The China Upper Division of the Dota Pro Circuit 2021 has halted for a much-deserved break. As these Chinese teams enjoy the festive Lunar New Year, it would be crucial for certain teams to reflect on the upcoming matches.
Four teams need to put in some serious practice during the break to stay competitive in the league. Here’s our breakdown.
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Team Elephant was the most hyped up team of the season. Led by famed regional prodigies, the roster was expected to deliver great results quickly.
Despite the expectations, Elephant didn’t stand a chance against the newcomers in the scene. Xu “fy” Linsen, the captain, has played exceptionally, often surpassing his semi-support role to transition to a core. However, Invictus Gaming and Team Aster were closed qualifier teams but are at the top of their game and made Elephant look like Dumbos.
During their game versus Invictus Gaming, Elephant might have underestimated their opponents, deciding to play their signature heroes instead of proper cheese picks. Although Elephant managed to secure the first match, IG turned the series around with much better drafts. Off to a poor debut, Elephant did eventually recover by taking back two victories from PSG.LGD and LBZS.
Coming into next weekend, Fy and his stack have to keep up the momentum or they might just end in 5th and out of the competition.
Speaking of IG and Aster, the two teams are the top seeds in the group, with three consecutive victories in their bag. As a cherry on top, all three victories were snatched from renowned powerhouses that were supposed to be favorites. While it’s still too soon to announce their early victory, the remaining matches are very much in their favor, especially against the losers.
Team MagMa and LBZS probably won’t pose much threat against the former, so securing these extra victories will most definitely secure their spots as the top two. However, the talk of the town would be when IG and Aster finally face off. Aster, in particular, specializes in the late game, often having a higher success rate when the match extends past the hour mark. Whereas IG prefers fast-paced games, often snowballing around midgame and keeping up the momentum.
As far as the Dota 2 meta’s concerned, it’s much preferable to end a game quickly due to the introduction of Aghanim’s Shards. The item is only purchasable at the twentieth-minute mark, aka the midgame. Hence, most teams utilize this timing to escalate their heroes’ potential.
The clash of two different meta approaches is definitely something to look out for after the break.
PSG.LGD is another powerhouse that hasn’t shown much dominance at the China Upper Division, or so they say. That’s probably because of PSG.LGD’s past opponents were the bottom seeds, and they lost two series against Elephant and Aster. Fans are yet to witness PSG.LGD go up against familiar rivals, such as Vici Gaming and EHOME.
Their series versus Elephant was somewhat entertaining, as they put up a decent show for viewers. PSG.LGD’s current line-up plays around their golden boy, Wang “Ame” Chunyu, with aggressive initiations and forcing pick-offs across the map.
Unfortunately, during their third game versus Elephant, their usual playstyle was nullified by Elephant’s Lycan and Troll Warlord combo. The Shapeshift-buffed Troll Warlord, alongside Lycan’s wolf pack, demolished buildings instantaneously, while PSG.LGD watched helplessly.
Finishing last at the China Upper Division, or any event for that matter, isn’t exactly a delightful achievement. Unfortunately, looking at the pace Team MagMa and LBZS are falling off. It seems like they do not have any more tricks up their sleeves.
Regardless, they are walking away with a reasonable 22,000 USD for their dedicated participation, but they will be losing their Upper Division slots next season.
Read next: Dota 2 WCAA Spring Festival Cup breakdown and betting opportunities
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