What was memorable in the group stage of DreamLeague Season 13 for us?

The teams, which have pleased us with their performance

Natus Vincere

NAVI exceeded the expectations of many viewers without doubts and the team’s success might not stop on this. Natus Vincere got in Group D together with such opponents as Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, and paiN Gaming. NAVI had to fight the strongest of them, namely, EG and Team Liquid. Crystallize with his teammates list the first map in the match with the first ones but managed to rehabilitate and won the rest two, after which they beat Team Liquid with a score of 2-0 in the winner’s match. In the upper bracket, Natus Vincere will need to fight Alliance and let’s be honest — this option is probably one of the best of what could be chosen. Nigma, Vici Gaming, Secret, Fnatic, and other participants of the upper bracket look way more dangerous than the Europeans from Alliance but the last ones might make some problems to Natus Vincere. Finally, we have the situation, in which NAVI looks like one of the contenders to enter the top 6 and if there are lucky circumstances, even the top 4 of the tournament.

Fnatic, Alliance, Evil Geniuses

Regarding the advancement of Nigma, Secret, Invictus Gaming, and Vici Gaming to the upper bracket, there were no questions and it was pretty predictable but if we talk about Fnatic, Alliance, and Evil geniuses, there was an intrigue till the very end. Fnatic had serious opponents in the face of Nigma and TNC in Group A, Alliance had to face the power of Invictus and VP, and EG could simply lose to Team Liquid. Despite all possible difficulties, with which all the above-mentioned teams faced, the teams placed second in their groups after all and advanced to the upper bracket of the playoffs.

The main disappointments

TNC Predator

After the Asian team on the first Major, it was consequently to expect that the players would not do as well as they would like to at the second Major championship. Despite this, the only won map in the group stage is worse than what fans of TNC and the rest of Dota viewers were expecting to see. It is possible that TNC Predator will be playing way better in the playoffs and will not be eliminated in the first round but now, everything reflects the opposite. They will have to fight Reality Rift and in the last personal match between TNC and RR, the victory was achieved by the last ones. If TNC don’t focus, DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major might become the exact opposite of the first Major.

Virtus.pro

Solo gave an interview in a few days before the start of DreamLeague Season 13, in which he shared expectations from the championship. Alexey Berezin told that Virtus.pro had not been prepared for both ESL and Pro Invitational Singapore. According to him, the team was preparing hard for the Major and DreamLeague Season 13 would be “a real test for their team”.

Considering what we have seen, the team hasn’t passed the test. Virtus.pro got in Group B where, besides them, there were Invictus Gaming, Alliance, and Reality Rift. Many called these four the group with the weakest roster of participants but this didn’t help Solo and his teammates. Virtus.pro showed a tough struggle on the first map in the first match against Alliance and a more pointless play on the second one. Things went in a similar scenario in the battle with Reality Rift. The first map was over in 61 minutes in the favor of RR after its beginning and it took 20 minutes less for the opponents of VP to prevail on the second one.

Now, Virtus.pro is one step away from being eliminated from the championship one of the first. They will face Team Liquid in the lower bracket. There are chances to win of course but, considering what we have seen in the group stage, Liquid have way more chances.

The conclusion

It’s not worth to forget that the group stage didn’t punish the participants, which showed weak performance. The initial stage has just determined the seeding of participants in the upper and lower bracket. So it may be a mistake to relate to the first results seriously and the situation might globally change after the first matches.

DreamLeague Season 13: The Leipzig Major started on January 18 and will be over on January 26. The second Major of the season 2019/2020 is taking place in Leipzig, Germany. Leipziger Messe has become a venue and the overall prize pool traditionally amounts $1,000,000 and 15,000 Dota Pro Circuit points. The winner will earn the main reward of $300,000 and 4,850 rating points. These points will be enough to guarantee a slot in The International 2020, which will be hosted in Stockholm, Sweden.