OB.Neon: The underdogs who almost slayed giants

April 5, 2021 Dave Bernasibo

Dota 2 is a game of quick wits, proper team play, deft mechanical skills, and overall an elaborate 5-man chess game. In this type of game, teams with the better game sense secure the win, with flashy gameplay an optional second win condition.

 

In the Dota 2 pro scene, it’s harder for teams to rise to the top, especially when fully established powerful teams roam and slaughter those beneath them, almost with no remorse. But despite the harsh world of the game’s pro scene, Filipinos have always been able to find their way into the pit without becoming fodder for these “giants”, sometimes even burying these giants six-feet under. And today, we will be talking about one of those instances.

TNC’s TI6 win against OG in the playoffs (Photo via Rappler)

OB Neon Esports, formerly known as Neon Esports, is a Southeast Asian Dota 2 team hailing from the Philippines. With an all-Filipino lineup, save for a last-minute substitution due to health constraints, the team charged headstrong for the Singapore Majors 2021.

 

During the group stage of the tournament, Neon was considered an underdog, being constantly bullied by the likes of Quincy Crew and Vici Gaming. The team was struggling, to say the least, in keeping up their pace to prevent themselves from being eliminated. They, however, found their pace near the end of the group stage, hanging by a thread as they found themselves in the Lower Bracket Playoffs.

OB Neon Esports’ Group Stage standing (Screencapped from gosugamers)

It was in the playoffs where the team finally showed their opponents what they were capable of, toppling the likes of Fnatic and Vici Gaming, in 2-1 matches, showcasing the talents of players like Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer and Rolen Andrei “skem” Gabriel Ong. It was a thrill ride of a lifetime for Filipino fans, as they saw a tier 3 Filipino team climbing its way to the top of the playoffs ladder.

Photo via Southside Tambayan

Day 4 of the SIngapore major Playoffs came, and OB Neon Esports are slated to face off against the number 1 seed for Europe, Team Secret. The odds were stacked against them, as they lost Game 1 to a MATUMBAMAN-led snowball strategy against their Puck-core lineup. They would then go on to take Game 2 from Team Secret. Fans were on the edge of their seats as they waited for Game 3.

 

Both teams entered Game 3 on the edge, fighting for their right to continue climbing the playoffs ladder. Team Secret failed to ban Nature’s Prophet for skem, making it harder for them to pressure the map due to his insane response to map rotations. On the other hand, arrows rained down on Team Secret as Yopaj unleashed the harsh winds of wrath upon Team Secret, picking off enemies who would wander alone, dive in after getting the enemies CC-locked with PlayHard’s snowballs and Jaunuel’s Spirit Charges. Game 3 was a close game for both teams, with neither one willing to fully commit to team fights and objectives, relying only on the death of their enemies cores, Wind Ranger for OB Neon and Troll Warlord for Team Secret, to start committing to objectives and/or team fights.

 

Little did they know, a single hex would lead to their demise. During a Roshan pit clash between both teams, Yopaj chased MATUMBAMAN out of the pit, exchanging blows with him. Jaunuel tried to charge towards MATUMBAMAN to provide Yopaj an advantage, but Puppey placed a perfectly timed hex to cancel Jaunuel’s charge, causing Yopaj to die to MATUMBAMAN, leading towards Secret’s eventual victory against OB Neon.

Although they lost, OB Neon received tons of praise from their enemy and other Dota 2 pros and analysts for providing the world such a wonderful showcase of talent, teamwork, and grit. Despite the loss, the team won’t go empty-handed, as they are currently tied at 5th place with 600 DPC points with Thunder Predator, another Singapore Major underdog.

(Screencapped from Liquipedia)

 

The loss overall wasn’t taken in bad taste. According to OB Neon Esports, their goal was to make a statement; to let everyone know that they deserve to be part of teams conisdered as tier 1. And honestly, that Singapore Major run was more than enough to prove it.