The SEA region is turning out to be much more hotly contested than expected and this week things are expected to heat up even more.
The DPC 2021 Season 1 kicked off last week and the SEA region had quite some unexpected results. After some upsets and surprisingly strong performances, Neon Esports is sitting in first place with a 2:0 series (4:1 game) record with Execration assuming the second place position. Their 2:0 sweep against TNC Predator upset the charts and sent one of the regional favorites to the bottom of the standings.
Although there are six weeks (five left) of competition, there is little room for error this season. The format consists of only the group play to determine which teams will head to the Major and which ones will be dropped to the lower division for next season. That means EVERY match really counts.
Here are three series to watch this week as the standings will fall more into place.
1. XctN vs Fnatic: The SEA Upper Division begins on January 27th and one of the first games on the menu is set against XctN and Fnatic. XctN's surprising upset over TNC means that Fnatic should take the rising team much more seriously. It is expected that this will be an evenly matched and intense series as both teams are 1:0 in series (2:0 game) record and are sitting in 2nd and 3rd place standings. A win against Fnatic will all but assure XctN a spot in the Major as they will have taken down both of the region's favorites and should be able to take some easier wins down the line.
2. 496 Gaming vs BOOM Esports: 496 and BOOM aren't exactly two teams or a matchup that most would have thought to have on a must watch list at the start of the season, but here we are. The two are sitting in 4th and 5th place respectively and both of their losses came at the hands of Neon Esports. Their results now will shift the standings and could end up being of major consequence for them. They will head into battle on January 28th at 12:00 CET.
3. TNC Predator vs Neon Esports: This week with the tensions ratching up for TNC they have to make sure they don't suffer any more upsets. They will play against Vice tomorrow, but more importantly, they will go head to head against Neon, the current division leader, on Saturday the 30th at 09:00 CET. Neon's two wins were against BOOM and 496 -- not the toughest teams of the bunch but certainly still noteworthy and pump them full of confidence.
SEA Upper Division Teams
- TNC Predator (direct invite)
- Fnatic (direct invite)
- T1 (direct invite)
- BOOM esports (direct invite)
- Neon Esports
- 496 Gaming
- Execration
- Vice Esports
SEA Upper Division schedule Week 2
January 27
- Vice vs TNC 9:00 CET
- XctN vs Fnatic 12:00 CET
January 28
- 496 vs BOOM 12:00 CET
January 30
- TNC vs Neon 9:00 CET
- 496 vs T1 12:00 CET
Head over to our Hub for match info and our One Stop Shop; DPC 2021 Season 1 guide to get all the info on what is to come for the next few weeks and how the divisions are being handled.
