South.gg’s AniMajor Wild Card Predictions
With the DPC Division matches closing, the AniMajor fast approaching, and the Dota 2 Supporters Club in play, the cards are all set for us to ask this question: which team’s name will you be calling out while watching the Kyiv Major?
With OG once again out of the Major’s lineup of participating teams, the odds are looking good for teams like Team Liquid, Team Nigma, Team Secret, and Alliance. Despite winning the last Major, Invictus Gaming ends up in the Wild Card seed against fellow formidable teams. With that being said, take a look at our predictions for the teams in the Kyiv AniMajor Wild Card seed. (Disclaimer: the list follows no particular order.)
TEAM NIGMA
Despite being one of the formidable teams in the Dota 2 EU scene, Team Nigma had a less-than-stellar performance in the recent DPC season. Ending on the lower end with a record of 4-3, Team Nigma is determined to prove their worth once again in the AniMajor.
After being stomped by Team Secret early on in the DPC, it would be exciting to see a rematch between the two in the Major, and a match between Miracle and Nisha in the mid-lane. We’re expecting Team Nigma to make it to the playoffs, along with Team Secret, where they would once again face off with each other.
EXECRATION
True-blue Pinoy pride, folks! Finishing the recent DPC SEA season 2 with a surprising record of 4-3 after the closing match against Lilgun, this team is out there to win it.
Definitely the underdogs in the Wild Card division, we’re excited to see what tricks the team has under their sleeves to beat all the wildcard teams. Will we witness the spirit of OB.Neon manifest in Execration’s run, or will they just be another wildcard casualty?
We, however, predict that they will be the first team to be kicked from the Major, but there are a few hoping for at least one match between Execration and TNC.
VICI GAMING
Coming to the Major boasting a record of 4-2, will Chinese powerhouse Vici Gaming pull through and make it all the way to the playoffs? With fellow Chinese team Invictus Gaming, who were the winners of the Singapore major, the Wild Card is sure to be a spectacle to watch!
We’re expecting Vici to make it past the Wild Card round and make it to the group stage with Ori’s mindfulness, but the playoffs is a different story, as formidable opponents like Team Liquid and EG are sure obstacles for the team’s playoffs journey.
INVICTUS GAMING
After winning the recent Singapore Major, it was a shocker that Invictus Gaming secured a spot for the next Major through a Wild Card slot. A 4-3 record isn’t THAT impressive, but it isn’t also that unimpressive.
Emo’s stellar mid-lane power will surely breeze the groups stage and help get the team straight to playoffs, and we’ll be expecting a rematch between Evil Geniuses, be it in the semis or the finals itself. It’s not a matter of will they move upwards, it’s a matter of who they will be facing at the top.
TEAM SECRET
Another powerful team left at the mercy of the Wild Card round. With a record of 4-3, they’re tied in with most of the competing Wild Card teams for the AniMajor.
Even though starting at a disadvantage, we’re sure that Team Secret will advance to the playoffs, with Matumbaman’s stellar Position 1 play to actually carry the team towards the enemy’s throne, and eventually to victory.
Like IG, it’s not a matter of moving upwards, but a matter of what kind of obstacles they will be facing on the way there.
AS MONACO GAMBIT
The real wild cards of this Major. With a record of 3-3, they barely scraped by and made just enough points to qualify as a Wild Card seed.
The real problem that this team will face is going against the powerhouses in the Wild Card like Team Secret, IG, and Team Nigma. They sit uncomfortably with Execration, looking up to the giants they have to face, while also fighting with each other to earn the right to advance to the group stage of the AniMajor. Will dream lead them to a dream-come-true, or will they crumble at the hands of giants?
These are our predictions for the Wild Card stage. As you can see, we have a couple of teams who we predicted to advance to the group stage, despite there being only two open slots. Well, that’s because this is anyone’s game, and at any moment in any of their matches, these giants might crumble under their own weight and fall to the ground. However, for the underdogs AS Monaco Gambit and Execration, the ceiling we’ve set is low, but we are somehow expecting to see them slay these giants, or even just wound them.
Catch our stream for the WePlay AniMajor over at our streaming page, Southside Tambayan, starting June 2, 2021. See you there, mga bai!