Both North America and Southeast Asia each had one slot available in the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor, which made the qualifying rounds intense. In the North American qualifier, compLexity Gaming and Team Team, both experienced squads in the Dota Pro Circuit this season, won their first-round matches and faced off in round two.
CompLexity continued their winning streak, sweeping Team Team and advancing to the Grand Finals with a perfect 4-0 record. It seemed that Team Team would defeat Flying Penguins in the lower bracket and have a rematch against compLexity, considering they had already beaten them in the opening round.
However, Flying Penguins surprised everyone by defeating Team Team 2-1. Led by Dota 2 veteran Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao, Flying Penguins, made up of former players from Team Team, compLexity, and paiN X, convincingly took down Team Team.
Ironically, this win by Flying Penguins aligned with EternaLEnVy’s reputation of kicking players from his teams. This time, Nico “Gunnar” Lopez, who played for Team Team throughout the event, got kicked. Gunnar tweeted about being replaced after the major quals finished.
In the finals, Flying Penguins faced compLexity and put up a tough fight in an 80-minute opening match. They eventually secured the first win and carried the momentum into the second match to complete the upset and secure their spot in the upcoming Minor.
Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, there were no upsets as BOOM ID claimed the top seed in the event. The recently reformed Tigers managed to qualify for the event despite one of their best players, Chai “Mushi” Yee Fung, being busy in the Chinese qualifiers with Team Aster. However, they were beaten twice and eliminated from the event, casting doubt on the future of the new era of Tigers Dota.
BOOM ID dominated the field, going undefeated with a 6-0 record. They defeated DeToNator and Lotac to secure Southeast Asia’s spot in the Minor. The remaining qualifiers will conclude by February 13, finalizing the roster for the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor, which begins on March 7.
StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor, North American qualifier, compLexity Gaming, Team Team, Flying Penguins, Southeast Asia, BOOM ID, Tigers Dota