TI8 Overview: TNC, Optic, VGJ.Storm, Invictus Gaming and Evil Geniuses
Image by evilgeniuses.gg
The last five teams of the International 2018 are all great in their own way. They are not the tournament's favorites and haven't accomplished enough throughout the year to get top8 in DPC, but the fact that they managed to qualify for the biggest tournament of the year means that they should be taken seriously.
The NA Trifecta
News of North America getting three qualifier slots for the International steered a lot of controversy in the community. One one hand, it is the region that didn't manage to get its team to the DPC top8. On the other—three teams that qualified for TI8 firmly took position nine through eleven in the rankings.
Optic Gaming
Optic Gaming was the most successful team of the bunch, but they only started showing results by the end of the season. Much like FlyToMoon/Winstrike was constantly blocked during the regional qualifiers for Major and Minor tournaments by Vega Squadron, Empire or Na'Vi, Optic sometimes struggled to go through Complexity and VGJ.Storm.
Once in LAN environment, however, team truly started to shine. Perhaps it was PPD leadership, perhaps the squad finally glued together by the end of the season, but since April Optic Gaming managed to win StarLadder and ImbaTV Season 5 minor, place second in the Birmingham Major and take respectable fifth place in China Supermajor. That wasn't enough to get to top8 in DPC, but the difference between them and VGJ.Thunder was less than 150 points. In fact, many believe that Optic is a stronger team, at least at this point in time.
Their qualifier run didn't showcase their prowess and was quite shaky at the start. They didn't manage to secure the first place during the round robin and even lost the first round of playoffs to Immortals. After that, however, they more or less breezed through both Complexity and Immortals on their way to TI.
VGJ.Storm
VGJ.Storm came out of nowhere and quickly started gaining momentum in April, when Resolut1on joined the squad. A tier 2 team at best before the transfer, it suddenly emerged in the professional scene as one of the strongest teams in the NA region, winning GESC: Thailand minor and placing second in MDL Changsha.
There is a reason why the CIS superstar is considered to be one of the best carries in the world, but personal skill is definitely not enough for the team to be successful, as was proved by OG throughout the year. In VGJ.Storm Resolut1on found a new home among the underappreciated players and time will tell whether he will be able to repeat the miracle runs of the last two years this TI as well.
Evil Geniuses
Evil Geniuses looks like the strongest team of the region, at least in theory. In fact, given their roster filled with TI and Major winners, it looks like one of the strongest teams of the tournament. However the Dota history is filled with teams that look incredibly well on paper, but don't manage to live up to the hype in practice.
The only victory the new squad of Evil Geniuses managed to get in China Supermajor was against Team Spirit and even that didn't go smoothly. They were quickly eliminated by Optic Gaming in the next round, placing almost dead last in the tournament. Their qualifiers run wasn't particularly impressive either, with a shaky group stage and two bo3 victories against Complexity and Immortals on their way to TI—hardly the toughest of opponents.
This squad has slightly over a month to get into a working condition, otherwise they will be crushed by most teams in the tournament. Good news is that they can absolutely do it—Evil Geniuses is filled with incredibly talented players on all core positions and the only problem to solve is how to make these three absolutely incredible players work as an actual team.
Invictus Gaming
IG was incredibly quiet this season. For a roster that was finalized in February of 2018 to have absolutely no DPC points is concerning, as is their run in the qualifiers. Naturally, no one can deny the fact that the Chinese professional scene is probably the most competitive of all the regions: there is a reason there are four Chinese teams in the top8 of DPC rankings. But keep in mind that it was also the region with higher than average amount of direct invites and qualifier slots for Major and Minor tournaments.
No one knows for sure how IG are going to do in the International this year. Q and Agressif are no strangers to surprising the crowd and perhaps they will be able to achieve the same results as they did in TI5, especially now that they have a very promising young mid player Xxs on their team and one of the most entertaining and effective position four supports in the game—Boboka. Or perhaps this team will crumble under pressure and will show the same results as they did throughout the year.
TNC Predator
For two years this squad was captained by a NA legionnaire. Experience and discipline brought by the introduction of an outsider definitely worked in favor of TNC themselves and the region as a whole and this time around they are prepared to go to TI with an all-Filipino squad.
Throughout the season TNC predator was consistently blocked by either Mineski or Fnatic in their regional qualifiers and it was not until after Mineski started getting direct invites that TNC managed to show off how good they can actually be. They are no favorites, but they are solidly in the Tier 1 category of teams, with top8 placements in PGL Bucharest, DAC 2018, MDL Changsha and China Supermajor.
SEA region results in the International have been improving year after year and who knows, maybe in the East vs. West alternation of TI Champions, the East will not be represented by China this year.
lets see some artour cryposts
eg are never going to win anything with rtz in their team...they ruined a ti winning lineup to get him on board and it's been downhill for them ever since..the guy is living proof that pub stompers will not always transition well into the pro scene..miracle, ana being exceptions but rtz, arguably abed dont have what it takes at the pro level at least as far as replicating their pub form goes
Im eg fan and i dont believe they will win with rtz
I just hope EG will atleast make it to 5th or 6th
Well at least eg has rtz instead of fear. I wonder what if rtz swapped into utility place (like notail does). But one question. WHERE'S MY BOI PAIN GAMING AT? W33HA WILL GET THEM TROPHY BACK HOME (srsly, where are they)
Ma nibba sumail do it again
reso again kick eg from ti
did we forget about OG?
I mean .... EG needed 2 open qualifier and 3 NA slot to get here so....there is not that much to say.
Kinda sucks for buboka. He took a real hit when roamers started becoming less and less prominent
RTZ - 'get me out of this gaaaame'
what is that rtz hair
Need more photoshop
go OPTIC go ZAI go OPTIC go ZAI go OPTIC go ZAI go OPTIC go ZAI
back in 2k15 or 2k16 EG was either placed 3rd or 2nd and in 2k17......... I crying inside. And now things are looking good. I always support EG and that comes to TI prediction of which team will win. As I like EG but I don't think they gonna win not because of Arteezy.
really hope EG dont win. awful sportsmanship and integrity. just chasing money and the temporary glory of a championship at whatever cost. sad.
All suffering from pelvic anterior tilt I'm sure
Can't wait for Fnatic vs EG.
That EG picture... OG at the core 😂
"EG looks like the strongest team in the region"
>implying NA is strong
rtc gl hf.
They may be good at Dota but I bet none of these loser have ever been laid. ... by a woman.
Lol on the picture it looks like s4 is trying to get his biceps to look bigger to catch up on fly ! To be fair this dude is BUFF AS F
In a way, every team is strong.
How everything will be in practice - it is necessary to look.