TI Champions make Dota DPC Division 2 spicy in Tour 3

The DPC (2021-22) Division 2 bracket is typically not the place where we expect to watch fantastic Dota 2 games. However, the selection of powerhouses in this “amateur” league is certainly worthwhile at DPC Tour 3.

What is going on?

TI Champs in Division 2

Not the best introduction in our book for a former International Champions for sure. Nevertheless, Nigma Galaxy is still a highly-anticipated powerhouse to watch in DPC Western Europe Tour 3.

Since the beginning of the season, fans were impressed by Nigma Galaxy’s lack of roster change despite their poor performance. Yet, after two Tours of disappointment, it’s evident that Nigma Galaxy cannot keep up with the new rivals in the region.

Their last-place finishes at DPC Tour 2 was the nail in the coffin for any hopes of Nigma Galaxy debuting in any LAN tournament this season. Even so, Nigma still has its eyes set on qualifying at the International 11 (TI11) via the regional qualifiers. Hence, they brought in Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan to complete their roster of former TI Champions.

As hyped as this new roster is, many are skeptical of Nigma’s expectations in Division 2. While SumaiL’s compatibility with any team besides Evil Geniuses is a cause for concern, there’s another issue stemming from Nigma’s founding members.

Old-school till the bitter end

It worked at TI7, and almost worked at TI8. However, it’s a tell-tale sign of a failing roster for the former Team Liquid players today. Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi is undoubtedly a wise drafter and captain, but their unorthodox playstyle limits what heroes they can play. Notably, meta picks that scale well into midgame are often overlooked as Nigma couldn’t contest in midgame against most opponents playing this reliable playstyle.

Resorting and gambling it on Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi to become their win condition in late-game only cripples the other carry role. While SumaiL may not be the most resource-needy carry player in the scene, he’s anything but an independent carry.

ChuaN returns to the scene

Visiting the Southeast Asia scene, where this year’s TI11 resides as well. Wong “ChuaN” Hock Chuan, a legendary veteran emerges out of his retirement for another DPC run.

Well known for winning TI2 with Invictus Gaming, ChuaN hasn’t been active in the scene for some time now. His glory days are typically spent playing under Chinese powerhouses’ namesake, but he is currently playing for Neon Esports.

More specifically, ChuaN swapped roles to become the active player in Neon Esports instead of a coach. Hence, this is as exciting as it gets for the former TI2 champion. While it’s easy to assume Neon has the leverage as the seasoned team in Division 2, there are frankly many teams that can give them a run for their money.

Notably, Army Geniuses and Lilgun are staples in this bracket to not disregard.

The moment that started the Chinese Era

Unfortunate circumstances pushed two powerhouses into Division 2

It’s never fun to drop into Division 2 undeservingly, but that’s the case for HellRaisers and PuckChamp. Both teams were phenomenal teams during the Tour 1, where they secured top seeds, but got the short tail of the stick during the DPC Tour 2 Playoffs.

The lacking number of matches during the Playoffs plus unfortunate match-ups versus prominent teams like Team Spirit are to be blamed here. As such, we are looking at two very seasoned teams in DPC Eastern Europe Division 2.

For starters, PuckChamp is a rising star in the region, which overwhelmed many familiar faces in Division 1. Yet, two matches were all it took to send PuckChamp back into Division 2. Nevertheless, PuckChamp will certainly be the biggest threat in Division 2 for everyone else.

While not as impressive, HellRaisers is a team that typically holds its ground in Division 1. Yet, here they are in Division 2 during the last Tour.

It’s easy to bash these noteworthy powerhouses for their poor performance, resulting in their appearance in Division 2. Yet, this is a testament to how effective the Division 1 and 2 brackets are as a basis for sustainable Dota 2 Esports. And proof of how competitive the regions, SEA, WEU, and EEU have been in recent seasons.

After all, for every powerhouse out of Division 1, there is another worthy candidate or underdog to rival the existing competition.