DPC EEU Tour 2 resumes today directly from Playoffs

The DPC (2021-22) EEU Tour 2 is happening after all, albeit with different format. Last month, the DPC EEU Tour 2 went on a hiatus due to the Ukraine-Russa crisis while other regions ran their leagues as usual. Fans were beginning to feel weary of whether we would ever expect the EEU representatives to participate in ESL One Stockholm Major 2022 until yesterday.

US-based tournament organizer, Beyond The Summit, announced that they host the DPC EEU Tour 2, where three major slots are still up for grabs.

Beyond the Summit | @BTSdota

DPC EEU Tour 2 goes directly to Playoffs

BTS decides to cut the DPC EEU Tour 2 short by implementing a playoffs format. After all, they would need to finish the entire playoffs before May 2 as the Stockholm Major is only two weeks away. The playoffs is a typical double-elimination bracket, consisting of best-of-three matches. Teams play in the upper quarterfinals initially, then losers of the first round are delegated to the lower bracket.

The winner of upper bracket final and lower bracket final qualify for the Stockholm Major respectively. The remaining teams will still have a last chance at playing in the third slot decider, where they can secure the final slot.

Speaking of teams, it’s the same class of teams that were confirmed before the DPC EEU Tour 2 went on hiatus. We got Team Spirit, PuckChamp, Outsiders (aka Virtus.pro), HellRaisers, Natus Vincere, Mind Games, CIS Rejects, and BB Team (formerly Winstrike Team).

Speaking of predictions, we already have the first set of matches announced.

Natus Vincere vs HellRaisers

The first four upper quarterfinal matches kick off today with Natus Vincere vs HellRaisers. Arguably a very even match-up since both teams placed relatively mediocre last Tour at fifth and fourth places respectively. What’s interesting is that Navi picked up Vladislav “laise” Lais, a young Ukrainian player after their seasoned offlaner, Viktor “GeneRaL” Nigrini left.

This begs the question of how Navi intends on capitalizing on the new blood’s potential. Regardless, we won’t have to wait too long for his debut. HR, on the other hand, rocks the same crew since Tour 1. They rivaled Outsiders during their past encounter, only to fall short in the tiebreakers, so HR is reliably capable to overwhelm Navi.

HellRaisers has x1.64 odds versus Navi at x2.2 odds.

Outsiders vs CIS Rejects

Perhaps the most anticipated match that many VP fans are aching to watch. The remnants of VP now play under the CIS Rejects name.  Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev and Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosian helped the team climb the ranks in Division 2 and make it this far. Outsiders, on the other hand, consist of an unimpressive roster at first glance. However, their previous Tour performance has garnered them a reputation as top three in DPC EEU. In fact, they were also finalists in the DPC EEU Regional Finals before getting swept by Team Spirit.

While the CIS Rejects certainly brought back some nostalgia, Outsiders are indisputably organized at their in-game execution and synergy. Hence, the odds favor Outsiders at x1.46 over CIS Rejects at x2.63 returns.

Team Spirit vs BB Team

It’s Team Spirit, the International 10 (TI10) Champions need no introduction at this point. Fans are even rooting for Team Spirit to qualify for Stockholm Major before the DPC EEU Tour 2 begins. They are up against a former Division 2 top seed who pose no threat to the defending champions.

Expect the Dota 2 odds to favor Team Spirit handsomely at x1.21 against BB Team at x4.19 odds.

PuckChamp vs Mind Games

Last but not least, PuckChamp is yet another notable candidate that many anticipate will qualify for Stockholm Major. Being the first runner-up in DPC EEU Tour 1, the rising stars have already made a dent among its opponents. Alongside, PuckChamp is also considered the team that could give Team Spirit a run for their money.

As for their upcoming match versus Mind Games, the latter has big players backing the team, such as Semion “CemaTheSlayer” Krivulya. However, they narrowly survived the last Tour’s Division 1 bracket, which puts them as one of the most underwhelming teams in DPC EEU Tour 2 if we exclude the delegated teams.

PuckChamp is often hailed as a pioneer in breaking cheesy midgame drafts that are commonly applied by mediocre teams. Unless they have Team Spirit as their opponent, PuckChamp will likely see through Mind Games’ cliché tactics. The odds are in favor of PuckChamp at x1.25 versus Mind Games at x3.77 returns.

It’s certainly a sight for sore eyes to see the EEU teams have a fighting chance at playing in Stockholm Major 2022. Without the TI10 champs, the rivalry at Stockholm Major would have felt limited. Despite the short Playoffs bracket, there are approximately sixteen matches, which GG.BET has exclusive odds for.