Who had the biggest disappointment in the Winter Tour of the DPC 2023? We take a look at the teams who didn’t live up to expectations.
Although we have to wait a few more days until all of the regions “elect” their Major representatives, we already know the names of most teams that failed to live up to the expectations. Some couldn’t qualify for the Major, while others were relegated to Division II.
For better or worse, the balance of power in some regions is not the same as one year ago. We can see a lot of new players in the Division I 2023 DPC that performed way better than the old names we’re used to. Of course, we’re yet to see if they have what it takes to prove themselves on the big stage.
With that said, let’s go through all of the teams that failed to shine and see what the reason behind their poor results was. Remember to follow estnn.com for more information about the latest in the Dota 2 world.
Western Europe
The first and most interesting 2023 DPC Division I region that people were looking forward to was Western Europe. Literally, every team here had what it takes to be one of the Major attendees. However, some achieved dreadful results and failed to live up to expectations.
Team Secret
Team Secret is the first and most disappointing team in Western Europe. Despite reaching the final of The International 11, Puppey and the rest only defeated one team during Tour 1. Consequently, TS finished last in the Division and will have to participate in Division II for Tour 2.
One of the big reasons for Secret’s poor results is the removal of Nisha. Many people regard the Polish superstar as one of the best in the world, so Secret’s decision was, for the lack of a better word, strange. Despite adding BOOM to its roster, Secret failed to shine and will head to Division II.
Nigma Galaxy
The second big disappointment in Western Europe is Nigma Galaxy. Despite having the best roster on paper, Nigma has had many problems in the last couple of years. Even the addition of SumaiL and Ammar wasn’t enough for the team to shine, so it lost multiple series.
In fact, most of us expected NGX to finish next to Team Secret. However, TI 7 winners stepped up their game in the last week and won 2 invaluable series. Thanks to them, Nigma Galaxy kept its place in Division I for the upcoming Tour 2.
This roster has enough firepower to defeat everyone, so we just have to wait and see if it will be able to show its prowess.
Eastern Europe
Since VP experienced their drastic roster change around 2 years ago, Eastern Europe has never been the same. Nowadays, there are several big names that stand out, but some of them couldn’t surprise their fans with a slot for the Major.
Natus Vincere
If there is one team in the 2023 EEU DPC Division I that has to make drastic changes ASAP, it is Natus Vincere. The Ukrainian squad had a glimmer of hope prior to the new DPC, but the roster changes it made weren’t for the better.
Now that the matches are over, Na’Vi finished with just one victory and is at the bottom of Division I. Consequently, laise and the rest will have to battle for their survival in Division II. Hopefully, the changes that are about to take place will make the team competitive again because Na’Vi is just a mere shadow of its former glory.
Virtus.Pro
When talking about disappointments and the 2023 DPC Division I in Eastern Europe, we have to address the elephant in the room. Virtus.Pro was the region’s most dominant squad and the only EEU team that could compete against the best in the west. However, this is no longer the case.
The squad experienced several big roster changes lately, but even they weren’t enough to put it back on the map. VP was close to securing a top 4 finish, but the team failed and finished 4th. Even though it won’t attend the upcoming Major, at least it will keep its Division I slot for Tour 2.
China
To be fair, most of the big names in China lived up to their fans’ expectations. For example, Team Aster qualified for the Major after week 2. The same applies to the likes of Knights and PSG.LGD.
In fact, the only team that might have disappointed its fans is Aster.Aeries. Although this was Aster’s second squad, Ulu and the rest have shown they have what it takes to win. The bad news is that the 2023 Chinese DPC Division I was didn’t start well for them, which explains why they’ve lost all of their matches during Weeks 1 and 2.
SEA
Oh boy, Southeast Asia is the Dota 2 region where “impossible is nothing”. People regard this as the most interesting Dota 2 region in the world for a reason, and Division I of the 2023 DPC proved it yet again. Some teams, such as Execration and Geek Slate, exceeded expectations, whereas others failed to shine.
Fnatic
There is no arguing that Fnatic deserves to be on the list regarding the biggest disappointments of the 2023 DPC. Despite being the favorite, Gabbi and the rest lost pretty much all of the series they should’ve won. Following the end of the action in Division I, Fnatic only had one victory, which means the team was last. Sadly, it will head over to Division II.
BOOM Esports
In addition to Fnatic, SEA had another powerhouse that people expected to dominate and have no problems. However, similar to Gabbi’s squad, Yopaj and his team didn’t live up to the expectations.
After the end of Division I, BOOM Esports only won 2 series and couldn’t even get to the Tiebreakers. As a result, the squad finished 7th, which means it will “help” Fnatic in the SEA 2023 DPC Division II.
North America
Most Dota 2 fans consider North America to be the least interesting region in the last couple of years, and it is for a reason. EG”s ex roster and TSM had no problems, and both qualified for the Major. However, there is one team that disappointed its fans, and that’s nouns.
Nouns is a squad that consists of some of the best North American players. Despite that, the team lost 2 series vs TSM and Shopify Rebellion, which didn’t allow it to secure a top 2 finish. North America only has 2 Major slots for the DPC, which means that the competition is fierce.
South America
Although South America was the least interesting region to watch a few years ago, this is no longer the case. The likes of BC, TA, and now EG make the region way more intriguing. Sadly, not all of the top teams lived up to their fans’ expectations.
Thunder Awaken
Despite the fact that TA was the leading South American team in 2022, Alone and the rest couldn’t secure a slot for the Major. The roster had a pretty good start in the SA 2023 DPC Division I, but it wasn’t enough.
Following the few wins, TA lost multiple matches, which is why the team finished 5th. Even though it won’t head to Division II, Thunder Awaken won’t attend the Major either, which is definitely disappointing.
Infamous
Speaking of disappointments, we have to mention Infamous, one of the big names in South America from a few years ago. Once one of the best in the region, the team finished last in Division I and will have to head over to Division II.
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