The Pro 16 Dota 2 League returns this Sunday with eight massive fixtures.
With the first round of battles done and dusted, the second round promises to provide match-ups between 16 settled sides. The cobwebs have been cleared and the real action starts now.
Shoutcaster and tournament organiser, Devin Rigotti, says: “With the first round behind us, we already have some memorable moments to look back on. I was lucky enough to cast the match-up that I found to be the most competitive of the week, Goliath Gaming versus Aperture Gaming. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely go and give it a watch on the Mega8 YouTube channel.”
READ: Results Wrap – The Pro 16 Dota 2 League round one
To get you in the mood for the weekend’s action, Devin has highlighted the four matches he believes could be the stand-out clashes:
– Energy vs Goliath Gaming (Group 1)
In the first week’s encounter against APG, Goliath showed they are capable of putting up a real fight against some experienced players. Energy is a top contender, though, and I think potentially a bridge too far for Goliath to take out. However, it will be interesting to see if they can give them a run for their money and cause an upset. At the very least, we will see how GG holds up against one of the strongest team in the herd.
– Sinister5 vs Aperture Gaming (Group 1)
Aperture Gaming were fun to watch in the first round. They have some old school players that have a rich history in Dota and have often managed to win serious competitions. Sinister5, though, is a really strong team with some strong players in Adastam and Dota-and-Die. I’d tip my hat to Sin5 in this one, but as an old school guy myself, my heart wants to see APG pull through. Tough ask, though… Sorry, heart.
– Exdee vs Epoch Esports (Group 2)
Whenever you see a qualifying team versus an invitational team, you expect the invited team to have the edge, and in all fairness, they probably do, but this isn’t any qualifying team, this is THE qualifying team. Epoch beat Alphastar last week, answering who was the big fish of the qualifying sides and from the perspective of the invited sides, I think Epoch is the greatest threat. If they can prove this against a side as good as Exdee, we will all sit up and take notice. Probably my pick of the games this weekend. Don’t miss it.
– XTC vs Alpha Star (Group 2)
Once more, this game has a similar presence as Exdee vs Epoch – another good encounter on the cards here. XTC has some pretty horrifying individuals in their team, a combination of pub stars and veterans, multiple players who have something to prove, but Alpha Star havn’t actually shown what they can do against top sides yet and XTC, with a pretty new roster, haven’t proven themselves either. There’s a lot more than just Mega8 action happening here, there’s definitely a lot of pride on the line as well.
HAVE A GO: The Tuesday Quiz – The ‘Wolfenstein’ franchise
Sunday’s fixtures in full:
Group 1
WRG vs Damage Control (15h00)
Energy vs Goliath Gaming (15h00)
Sinister5 vs Aperture Gaming (18h00) – Catch it live HERE
New Text Document vs NibbLe.Horde (18h00) – Catch it live HERE
Group 2
Bravado vs Divine//Sky Reborn (15h00) – Catch it live HERE
Exdee vs Epoch Esports (15h00) – Catch it live HERE
XTC vs Alpha Star Gaming (18h00)
Clan-In-Progress vs Goon Squad (18h00)
Group Standings Ahead Of Round Two
Who are you backing in the first round of matches? Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.