Team Aster are still undisputed, period.
Only two games and no series lost in Dota Pro Circuit 2023 (DPC 2023), with five wins out of seven series; Aster can now kick back and relax as their Major slot is guaranteed.
Pre-event expectations shattered by Team Aster
Frankly, Aster was the least any Chinese Dota 2 fan would anticipate coming out the strongest in DPC 2023. Since Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang, deemed the golden boy of Aster, retired from competitive Dota 2, and many fans assumed Aster would need some time before regaining their standing as a powerhouse.
Yet, Aster surpassed everyone’s expectations with their latest mid-player, Zhai “Xwy” Jingkai. Historically, Xwy has hopped from one team to another, never really gaining too much attention except in Keen Gaming’s International 9 (TI9) debut. Regardless, the confident showcase that Aster showcased at DPC 2023 is a testament to Xwy’s potential in an optimal team.
DPC 2023 China Recap
The new candidate of DPC 2023 CN Division 1, The Knights, is a stack of Chinese and Malaysian talents. They managed to snatch the series off PSG.LGD and Xtreme Gaming, are considered seasoned teams in this bracket. Aster evidently had a rough time with the Knights but eventually pulled off a close 2-1 victory.
Besides the first series vs Knights, Aster had no trouble sweeping the series off other opponents, such as Xtreme, EHOME, Dawn Gaming, and Aster.Aries. Perhaps what made Aster’s line-up so effective is Xwy’s inert hero choices, comprising of initiators that snowball well in the midgame. Ember Spirit and Templar Assassin are signature picks, but Xwy is relatively comfortable with other strong lane dominators, such as Broodmother. Once again, this highlights Xwy’s versatile hero pool.
We see that this indirectly gives Aster players a better time across the board, which is always key to ensuring late-game success.
Team Aster against the world at Lima Major
Looking forward to the Lima Major, Aster has a lot to consider as competition threats at the Lima Major. For one, the era of prominent Chinese powerhouses is over since the Western European teams dominated TI11 last year.
Aster themselves were in fourth place, after losing to Team Liquid’s unorthodox Night Stalker carry pick. If we take a quick glimpse at DPC 2023 WEU region, it’s already chaotic as we see Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators take the top spots while Team Secret, the TI11 runner-up struggles to win.
Additionally, the South American scene also has its own line-up of notable candidates, such as Evil Geniuses and beastcoast. Which consists of the promising South American talents that triumph at TI11.
Nevertheless, Aster deserves a pat on the back, for being the first team guaranteed for the Lima Major 2023. Their DPC 2023 journey isn’t ending just yet as they have a highly anticipated matches versus a long-time rival, PSG.LGD and a returning Major champ, Invictus Gaming.
About Post Author
