It is crunch time, folks. The Pro 16 Dota 2 League is into the second half of the campaign and it really is make or break for a few of the sides.
The unbeaten White Rabbit Gaming, Sinister5, and Bravado Gaming seem to be untouchable at the moment, so it is down to the likes of Exdee Gaming, Epoch Esports, Energy eSports, and Aperture Gaming to really pile on the pressure.
Epoch Esports and Aperture Gaming can do just that this Sunday when they face Bravado Gaming and White Rabbit Gaming respectively, while Group 1 will be hoping for a massive favour from Goliath Gaming when they tackle Sinister5.
At the other end of the spectrum, Damage Control, New Text Document, and Divine//Sky Reborn are all still looking for their first wins of the campaign. Divine//Sky Reborn will fancy their chances against Clan-In-Progress in Group 2, but all eyes will be on Damage Control and New Text Document as they battle it out to avoid the wooden spoon.
Shoutcaster and tournament organiser, Devin Rigotti, says: “I’m actually a little sad to be this far into the competition.
“With just three Sundays left it feels as if it has flown by incredibly fast, but with that in mind, this is when every game becomes even more important as teams push for the final finish.”
READ: The South African DOTA Diary – Dealing with change
As has become custom, Devin runs us through the matches he is most looking forward to this Sunday:
– White Rabbit Gaming v Aperture Gaming
WilsonXXXL and Kaameel have a goodie on their hands. Although this may end up being a relatively one-sided match, this gives us a rare opportunity to see the best of the past take on the best of the present. APG Veterans are exactly that, some of the best players South Africa has ever seen and although we cannot expect them to play at the level they once did, it’s still going to be exciting to see the past take on the present. Who knows, perhaps they will even give WRG a scare?
– Nibble.Horde vs Energy eSports
As I have said in previous weeks, Nibble.Horde are a better team then they look like on the scoreboard. They have lost to WRG, Sin5, and now APG Veterans, but even the APG game wasn’t one sided. So although they boast only one win, it’s a team that Energy would likely take seriously to avoid potential upset. Energy should win, but Nibble.Horde are going to be a better team than they were last week. Let’s see what they can do here.
– Alpha Star Gaming vs Exdee Gaming
I’m quite curious to see this game. Alpha Star managed to defeat Sky 2-0 last week and their previous losses have been to some strong sides. Exdee did manage to prove that even without TKC they are still a strong side, but Alpha Star should put up a good fight here. Exdee are likely to be too strong, but hey, Alpha Star might be able to surprise us all?
– Bravado Gaming vs Epoch Esports
The boys in blue, refreshed and doing, in all honesty, what we expect of them in this tournament. Epoch have been the true dark horses. Coming up from the qualifiers they have performed well and even took Exdee to a third map earlier in the tournament. How much have they improved in the past weeks? That’s the most intriguing part of this match up as it’s highly unlikely they can out muscle Bravado, but could they be the next big thing? Can they prove that they are able to take on the best and look competitive? Can they prove me wrong? Let’s find out on Sunday.
The Tuesday Quiz: Can you match the eSports team with its logo?
Sunday’s fixtures in full:
Group 1
White Rabbit Gaming v Aperture Gaming (15h00) – Catch it live HERE
Goliath Gaming v Sinister5 (15h00) – Catch it live HERE
NibbLe.Horde v Energy (18h00)
Damage Control v New Text Document (18h00)
Group 2
Alpha Star Gaming v Exdee (15h00)
Goon Squad v XTC (15h00)
Divine//Sky Reborn v Clan-In-Progress (18h00) – Catch it live HERE
Bravado v Epoch Esports (18h00) – Catch it live HERE