BTS Pro Series S9 SEA Stories – Rise and fall of OB Esports x Neon

Dota 2
November 9, 2021
Marcus Wong

OB Esports x Neon, formerly known as Neon Esports is playing for tournament life at the BTS Pro Series Season 9 Southeast Asia.

While not as grand as a powerhouse team, OB makes up for their potential to deliver upsets against big-named teams. Back at the Singapore Major 2021, OB surpassed everybody’s expectations for a team of nobodies hailing from Philippines. The young squad secured fifth in the major, giving Team Secret a run for their money. Following their incredible debut, it was only natural for fans to eagerly cheer on the young squad to live up to expectations once more. Sadly, was not not the case.

The second major didn’t pan out as OB hoped for. They underperformed heavily in the Upper Division league, which ultimately cost them a direct invite to the International 10 (Ti10). OB took time to reflect on their last DPC season, and ultimately decided to break apart. Skem and Yopaj left for BOOM Esports, while Januel decided to take a break from competitive play. Only Michael Roi “Enryu” Ladines remains, yet he himself only joined in June.

OB Esports x Neon Roster

Twitter | Neon Esports

Right now, OB spots a new band of youngsters coached by former International champ, Wong “ChuaN” Hock Chuan. Even with a veteran Dota player as coach, performance isn’t exactly their selling point just yet. They are at the brink of elimination at BTS Pro Series S9, and on a similar trajectory as their previous run in Season 8.

Elimination Match: OB.Neon vs Execration

At BTS Pro Series Season 9 Southeast Asia two teams are at the brim of elimination. OB.Neon and Execration are familiar names in the SEA Esports scene, and decent teams once upon a time. Often synonymous with aggressive playstyle, SEA teams are often a treat to watch while battling out a raging rivalry.

Even so, both teams have gotten pretty comfortable with dealing against midgame death ball tactics, namely Huskar, Templar Assassin, or mid heroes that turn online midgame. This isn’t the first time both teams crossed swords. Yet, it was only a draw last time. Even so, OB still has the leverage in odds at x1.47 versus Execration at x2.57 returns. Mostly due to their final standings in groups.

This will be the the first test for the new Neon roster in a competitive environment. If they manage to evade elimination they will already have performed better then the previous roster a month earlier. I am confident they will.

Potential reunion in the lower bracket

BOOM Esports has garnered attention recently for moving away from their typical Indonesian squad, to welcoming Filipino talents. The organization became the second home of Rolen Andrei Gabriel “skem” Ong and Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer, formerly core players in OB. Putting aside skem’s controversial drama, the carry duos are formidable for being 10,000 MMR players.

Of course, with their previous BTS Pro Series Season 8 SEA victory, BOOM is in very good shape indeed. Depending on the outcome of today’s matches, skem and Yopaj could potentially meet their former team, and Michael Roi “Enryu” Ladines who is still playing for OB. It may end up a test to how OB’s new roster fair up against the organizations’ former players.

Match Preview: BOOM Esports vs Nigma Galaxy SEA

It is anyone’s game at the upper bracket of BTS Pro Series S9 SEA. Nigma may be on the shorter end of the tail in terms of group stage standing, but they did tie their series versus BOOM.

Expect Nigma to play meta heroes that were relatively popular in Ti10, namely Void Spirit, Bane, and Ursa. Although these heroes were slightly nerfed in recent patches, Nigma SEA still finds them viable for their late-game strategies. BOOM on the other hand, is all about teamfights and killing potential to threaten enemies.

Playstyles aside, BOOM’s aggressive demeanor still comes off as the stronger strategy to rinse and repeat. BOOM will certainly win at catching Nigma off-guard, halting their farm progress to hit late game. Dota 2 odds-wise, the match is in favor of BOOM Esports to win at x1.46, while Nigma Galaxy SEA serves as the underdog at x2.63 returns.

I predict an upset with Nigma SEA taking the series and sending BOOM Esports to a duel with OB x Neon.

The BTS Pro Series Season 9 Southeast Asia runs for the entire week, so do check out other matches worthwhile in Dota 2 betting. Furthermore, GG.BET provides reliable odds for the BTS Pro Series Season 9 Southeast Asia for your wagering experience.

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