Talon Esports Eliminated - SEA Region exit The International 2023

Dota 2

26 Oct

Ryan Antony Bernard

Talon Esports failed to make an impact at TI for the second year in a row. An amazing performance from Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon against Gaimin Gladiators secured them an Upper Bracket spot. But Team Liquid was quick to drop Talon to the lower bracket. After three 50+ minute games against BetBoom Team, Talon called 'gg' and exited The International 2023.

Talon Esports' Road to The International 2023

From left to right: Q, Mikoto, Oli, 23savage, Jabz Credit: @TALON_ESPORTS

Talon has had an inconsistent DPC season. Though they were the top dog in SEA, they struggled against other regions. Talon's highest achievement in DPC 2023 was placing 3rd in Lima Major with their Lower Bracket run. Their performance deteriorated during the Berlin Major and even failed to qualify for the Bali Major. However, they were able to rack up enough DPC points to be Top 8 and got invited to TI.

On the second day of Group Stage: Phase One at TI, Talon won against Keyd Stars and PSG Quest. Securing the 3rd place in their group, they had to face Gaimin Gladiators in Phase Two of Groups. This match would decide the seeding for playoffs.

Gaimin Gladiators vs. Talon Esports

This series was the best representation of Talon's true potential. Winning against the TI favorites, Talon's Upper Bracket spot was hard-earned.

View from the Upper Bracket after Beating Gaimin Gladiators Credit: @TALON_ESPORTS

Game 1

GG drafted Chaos Knight and Phoenix for the safelane. Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov, being the aggressive player he is, bullied Talon's offlane Wraith King(Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong) with help from Phoenix. With Wraith King having no game and 23savage returning to the jungle to farm on Naga Siren, Talon was left vulnerable. Their Invoker, played by Rafli "Mikoto" Fathur Rahman, could not make proper rotations with no team to support him. Having no way to stop GG's siege, Talon Esports gave up.

Game 2

Talon Esports adapted quickly in Game 2, picking an offlane Bristleback, to which GG responded with a PA & Undying duo. But the Bloodseeker for 23savage hard countered GG's draft, consisting of Pangolier (Quinn "Quinn" Callahan) mid and Primal Beast (Marcus "Ace" Christensen) offlane.

Bristleback pressured GG's safelane tower at 6 minutes, forcing Ace to defend it, but with 23savage and Mikoto also there, it was a futile attempt. Dyrachyo farmed on PA to get his items and shard to counter Talon's heroes. But at 37 minutes, the Rupture+Walrus Kick combo completely deleted PA from the game. With an exposed Ancient for both teams at 60 minutes, a die-back on dyrachyo led to Talon forcing a game 3.

Game 3

23savage's dominated Game 3 on Morphling Credit: Valve

In Game 3, Talon Esports went for the 23savage Morphling. He would dominate GG later in the game. But the Gladiators controlled the game with early burst damage from Spirit Breaker and Lina. At 15 minutes, all GG cores were leading in net worth, with Ace topping the list. However, while GG fought Roshan at 28 minutes, Mikoto stole the Aegis, turning the game in Talon's favor.

This forced dyrachyo to use his BKB early, making him an easy target for Morphling. Morphing into Spirit Breaker and Faceless Void, 23savage turned GG's game against them. Using their abilities for mobility, he dove past the Tier-3 towers for kills. This gave his team space to jump in the backlines and find the rest of GG. Forcing die-backs on Quinn and dyrachyo, the Gladiators called 'gg' at 43 minutes and gave up their upper bracket spot.

Unfortunately, this was Talon Esports' last win at The International 2023. Though this year was inconsistent for them, their roster remains stable. There is no doubt about the players' skills, but they are out of sync at times. This roster has come a long way and gained a lot of experience. They can surely make it to the top and keep the SEA Dream alive.

Though they dropped Gaimin Gladiators to the lower bracket, GG has survived two rounds with no losses. And with Talon's elimination, GG can't get their revenge. But with TI still filled with surprises, let's sit back and enjoy some Dota 2.

Top 8 Teams at The International 2023

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