Invictus Gaming is an esports organization synonymous with TI championships. IG’s history of achievements throughout its tenure has been phenomenal, to say the least. Their current line-up is easily one of the most iconic since its TI2-winning days. Yet, IG finds itself in a rabbit hole after losing seventh place in Dota Pro Circuit 2021-22.
The consequence of their poor performance is, of course, a demotion into Division 2 bracket this Tour 2.
Despite being hailed as one of the favorites to win the Division 1 DPC2021-22, IG suffered terrible losses since Day 1. Whether it’s because the Chinese opponents stepped up their game or many teams decided on a specific strategy to counter IG. What’s for certain is IG lost its footing in DPC2021-22 and fans were even more disappointed by their absence in DPC CN Regional Finals.
Well, no, they didn’t. IG remained faithful to the same roster that brought them glory since last season. While many Chinese powerhouses made major changes to their roster, IG remained confident of their OG roster. Of course, the Division 2 bracket will likely be a breeze for IG, heading into DPC2021-22 Tour 2, which begs the question; is there any fault in IG’s players?
On paper, IG has some world-class players, namely Emo and his band of collaborative allies. However, what we have witnessed so far is Emo getting shut down game after game, regardless of what he played. Emo’s flashy playstyle and recognition have earned him the spotlight, making him the opponent’s priority to disrupt him.
Opponents in the past DPC season, mostly have strong single-target lockdown, specifically picked to get Emo. Normally, opponents get punished for putting their focus onto only one enemy carry, as the space created enables other players to gain better impact. Yet, IG’s line-up is so dependent on Emo to be their win condition, such that IG often fails to recuperate from Emo’s disadvantages.
Regardless of what we feel about IG, the Chinese powerhouse will kickstart their first match on March 14. Perhaps IG has faith in their drafting expertise after the recent release of Dota 2 Patch 7.31. We will see how the opening matches evolve, and has IG made any changes recently.
Their first match vs ShenZhen will pose a bigger threat than we anticipated. The fourth-place Division 2 candidate last Tour recently made their debut in DPC2021-22, so they are arguably the rising stars in this bracket. Their late game-oriented drafts make them a difficult team to snowball against, in the midgame, which is typically where IG prefer to play their matches.
Thus, it will be interesting to see how IG handles such a menacing opponent. Nevertheless, IG is a powerhouse and fan favorite, so expect Dota 2 odds to favor IG at x1.19 vs ShenZhen at x4.45 odds.
The other match for IG in the first week is against their sister team, IG.Vitality. Albeit considered the weaker among the two, Vitality took two qualifiers to finally make their entry into Division 2. What’s important to note, however, is that Vitality has several high-profile players in its arsenal, such as Gao “dogf1ghts” Tianpeng.
However, we might just have to wait for Vitality’s first DPC2021-22 match to know what they are capable of. On the odds, however, IG indisputably has better odds at x1.09 vs IG.Vitality at x6.77 returns.
IG is among the most established powerhouses in not only China but globally. As fans join in on the start of DPC CN Division 2, IG should feel the pressure of expectations for them to secure their Division 1 slot back. If Dota 2 Betting is your cup of tea, catch more DPC CN Division 2 matches exclusively on GG.BET
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