division II matches yet, so we will have to wait and see what’s going to happen.
Similar to other regions, there were a couple of exciting matches to watch. We can’t highlight all of them, but if you missed anything, the games mentioned below are well worth it.
It is worth mentioning that this DPC had its share of intense moments. The one that stood out was Outsider’s disqualification. Despite winning the first two games, the team was removed from the DPC because their carry drew the “Z” letter on the minimap.
Team Spirit vs BetBoom Team — the most exciting series
One of the first games that we had the chance to watch turned out to be among the most interesting matches in the DPC. Many people regard Team Spirit as the best in the world and expect them to dominate against their opponents. While it is true that they secured one of the slots for the Major, the first match for them was not easy.
After Winstrike decided to release their roster on March 24, SoNNeikO and the rest became a part of BetBoom. The first challenge that they had to overcome was none other than the current TI champion Team Spirit.
Game 1
Judging from the draft, it was evident that Team Spirit decided to focus on the late game. On the other hand, BB picked a draft that allowed them to have a global presence and secure multiple kills.
We expected SoNNeikO and the rest to dominate the early game, so it wasn’t surprising that the team got a couple of kills. Things got worse for TI champions because BB’s Nature Prophet got a massive lead over his opponents.
Team Spirit had a glimmer of hope thanks to a couple of team fights. They actually bounced back and had every chance of winning. Sadly, they decided to do an aggressive Smoke during the later stages of the game, which didn’t work out for them. Their CK died without a Buy Back, which was enough for BB to win.
Game 2
After losing a game where they had a better draft, Team Spirit was eager to take revenge and defeat their opponents. In order to achieve their goal, TORONTOTOKYO and the rest picked some of their strongest heroes.
The early game was not good for them because they failed to do much. However, once Storm, Tiny, and NS got a few items, BB had no way of surviving. Team Spirit’s roster allowed them to chase and dive their opponents with little to no effort. Needless to say, Pugna, Leshrac, and Necro had no way of surviving such ganks, which is why TS equalized the series.
Game 3
Following Team Spirit’s dominant performance in game two, the odds were in their favor for the third match. This game had more action than the second; because both teams were close, and neither had a clear lead.
Although TS’s cores were farmed, they were no match for BB’s incredible Terrorblade. This hero single-handedly carried his team to victory and even got a Divine Rapier. He was too strong, even for the deadly Magnus and CK draft.
Natus Vincere tried to live up to the expectations but failed to impress
One of the teams that most people are interested in is Natus Vincere. Once the best in CIS, the team is now just a shadow of its former glory, and the latest results prove it.
After winning against HR, the team lost versus SoNNeikO and co, so it had to survive in the lower bracket. No[o]ne and the rest defeated CIS rejects, but unfortunately, they had to go up against Team Spirit. Although the series was intense, TI 10 champions won both matches and secured themselves a spot in the LB final.
Na’Vi’s loss meant they had only one chance left at securing a slot for the Major. Unfortunately, the team was unable to defeat CIS-Rejects for the second time, despite the dominant performance in game one.
RAMZESS666 and the rest got their hands on Storm and Shadow Shaman two times in a row and defeated their opponents. Sadly, the team could not defeat Mind Games in the following final.
Mind Games secured the third slot for Eastern Europe, despite losing against Outsiders
As mentioned earlier, there was one notable controversy during the DPC games in this region and it involved Outsiders. The team won its first match against CIS rejects and did the same against Mind Games. However, it was disqualified, which gave their opponents a free victory.
Most people expected Mind Game to lose after that and it did two times in a row. Dinozavrik and the rest had no chances against BB Team and Team Spirit, but they got the opportunity to play for the third Major slot.
Lucky for them, the team had to go up against Outsiders yet again, so they got another free victory. This gave them another chance, but to win the third slot, they had to overcome CIS Rejects. We had the chance to watch a fantastic three-game thriller, but in the end, CIS-R lost. The team should’ve won the first map, but many mistakes gave their opponents the victory.
Team Spirit only made one mistake
After the series that we covered earlier in this article, Team Spirit had to fight for a Major slot in the Lower Bracket. Although this is a dangerous place, Yatoro and the rest had absolutely no problems and ripped through their opponents.
After defeating HellRaisers, the team got a free victory against Outsides, which gave them the chance to face Na’Vi. Unsurprisingly, Yatoro and the rest won and secured themselves a slot for the LB final against Mind Games.
We were eager to watch this match because we thought it’d be close, but this was not the case. Game one had a few back-and-forth situations, but the second game was completely one-sided. Team Spirit crushed their opponents and finished the Easter Europe DPC with just one loss.
The ESL One Stockholm Major is the first big event of the 2021/2022 DPC and it will take place between May 12 - 22. There are a couple of days left until it begins, so expect more info soon.
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