The prequalifiers and play-in stage of The Inaugural are now finished, and we now have the full cast of the teams who will battle it out in the group stage. MVP.Phoenix will open up the first day of this phase as they take part in two matches, with the first one scheduled in 12:00 CET (18:00 SGT) today.
The first play-in match saw the easy disposal of Korean team Birdgang by Indonesian team Rex Regum Qeon. RRQ was particularly impressive as they scored two quick victories, with no game lasting more than 22 minutes. This series turned out to be the only 2-0 result in the play-in stage. Birdgang won the Korean prequalifier against two other teams to reach this phase, while RRQ was directly invited.
The second play-in's result came as a surprise to many though, as one of the favorites in Arrow Gaming faltered and were eliminated by the then-struggling MiTH.Trust. Things were looking bright for the Malaysian team after they saw their Clinkz go 19-0 kills/deaths in the first game, but the Thai team surprisingly held on to take the next two games. Despite a chain of bad performances recently, MiTH isn't new to the big stage as they have already went through a lot over the years.
The third play-in match was between Australian team Immunity against SEA prequalifier winner Execration. The Filipino team was fresh off winning the SEA slot after besting seven other teams when they faced the Aussies. It turned out to be a three-game thriller after they split the first two games. Execration had a cheesy strategy with a Naga, an Axe and an Ancient Apparition. Despite Immunity's lead, the Filipino team was able to push thanks to well-timed team fights and usage of enemy-delaying skills like Song of the Siren and Berseker's call. However, the Australian team's defeat ultimately fell to their failure to push despite their massive lead in the early stages of the game.
On what may arguably be considered as the biggest upset of the tournament so far, MVP.Phoenix defeated Filipino team Mineski in the last play-in match in another three game series. Given the lack of success of Korean teams against SEA teams in the few tournaments which included both, not many expected MVP to win this match. However, they dominated Mineski in the first game and made it hard for the Filipino team to push in the second game despite their massive disadvantage. The culmination came in the third game as MVP punished Mineski's carry, or lack of a farmed one, and they pushed their way with heroes like Death Prophet, Enchantress, Shadow Shaman and a Necronomicon-wielding Queen of Pain.
The four play-in match winners will join the four other invited teams into the group stage. The eight teams will be split into two groups of four, and each team will participate in a best-of-three, single round-robin tournament. The invited teams are Titan, Zephyr, Scyhe.SG and Orange.
MVP.Phoenix will highlight the first day of the group stage as they will compete in the two matches scheduled today. They will first be matched against another Filipino team, Execration, in 12:00 CET (18:00 SGT) and then they are scheduled to go head-to-head against Scythe.SG in 15:00 CET (21:00 SGT).
The top two teams after the groupstage will advance into a best-of-five, single elimination playoffs. The champion of this tournament will not only get the lion's share of the pot, but will also get an invite into The Summit Asia.
The Summit Asia is the Asian qualifiers for The Summit. The Summit is BTS' first LAN event, scheduled 5-8 June, and it will have at least a $50,000 prize pool. The two invited teams who have confirmed are Ukraine's Natus Vincere and China's team DK. Aside from The Summit Asia, there will also be an American and European qualifier.
