The Top 3 Berlin Major Favorites
The second Dota Pro Circuit Major of the year has begun and the question is: who is going to win it?
We know who won the Lima Major and we also know who played in the Grand Final of DreamLeague S19. But will the same two teams, Gaimin Gladiators and Team Liquid, be successful again?
Here are the top three teams that are likely to win the trophy at this event.
Gaimin Gladiators
https://twitter.com/GaiminGladiator/status/1650237688069468160
Gaimin Gladiators proved themselves at the last two important Dota 2 tournaments that brought together international teams. Regionally, they seem to struggle against some of their rivals. But when it comes to international events, Gladiators’ tactics and strategies seem to be a bit better than everyone else’s.
But now that Dota 2 patch 7.33 and its subsequent 7.33b were launched, it’s no longer clear that Quinn “Quinn” Callahan and his teammates can continue to dominate all opposition. The new patch offers countless possibilities and even the strongest teams can be surprised.
In the previous meta, competitors used to be able to calculate what the opponent might do, just like in chess. But in the current meta, there is no way of knowing in advance what the optimal moves are. There are plenty of things that can happen and there’s no way to account for everything.
Still, until proven otherwise, it’s probably safe to assume that Gaimin Gladiators will finish ESL One Berlin Major in the top three.
Team Liquid
At the start of the season, purely based on their roster and the result they got at The International 11 (third place), Team Liquid were regarded as the biggest favorites to win Majors and The International in 2023.
At the Lima Major, the team suffered a setback that forced them to make a last-minute replacement. And because it that replacement, Gaimin Gladiators won the Grand Final win ease.
At DreamLeague S19, the final match of the tournament was much tougher for Gladiators, who barely won at the end of a 5-game match. Now that the teams have had a bit more time to experiment with the new patch, Liquid should have the advantage. Several of their players are the best in the world at their respective roles.
One of them is Michal “Nisha” Jankowski (position 2) and the other is Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg (position 3).
https://twitter.com/TeamLiquid/status/1650946713668972545
Xtreme Gaming
Chinese Dota has been in decline since last year and there are hardly any teams left in this region that can compete against the European and American giants. But Xtreme Gaming is certainly capable of that.
Now that Hu “Kaka” Liangzhi has returned and is helping Zhang “Paparazi” Chengjun with his vast knowledge of tactics and strategy, Xtreme Gaming have a real chance to win this tournament. They already confirmed their strength in Tour 2 in China’s Division I by winning the competition.
Header: Team Liquid