After two intensive days of Dota 2 action, the dust is cleared for the playoffs for ESL One Manila. The final four teams, to the surprise of many, are Fnatic (FNC), Team Liquid (TL), Wings Gaming, and Team Empire.
Two of the direct invitees, Team Secret and EHOME, did not qualify out of the group stage. Both lineups were recently revamped and loaded with promise, but were placed in the same pool as the other and ultimately fell to the pressure. Despite the additions of world-class players like Daryl Koh "iceiceice" Pei Xiang and Lu "Fenrir" Chao (EHOME) and the combination of Artour "Arteezy" Babaev and Saahil "UNiVeRsE" Arora (Team Secret), the adjustment in strategy and acclimation of new talent looked to hinder synergy rather than enhance it.
The hightlight: Team Empire against Team Secret
This was the best series of the day. While Team Empire lacked the star power of Team Secret, it came in with the edge: taking the win in the first matchup on day one. The stakes were high with the winner advancing forward to the final day. In the end, both teams exchanged blows and showcased just how beautiful DOTA 2 could be played.
The first game was a battle between Team Secret's Jacky "EternaLEnVy" Mao's Clinkz and Roman "Ramzes666" Kushnarev's most-played hero, Gyrocopter. To gain the lead, EternaLEnVy's Clinkz, with the aid of Arteezy 's Invoker, picked off hero-after-hero while the rest of his team farmed and climbed the income ladder. Team Empire could only respond with forced fights around Gyrocopter until its pick-off heroes (Beastmaster and Batrider) picked up key items. By then, Team Secret mounted an incredible gold and experience lead and outmaneuvered the opposition with superior map control. If Team Empire went for a Roshan, Team Secret would trade with a barracks' push. If a solo pick-off was made, Team Secret split the map. Eventually, Team Secret snowballed its control into the set lead.
Team Empire's victories were a work of art, though -- perfectly-executed team fights, incredibly fast rotations, and a priority on at least one hero that showcased superior vision. While Team Secret took the first game in signature hit-and-run style, Team Empire crashed into its usually elusive opponent and took care of business. The highlights between game two and three were numerous, but they're all worth watching again and again; it's Dota 2 team fighting at its very best. Perhaps the best game of the day, game two of the series, was a battle of absolute perseverance, highlight Rubick plays from Team Empire, and the magnificent "wombo comboes."
All in all, Team Empire exited its series victory over Team Secret with contender status. This team is absolutely legitimate.
The other qualifiers
Fnatic (4-0, Group B)
The surprising and dominant team to emerge from Group B was Fnatic. It crushed through EHOME, but also ran through the stout Team Empire in a variety of ways, including late game play, constant early rotations and fights, and team fighting execution. The tape is out on Fnatic and it's around the star player, Zheng "Miduan" Yeik Nai. He gathered 52 kills, 12 deaths, and 49 assists over its four games with just two heroes (Invoker and Pugna). While the hero selection may seem limited, Miduan is versatile -- he's excellent with Templar Assassin, Puck, and even Batrider. And just like its middle-laner, Fnatic is not just an early-game snowball team. It can play a pushing strategy, late-game execution, rotation and pick-off, or just a straight individual skill game. They team is primed for a tournament victory.
Team Liquid (4-0, Group A)
The runner-up team from the last Major showed its usual razor-sharp play during day one. The playbook for this team is out: aggressive supports and two top-heavy cores. Their strength could also be considered a weakness; shut down one of their cores and the rest of the lineup crumbles too quickly to recover. It's good news for Team Liquid fans that both Adrian "FATA-" Trinks and Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen are incredibly consistent and rank amongst the top-half of damage-dealers and net worth in each game. Group A was a breeze for the powerhouse lineup with only one real game against Wings Gaming that truly posed as a threat. It could be considered the favorites with Team Secret out and for good reason.
Wings Gaming (4-4, Group A)
It was a tumultuous couple of days for Wings Gaming. It looked strong in their losses and flashed dominance throughout the event. When matched up against an execution-heavy team in Team Liquid, it fell only because of map control, but its defense, stalling ability, and overall resilience was admirable Team Liquid claimed six Aegis's. And against compLexity Gaming, it showcased incredible versatility in drafts. The team played snowball heroes like Slark and Queen of Pain and then switched it up to a core Venomancer and converted the offlaner into another carry player. If anything, Wings Gaming is everything that a dark horse defines as: unpredictable and the ability to take a game from any team.
Prediction
The bottom line for ESL One Manila is Team Liquid and the rest of the pack. It's the team with the most success in recent history and presents little reason to be bet against. It could be a tough road with all the opposition in scorching form, but this is the favorite and it'll prove it on finals day.