The Dota 2 Pro Circuit Season is Winding Down with StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational Season 5
The Dota 2 Pro Circuit season is quickly coming to an end, with only six events left on the calendar. The first event, StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational Season 5, will be held in Kiev, Ukraine starting tomorrow at 4am CT.
Only the top eight teams in the Pro Circuit race will receive a direct invite to the International 8. This makes every event from now on crucial, including StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational Season 5.
VGJ Thunder, Natus Vincere, and Fnatic are among the teams competing in this event. These teams are looking to secure more points to improve their standings and earn a spot in the International 8. Every point matters for these teams, especially Na’Vi who is only 136 points behind Evil Geniuses.
StarLadder has consistently produced some of the most exciting Dota 2 events in history. Even though the season is winding down, there is still plenty of action to look forward to.
Scrapping for Every Last Point
Na’Vi, VGJ Thunder, and Fnatic are the teams that are aiming to score the most points in this event. Fnatic, the second best Southeast Asian team, has a good chance of making it into the International 8. VGJ Thunder, with Liu “Sylar” Jiajun leading the charge, is expected to place in the top four. But all eyes are on Na’Vi, the team that fans want to see make a last-minute dash for a spot in the International 8.
For the Money
For the teams that are not in the top standings of the Pro Circuit, this event will mean very little outside of the prize money. Unless they win this event and one of the four remaining Majors, they will not earn any points to improve their standings. Only OpTic Gaming has a realistic chance of winning one of those Majors.
Vega Squadron, who had a disappointing performance in the previous Pro Circuit LAN, has been doing well in qualifier tournaments lately. They have the potential to surprise the crowd in Kiev and earn at least $7,500 in prize money.
Imminent External Force
StarLadder will be affected by the bi-weekly balance patch schedule implemented by Valve. The tournament starts on Patch 7.12 and will transition to Patch 7.13 once it is released. This patch update could have a significant impact on the teams’ performance, as some squads may benefit from the changes while others may struggle to adapt.
Despite the uncertainty factor, it will be interesting to see how the teams handle the situation. Fortunately, this patch update is not happening during a Major.
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