S4 and Goonsquad set aim for Arlington Major – DPC Tour 3 Preview

S4Head my fellow International 3 fanatics. Gustav “s4” Magnusson is a Dota 2 veteran who needs no introduction, being the last International 3 Champion who is still relevant. Highly regarded for his perceptive thinking and refined mechanical skills, s4 returns to DPC (2021-22) in the underdog story Western Europe scene needs.

 Goonsquad in DPC Tour 3

Alongside the famed champion we have: Simon “Handsken” Rasmus Haag, Linus “Limmp” Blomdin, Petu “Peksu” Vaatainen and Charlie “aQua” Arat.

For most of DPC Tour 2, goonsquad has gone under the radar, and it was only recently that the Swedish squad has become trending. This is because they won first seeds in DPC WEU Tour 2 Division 2, which promoted them to Division 1 bracket. Alongside goonsquad is Alliance, s4’s former team, albeit with new blood.

Anyways, goonsquad is evidently on a different level over the rest of the Division 2 league. They did not lose a single match, which is a testament to this seasoned team climbing the ranks instantly. That said, it will be interesting to watch how well the old-school team fair up against the class of new blood awaiting them in Division 1.

Facing OG, Tundra Esports, and Gaimin Gladiators

It’s arguably the best DPC season for WEU teams after the top four finishes in Stockholm Major went the way of OG (1^st-place), Tundra (3^rd-place), and Gaimin (4^th-place). It’s very reminiscent of the good old days of OG’s prime in 2016 when the founding team OG won back-to-back majors.

With the recent rise of new stars, meant the fall of former powerhouses, such as Team Secret or worse yet, Nigma Galaxy. We will be watching Secret in action at DPC Tour 3 as they attempt to secure tickets to the Arlington Major. However, we can’t say the same for Nigma, which was recently relegated to Division 2.

Goonsquad is considered by many as the seasoned team due to its old-timers. S4, much like the rest of Goonsquad are in that category. This poses a cause for concern, knowing too well OG, Tundra and Gladiators are all notoriously known for keeping up with the Dota 2 meta. All have a history of defeating many veterans in the recent DPC Tours.

Team Secret as an opponent

Being a former teammate of Clement “Puppey” Ivanov in Team Secret, s4 should be relatively familiar with Puppey’s tricks of the trade. Many fans anticipated Team Secret to be rather underwhelming when Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan joined, so the recent carry player change will be an eye-opener.

Enters Remco “Crystallis” Arets, a young prodigy who’s been in the scene for just two years. Yet, he has earned the liking of Team Secret’s body of veterans. Puppey is no stranger to shaping some of the best carry players in his team, such as Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard, who’s Gaimin Gladiators’ power-forward.

It’s devastating to see SumaiL fall off so poorly since he left Evil Geniuses, but it’s evident at this point that SumaiL has compatibility issues. From his brother’s team, Quincy Crew, Team OG, and most recently Team Secret. Nothing seemed to have worked out, but SumaiL has no plan on leaving the pro scene just yet as he joins Nigma Galaxy. Nevertheless, it will be all eyes on Crystallis to be the ace of Team Secret.

As for Goonsquad, Team Secret will likely be a strong threat to their underdog run during DPC Tour 3 alongside the other new faces in DPC WEU.

In hindsight, Division 2 should not be a measurement of how well Goonsquad is. After all, it’s the Division 1 bracket, where all the excitement is on. While many argue that Goonsquad can always try out the TI11 Regional Qualifiers, the regional qualifier is a last resort, which from time to time, we have witnessed powerhouses miss out on that golden ticket.