It’s a European team galore at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023, as all four WEU teams advanced into the Playoffs. In fact, the four teams, Gaimin Gladiators, Team Liquid, Tundra Esports and Team OG secured Upper Bracket slots too. On top of that, 9Pandas (former ex-Hellraisers) also booked a spot in deep into the competition.
With multiple promising candidates still up, the Berlin Major seems to be bagged for an EU team.
Source: @ESLDota2 | Twitter
Key Playoffs narratives at the Berlin Major 2023
First up, team OG with Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov and Kartik “Kitrak” Rathi as stand-in, are looking exceptionally strong throughout the event.
While it’s unlikely for MC or Kitrak to join OG after the Berlin Major, it’s still a sight for sore eyes, especially for MC fans. The rest of WEU representatives at Berlin Major are expectedly performing at the top of their game. Gaimin, Liquid and Tundra are no stranger to being formidable opponents, albeit Liquid had a slight hiccup against an unexpected challenger.
Furthermore, 9 Pandas seemingly outperformed themselves and was second only to Gaimin in their group.
They surpassed Shopify Rebellion and OG and already booked themselves a top 3 finish.
Underwhelming competition from China & Americas
One North American team that has strayed away from the limelight is Shopify Rebellion, that managed an Upper Bracket without getting too much attention. But, as per tradition, they ended up down in lower and eliminated by their regional counterparts, Evil Geniuses. EG managed to survive two rounds in the lower bracket and will have to face Talon and OG if they want to get a shot at the finals.
Lastly, the Chinese and Southeast Asian teams that advanced into playoffs were PSG.LGD in Upper Bracket and Team Aster, Xtreme Gaming, Talon Esports in Lower Bracket. Given the Chinese scene hasn’t been the most viable in the recent Dota Pro Circuit 2023 (DPC 2023) amidst a dying Esports scene and match-fixing concerns, having three teams in Playoffs is not that bad.
We already said our farewells to PSG and Xtreme, while Aster and Talon remain the least representatives for their respective regions.
Source: @ESLDota2 | Twitter
Berlin Major Playoffs Predictions
Gaimin, being the Lima Major champions are still favorites and top seed in all considerations. 9 Pandas are a tough rival to to predict, especially with the new Patch 7.33 release, and whoever wins that match should win the Major in my book.
Meanwhile, Tundra and OG are the European line of defense in the Lower bracket after EG/Talon and Aster/Liquid conclude their run.
We cant really take any historical performance by OG into account, given their roster transfers. Their duels are a coin-toss in every way imaginable. Tundra on the other hand, should easily advance versus either Aster or Liquid.
The ESL One Berlin Major 2023 is getting merrier by the match as we countdown towards the few remaining teams. With outstanding production quality and thrilling team stories, the Berlin Major is easily our favorite this season.
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