We Play! Bukovel Minor Group Stage Schedule Released
The schedule for the group stage of the We Play! Bukovel Minor has been announced, and it’s looking to be an exciting start to the 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit. Fans of the game won’t want to miss the matches set for the opening day on Jan. 9.
Due to the event taking place in Ukraine, it may be difficult for viewers in the United States to watch the early games. However, Group B is expected to have some of the best matches later in the day.
This Minor tournament features only eight competing teams. Each team will play a best-of-three match to determine which two teams advance to the winners’ match, and which two teams are sent to the elimination match. The team that wins two straight games will secure the top seed in the playoffs and avoid elimination, while the other three teams will fight to stay in the tournament.
Day One Schedule for Each Group
| Matches—Group A | Times |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Geek Fam | 2am CT |
| Team Spirit vs Royal Never Give Up | 5am CT |
| Matches—Group B | Times |
| Fighting PandaS vs Nigma | 8am CT |
| Gambit Esports vs FURIA Esports | 11am CT |
The highlight match of the day is expected to be PandaS vs Nigma. Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi and his team narrowly missed out on qualifying for their first Major of the year, and they’ll need to start earning DPC points to improve their seeding this season.
PandaS have exceeded expectations this year, and Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao will need to prove himself as a top-level talent by making it to another Major. They’ll face off against the second-best roster from last season.
One of the interesting storylines to watch is whether Gambit can maintain their performance from the ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Singapore, where they placed third. Danil “gpk” Skutin continues to shine as one of Dota 2’s best young talents.
In Group A, the top seed may come down to a clash between NiP and RNG, though both teams have been inconsistent. The success of Peter “ppd” Dager’s integration of Jason “TANNER” Weedon into the squad will likely play a role in the outcome.
Spirit and Geek Fam are also dealing with recent roster changes, which may impact their performance in the tournament.
With some matches expected to run longer than the designated three-hour blocks, start times may be delayed. The action kicks off on Jan. 9 at 2am CT with NiP vs Geek Fam on the We Play! Twitch channel.