Team Liquid and Team Secret Qualify for ESL One Kuala Lumpur

The closed qualifier of ESL One Kuala Lumpur was a bloodbath in the Western European region. With the region having the top teams in the Dota 2 professional scene, like Team Liquid, OG and Team Secret, every team brought their best performance, making the games thrilling and exciting.

ESL One Kuala Lumpur Logo.
Credits: ESL One

Interestingly, many upcoming teams like Nightshade Esports and Team Tickles got far in the qualifiers. However, their crusade was put to rest by the veterans of the region. As the dust settled, Team Liquid and Team Secret took the only two tickets given to the region for the ESL One Kuala Lumpur.

Team Liquid’s Journey

Team Liquid had a dominating 2023 DPC Season. They secured multiple top-two finishes in various LANs. However, at The International 2023, the team had to quench their thirst to get immortalized with just a top-six finish. After the tournament, the team had a roster shuffle as their offlaner retired.

Zai with Team Liquid's Coach, Blitz before a match The International 2022.
Credits: Valve

Their decision to get a new offlaner coincides with the time of Tundra Esports’s roster uncertainty. As a result, the team was able to snatch a former TI champion offlaner from Tundra.

33 joins Team Liquid.
Credits: Team Liquid

Team Liquid started their ESL One Kuala Lumpur through the closed qualifiers. The addition of Neta "33" Shapira positively impacted team dynamics. They were more keen to make bold moves, which paid off massively.

Liquid's new roster dominated every team at the closed qualifiers. They did not drop a single game in any of the series they played at the closed qualifiers. Moreover, the games they played were swift, giving the opponents less time to wiggle out from their chokehold. The only exception was their second game against Entity, which lasted for nearly an hour.

Team Secret’s Journey

Puppey figuring out how to win The International 2022. Spoilers alert: He didn't!
Credits: Valve

Secret’s 2023 DPC Season was the opposite of Team Liquid’s. Despite going through multiple roster shuffles, the team struggled with their performance, resulting in their relegation. The team even failed to qualify for The International 2023, making the end of an era for their legendary captain, Clement "Puppey" Ivanov.

However, they did not let their setbacks hold them back. Before the start of the new season, the team went through a roster shuffle and brought back familiar faces.

With their new roster intact, Team Secret tried for ESL One Kuala Lumpur through the open qualifiers. However, Alliance ended the first attempt from Team Secret to get to the closed qualifiers. Nevertheless, Team Secret tried again and made it to the closed qualifiers.

In the closed qualifiers, OG sent Secret to the lower bracket in their debut series. However, the team fought through the lower bracket and avenged their defeat in the lower bracket semi-final series. Eventually, they qualified for the tournament.

With the qualifiers for the tournament done, twelve teams will be going to Kuala Lumpur in December to contest for a million dollars.

Featured Image Source: Twitter.@ESLOneDota2

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