Will team Nigma win their first tournament? Will it be another win for Asian Dota 2 scene? Will there be more fiftEE/fiftEE on the big stage? Here is a short overview of all the competing teams and what to expect from WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020
Running from Jan 9th to Jan 12th, Bukovel Minor kicks off its group stage tomorrow. Eight teams will be competing for a $300,000 USD prize pool and a slot at the Leipzig Major later this month.
Played in Bukovel, Ukraine, expect to see a loud and passionate crowd from the CIS region. This is also the first Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) tournament on the new 7.23 patch with major updates to the game. Look out for bloody fights around outposts and game-changing neutral drops.
As for the format, the teams are divided into two GSL style groups with the top two teams from each group advancing to the playoffs while the bottom two are eliminated. The playoffs will be an all Bo3 double elimination bracket with a Bo5 grand Final. The groups are as follows:
Table of Contents
Group A
Group A will potentially be a heavily contested group, as all the teams look like they can come out on top.
Royal Never Give Up (RNG)
After finishing 7th-8th place at The International 2019, RNG saw 2 changes, with LaNm moving on to coach Keen Gaming, replaced by dogf1ghts, and veteran Fenrir taking the place of ah fu to complete the new support duo. The roster participated in two tournaments afterwards, taking second place at the Yabo Supreme Cup.
GeekFam
Looking to improve their placement from the last Minor, GeekFam will also be participating with a new mid player – Karl – who will have his first tournament on foreign soil.
Ninja in Pyjamas (NiP)
Also participating with a new mid player is NiP. Helmed by world champion captain ppd, the team have been struggling to make a name for themselves in recent years, unlike their counterpart in CSGO. They will also be looking forward to changing that this year.
Team Spirit
The team came close to qualifying for The Leipzig Major, losing 0-2 to Na`vi on the lower bracket final. Despite their loss, the team shows a lot of promise and will be looking for a revenge match again RNG, who beat them 2-0 in the Yabo Supreme Cup.
Group B
Team Nigma looks prime to take group B top spot. The remaining playoffs spot is a fight between the other three teams with slight favor towards Gambit.
Nigma
Clear favorite of the tournament, Kuroky and co. are eager to bag their first title under the new organization. With w33 and Miracle- switching their roles in last few matches, they will have to figure this out and solidify their play style.
Gambit Esports
Playing on familiar soil and knowing the local fans will be cheering for you is a best-case scenario. Coming second and third in two of the last three tournaments they participated in, Gambit will look forward to clinching their first big win.
Fighting Pandas
Coming in first place in a lot of Qualifiers but crumbling in all of them, Fighting Pandas will have to change that in this tournament before becoming another EternaLEnVy laughing stock. Expect flashy and mind-blowing plays from the legend himself.
Furia Esports
First major tournament for the South American team. This is a good chance for Furia to take in some of the experiences, getting to play big names in the Dota2 scene. South American teams are famous for their unpredictability. Furia can take a few games if they can play that to their advantage.
Which team do you think will win Bukovel Minor? Leave your comments below and be sure to catch all the action on Weplay channel.
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