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Dota 2: MDL Chengdu Major – The Final Day

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Dota 2: MDL Chengdu Major – The Final Day

The first Dota 2 Major of the season – MDL Chengdu in a wrap, we look at how the finals played out.

After a week full of fantasy series, clutch moments and epic surprises, it's finally time to say goodbye to the first Major of the 2019-2020 DPC season. Although the absolute best teams in the world took a break, it was still a joy to watch.

Let's take a look at what happened on the last day of the MDL Chengdu Major.

TNC Predator vs Invictus Gaming

The first series of the day was the Lower Bracket finals between TNC and Invictus Gaming. Both of these teams played phenomenally so far but as expected, the SEA powerhouse was just a little bit better compared to their enemies.

At this point, every single team knows how to play in this patch and which heroes to pick. That's why it was no surprise that TNC went for the classic Morph + ES combo. On the other hand, the Summit 11 Minor Champions stuck with what they enjoy the most. As a result, game one of this series lasted just 30 minutes. Having little to no challenge, TNC ripped through the competition and was only one game away from the Grand Final.

With just one game away from elimination, the Chinese completely changed their draft. This time, they've picked Morphling for themselves in an attempt to take down TNC. However, this was not the case.

Similar to game one, the SEA powerhouse absolutely “slapped” iG. They got themselves an excellent start that allowed their core heroes to snowball out of control. Having no way to hold their ground, Invictus Gaming had no other choice but to GG 32 minutes in, sending TNC to the Grand Final.

Although the Summit 11 Champs did not make it to the end, they've clearly sent a message that they are back. It will be very interesting to see what will happen to them in the next DPC events.

The Grand Final – Vici vs TNC

Undoubtedly the two best teams in this tournament had to go head to head yet again. This was a rematch between the two powerhouses after they've met in the Upper Bracket Finals, where Vici Gaming sent TNC to the LB. Luckily, the ESL One Hamburg Champions managed to take sweet revenge.

Game one

The first game was relatively calm when it comes down to the risky plays. Of course, this was expected because neither team wanted to take unnecessary risks.

Things were going well for the Chinese until TNC got the lead. Once they were in the driving train, the SEA powerhouse gathered as five and slowly but steadily suffocated their enemies. Vici Gaming had absolutely no chance to do anything and decided to focus on the second game of the series.

Game two

 

TNC continued its dominance in game two as well. Even though they looked kind of puzzled early on, the SEA powerhouse absolutely ripped through their enemies like a knife through butter. It seems like the Morphling + ES combo is just too strong to deal with, even though Vici tried to do so.

The Chinese put their eggs into the Magnus and PA basket but even they were not able to keep up with TNC's Morhpling. Game two went in favor of Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte and his teammates.

Game three

With just one game away from the trophy, TNC decided to play some of their most comfortable heroes in the face of Armel Paul “Armel” Tabios's Alchemist. Although he had a pretty solid start, Vici's draft was solid against him. They continually pressured the talented player from the Philipines and didn't allow him to get too much of an advantage. To make matters worse for TNC, Gabbi's Ursa also didn't have the time of his life.

There was a glimmer of hope for the SEA team after getting a few kills but the moment only lasted so long. As soon as Vici Gaming got their “main” items, their lead was too much for TNC to overcome.

Game four

For some reason, Vici Gaming decided to let TNC get the Morph and ES yet again. It seems like they had something planned because Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang got to play one of his best heroes – Templar Assassin. He won the mid lane by a long shot and secured a very fast Desolator, which resulted in an early Roshan.

When Gabbi got his Aghanim, he became very aggressive and continuously tried to find kills on the map. Nevertheless, Vici Gaming played very well and didn't allow the SEA powerhouse to get an advantage.

Despite having around 30k net worth advantage, the numbers did not reflect the real situation for Vici. After a series of close fights, TNC was able to get the lead and they delivered their knock-out punch.

The New Champions

As Johan “N0tail” Sundstein predicted, TNC won the MDL Chengdu Major. This is the first DPC tournament trophy for the SEA organization and it is definitely a clear sign that this team is going to be among the most significant threats for the big European powerhouses this season. TNC's Major title is the second one for the region after Mineski won DAC 2018.

Be sure to check our daily recaps if you missed any of the action from the previous days. Also, if you are hungry for more Dota 2, wait a couple of days because the qualifiers for the next DPC tournaments will begin.

 

Dota 2: MDL Chengdu Major – The Final Day
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.