The Road to the First Dota 2 Major of the Year
The open qualifiers have concluded, and now it’s time to determine which teams will join the eight invited teams at the first Dota 2 Major of the year.
Teams from North America, Europe, CIS, South East Asia, South America, and China will compete for the remaining eight spots from March 10 to 13 at the Kiev Major’s main event.
Direct invites were extended to fan favorites Team Secret, Russian powerhouse Virtus Pro, legendary Chinese outfit Invictus Gaming, and the International 3 champions Alliance.
However, the open qualifiers presented surprising results. Former Alliance support player Joakim “Akke” Akterhall and his team Horde as well as Chinese team EHOME failed to make it past their respective qualifiers.
While there may have been upsets, there is always room for an underdog story in the chaotic open qualifiers.
An exciting moment came when prolific streamer WehSing “Sing Sing” Yuen and his team Bean Boys secured the final spot in Europe’s main qualifier, defeating Horde with a 2-0 victory.
Wheel Whreck While Whistling, on the other hand, made it into North America’s main qualifier, with their opponents Vegetables Esports Club having to forfeit the final game. Notably, Wheel Whreck features Marielle “Layla” Louise, the first woman to compete in a Dota 2 Major regional qualifier.
Only the Chinese and South East Asian qualifiers will offer two spots at the Kiev Major. The remaining regions will only have one team advance to the main event, increasing the stakes for regions like North America and Europe.
The Kiev Major’s main event will take place from April 27 to 30. The dates for the group stage have not yet been announced, as the event was rescheduled on Feb. 16 to accommodate other Dota 2 tournaments.
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