Team Orca ban throws shade on PNXBET Invitationals Finals

Dota 2

March 13, 2022

Marcus Wong

The PNXBET Invitationals SEA Season 4 gave us a glimpse into the region’s thriving scene. After BOOM Esports’ phenomenal showcase at GAMERS GALAXY, expectations were rising for more SEA teams’ performance. We had Team Orca and Polaris Esports in the upper bracket final, while Neon Esports and Execration compete for tournament life on March 12-13.

Early on the 13th, Team Orca was officially disqualified from the event after information came to light about the team participating in match-fixing.

Lai “AhJit” Jay Son earned himself a permanent ban

The Orcas were on the hunt

Formerly known as Ragdoll, the rebrand came to light after expecting new sponsors for the rising star. Team Orca landed third at Division 2 last Tour, which is unfortunate, considering they fell just short in the tiebreaker vs Nigma Galaxy SEA. For starters, Orca has two notable Malaysian players, who have made global headlines after participating in the International championships. With the duo’s backing, Orca undoubtedly has decent experience and capabilities to make their debut into Division 1 soon.

However, the entire organization and players seem to have been complacent or actively participating in dubious activities. All player’s have been disqualified from the DPC SEA Spring Tour, and probably Dota 2 esports as a whole.

The entire roster + team Apex have all been permanently banned by Valve. As a result, the PNXBET Invitationals ended with Polaris and Execration advancing into the finals directly, and Polaris ultimately becoming the champion.

Polaris Esports’ uncontested performance

Polaris Esports was second to none in Division 2 last Tour. The Filipino squad showcased absolute dominance in the bracket, rocking a clean seven-win streak, expected of the seasoned players. As such, many fans have high hopes for Polaris to deliver not just in the PNXBET Invitationals Southeast Asia Season 4, but the upcoming Division 1 DPC2021-22.

On paper, what sets Polaris apart from its competition is its versatile drafts. They often have no difficulty in playing the hero line-up they want, as long as it sets the stage for grand team fights. Thus, we do see a distinct pattern in their playstyle, notably in how they often pick fight-winning hero ultimate, such as Tidehunter’s Ravage. The threat that their offlane initiator poses, is often enough to buy space and time for Polaris’ cores to go online.

While, Team Orca stood out as a promising rising star to contest Polaris, the finals were quite underwhelming with Execration putting little to no fight. The initial stages of the PNXBET Invitationals Southeast Asia Season 4 matches seemed fun, but the revelation about Orca and everything that followed threw shade on their competitive integrity of the event and ruined the experience for both players and fans alike.