End of an Era - Team Secret And OG Fails to Qualify For TI
The Western European International Qualifiers are near climax. However, for many fans, many of the old teams have fallen prey to the newcomers. Moreover, The International 2023 will be the first International where there will be no all-timers, as Team Secret and OG failed to qualify for the tournament. Quest Esports, an upcoming talented team, took down both of them.
Puppey’s First Summer Vacation
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov is one of the most reowned players in Dota 2. He is one of the original International champions, and amongst his vast achievements, one always stood out. He is the only player ever to attend every iteration of The Internationals. Sadly, he will not continue this record as his team, Team Secret, got eliminated at the qualifiers. However, players will need over a decade to break his record, as he’s been to eleven consecutive Internationals.
Team Secret’s Journey
Since its founding, Team Secret has been home to many star players. The team has also given birth to many prodigies, one being Michał "Nisha" Jankowski. However, despite its massive success, Team Secret always struggled to lift the coveted Aegis of Champions at The Internationals. The team failed to make a deep run at The Internationals during their initial years, but in recent years, they managed to overcome those obstacles, securing back-to-back top-three finishes. The team had a rocky 2022-2023 DPC Season. Puppey entirely rebuilt Team Secret, only keeping the team’s safelaner for the qualifiers, but it wasn’t enough. Entity knocked them down in the upper bracket semifinals, and Quest eliminated them in the lower bracket semifinals.
OG’s Disappointment
Many Dota fans know OG as a team that never quits. The harder they fall, the higher they rise. OG has had many glorious achievements in the past. Since its founding, the team has found many successes and has housed prodigies of the game, most notably Amer “ Miracle-” Al Barkawi. They are the only team to win a back-to-back International Championship and seven Major titles.
OG had a lot of Cinderella stories in the past. However, the team struggled to live up to their name in the 2022-2023 DPC Season. Despite changing their roster multiple times, success had eluded them. The team even saw the return of one of its most decorated players, Sébastien "Ceb" Debs, for their qualifiers journey. However, they had no luck. In their qualifiers debut series, Team Secret took a clean sweep against them, knocking them to lower brackets. Quest Esports eliminated them at the lower brackets Quater Finals.
Dawn Of A New Era?
Change is inevitable, and a new dawn is rising in the professional scene of Dota 2. Looking back, these teams gave fans many unforgettable memories. However, with the rise of new players, veterans need to adapt to the upcoming challenges.
Featured Image Source: Twitter/@teamsecret