Dota 2: ESL One Mumbai Recap

After a few days of some high-quality Dota 2, it is time to say goodbye to the first ESL event in India. There have been a lot of surprises in terms of results but the overall favorites were able to prevail as was expected. Let’s take a look at what happened after the group stage.

Playoffs

Upper Bracket

Na’Vi vs Keen Gaming

The first game in the Upper Bracket was between Keen Gaming and Na’Vi. Many people expected the Chinese to rip through their enemies but, in reality, the outcome was very different. The CIS team was able to dominate the Chinese squad.

Game One between the teams was a one-man show from Crystallize and his MK. Despite having the needed motivation, Na’Vi were unable to utilize their draft in the second game and the result was an even series. However, after overcoming over 10k gold lead, the CIS team was able to make a full comeback in game three and advance further to meet their next opponent.

Mineski versus Team Team: 2-0

In the second series, the SEA powerhouse had a fairly easy time against EE’s stack. In fact, TT admitted after the end of the series that their drafts were somewhat bad, which resulted in a quick 2-0 loss. This sent Team Team to the Lower Bracket.

Natus Vincere vs Mineski

The Upper Bracket final was definitely one of the most anticipated series of the event. In Game One, it looked like Mineski had been studying their enemies completely. They drafted a special lineup to counter Na’Vi’s strongest heroes. The CIS team tried everything that they could but, after 40 minutes of efforts, they had to call the GG.

Game Two was definitely the most exciting game in the event yet. A 70+ minute non-stop action-packed brawl that featured two rapiers and five Roshan kills. To make a long story short, Na’Vi were able to defend their high ground couple of times. Their stellar defense ended up completely shifting the balance of power.

Unlike the previous one, the third game was only 23 minutes long. Mineski was able to outmaneuver their enemies and Na’Vi had only two kills for the entire game.

Lower Bracket

The first teams that got eliminated from the tournament were Signify and compLexity Gaming. The Indian team was unable to deal with TNC Predator, whereas compLexity felt shortly to The Pango, despite securing themselves the first game in the series.

Team Team vs TNC

After losing to Mineski, EE’s squad also lost to TNC in the Lower Bracket. NA’s last hope got completely demolished in Game One as TNC gave their enemies no chances at all. Game Two was a little bit different because there were many heroes who had a lot of flashy spells and caused tons of trouble for each team. Team Team drafted an Enigma, but the first Black Hole appeared after the 40th-minute mark and it was a complete disaster. TNC’s Rubick was on point with his ultimate and he made the life of the NA squad a living hell.

Keen Gaming vs The Pango/TNC Predator/ Na’Vi

The Chinese team was able to take the series against The Pango, even though it was a lot harder than they expected. Definitely, the more interesting series for them was against TNC. Game One was very contested as neither team had that big of a lead over the other. However, after several successful team fights, KG’s patience finally paid off and they took Game One.

Nearly the same happened in Game two between these teams. Despite their efforts, the Chinese were just the better team that day, as TNC was unable to keep up with the massive lead and had no other choice but to call it in. The TNC loss sent Keen Gaming to the lower bracket final against Na’Vi.

Lower Bracket Final

Keen Gaming was eager to avenge themselves after Na`Vi sent them to the Lower Bracket. Fortunately for them, they were able to do so after sweeping the floor with a classic 2-0. Both of the games were very interesting to watch as there was tons of back and forth action going on. Na`Vi had a lot of moments where they had the opportunity could close out the series, but it seems like they are still lacking some communication and cohesion within the team.

At least one thing is certain – Na`Vi are slowly but steadily improving. The Ukranian squad has finished third at ESL One Mumbai and won themselves $35,000 USD. Hopefully, we will see them on the big stage very soon.

The Grand Final

🏆 CHAMPIONS 🏆 #ESLOne @keen_gamingcn pic.twitter.com/mqlOw7ApOu

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) April 21, 2019

Undoubtedly, the two top teams that performed the best had to fight each other in order to determine which one would get the big prize. Mineski has slayed teams left and right during this event, despite not being among the top favorites in attendance. Keen Gaming, on the other hand, was definitely one of the big favorites, even though they had to reach the Grand Finals through the Lower Bracket.

Game One was fairly easy for the Chinese as they were able to get full control of the game since the timer started ticking. On top of that, they had a Spectre to secure their late game. Mineski had some promising moments, but at the end of the day, it was just not enough and they dropped the first game.

With their backs against the wall, the SEA powerhouse tried to change their core heroes for the second game. This time they were able to get a slight advantage early on but as the game went on, KG took back the control and eventually forced the GG call.

Keen Take it all

Having the two games advantage, Keen Gaming went into Game Three with the sole purpose of winning the tournament. This time they needed around thirty minutes to deliver the knock-out punch and claim a sweet 3-0 victory.

The Chinese team took $135,000 and now they can focus on the upcoming MDL Disneyland Paris Major.

If there is one player who is thrilled on Mineski side, then it has to be Febby. He was voted as the MVP of the event and won a brand new Mercedes Benz!