The new OG completed their first ever LAN adventure in the top six after being bested by Nigma Galaxy in the upper bracket and by the TI10 champions, Team Spirit in the elimination rounds.
For many of the teams headed to the Emirates to compete at GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022, the event marks their first-ever LAN experience as the Dota 2 scene is slowly returning to on site tournaments after two years of online only competitions forced by the covid crisis.
OG are now with a full new line-up featuring young players who get all the help needed to become the next generation of legends. Unfortunately for them, their LAN debut couldn’t be made in the full formula, as the team captain, Mikhail "Misha" Agatov, faced visa complications. Nonetheless, the youngsters have the double TI champion and founder of OG, Johan "N0tail" Sundstein with them in Dubai. Although he is retired now, N0tail is fully invested in the development of his new team. But in Dubai, he is a part of the official English broadcast and witnessed first hand his team's performance from the commentators’ desk.
Although none of the old OG members are on the roster anymore, many fans called the opening playoffs semifinals series in Dubai the El Clasico OG versus Nigma.
While OG made it to the upper bracket by placing second in their group with victories over Team Secret and the Southeast Asia Nigma Galaxy roster, the legendary EU roster led by Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi came prepared to avenge their SEA team.
Nigma Galaxy
vs
OG
In both matches, OG allowed Nigma Galaxy to have Amer "Miracle-" Al-Barkawi’s signature Invoker. “He is the best Invoker player in the world,” said KuroKy in the post-match winner’s interview, adding that the hero has never been out of the meta and that Nigma Galaxy have many strategies developed around Miracle’s Invoker.
They first picked the hero in both games and went heavy on healing spells. Game one featured Kuro’s Chen, while in game two they went for Undying, Phoenix and Legion Commander to ensure that both Miracle and Igor "iLTW" Filatov could not be touched.
Despite OG delivering several big plays, especially in game one, which was a back and forth battle that led to a base race, Nigma’s experience prevailed. Game two featured an even more dominant Nigma and led to a crushing 0-2 defeat, sending OG to the lower brackets where the TI10 Champions, Team Spirit were waiting.
“Sorry man,“ KuroKy said to N0tail in the post series winner’s interview, “if you want to beat me, you have to come back into the game.”
Later in the day, OG returned to the stage to play with elimination on the line. However, on the other side of the map, they had Team Spirit, who despite also coming to Dubai with a stand-in, managed to claim the win.
OGvs
Team Spirit
Team Spirit knocked OG down one game with a perfect 10-0-7 K/D/A from Alexander "TORONTOTOKYO" Khertek on Ember Spirit and an overall draft that emphasized team fight control, with Sand King in the offlane, a carry Monkey King and Bane plus Io in the support positions.
However, they’ve been pushed to a game three by OG, who ran a classic Troll Warlord - Shadow Demon combo in game two. But for the decisive match, the young OG line-up allowed Spirit to align the same exact draft from game one and were heavily punished for it.
OG will be heading back home with a top 6 finish at their first ever LAN, while Nigma Galaxy are now one series away from the grand finals and Team Spirit continue their comeback campaign through the lower bracket.
Day two of the playoffs stage at GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022 will kick off today, March 5th, at 11:00 CET with the elimination series BOOM Esports
vs
Team Secret, followed by the upper bracket finals Nigma Galaxyvs
Tundra Esports. The day will come to a close with another elimination battle, between Team Spirit and the winner of BOOM Esports vs Team Secret.
headline picture courtesy of Gamers Galaxy
