Underdogs Create Upsets at $3 Million Kiev Major
In the first round of the $3 million Kiev Major, two of the biggest underdogs, Digital Chaos and TNC Gaming, emerged as winners. Both teams had to qualify for the event and defeated tournament favorites Newbee and Evil Geniuses respectively.
The victory of TNC Gaming against Evil Geniuses was impressive, but Digital Chaos’ performance against Newbee was the standout upset of the year. Formerly known as Team Onyx, the North American roster narrowly qualified for the Kiev Major through the North American qualifier before being acquired by Digital Chaos.
In two long and grueling games, Digital Chaos managed to defeat Newbee, considered one of the top contenders to win the event. Abed Azel “Abed” Yusop, a 16-year-old player, was the star of the series, accounting for about half of Digital Chaos’ kills.
Another established team, Evil Geniuses, also faced defeat in their opening series against TNC Gaming from the Philippines. Despite their shaky performance at the Dota 2 Asia Championship, Evil Geniuses was heavily favored to win against TNC. However, several key players from Evil Geniuses, including support Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg, struggled against the Filipino squad.
Heading into the second round of the swiss group stage, both Newbee and Evil Geniuses will have to battle in the lower round of matches. The Kiev Major has already proven to be an exciting and unpredictable event.
