ESL One Kuala Lumpur Preview: Underdogs and Dark Horses

ESL One Kuala Lumpur is starting next week. This tournament will be the final major tournament for the year 2023, and it will be part of the ESL Pro Tour Season 2. As with any tournament, there are powerhouses and dark horses. We have already covered the favorites for the tournament and in this article, we will focus on the underdogs for ESL One Kuala Lumpur.

Team Secret

During the 2023 Dota 2 professional season, Team Secret was a shell of its former self. The team failed to overcome numerous challenges they met in the 2023 DPC Season, and their struggles continued in the ESL One Pro League Season 1. Moreover, they failed to qualify for The International 2023, which marked the end of Clement "Puppey" Ivanov’s impressive record.

Puppey's reaction after eliminating Team Liquid to advance to the grand-finals at The International 2022.
Credits: Valve

Despite their several setbacks, the team started to regain their footing towards the end of the season. They qualified for The Riyadh Masters 2023. However, they got eliminated in their first lower-bracket match. At BetBoom Dacha, they secured a third-place finish to end the season. Before the 2024 Dota 2 professional season, the team underwent a roster shuffle, bringing back some old faces.

The roster of Team Secret for the 2024 Professional Dota 2 Scene. Credits: Team Secret

With their new roster ready, the team tried for the ESL One Kuala Lumpur. At first, Alliance stopped their efforts, but they overcame Alliance in the second qualifier and secured their ticket for the tournament.

Team Falcons

Team Falcons is the latest team to join the professional Dota 2 scene. They’re from the recently formed MENA region. The team is relatively new, but its roster comprises several formidable players.

Team Falcons has several note-worthy players on their roster.
Credits: Twitter/@FalconsEsport

The team took advantage of the recent fallout from Tundra Esports, taking their safelaner and the team’s in-game leader. Moreover, their offlaner is Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, is a pioneer in the offlane role. The team has everything from former TI champions to veterans to an upcoming pub star.

ATF at ESL One Stockholm 2022.
Credits: ESL One

The team made their mark in the qualifiers, where they faced PSG Quest. Although PSG Quest defeated them in the upper-bracket finals, Team Falcons avenged their defeat in the grand finals in a 3-1 dominant fashion, securing the ticket for the tournament.

Additionally, the team took home the trophy at the Pinnacle: 25th Anniversary Show. They will have to figure out their synergy to reach their full potential, as they have formidable opponents in the group.

9 Pandas

9 Pandas is among the most underrated teams in the Eastern European Dota 2 scene. The team contains the former roster of HellRaisers, and since their signing with 9 Pandas, they consistently secured top-five finishes in LANs they attended. However, they were one of the early exits at The International 2023.

9 Pandas before getting eliminated at TI 12.
Credits: Valve

Nevertheless, the team had a promising player from their region. Their midlaner, Gleb “kiyotaka” Zyryanov, is exceptional in his role. His unique playstyle allows him to soak up the farm whilst creating space for his team. He is also the best Tinker player in the professional scene.

Solo at The International 2023.
Credits: Valve

The team’s safelaner, Roman RAMZES666 Kushnarev, is a veteran in their region. Alexey “ Solo” Berezin, an experienced player on the team, is the in-game leader for 9 Pandas at the tournament.

The teams above are our picks as the underdogs for ESL One Kuala Lumpur. If you think we missed a team or have a better list, let us know in the comments below.

Featured Image Source: Valve

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