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Dota 2: DreamLeague Major Day 8 Recap

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Dota 2: DreamLeague Major Day 8 Recap

Slowly but steadily DreamLeague Season 11 Major is coming to its end. Following today's results, two more teams had to pack their suitcases and head home after two incredible series in the Upper Bracket of the Main Event. Let’s take a look at what happened. If you missed any of the games from the previous days, make sure to check out our highlights from the previous days.

PSG.LGD vs. Vici Gaming

Game One

The first and more anticipated series of the day was between the two best Chinese teams right now. Both PSG.LGD and Vici Gaming have been nearly flawless so far. Vici Gaming has been on the rise recently after their dominant performance at the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor.

In game one, LGD decided to stick with a classic Magnus + Phantom Assassin combo. The simple yet super effective setup has proven many times to very successful, and this game was no exception.

Vici Gaming’s plan with their Morphling just did not work because of LGD’s unorthodox mid-lane AA. The hero is a huge problem when he gets an advantage. With a better draft, Ame and his team-mates needed just 38 minutes to secure their victory.

Game Two

Facing thе lower bracket, Vici Gaming went into game two with only one goal – to win. Paparazzi’s Terrorblade was on top of his game again as he ripped through LGD’s lineup. The TI-runner up tried to defend their high ground, but their attempt was unsuccessful. Vici gaming was able to deliver their knockout punch and pushed the incredible series into game 3.

Vici Gaming chose a somewhat “buggy” lineup in game three involving Weaver, Nyx, and Broodmother. This was by far the most one-sided game of the entire series. LGD had no way to counter Vici even though they tried several different approaches to the team fights.

Ori and Co. needed less than half an hour to secure their victory and send PSG.LGD to the Lower Bracket. Following their victory, Vici became the first team to ensure a top 3 finish at the Major.

As for LGD, they will have to fight for their survival against Virtus.Pro in the Lower Bracket tomorrow.

Fnatic vs. Keen Gaming

The second series of the game was between another Chinese team and the SEA powerhouse – Fnatic.

Game One

Fnatic took no chances in game one and decided to pick the signature Timbersaw for iceiceice. He decided to build the very popular Rod of Atos which is very strong, especially vs. KG’s Puck. On the other hand, seeing the heavy-push based lineup of the SEA team, Keen Gaming got themselves a lot of lane pushers in order to make enough space for their Troll Warlord to shine.

The game was equal for the first 10 minutes as neither team was able to get an advantage. However, the SEA team was able to take a terrific fight near KG’s top shrine that gave them the needed lead. Slowly but steadily, they pushed that lead even further ahead of their enemies. The Chinese Troll went for a Batterfury as his first item, which was definitely a bad choice.

Having full control of the game, Fnatic was able to take the next couple fights with no casualties. This led to a double lane of rax, something that Keen Gaming had no answer to. Just 30 minutes in, game one went in favor of triple Ice and Co.

Game Two

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. At least that’s what Fnatic was thinking. Game two began with another iceiceice Timbersaw and MP Juggernaut that had an excellent game one. However, the MVP for the SEA team was Abed and his Puck. He completely demolished KG’s mid laner and continued to cause chaos throughout the entire game with his pinpoint silences.

Keen Gaming, on the other hand, seemed to have learned their lesson and this time they got OD and Weaver, two heroes that could potentially carry the game. Their utilization of those heroes, though, did not live up to expectation.

Fnatic pretty much grabbed the lead since the start, even though there was a lot of back-and-forth action going all around the map. One of the most exciting team fights happened around the 25th minutes. This was the first significant win for Fnatic that gave them a slight edge over their enemies.

As the game went on, Fnatic’s lead grew bigger and bigger. Keen Gaming tried to mitigate the magical damage from their enemies by building BKBs on all of their cores. Despite that, they were just unable to put up a challenge. 44 minutes in, the GG call was out.

Conclusion

Fnatic continues further in the event and guarantees themselves a top 3 finish at this Major. Their next opponent in the Upper Bracket final will be Vici Gaming. The winner goes to the Grand Final, so make sure to watch the epic fight tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also the day where three more teams will be heading home from the Lower Bracket. Secret will be facing KG, whereas PSG.LGD will go toe-to-toe with Virtus.Pro in one of the most interesting games of the event yet.

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Dota 2: DreamLeague Major Day 8 Recap
Zlosterr
Zlosterr has been a fan of esports for many years and mainly focuses on Dota 2. He has more than five years of experience writing Dota 2 content for numerous platforms. Besides being a passionate fan of the game, he's also played for various amateur teams.