Nanyang Dota 2 Championships Season 2 Team Preview

The second edition of the Nanyang Dota 2 Championships saw some turbulence just before the start with EG, Fnatic and defending champions Team Secret withdrawing for various reasons. The opportunity to replace them was given to Chinese sides and in this article we will take a look at the eight teams now participating in the event.

 

DC emerged as one of the top three NA Dota 2 teams alongside EG and compLexity Gaming. DC’s current roster was formed in March following the post Shanghai Major player shuffle. The team quickly created the necessary chemistry for success and won four qualification cycles in May, including securing a Manila Major spot. At the main event, DC surprised everyone by finishing second in a group with Team Secret, Wings Gaming and Na’Vi before eventually ending up in the 9-12^th position.

Having already secured their TI spot, DC will have the chance to face some of the top Chinese teams and learn their strategies here.

 

CDEC Youth took one of the spots of the withdrawn teams. They are part of the CDEC organization and the core of their roster was formed back in September last year. The team was active in the post Shanghai Major shuffle and added Xz and Victoria as replacements for the departed Icy and June. The team are relatively unknown outside the Chinese scene and have not participated in any international events this calendar year.

Positively for them, there are four other Chinese teams at the event, so CDEC will know what they will be playing against if they manage to overcome DC, against whom they have been paired in the first quarter-final.

 

Empire’s roster was completely reformed in March this year when Scandal returned to the team after more than two years away. The Russians had a good April (when they finished 4^th in the WePlay Dota 2 League Season 3 and 3^rd-4^th at ESL One Manila) and May (when they qualified for the Manila Major and the current tournament). Their performance in Manila amounted to 9-12^th and the Russians are currently in a bit of slump as they have recently failed to qualify for the International, StarLadder and The Summit 5.

Empire will have a chance at Nanyang to save their summer because it will be their only shot at bagging cash and glory over the course of the next two months.

 

Wings’ current squad was assembled in August 2015 but they have only started achieving recently. The team made their mark on the international Dota 2 scene when they easily won ESL One Manila in April, beating some top teams such as Team Liquid in the process. The team came into the Manila Major as a contender for the top spots but their performance was disappointing as they finished in the bottom four of the tournament. The team faced DC twice in the Group Stage there and lost both times.

Wings have improved in form since then though, qualifying for both the International and The Summit 5.

 

2016 did not start in the best way for LGD as the team managed to secure only 9-12^th spot at The Shanghai Major. This led to a bad atmosphere inside the team and subsequent roster changes. The return from retirement of captain xiao8, who is considered one of the best captains in the Chinese Dota 2 scene, and the additions of September and Agressif helped the team get back on their feet. The one who was key to their 4^th place in The Manila Major, however, was Maybe.

He is in a top form currently and is the player driving them forward. Alongside Newbee, LGD are one of the favourites in Nanyang.

 

The Malaysian team deserve their spot in the main event after surviving a qualification cycle in the SEA region. The young all-Malaysian outfit beat some top opposition in the form of MVP and Mineski on their way to the main event. Nanyang will be their debut on the international Dota 2 scene and they will try to make the most of it. Their main advantage will be their unknown underdog status as no one will be familiar with their playstyle and strategies. The first test will be quite tough though – they will face one of the tournament favourites, LGD.

WarriorsGaming have not managed to qualify for any other tournament in the next two months so this will be their only chance to achieve something on the international scene in the near future.

 

The team was formed in March this year and come into the tournament as the third best side from the Chinese Qualifiers in place of Team Secret, who withdrew. A successful blend of youth and experience, VG.Reborn is a part of the Vici Gaming organization and an alternative to the Vici Gaming main roster. Despite the star names in the main roster, VG.Reborn have been the more successful team over the last couple of months. They managed to win the StarLadder i-League Invitational, secure a 7-8^th spot in the Manila Major and qualify for The International 6.

The team benefits from the knowledge of playing coach Mikasa, who is one of the most experienced players on the Dota pro scene.

 

Currently the most impressive Chinese team, Newbee were one of the Chinese outfits that transformed themselves after their poor showing in the Shanghai Major, where they finished 9-12^th. Alongside kpii, the signing of new captain and drafter Kaka was one of the moves that raised the level of the team considerably. The results soon followed – 2^nd at Epicenter and 3^rd at The Manila Major, where they only lost to two of the best teams right now, Team Liquid and OG. They received a deserved Invitation for TI 6 as well. While Newbee have demonstrated a high level of performance on the international scene, they have been struggling domestically, failing to qualify for The Summit 5 (losing to Wings Gaming) and the SL i-League StarSeries Season 2 (losing to CDEC Youth).

The tournament will lose some of its appeal with teams such as EG, Fnatic and Team Secret withdrawing. Nevertheless, this is good news for fans of Chinese Dota as they will have a chance to see the four best performing Chinese teams in the last couple of months – Newbee, LGD, VG.Reborn and Wings Gaming.

The tournament will feature some fresh names as well, who have managed to break into the Dota 2 international scene. Whether a warm-up for the International, an all-in attempt or a place to make a name for oneself, the Nanyang Dota 2 Championship Season 2 will be worth watching.