The games of the Spring Tour regional leagues are over, and the road to the Berlin Major begins. Division 2 games are starting in a few days, as Major teams look to reset and secure visas. Plenty of players look towards getting their first LAN win and for a few their second or another Major trophy. Berlin brings the best teams across the world to compete for DPC points, securing another step towards TI12 come Autumn.
Lima Major champions, Gaimin Gladiators, return to defend their title against 17 other teams. Developments in the regional leagues make this major one to behold—it’s anybody’s game. These teams are not equal to each other, and some will triumph over others. Let’s take a look at three hopeful teams from different regions, and why they deserve your hurrahs.
Shopify Rebellion
With the long-time staples of North America, Tal “Fly” Aizik and the gang aim for gold in Berlin. Their Spring Tour results are similar to last season’s 2nd place finish under rival TSM. Shopify stands tall despite fierce competition from other regions. Lima Major saw them end in 4th place, losing to Talon Esports in a nail-biter. A team truly international, their hopes of winning the major is a long time coming.
Shopify’s roster always had an offlaner problem, and with Jonáš “SaberRLight-” Volek in the team, results are looking up. Apart from Jonas, this roster includes former players of Evil Geniuses before the org moved to SA. Their results prove to be better regardless of their sponsoring org. Yes, TSM might be at the top of the regional league but don’t mistake SR and their LAN experience. They are taking the fight to Berlin—Arm the Rebels.
Talon Esports
The lads over at Southeast Asia stand at the top of the league without dropping a series. Talon Esports continues to improve further with a 3rd place finish in the Winter league and major. Their mojo is in the trust they have in each other, and Lee “SunBhie” Jeong-Jae. After they departed from Fnatic, Jabz joined Talon as their offlaner, with SunBhie following days after. They look to replicate their first-place league finish at the major.
Out of the last season, Talon was unsure about their Lima Major tickets. Their fate came down to a tiebreaker against Blacklist International after regular games. With a decisive 2-0, Talon secured their major ticket, and the rest is history. Beating NA greats Shopify Rebellion netted them great respect, but it came short against Team Liquid. Will they improve their major placing in Berlin? Cheer Talon Esports on and watch them Soar Higher!
Beastcoast
None of the teams in SA have achieved great accolades, unlike Beastcoast. They have managed to top their regional league, edging out rival Evil Geniuses. While EG eliminated BC in an El Clásico on their home turf, don’t underestimate them. Beastcoast has shown time and time again that South American Dota is a shock factor personified. Many teams over the years tried to replicate their magic, but are unable to copy the beast.
Even with new additions to their 3-year roster, they are still hitting stride. Having new core players often takes time to acclimate to their new team, but not these guys. DarkMago and Sacred lived up to the expectations of fans in their respective roles. Coming into Berlin, BC needs to step up its game and show everyone the power of SA Dota. Cheer on Beastcoast, the all-timers of South America.
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Photo Credits: Images Belong to Dota 2 | Shopify Rebellion Twitter | Talon Esports Twitter | Beastcoast Twitter
