The much anticipated ESL One Birmingham 2020 is already on its way, with several regions already kicking off last week. With 330,000 USD total prize pool spread across 4 regions, teams fight not only for winnings but bragging rights. To put icing on the cake, a brand new Mercedes Benz sedan for the MVP player is rather tempting too.
© ESL One
It’s ages since fans last saw Topson play competitively. Fortunately, the wait is over as Topson returns to team OG to complete the roster. Featuring 4 other prodigies, Midone, Sumail, Saksa and Notail, OG fans are eager to watch team OG’s debut in a full-fledged tournament.
Team OG with Ceb as stand-in held their own decently for the past months. However, fans expected absolute victory from a team of such caliber. Thus, we can finally watch the true OG line-up clash head-on against other tier-1 teams.
Besides team OG, the EU & CIS regional also included 15 other teams such as: Team Secret, Team Liquid, Nigma, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Alliance, Natus Vincere, VP.Prodigy, Winstrike Team, HellRaisers, Vikin.gg, Cyber Legacy, FlyToMoon, Gambit, Aggressive Mode and Team Unique.
Although other regions do not have such a heavy group of teams, many teams still put up quite a show in their respective region. For instance, the North & South America region consisted of: Evil Geniuses, Quincy Crew, business associates, CR4ZY, beastcoast and Thunder Predator. The fierce rivalry between EG and Quincy Crew continues as both teams have met each other in 3 previous grand finals.
China boast its own list of familiar teams. This includes: PSG.LGD (two-time Internationals runner-up), Team Aster, EHOME, Royal Never Give Up, Invictus Gaming, CDEC Gaming, Sparking Arrow Gaming and Longinus. PSG.LGD had an underwhelming performance since the end of the International 2019 last year. However, it seems like the former powerhouse is back to reclaim their title as China’s Strongest.
Lastly, over at SE Asia, the competition is just as intense. The list of SEA teams includes: Fnatic, Geek Fam, Team Adroit, Reality Rift, BOOM Esports and TNC Predator.
Holding the title as the team with highest points in DPC rankings, TNC Predator won the first major at Chengdu late last year. However, they certainly did not live up to their title. For instance, TNC Predator took a premature upset at ESL Birmingham 2020, as they were eliminated without making it
Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pyjamas is looking sharp with the new roster they picked up. Despite not being in the scene until recently, Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev and his team have already become a team consistently invited to EU regionals. On day 1, they defeated Alliance after a well-executed Echo Slam by Adrian “Era” Kryeziu.
Upcoming Games.
The second day starts off with team OG’s first game at this tournament. While EU & CIS group stage is on its way, the North & South America regional are just about to kick off. Followed closely by the China regional. Dota 2 betting odds for ESL One Birmingham are available at various esports betting sites. Make sure you check them out and read our Dota 2 Betting guide.
Meanwhile, the earliest of the bunch, SEA teams are already having their playoffs. Only 4 teams remain, where Fnatic face off against BOOM Esports in the upper bracket while it’s Geek Fam versus Team Adroit in the lower.
ESL Birmingham 2020 official stream: https://www.twitch.tv/esl_dota2
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