The first day of the group stages of the premier tournament, The International 6, saw two groups clash for the first time. The matches set the tone for the next few weeks, showing that teams with an early lead won't have to worry about wins later, while those who struggle will be in a constant uphill battle.
In Group A, OG was the top of its game, putting up a 2-0 against Alliance and going even with Evil Geniuses and LGD Gaming. The former North American powerhouse Evil Geniuses had easily the best performance of the first day, tieing OG and LGD for the top spot in Group A with a 4-2 record. Though there were concerns about EG's potential coming into TI6, the team has made a statement today: the former champs are back in full form.
Trailing behind in the second three-way tie were TNC Gaming, Wings Gaming and Alliance. Though TNC lost 0-2 to Alliance, a 2-0 sweep of Wings and 1-1 trade with Na'Vi surprised many, keeping the SEA qualifiers in the winner's side of the group for a day. Natus Vincere had a tough 2-4 showing, and Escape Gaming rounded out the bottom of Group A, only managing a single win against Na'Vi.
Group B didn't disappoint in exciting matches either, with plenty of surprises in the first two sets of matches played. At the top were Newbee, Digital Chaos, Team Secret and EHOME. Alongside the Chinese favorites for the group were two qualifier teams and a wild-card squad, and all four ended day one with 3-1 records.
Sitting just outside the winner's split in Group B are MVP Phoenix and Team Liquid, teams that both went even in games played. Liquid was expected to place higher and will need to make a comeback, while MVP showcased its typical aggression and will likely fight back hard in tomorrow's matches. The only teams to go winless today were Vici Gaming Reborn and Fnatic, who currently round out the bottom of Group B.