ESL One DOTA 2 Birmingham Major preview

uk dota 2 major 1

ESL will open the doors of the Arena Birmingham to DOTA 2 fans from across the world tomorrow (May 25th) for the ESL One Major – the first of its kind to be hosted in the United Kingdom.
Craig Robinson provides a quick preview of what to expect.
The group stages of the event began on Wednesday and will continue Thursday to determine the playoff teams. These games will be streamed with well-known British desk host Paul “Redeye” Chaloner.
On Friday, the Quarterfinals will kick off with teams yet to be determined, then on Saturday, the Semi-finals will begin with the Sunday hosting the finals of the ESL One Birmingham Major.
The teams will be competing for a prize pool of $1 million dollars, with qualification points for the International, so this is a major not to be missed.
 

Where to watch

Online viewers can watch the Major unfold from the group stages to the finals here on Facebook.
Alternatively, you can watch the DOTA 2 tournament unfold through Ginx Tv’s live coverage of the event.
The BBC has also partnered with ESL to broadcast the semi-final and final live matches from the UK’s first Dota 2 major.
 

Prize breakdown

  • 1st place: $500,000; 750 points
  • 2nd place: $200,000; 450 points
  • 3rd place: $100,000; 225 points
  • 4th place: $60,000; 75 points
  • 5th – 6th place: $34,000; 0 points
  • 7th – 9th place: $16,000; 0 points
  • 10th – 12th place: $8,000; 0 points

 

The Teams

Group A

Virtus Pro – Virtus Pro have already won ESL one Katowice and the Bucharest Major in the first half of 2018 and look to take their hat-trick in 2018. In their last tournament, the LGD-PSG squad took them out early and put them in a 4th-place finish. Let us see how the Eastern European squad handles Birmingham.
Fnatic – Your UK org with its international line-up arrived at the Major through the Southeast Asia Qualifier. They achieved 4th place in IEM Katowice and will hope to meet that standard at Birmingham, and perhaps go further to become one of the legends in Birmingham.
Evil Genius – Once one of the most dominant teams in DOTA 2, EG has taken a step back since their last 1st place victory at The Manila Masters over a year ago. Can EG experience a renaissance and take the major in Birmingham?
Team Spirit – Team Spirit is a young Russian/Ukrainian organisation with just as young of a roster. Team Spirit will look to demonstrate their DOTA prowess in the group stage against more iconic DOTA 2 teams.
 

Group B

PaiN Gaming – The only Latin American team to enter the major. These 4 Brazilians and Romanian are on the rise in the international community. They recently came 2nd in the WESG tournament in March, and places 7th-8th in the Epicenter LAN in April. Can they improve on their emerging feats?
Redbull OG – One of the dominant teams in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, their team is well experienced and able to throw a deadly punch towards their competitors. Can OG remerge as one of the deadly threats here in Birmingham and return to dominance on the international stage?
Vici Gaming – One of the Chinese powerhouses, Vici gaming have had a successful 2018 career, by earning 2nd place at Katowice and placing 3rd in the MDL Changsha Major. Vici gaming will want their revenge against Virtus Pro and remain one of the top three teams here in Birmingham.
Team Liquid – Your 2017 International champions, this team of international superstars have remained one of the kings of DOTA 2 since then with consistent top two finishes in DreamLeague, StarLadder and Epicenter, with another top four finishes in Bucharest. Team Liquid will remain one of the fan favourites throughout the tournament.
 

Group C

Mineski – One of the Asian powerhouses, Mineski have been making strong appearances throughout the Asian tournaments, with bouts against some of Europe’s best. Can they make improvements in their form and shine as one of the best in Birmingham?
Newbee – Another of the Chine behemoths, Newbee have had back to back dominations in Asia and have had amazing performances at the international majors. Their past two bouts have been against Liquid in the 2017 International, where they were defeated 3-0, and then got their revenge against Liquid at ESL One Genting back in January. C
Optic – The big-name team from the North American Qualifier. Optic hasn’t had the best run in 2018, as they have had low place finishes in the ESL One Katowice and the Bucharest major, but that is no reason to count them out. Although, they have become the kings of the online qualifiers and knows how to compete. Maybe this is their tournament for bringing out their best on a LAN setting?
LGD.Forever Young – LGD.FY has been quiet in recent months for international competition. They have had a successful Invitational in 2017 with a 3rd place finish against the dominant Team Liquid. On the other hand, their sister teams have been dominating other international tournaments, and the LGD brand will look to lift the Birmingham trophy this time around.
 
ENUK’s Craig Robinson will be at the Major on Friday so check back on ENUK for coverage

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments