OpTic Gaming: Champions at StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational
OpTic Gaming has finally achieved the title of championship team in Dota 2. They emerged victorious at the StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational held in Kiev, Ukraine.
With an outstanding performance in the group stage and impressive gameplay in the playoffs, the North American squad, led by Peter “ppd” Dager, defeated Vici Gaming J Thunder in the grand finals. They won three consecutive games after losing the first one.
The MVP of the tournament was undoubtedly Neta “33” Shapira, who showcased his skills as an offlaner against all of OpTic’s opponents. His Sand King play was particularly remarkable, skillfully evading spells with Burrowstrike and causing trouble for VGJ with his unconventional, yet resilient, no-Blink Dagger build.
The team’s decision to move 33 to the offlane position and place Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg in the utility support slot proved to be a successful move. They earned 450 Pro Circuit points and received a prize money of $135,000.
OpTic has been steadily improving throughout the Dota 2 Pro Circuit season, even if they haven’t won any titles. Previously overshadowed by teams like Evil Geniuses and CompLexity Gaming in the region, their victory at StarLadder is a significant milestone for them.
This achievement puts them in 14th place on the leaderboard. While there is still work to be done, considering the gap between them and the cutoff point for direct invitations to the International 8, their win at StarLadder is a major step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, OpTic won’t be participating in three of the upcoming Pro Circuit events as they haven’t received any direct slots or qualified through the regional qualifiers.
However, their first-place finish at StarLadder might earn them an invitation to the China Supermajor, which is the final event of the season. Currently, their focus is on the NA qualifier for ESL One Birmingham, starting on April 19.
OpTic Gaming, Dota 2, championship team, StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational, Peter “ppd” Dager, Neta “33” Shapira, offlaner, Sand King, VGJ, Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg, Pro Circuit points, prize money, International 8, China Supermajor, ESL One Birmingham.