EPTTable of Contents
Intro
Group A - VP, EG, Fnatic, Team Spirit
Group B - TL, VG, Pain, OG
Group C - Mineski, Newbee, OpTic, LFY
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ESL One Birmingham marks the second-to-last Major of the first Dota Pro Circuit season, as well as one of the last two remaining chances for teams to earn enough points to get a direct invite to TI8. For OpTic and Pain Gaming nothing short of a win can put them into the top 8, while Fnatic would surpass VGJ.Thunder with a grand finals appearance. EG has a little more room to work with as they could claim the 8th spot as long as they finish in the top 3. For the rest of the teams this Major either doesn’t matter, or could be used to strengthen their position in the top 8 with only one more Major left this year. The tournament format is more than a little unique for a Major with half the teams being eliminated in the group stage followed by a single elimination 8 man bracket. With the groups already drawn let's get into who we believe will come out on top.
Group A - VP, EG, Fnatic, Team Spirit
Perhaps it is a bit unlucky that EG and Fnatic, two teams who are aiming to break into the top 8 and claim a very important top 4 finish, have met each other in the same group. With Team Spirit taking Na`Vi’s spot in Group A the likelihood of both EG and Fnatic making it out of the group has not increased. The reason that it hasn’t become any easier for the two aforementioned teams is that the last team in the group is the one and only Virtus Pro. Against EG and Fnatic it would be hard to confidently say either of them has a good chance of beating Virtus Pro in a bo3; not impossible, but not likely.
Looking more closely at the individual teams, Fnatic are coming in off their 3rd/4th place finish at GESC: Thailand. During the group stage of the Minor Fnatic went undefeated with a 7-0 scoreline which involved a win against EG. They then proceeded to lose to VGJ.Storm, but after VGJ’s 2nd place finish at MDL it sheds a much better light on how well Fnatic actually did. EG on the other hand was also at GESC: Thailand and finished 3rd in the group going 5-2, their only losses to Fnatic and Team Secret. They lost to Keen Gaming, who then went on to beat Secret as well, so all things considered the match between the two of them should be close. Group A will most likely come down to a head to head between EG and Fnatic for second place, while VP comfortably takes first in the group.
Group B - TL, VG, Pain, OG
Two strong favourites and two challengers is how you could think of Group B; Team Liquid and Vici Gaming fighting for the top spot while Pain Gaming and OG battle for the scraps left over. Pain Gaming has looked much better after the addition of W33ha, and with TI qualifiers right around the corner these matches could be what separate them from other teams in the South American region. If they manage to make it out of this group the boost to their confidence may be all they need to not only make it to TI but also perform well there. OG on the other hand has been struggling for months and this may be their last chance to work out any issues before they face the qualifiers.
Vici Gaming is looking to cement their status as a TI8 invite with a finish in the top 4, but first they have to ensure that they can beat at least two out of the three teams in their group. A recent 3rd place finish at MDL on top of winning the DPL season 5 in China has marked them as one of the top teams in the region. Add to that LaNm’s creativity and the team could very well rival TL for first place in Group B.
Group C - Mineski, Newbee, OpTic, LFY
Perhaps the most even of the three groups is Group C with Mineski, Newbee, OpTic, and LFY. While normally one would say Mineski and Newbee are favored, Newbee’s recent performances have left more than just a little doubt in their ability to escape such a group. PPD’s OpTic Gaming won the StarLadder Minor a little over a month ago and may upset the TI7 runner-up. LFY has had a much harder run of things lately, placing 5th-8th in most qualifiers after coming dead last at the Bucharest Major. Due to that this group will likely become a three way race with Mineski having the edge over Newbee and OpTic.
Mineski has finished 5th/6th at back-to-back Major’s and although they have secured their TI invite will no doubt be looking to claw their way to a championship before the season ends and they begin to prepare for Vancouver. Jabz and Ninjaboogie are a support duo to be feared and while Iceiceice is always known for making crucial plays when the team is counting on him the support duo can be said to be the backbone of the team. It would not be surprise to see Mineski make a deep run at this Major with how the team has been performing as of late.
Current DPC rankings can be seen here
