Tomorrow, December will mark the start of the holiday season and the second Major of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit. DreamLeague Season 8 will feature eight teams competing for a $1 million prize pool and 1,500 qualification points for The International 8.
Unlike other Pro Circuit tournaments, DreamLeague will not have any direct invites. Instead, every team participating in the LAN on Dec. 1 will be qualifier teams. This means that every team has an equal chance, which could lead to some surprising upsets. However, there are still a few teams that stand out as favorites.
Championship Pedigree:
Team Liquid, Newbee, and Virtus Pro are the top teams in the list of participants. Team Liquid is known for their consistently strong performance and talented roster. GH, in particular, has impressive support play. VP, winners of the first Major, have a high-octane playstyle and strong decision-making skills thanks to captain Solo. Meanwhile, Newbee, the TI7 silver medalists, have a stable and cohesive team chemistry.
Keeping Pace:
Natus Vincere, Evil Geniuses, and Team Secret are the teams that could potentially challenge the favorites. Na’Vi has shown promise by qualifying for the Major and has the potential to come back to the competitive scene. Team Secret has been performing well and has the capability to make a deep run at DreamLeague. As for EG, they have had lukewarm results recently but have the potential to turn things around.
Wishing on a Star:
Fnatic and Infamous are the underdogs in this tournament. While Infamous may struggle to break past the middle of the pack, Fnatic has the potential to surprise everyone with their improved results after making roster changes.
The first match of DreamLeague Season 8 begins tomorrow at 4:30am ET, with Virtus Pro facing Natus Vincere followed by Team Liquid against Fnatic. You can catch the action on DreamLeague’s official Twitch channel.
esports, Dota 2, DreamLeague Season 8, Major, Team Liquid, Virtus Pro, Newbee, Natus Vincere, Evil Geniuses, Team Secret, Fnatic, Infamous