Now that the DPC 2022-23 Season Winter Tour is over for Division I, the competition shifts to Division II. Here's why you should watch it.
The dust has settled for teams playing in Division I for the DPC 2022-23 Season Winter Tour.
So far, 13 out of 18 slots for the Lima Major have been claimed. Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators have secured their presence from Western Europe, Team Aster from China, Execration, Geek Slate and Talon from SEA, Shopify Rebellion, and TSM claimed the NA tickets. BetBoom Team, Team Spirit, and Hellraisers have qualified from Eastern Europe.
Western Europe has some tiebreakers on January 30th for its two remaining spots, and China has three more slots to fill during this last week of league play.
But fans should also be keeping an eye on Division II which is set to begin this week, and here's why.
Alliance
Alliance had quite a rough go of the DPC 2021-22 season —full of shakeups and trips to both Division I and Division II in the regional league. They just couldn't seem to pull things together and in the end released their full roster.
Now, they are back with a new(ish) lineup and fans are no doubt ready for it.
Simon "Handsken" Rasmus Haag and Gustav "s4" Magnusson make their return to the organization.
s4 was one of the team members from the TI3 championship lineup for Alliance. His return will make his fourth time playing for the Swedish organization. He most recently left in October 2021 to play with Goon Squad.
This will be Handsken's third stint with Alliance, having left the team almost one year ago to join s4 in Goon Squad.
The team will feature two SEA players this season alongside the Swedes.
Alliance roster
Charlie “Charlie” Arat
Kee Chyuan “ChYuan” Ng
Gustav “s4” Magnusson
Remus “ponlo” Goh Zhi Xian
Simon “Handsken” Haag
Tier I teams heading to Division II
Few would have predicted Team Secret's fall from grace in the first tour of the 2023 DPC season, but the team had more difficulties gelling with Miroslav “BOOM” Bičan replacing Michal “Nisha” Jankowski. It seems that The International 2022 runner-up team lost this post-TI shuffle game.
SEA shuffle shake-up seems to have done just that. Fnatic got relegated this DPC season after disastrous six losses in a row registered in the Winter Tour after their dramatic qualification to TI2022 and BOOM Esports who were undoubtedly the force to be reckoned with last year looked completely different.
So fans of these teams will need to get used to watching games in Division II to catch their team in action and lend them support next season.
Diamonds in the Rough
With the new DPC 2022-23 season just beginning, The International 2023 dream is anyone's to be had.
At the end of the three-week league play, two teams will advance to Division I and will start gaining DPC points and momentum so that they can earn their way to the big stage at the end of the year.
Both Execration and Hellraisers were in Division II last year and are now on their way to the first Major of the year.
Entity started last year in Division II, placed first, and then slowly climbed the ranks of Division I. They then took the regional qualifier spot and eventually a 9-12th place finish at The International 2022.
Talon spent the first two tours of the DPC season last year in Division II before landing a spot in Division I and then the regional slot for TI.
Watching Division II will be where fans can begin to do their talent scouting and hedge those early bets for teams that will be competing at the pinnacle of all Dota 2 events.
Winter Tour
- Division 1 Regional League Tournament: January 9-29, 2023
- Division 2 Regional League Tournament: January 30 - February 19, 2023
- Major Tournament: February 22 - March 5, 2023
During this Tour, the Chinese teams started the league play about a week earlier than the rest of the regions. They will also be the last region to end the league season due to a 10-day break, between January 17-31, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
The 2023 DPC Winter Tour is set to witness the first-ever Dota 2 Major held in South America. Lima, Peru’s capital city, will host the Major at Arena 1 between February 22 - March 5.
