Dota 2
TI 12 started this week, and after two days where we saw tons of epic matches, we know the names of the Dota 2 teams advancing to Phase Two of the most prestigious Dota 2 tournament of the year. Sadly, we also know the names of the teams who failed to shine and were eliminated in the Groups. Since TI 12’s Group Stage took place during the week, some people couldn’t follow the action, so here is a recap of everything important you need to know.
Group A
Group A at TI 12 consisted of the following names:
- Team Spirit
- 9Pandas
- Entity
- Evil Geniuses
- Team SMG
Most expected Team Spirit to dominate here, so people were not surprised the squad had no issues. After securing three victories on Day 1, Team Spirit secured itself a slot for Phase Two.
Team SMG were the underdogs in Group A, and the bad news is they weren't able to prove us wrong. Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng and his crew couldn’t win against either of the Eastern European squads, which was enough to land them at the bottom of the Group.
As for the rest, Entity, 9Pandas and Evil Geniuses, all secured themselves a ticker for TI 12’s next phase. Entity was the team who surprised us the most with their second-place finish.
Group B
The second The International 12 Group was also pretty fun to watch because it had the following teams:
- BetBoom Team
- Thunder Awaken
- Azure Ray
- Team Liquid
- Shopify Rebellion
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise Team Liquid was the best name here. Although the team from Western Europe hadn’t had the best of luck lately, it seems like the crew has stepped up its game. It will be interesting to watch their progress in the upcoming matches.
Unsurprisingly, BetBoom Team also performed well, and the squad finished second, slightly behind Team Liquid. Azure Ray and Shopify Rebellion will also continue to The International 12’s next phase, but this isn’t true for Thunder Awaken.
As expected, the team from South America wasn’t able to show their prowess and finished last in Group B. The team only managedone draw and lost three series, so they’ll be heading home.
Group C
Moving on to the third TI 12 group, it had the following names in it:
- LGD Gaming
- Beastcoast
- Nouns
- Virtus.Pro
- Gaimin Gladiators
Everyone who followed the DPC in 2023 expected Gaimin Gladiators to rip through their competitors. However, this wasn’t the case. Instead, LGD Gaming was the name who stood out the most. The Chinese powerhouse even defeated the mighty Western Europeans in their opening game.
Speaking of the European team, Gaimin Gladiators also got to Phase Two after finishing second. While Nouns and Virtus.Pro got the same result, ending up in 3rd and 4th place, but beastcoast wasn’t so lucky.
Although we expected more from one of the best teams in South America, beastcoast was unable to show what they're capable of this time. Sadly, the squad finished with two draws and two losses, which weren’t enough to end up second-last.
Group D
The last group at TI12 was as interesting as the rest because it had the likes of:
- Talon Esports
- PSG Quest
- Keyd Stars
- TSM
- Tundra Esports
The current International champions lived up to the expectations as Tundra Esports didn’t have any problems. Although the draw against Keyd Stars was surprising, the team defeated the rest of their opponents and secured their slot for the next stage.
Group D of The International 12’s Group Stage was definitely the most interesting thanks to a big surprise. Somehow, TSM finished above Talon Esports, who also secured a slot for the next stage of the event. However, instead of seeing PSG Quest (formerly known as Quest Esports) make it through, Keyd Stars somehow got better results eliminating their opponents. This is no doubt the first big surprise at the tournament, some people were even naming PSG Quest to be among the favorites to win.
What’s next?
Following the end of The International 12 Group Stage, we moved to Phase Two, aka the Seeding Decider. Now these direct clashes are over, we can focus on TI 12’s Playoffs. Keep in mind we have daily tips for the most popular clashes, so keep checking here on BLIX for more information.
