The regional qualifiers for the biggest Dota 2 championship are now underway. From September 3 to 17, a total of the DPC’s six regions will be competing in a double-elimination format to make it to Singapore and join the battle for the TI11’s trophy.
The qualifiers will be played in three segments, with two regions playing in each as follows below:
- September 3 to 7: EEU and SA
- September 8 to 12: China and NA
- September 13 to 17: WEU and SEA
As you can see from above, the action at the Eastern Europe qualifier began yesterday, and we have already seen some unexpected surprises in the first opening matches. Outsiders and Mind Games have secured their first victories in the UB Quarterfinals and will fight each other in the Semifinals that will follow soon. BetBoom Team also won a convincing 2-0 victory against One Move and took an early lead in the event.
Also, a huge comeback saved Natus Vincere from being down to the lower bracket. The team beat HellRaisers 2-1 largely thanks to magical vampirism, with Alik lived on only 100 HP! The same can’t be said about NaVi in CS:GO, the world’s number one team, which was utterly dominated by the British Endpoint team at ESL Pro League Group A. Check out the https://cover.gg/tournaments/current website to find out more details about this biggest upset of the year.
Before analyzing the favorites of the Eastern Europe qualifier, it is important to remember the format of the contest and all its participants.
Format and Teams
With 12 squads already directly invited to The International 2022, 28 spots are up for grabs in the regional events. The winner from each regional qualifier will go directly to the Group Stage of the TI11, while the second and third-placed squads will need to go through the LCQ to make it to Singapore.
The qualifiers will feature a double-elimination format following Best of 3 matches except for the LB Round 1 and Grand Finals, which are played at the Bo1 and Bo5 series, respectively.
Among Eastern Europe participants there are such names as Outsiders, BetBoom Team, NaVi, Mind Games, PuckChamp, HellRaisers, One Move, Pari Parni, Nemiga Gaming, Project Armor, cybercats, Team Unique, X3, and HYDRA.
Contenders from Eastern Europe
As we always remember, everything can happen on the server, and it is hard to predict the results. However, some teams from Eastern Europe can be highlighted above others. Let’s take a look at our predictions for the tournament that will have the 14 mentioned above squads with the highest circuit points.
Outsiders at #1
Without a doubt, Outsiders is a clear favorite of qualifications. It is worth noting that the Russian team deservedly secured their direct invitation to the TI11 at the PGL Arlington, the last DPC event of the season. However, after Valve updated the official rankings, it turned out that Virtus.pro was out of the top 12 qualifiers.
With that, the organizers punished not only Outsiders but also other teams from Eastern Europe, since the chances of all other participants have sharply decreased with the Russian players added to their regional qualification. Besides, after a good start in the tournament with a victory over Pari Parni, Virtus.pro is close to winning the event with all the support behind them.
Top Four Favorites
Natus Vincere, BetBoom Team, HellRaisers, and One Move are four equal teams that will arrange a real confrontation for two slots in the LCQ. After the opening matches, two of them, HR and One Move, were taken down to the lower bracket of the contest. The action will resume on September 5, and viewers will find out how much these losses have impacted both teams and whether they will be able to continue fighting for the top three finish.
Dark Horses
Outside of the top five, there are teams deeper in the odds that have a chance at winning the Eastern Europe qualifier. Firstly, there is Mind Games with Semen “CemaTheSlayer” Krivulja and their notorious luck at the opening match against PuckChamp. Even though we think MG has little or no chance to beat Outsiders in the next meeting, their level of play and personal skills can allow them to go through the new LCQ.
Another team that could put together a Cinderella run is the Kazakhstan organization, Project Armor. The team will face One Move in the all-or-nothing LB Round 2 match. With that said, it would truly be a miracle run for them to go on to win the Eastern Europe Qualifier.
