Dota 2: EPICENTER Major – Day 2 Recap

ESTNN's Veselin Ignatov walks fans through the second day of the Dota 2 EPICENTER Major in Moscow.

The EPICENTER Major Had A Crazy Day 2

EPICENTER, the last Major for this DPC season, kicked off yesterday. We saw some very interesting results which the vast majority of the viewers certainly did not expect. Having said that, it’s time to focus on the second day of this amazing tournament.

It’s important to note that this was also the last day of the Group Stage! The EPICENTER Major's Playoffs start tomorrow.

Group C

Alliances vs. Virtus Pro

GG's @theAllianceGG! We are advancing to the upper bracket of #epicenter Major! #GOGOVP #epicgg pic.twitter.com/IjQE66krH7

— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) June 23, 2019

The first two series in the third group were very interesting to watch simply because there was tons of epic action going on.

In the battle between Alliance and VP, the Swedish powerhouse started out dominant. In Game One, they were able to win all three lanes. This gave them a very comfortable advantage and they were able to seize the victory,

After dropping Game One, VP decided to pull a rabbit out of their hat by picking Meepo. Even though No[on]e played the hero very well, it was just not enough to stop the march of Alliance. In the end, Qoijva and co. got a well-deserved victory.

Vici Gaming vs FG

Vici Gaming’s job in this match was very hard because FG is a very tough opponent. The first game was a walk in the park for Vici, but things started to change in Game Two. Forward Gaming got an early advantage and used it to secure the victory. Sadly, they were unable to do the same in the decisive third game where Ori played an outstanding TA once again.

Winners’ Match – Alliance and Vici Gaming

Even though the Swedish squad did an amazing job against VP, Vici Gaming was just a little bit too much for them to handle. The Chinese team needed just 30 minutes in order to win the first game. This gave them the needed confidence in order to secure the win in this series.

With the moral advantage on their side, Ori and co. continued their domination in Game Two as well. Alliance tried to fight back but Vici was just too powerful to deal with. They definitely deserve their spot in the Upper Bracket.

Losers’ Match

Even though FG played decently, VP’s class showed its strength. Ramzess and his team-mates looked as if they learned their lesson against Alliance, especially in Game One. With just one game away from the LB, Forward Gaming had to do something to survive. They tried to pull off Yawar’s Naga and he played very well indeed, but VP was just the better team.

Forward Gaming will have to fight for their survival tomorrow in the LB.

Decider Match – Virtus Pro vs Alliance

After losing in the opening series, VP was eager to take revenge on their enemies. Not only did they do it, but they did it with style; they played an epic one hour game and a quick 20-minute team wipe.

Game One had a rollercoaster of action going on but, after several team fights went in VP’s favor, they took the win from Alliance

It’s very hard to recover after such a loss, which undoubtedly affected Alliance in the second game. Of course, VP took full advantage and quickly stomped their enemies, securing themselves the Upper Bracket.

Group D

LGD vs NIP

Thanks mr. tusk king pic.twitter.com/JKAdWeBRYA

— LGD Gaming (@LGDgaming) June 23, 2019

The group of death definitely deserved its name after fans witnessed some of the most interesting series of the day.

LGD vs NIP was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated encounters in this group. We saw a thriller of three games with tons of back-and-forth action, rapiers, and more. However, at the end of the day, the European team managed to prevail with a 2-1 score after an amazing third game. PPD’s team has come a long way since the beginning of this DPC season.

OG vs TNC

Unfortunately for the TI 8 champion, OG, their star player Notail was unable to play today. According to the official statement, he is having some health issues so Sockshka will try to fill in his role. His absence unquestionably affected OG’s gameplay as they lost their opening series against TNC.

Ana and Co. had some glimmers of hope after Game One, but it was not enough to pull off the comeback.

Winner’s Match NiP vs TNC

NiP tried to continue to impress after another amazing series against TNC. PPD and his team-mates picked a classic in-your-face lineup in the first game. On the contrary, the SEA team tried to emphasize more on the late-game. Fortunately for them, the game ended up to be over one hour. That game length gave them more than enough time to utilize the full potential of their lineup.

With just one game away from winning, TNC went all in with one of the strongest heroes in the current patch – Alchemist. Even though it was definitely not a walk in the park for them, the SEA team managed to hold on to the victory and the Upper Bracket.

Losers’ Match – OG vs LGD

OG’s run of losses continued in their second series of the day. However, this time their opponent was also stronger, which made it even worse. After having little to no trouble in Game One, LGD continued their rampage in the second game of the series. OG was down 10k gold just 16 minutes in, and it made life very hard for the TI 8 champs. Despite the fact that they tried bouncing back, OG was totally outclassed here as LDG took the win.

Hopefully, OG will perform better once Notail is back.

Decider Match – LGD vs NIP

The last series of the day was between two of the strongest teams in this event: LGD and NiP. PPD and NiP had a very solid start to the day even though they were unable to defeat TNC. Having said that, they had to face LGD yet again despite after defeating them earlier. However, this time the situation was a little bit different.

LGD was not joking around in Game One and picked some of their most comfortable heroes. Despite the fact that the game was very close, the Chinese just had a better draft. This was one of the main reasons for their success here.

PSG.LGD had a very solid start in Game Two but this time, NiP played much more cautiously. They were able to take advantage of several bad calls from the Chinese, which gave them a lead. Most importantly, however, Fata’s Ember Spirit completely snowballed out of control and pretty much carried NiP team to victory.

A third game between these two was one of the best ways to end this epic day. Even though NiP won the previous game, LGD did not show any sign of weakness as they ripped through their enemies. After gaining a significant advantage, the Chinese were too far ahead to be caught and the GG was called.

EPICENTER continues tomorrow with the first games from the playoffs.

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Image VIA: EPICENTER