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EU DPC Season 2 - At a crossroad

Forum Index > Dota 2 General
12 CommentsPost a Reply

EU DPC Season 2 - At a crossroad

April 12th, 2021 16:43 GMT
Text byJulmust
Graphics byDreamHack


EU DPC: Crossroads

There’s no hiding the fact that the very first Major for over a year served as a wakeup call for Europe. Coming into the event, the stories told weren’t focused on whether the EU teams would dominate or not. It was almost a given. The Singapore Major was supposed to be a showdown between EU and China to see who had emerged from the COVID lockdown in best shape. As we all know, that’s definitely not what happened. Instead, EU had its worst Major since the Stockholm Major, two years ago.

While one team, Nigma, had an acceptable excuse with Mind_Control out, the rest of the teams at the event had no excuses. Team Liquid started the tournament off strong with an amazing first day of wildcards, only to seemingly regress for every passing day after that. Alliance came in hot from the league system but failed to win a single match. Team Secret, touted as the best team in the world, made it further into the playoffs but were eventually knocked out in 4th, a big failure seen to the expectations placed on them.

And with that, most EU teams now find themselves in the unenviable position of having to fight for their lives in season 2. If the DPC was to end today, Nigma, Liquid, and OG would have to go through qualifiers to make it to The International. Three “top” teams, one spot. But that’s not the only thing in jeopardy. The future of the region is at stake. While that is, admittedly, a bit hyperbolic there’s no denying that anything but a stellar showing from EU in the next Major would be a huge failure. Another showing like what we saw in Singapore would completely change the narrative of the region from that of one leading the development of Dota to a region of great players but a stunning inflexibility. Basically what has been said of China for the past few years.

However, not everything is doom and gloom. While it’s impossible to say what exactly caused the collapse in Singapore, the event must have been a wake up call. Not just for the teams there but the non-qualified teams watching from the sidelines. Imagine sitting at home seeing the teams that you struggled against being manhandled by almost every other region. If Alliance can’t even win a match against teams featuring last-minute stand-ins, then what would the result have been if your team? If Team Secret, the team that terrorized your region, can’t break into the top 3, are you really going to be able to get all the points you need to directly qualify for TI? And if you don’t make it, are you really confident that you’ll be able to make it through the qualifiers for the event? While any captain will answer the last question with a resounding “yes”, it’s still a big risk to take. Direct qualification has to be the goal. And therefore changes have to be made.


The savior of EU?
OG and Team Nigma were the first two to react. And while it’s too soon to tell, both roster moves are definitely exciting. iLTW might not seem like the absolute apex of carry players but him joining the roster represents something else. iLTW has, traditionally, been a safelane core. That means that Miracle, who has played the lane ever since the teams win at TI7, will likely have to move back to the midlane. For those of you who have been around for long enough, just the implication that we’ll see him back there should give you goosebumps. Nigma’s decision to move him to the safelane has always been a perplexing one but all is now forgiven and forgotten.

And while we might love to meme about ana returning to OG in time for The International, his return should strike fear into the hearts of the other teams in the region. ana is, quite possibly, the best safelane carry we’ve ever seen on the Dota 2 scene. No joke. His performances at TI8 and TI9 were on a different level from anything previously seen. His Spectre in game 3 against EG at TI8 is a performance that we’ll never forget. He spent more of his time hiding in the trees, until he was farmed enough to bring his team back from a 20k net worth deficit. It was one of those things that shouldn’t happen. It was, quite possible, the best individual performance we’ve seen at a TI. And probably ever will.

With these changes, OG and Team Nigma have cast the first stone in an arms race. If the remaining teams in the EU DPC are off to a bad start in season 2, there’s no doubt that the axe will start swinging sooner rather than later. In the chase for an Aegis, there are no alliances that will be honored at every cost. We’ve seen the hunt break down friendships before and it undoubtedly will again. Yes, having 11 months of the year as foreplay for The International has its drawbacks. But you can’t deny that it provides drama worthy of a soap opera.


Writer: Julmust
Graphics: Julmust / DreamHack
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AdministratorI'm dancing in the moonlight
Julmust
Profile Joined November 2008
Sweden2349 Posts
April 12 2021 16:43 GMT
#2
Also an update on the publishing schedule on the EU DPC. We're looking to do weekly updates for the next season. Recaps three times a week for six weeks was a bit too much for just one writer.
AdministratorI'm dancing in the moonlight
Oukka
Profile Joined September 2012
Finland379 Posts
April 14 2021 06:34 GMT
#3
This was a good read, thanks for pushing these out!

The article touches on something quite profound in terms of dota scene. The fact the we view everything through the lens of the next TI distorts our view a lot. Even this preview nominally about the Dreamleague turns into discussion of roster moves in expectation of TI qualifiers. It's everywhere in the dota scene, has been like that since TI5 or 6 at least. After everyone kind of acknowledged that nothing else matters when compared to TI it's killed something for me at least. I'd like some continuity or drama to be retained in the regular season but it's not really in teams incentives when lion's share of the money and pretty much all the glory comes via one single tournament to which you can qualify irrespective of anything else you've done in the previous 11 months.

Call me a heretic, but I actually enjoyed watching dota more over last year when there was no TI looming and every competition and tournament felt like a more complete story and had significance as they weren't just a one big pre-season in anticipation of the only thing that matters that year.
I play children's card games and watch a lot of dota, CS and HS
Yurie
Profile Joined August 2010
8502 Posts
April 14 2021 18:03 GMT
#4
At least this year they have said there will be no open qualifier for TI. Thus it matters where you are in the regional leagues.
Sapaio
Profile Joined October 2017
Denmark2037 Posts
April 14 2021 18:07 GMT
#5
On April 15 2021 03:03 Yurie wrote:
At least this year they have said there will be no open qualifier for TI. Thus it matters where you are in the regional leagues.


I really hate no open qualifiers
GO OG
Julmust
Profile Joined November 2008
Sweden2349 Posts
April 14 2021 19:50 GMT
#6
On April 14 2021 15:34 Oukka wrote:
This was a good read, thanks for pushing these out!

The article touches on something quite profound in terms of dota scene. The fact the we view everything through the lens of the next TI distorts our view a lot. Even this preview nominally about the Dreamleague turns into discussion of roster moves in expectation of TI qualifiers. It's everywhere in the dota scene, has been like that since TI5 or 6 at least. After everyone kind of acknowledged that nothing else matters when compared to TI it's killed something for me at least. I'd like some continuity or drama to be retained in the regular season but it's not really in teams incentives when lion's share of the money and pretty much all the glory comes via one single tournament to which you can qualify irrespective of anything else you've done in the previous 11 months.

Call me a heretic, but I actually enjoyed watching dota more over last year when there was no TI looming and every competition and tournament felt like a more complete story and had significance as they weren't just a one big pre-season in anticipation of the only thing that matters that year.


Thanks I wish I had planned for it to devolve into a "TI IS EVERYTHING" piece to show off how broken the system is. But lucky coincidence.

I definitely think the change was a welcome one but I don't know if it was 100% good or not. I think some part of it was the novelty of something different. Also, it wasn't a "true" change as teams were still very aware that TI would come at some point. From a perspective about caring for the teams/players I think it was nice that teams could actually take some time off, though.

On April 15 2021 03:07 Sapaio wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 15 2021 03:03 Yurie wrote:
At least this year they have said there will be no open qualifier for TI. Thus it matters where you are in the regional leagues.


I really hate no open qualifiers


I think no open qualifiers was a reaction to OG's TI8 run. I know people behind the scenes (not Liquid, I don't know where they stand/stodd. I don't really talk to that part of the company) were unhappy because they fought off roster changes as to not hurt their TI chances.
AdministratorI'm dancing in the moonlight
Vertical
Profile Joined July 2011
Indonesia3192 Posts
April 16 2021 06:50 GMT
#7
so to summarize in order to resuscitate EU hope, 2 teams recruiting talent 1 from SEA and 1 from CIS.
this is starting to feels like NA.
-Terran-
Sapaio
Profile Joined October 2017
Denmark2037 Posts
April 16 2021 08:07 GMT
#8
On April 16 2021 15:50 Vertical wrote:
so to summarize in order to resuscitate EU hope, 2 teams recruiting talent 1 from SEA and 1 from CIS.
this is starting to feels like NA.


OG let go of Midone so think your math is a bit off.
GO OG
TomatoBisque
Profile Joined March 2013
United States6007 Posts
April 16 2021 08:55 GMT
#9
On April 16 2021 17:07 Sapaio wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2021 15:50 Vertical wrote:
so to summarize in order to resuscitate EU hope, 2 teams recruiting talent 1 from SEA and 1 from CIS.
this is starting to feels like NA.


OG let go of Midone so think your math is a bit off.

ana isn't european
rip
Sapaio
Profile Joined October 2017
Denmark2037 Posts
April 16 2021 08:58 GMT
#10
On April 16 2021 17:55 TomatoBisque wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2021 17:07 Sapaio wrote:
On April 16 2021 15:50 Vertical wrote:
so to summarize in order to resuscitate EU hope, 2 teams recruiting talent 1 from SEA and 1 from CIS.
this is starting to feels like NA.


OG let go of Midone so think your math is a bit off.

ana isn't european


I know but if you let go off one sea player took take another. The sum is zero. So you can not take it as 2 non EU players going to EU.
GO OG
Tyoma
Profile Joined July 2021
2 Posts
July 22 2021 09:39 GMT
#11
--- Nuked ---
Mely Cyn
Profile Joined August 2021
1 Post
August 07 2021 09:43 GMT
#12
--- Nuked ---
Sophia09le
Profile Joined September 2021
1 Post
September 07 2021 05:49 GMT
#13
--- Nuked ---
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