Polaris looking hot, Patriots & Geniuses challenged – BTS Pro Series S11

We are heading into the final bracket stage at Dota 2’s BTS Pro Series Season 11 over in Southeast Asia. Teams are putting in the last bit of practice before the next DPC Tour.

The SEA scene is among the largest regions for Dota 2 Esports. Unfortunately, the Stockholm Major showcased an underwhelming run for our SEA candidates. Notably, BOOM Esports, which was the proclaimed strongest team from SEA after they won the GAMERS GALAXY Invitational, did not deliver. Meanwhile, the other two SEA candidates did not make it very far too.

Polaris Esports vs Execration

SEA has no shortage of rising stars, and one notable team is Polaris Esports. They, climbed their way out of Division 2 during the beginning of DPC (2021-22), Polaris won fourth place during DPC SEA Tour 2. The young squad went neck-to-neck against T1, a team that placed seventh during their first debut in the International 10 (TI10). Thus, Polaris is arguably the strongest team at BTS Pro Series Season 11 SEA.

Execration may have lost the drafting phase in the first bout versus Nigma SEA, but they confidently played Pugna and Earth Spirit to claim an easy bracket win. Let’s hope Execration prepare a more reliable draft for their rematch this time.

Coming into this duel, it’s all about how even of a draft Execration can muster. If they get outdrafted they lose in very short games.

Nigma Galaxy SEA vs Patriots

Nigma Galaxy SEA had the upper hand during their group stage encounter vs Patriots. Nigma does like their meta cheese picks, Storm Spirit and Hoodwink. Patriots proved to be quite mature in their drafting process, understanding the recent meta and banning accordingly. Furthermore, they don’t shy away from unusual combos, which is always a good indicator for a rising team.

Hence, it’s a relatively interesting match-up here, as both teams might attempt to out cheese each other. It will be interesting to see what they have in store. Patriots is more midgame-oriented, which is common while Nigma can play both mid and late-game with durable heroes and late game potential.

I am still confident Nigma has this one bagged.

RSG vs Army Geniuses

Down in the lower bracket, RSG and Army Geniuses play for tournament life. RSG is the latest addition to the SEA competitive scene, boasting all-stars such as Lee “X1aOyU” Qian Yu and Roger “Roddgeee” Tan Boon Thye. We saw RSG rose to become the top seed in Division 2 and will play in the upcoming Tour 3 Division 1 bracket. They are your average meta spammer, where we see top picks from Stockholm Major, such as Chaos Knight, Pugna, and Hoodwink. They were able to deliver and coordinate effectively given their sustainable drafting choice.

That said, Army Geniuses, albeit not as prominent, did snatch a series off Polaris during their group stage match. It’s a clean sweep at that, which showcased Army Geniuses’ bet on late-game. Their couterpart RSG’s more mid-game oriented drafts may end up turning the series into a race to extend game times. Dota 2 betting on markets focused on duration is ideal here.

The SEA scene has to step up their game after they became the laughing stock at ESL One Stockholm 2022 alongside Evil Geniuses. Meanwhile, underappreciated regions, such as South and North Americas are rising above everyone’s expectations. Considering the International 11 is the first of the championship series to be in Singapore, it will not be a good sight for SEA teams to flop.