Dota 2
Even though the North American region in Dota 2 is not as strong as it once was, TSM restored people’s faith in it. Even though the team could not win the Major, it defeated loads of strong EU squads. This proves that there are a couple of big names in NA that have what it takes to win big events.
Speaking of events, Tour 3 of 2021/2022 DPC started worldwide. North America is one of the regions where we had the chance to watch a couple of epic fights. Everyone was eager to see EG’s new roster in action, as well as QC and TSM’s first matches. Now that they are over, let’s look at some of the most exciting series and everything that happened there.
EG lost to nouns
Many people might disagree that EG is the best team in NA after the team’s most recent results. After the dreadful effects at ESL One Stockholm 2022, the NA organization made a significant roster change. Tal "Fly" Aizik is now a part of the team for the second time after he played for EG a few months ago.
Sadly, it seems like this change was not enough to put EG on its feet because the team lost the opening series of Division I. The match against nouns was very interesting because we saw a three-game thriller. The first map was probably the most exciting because it lasted more than 55 minutes.
Despite the solid laning stage, EG lost their momentum and gave David "Moo" Hull and the rest the lead. Noons used this to their full advantage and gained full control of the game. In the end, the team had a massive lead that gave them victory.
After losing game one, EG’s Bloodseeker-based draft dominated in game two. The NA squad grabbed the lead early on and prevented its opponents from bouncing back. This pushed the series into a third decisive game.
Trouble on the final map
Neither team gained a lead in game three until the mid-game arrived. Even though noons looked like the more dangerous team, they could not use their squad’s team-fight potential until later. This allowed EG to win most skirmishes and secure a comfortable lead.
Everything looked good for Fly and his team, but things changed after the team fight that took place 31 minutes into the game. Moo secured himself an Ultra Kill with Enigma and eliminated all of EG’s advantages. The team used the momentum and became too strong for EG to kill.
QC show their dominance
As mentioned earlier, there are a couple of big names in North America’s Dota 2 scene. Aside from EG and TSM, the third team that stands out is Quincy Crew. Even though the roster could not qualify for the Major, it played well throughout Tour 2. Hence, many people were eager to see their results in Tour 3.
It seems like Yawar "YawaR" Hassan and the rest of his team are on the right path because they had no problems against one of the newcomers in Division I.
5RATFORCESTAFF tried to use one of the meta combos in game one, but they had no chance of winning against QC’s TA. Following the roster changes, the new team looks more dangerous because the two new additions play more aggressively. Quincy Crew had no problems in the laning stage and used their mid-game advantage to rip through their enemies in just 25 minutes.
After the victory in game one, QC decided to pick a draft that focused on Nature’s Prophet. Although Yawar and the rest had the lead, their opponents were doing everything in their power to keep up with them. Unsurprisingly, most heroes tried to secure their TB enough space to farm.
Of course, a team of QC’s caliber realized the danger of having to go up against a farmed TB. Consequently, the team decided to start pushing early on. Eventually, QC had a massive 20k net worth advantage just 33 minutes after the start. This was enough for them to win their first series in Division I.
TSM won their first match with little to no effort
The third team that people paid attention to this week was TSM. ESL One Stockholm 2022’s finalists had to lay against The Cut. Even though this team could not qualify for the Majors, it won a couple of important series during Tour 2. Hence, this series was fascinating.
We expected a close series with tons of back-and-forth action. However, the reality was different because TSM gave their opponents no chances. The first game wasted just 24 minutes because the team picked Lycan and Chen. Following the laning stage, TSM started pushing and ganking their opponents, which didn’t allow Medusa to get the needed farm.
The second map was a bit more intriguing; TSM picked Pudge and Techies. We haven’t seen these two heroes together in a professional game in a while, so it was definitely enjoyable to watch.
In the end, TSM won the match and secured the first victory in Division I. This was important because the team’s next match will be against QC.
Other Results
Aside from the matches mentioned above, we had the chance to watch two other series. The first one was between felt and Wildcard Gaming, a match that we expected to be close. In reality, Cedric "Davai Lama" Deckmyn and the rest of his team ripped through their opponents.
Sadly, felt lost another series this week because the last match in Division I was between them and nouns. Following the victory against EG, Guilherme Silva "Costabile" Costábile and the rest were confident in their skills. That’s why they only needed 42 minutes to win both games. The team outplayed their opponents in both maps and even got Pudge and Mirana in the second one.
If we have to summarize the results in North America, we can clearly see that some teams are better than others. By the looks of it, nouns, QC, EG, and TSM will be the ones that will compete for the Major slots. The other four teams have their moments, but we don’t think they have what it takes to challenge the best.
Feature Image via ESL One