Execration secures Lima Major, Fnatic fall to Division II
Photo from Execration
Filipino Dota 2 team Execration continues to dominate the Southeast Asia Dota Pro Circuit Division I ranks to secure a spot in the Lima Major this coming February. Meanwhile, regional giants Fnatic will be relegated to Division II in the next Tour following a sixth consecutive series loss.
✅ BTS Pro Series 13 SEA Champion
✅ The Lima Major SEA RepresentativeFeels good man since we finalize our roster! #EXESHOT
FEATURED STORIES— Execration (@ExecrationGG) January 25, 2023
Heart of the underdog
Execration had quite a run before they started dominating the SEA DPC Winter Tour leaderboard. A series of close finishes that culminated in a well-deserved championship win molded the team to its peak form just in time for the DPC.
After failing to qualify for The International 11, the Execration focused its energy on the Asia Pacific Predator League 2022 held in Japan last November. The team fell to the lower bracket on the first day after a loss to fellow Filipino team TNC Predator. However, the team managed to dominate the lower bracket, with the final win against Filipino team GrindSky Esports securing their grand final spot. Unfortunately, they suffered a reverse sweep against Cebuano team Polaris Esports and settled for a runner-up finish.
Execration had a stellar performance in the Beyond The Summit 13: Southeast Asian leg. The team powered through the lower bracket despite a lackluster group stage performance, seeing themselves in the grand final in no time. The team then went to fight Geek Fam in a nail-biting five-game championship, nabbing the title after winning two straight games against the opposition.
We are your @BTSdota Pro Series 13 SEA Champions!
8 Games Straight! #ExeShot #ComebackKings #LowerBracketKings pic.twitter.com/gnfSAE3gof— Execration (@ExecrationGG) December 10, 2022
The momentum of the Beyond The Summit win carried over to the DPC, as Execration continues to stay at the summit of Division I, their near-perfect record only stained by Geek Slate.
Fall from grace
Southeast Asian Dota 2 giant Fnatic will fall to the SEA DPC Division II after a disappointing set of performances at the start of 2023. Team Director Pao Bago tweets about their fate and the team’s plans moving forward.
And with that we are mathematically out of Div 1 for Spring.
Sorry for the fans and supporters we let down.
We'll be going deep into the tank to fix the issues. The road to TI is long and tough.
— Pao Bago (@killthemage) January 25, 2023
Fnatic had a bitter run leading up to the DPC, failing to secure top 3 finishes in recent tournaments. Despite making it to The International 11 through DPC points, the team exited on the first day of the playoffs.
The team had a better run in the Beyond The Summit 13: SEA leg, securing an upper bracket playoffs start. However, they fell to a sweep by Army Geniuses on the first day, sinking them to the lower bracket. Fnatic managed to cling on by beating Lilgun 2-1, but Execration still swept them out of the tournament.
Fnatic is on a dismal run in the current DPC season. They are facing a 0-6 series record, with a total of only four game wins and a whopping twelve losses. The team will face top-runner Talon Esports tomorrow, January 27. The team is already on its way down to Division II, and the match against Talon is inconsequential to Fnatic’s current streak. Tomorrow’s match will either be an additional nail in the coffin or the bedding to soften their descent to the proverbial grave.
Filipino domination
The first tour of DPC 2023 had Filipinos dominate the board, with Execration leading the way towards the Lima Major. Blacklist International has also shown a promising career start. A final match between Geek Slate and Blacklist Rivalry will be played on January 30. The match will decide Blacklist Rivalry’s chances of representing the region in the Lima Major. The games start streaming at 1PM PHT on Twitch.
via Liquipedia
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