Dota 2: Overview Of All Teams At TI 9
| Tags: Dota 2
| Author Zlosterr
ESTNN's Veselin Ignatov takes fans through all the teams attending TI 9.
All of the Closed Qualifiers for the upcoming TI 9 are finally finished. Now that that is done and over with, we finally know the names of all the teams that will attend this year's International. What’s more, the current TI prize pool is sitting at around $29,000,000. This means it has more than enough time to get to $30M USD. That's absolutely mind-blowing.
With all of that out of the way, let’s take a look at all teams going to The International 2019.
TI 9 Direct Invites
Team Secret
Puppey and his teammates are the “winners” of this DPC season. In fact, they had one of the most solid performances in Dota 2’s history. That’s why many people consider this Team Secret roster to be one of the most dominant rosters ever.
Apart from winning various non-DPC events, the European powerhouse also won two Majors. Having said that, all of these positive results also mean that people expect a lot from them. We have yet to see if they will be able to withstand the pressure. After all, they were in a similar situation in 2015 and failed up to live to the expectations.
Virtus.Pro
Similar to Team Secret, Vitus.Pro is also among the most dominant teams this season. Despite that, the CIS powerhouse has had problems at TI before. One of their main issues is the fact that they tend to underestimate their enemies. This, plus their tendency of 322 plays, is definitely a recipe for a bad performance
Hopefully, they will resolve their issues for the upcoming TI 9. If they do, VP is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest favorites.
Vici Gaming
The Chinese Dota 2 scene is slowly but steadily returning to its former glory. That said, if we had to point to one team that leads the pack, it has to be Vici Gaming. Not only are they the top team from their region, but they, alongside PSG.LGD, are most likely the only team capable of battling the dominance of the western powerhouses.
Evil Geniuses
Evil Geniuses are the only North American squad that has a chance at the trophy in Shanghai. In fact, they were one of the most consistent teams throughout the DPC season. Despite that, though, theyfailed to take home first place at any tournments, which is worth pointing out.
Team Liquid
The TI 7 champions were in the spotlights recently after the controversy surrounding their roster. Team Liquid’s performance at the EPICENTER Major, however, was a clear sign that the change was for the better. They absolutely demolished their enemies all the way up to the Grand Final, where they finally lost against Vici Gaming.
PSG.LGD
Maybe and his teammates are the second Chinese team directly invited to TI 9. Similar to Vici, they maintained consistent performance throughout the season. However, they definitely stepped up their game once Maybe returned to their roster.
LGD are known for their explosive runs at big tournaments, which makes them one of the most dangerous enemies around.
Fnatic
Fnatic is the first SEA team which secured a direct invite for TI 9. They are among the best teams in Asia, even though their recent performance has been very questionable. Changing something in their playstyle might just be exactly what they need.
Ninjas in Pyjamas
NiP is one of the teams which improved more at every event they attended. In fact, during the last DPC events, they were more than capable of upsetting the plans of even the best teams in the world. Also, let’s not forget that their captain – PPD – is also a TI winner. These factors make Ninjas in Pyjamas a deadly foe.
TNC Predator
The second SEA team has been on fire in their last couple of games. That’s why many people, including Nahaz, think that they will finish in top 5 at TI 9.
OG
The current TI champs have risen from the dead after one of the worst seasons in their history. Lucky for them, Ana returned to the roster. His return had an immense effect on OG’s success. It will be very interesting to see if they can do the impossible two times in a row.
Alliance
Alliance, alongside NiP, are two of the most improved teams this season. Despite their improvements, they definitely need to step up their game if they want to have a chance in Shanghai.
Keen Gaming
The last directly invited Chinese team has been somewhat invisible for the last couple of months. They missed out on EPICENTER, which was definitely a big loss.
TI 9 Teams from the Qualifiers
North America – Forward Gaming
Yawar and co. have had a very shaky DPC season. While they have a very stable roster, they consistently failed to utilize their full potential. Finally, they showed some of their skills and won the NA qualifiers.
South AMerica – Infamous
Infamous has always been one of the best SA teams. What’s more, ever since Chaos EC switched their region, the dominance from Infamous is even more noticeable.
EU – Chaos EC
Speaking of the devil, MiSeRy and his teammates completely ripped through the competition. In fact, they are definitely one of the most interesting teams at TI 9.
CIS – Natus Vincere
Na`Vi, one of the most notable Dota 2 teams, is finally back where they belong. The TI 1 champ had to go through hell and back, but, in the end, their journey was successful.
SEA – Mineski
Mineski used to be one of the best SEA teams. After the numerous roster changes, however, they fell behind. Despite that, after the addition of Nikobaby, they won the Closed qualifier and secured a spot for TI 9.
China – Royal Never Give Up
Another amazing Chinese team was able to get a spot for TI by virtue of the closed qualifiers. RNGU can definitely upset the plans of even the biggest favorites in Shanghai.
Image VIA: Valve