As the TI7 open qualifiers are scheduled for June 22nd and the regional qualifiers take place immediately after, starting on the 26th – the direct invite announcement is still approximately six weeks away. The lack of transparency and clearly defined criteria always brings about uncertainty and many questions regarding which teams will be blessed with the most coveted invite of the year.
Shrouded in mystery, it's not even known how many invites will be handed out this year. Last year’s International brought about changes in the number of direct invites handed to the teams. Only six teams received direct invites to The International 6: three from Europe (OG, Team Liquid and Na’Vi), two from China (Newbee and LGD Gaming) and one from Southeast Asia (MVP.Phoenix – leaving Americas region behind without an invited representative). This year, its once again anyone’s guess as to how many and who will be granted the ticket to their dreams.
For the first time, the reigning champion will not be present at The International to defend their title. With the disbanding of Team Random (formerly Wings, the TI6 championship title holders) the entire landscape has changed and an extra chance has been given to hopeful teams.
OG have definitely secured their invite to the most prestigious Dota 2 tournament of the year. The European sweethearts have enjoyed a year of results of seismic proportions. Last month the team shattered the glass ceiling of Valve multi championship titles when they seized their 4th Major trophy at Kiev Major. There is no doubt the Green Dream team will be shortlisted at the top.
Virtus.Pro more than likely scored high points with Valve following their Kiev Major runner up placement. The CIS team emerged from the CIS open qualifiers unscathed and then erupted through the brackets of the regional qualifiers, taking down everyone in their path. The team sustained their momentum and superlative performances at the main event. They took second in the group stage without dropping a series and cruised through the unforgiving single elimination playoffs ultimately pushing OG into a harrowing 5 game series. Not before nor since the historic and still reminisced about Grand finals at TI3 between Alliance and Na’Vi has there been another five game series finale at a Valve event.
Two teams can look forward to receiving that glorious invitation in the mail. Unfortunately, not all of the other teams are as comfortable with their place in the pecking order on the list of potential invites.
Some teams are staring down the barrel of a gun –losses at a major event could land them on the wrong side of the list. In the past these teams found it more beneficial to lay low and stay out of the limelight in order to preserve their status. Thunderbirds (ex Digital Chaos) and Mousesports (ex Ad Finem) are both teams that in the past have not maintained a presence at LAN events following a second place finish at a Valve event and landed a coveted invite to the next Major. Many speculated that LGD’s last minute bowing out of ESL One Frankfurt 2016 was a strategic design that kept their invite to TI6 intact versus potentially losing it as many surmise happened to Fnatic, after they took 7-8th place at the event and didn’t receive a nod from Valve.
Other teams will be shooting for the stars – hoping to land one of the possible major LAN titles and thereby grabbing Valve’s attention and an invite. For these teams, more performances means more chances and more opportunities.
The upcoming season of LAN events is expected to have a very large impact on the invites as teams begin their battle of their lives. We’ve compiled a list of the tournaments to mark on your calendar, keeping an eye on as the Road to TI7 unfolds. These events will be the defining moments with potentially pivotal results that could lock down an invite to TI7.
Road to TI7
StarLadder iLeague Invitational 2
Date: May 18-21st
Location: China
Prize-pool: $100,000
Teams: 8 teams total; 6 Direct Invites (Newbee, ViCI Gaming +4), 1 Chinese qualified team (Invictus Gaming), 1 European qualified team (Vega Squadron)
Defending Champion: ViCi Gaming
Manila Masters
Date: May 26-28th
Location: Philippines
Prize-pool: $250,000
Teams: 8 teams total; 5 Direct Invites (OG, EG, Team Secret, Newbee, NP), 1 Chinese qualified team (Invictus Gaming), 1 SEA qualified team (Team Faceless), 1 Filipino qualified team (TBD)
Zotac Cup
Date: May 30- June 3
Location: Taiwan
Prize-pool: $100,000
Teams: 8 teams total; 2 Direct Invites (TBA), 1 Chinese qualified team (Invictus Gaming), 2 SEA qualified team (Fnatic, TBD), 1 EU qualified teams (Cloud 9, TBD), 1 NA team (Stan)
EPICENTER
Date: June 4-11
Location: Russia
Prize-pool: $500,000
Teams: 10 teams total; 6 Direct Invites (OG, EG, Virtus.Pro + 3 TBD), 1 Chinese qualified team (TBD), 1 SEA qualified team (TBD), 1 EU qualified team (TBD), 1 NA qualified team (TBD)
Defending Champion: Team Liquid
Summit 7
Date: June 14-18
Location: United States
Prize-pool: $100,000
Teams: 8 teams total; 4 Direct Invites (Virtus.Pro, VGJ, + 2 TBD), 1 Chinese qualified team (TBD), 1 SEA qualified team (Clutch Gamers), 1 EU Qualified team (TBD), 1 NA qualified team (TBD)
Defending Champion: Virtus.Pro
Click here for results, VODs and all the other information
Featured image courtesy Seattle Times
