The first big tournament on patch 7.31 is finally here. A couple of days after the end of the Regional Finals, some of the best teams in the world are about to go up against each other.
The GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022 includes 10 of the best teams in the world that are divided into two groups. Even though group A consists of a couple of TI champions, the second one is slightly more interesting to watch. All the teams here have what it takes to defeat their counterparts, which makes the games difficult to predict.
Speaking of groups, the tournament’s organizers decided to focus on the Bo1 format. Meaning that the teams have to pick their most comfortable heroes if they want to win and advance to the Playoffs. Speaking of teams, we were supposed to have Virtus.Pro in the event as well, but due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the team lost its spot.
As you can probably guess, we had the chance to watch a couple of fascinating matches in Group B, so let’s go over some things you should be aware of. Despite VP’s absence, there were a couple of intriguing matches to watch. Don’t forget to check our Dota 2 section if you need information about Group A,
Nigma Galaxy SEA vs OG
The second series in Group B of the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022 was between Nigma Galaxy SEA and OG. This was probably one of the most anticipated matches in Group B because it was OG’s first LAN appearance with the new roster. Needless to say, everyone expected the team to shine. With all matches being Bo1, OG and Nigma Galaxy SEA decided that they wouldn’t take any chances. Consequently, both teams picked their best heroes, such as Dusa, Ember, Troll Warlord, and Timbersaw.
Interestingly, Aliwi “w33” Omar (currently playing as a stand-in for Nigma’s SEA team) picked Earth Spirit for the mid-lane, despite facing Ember. Surprisingly, OG was falling behind in terms of kills, but thanks to Troll and Timbersaw, they were able to keep up with NGS’s heroes. Once the Timber and Troll purchased a couple of items, OG’s draft gained a small advantage. The team gained an even greater net worth lead and even secured Roshan. This was enough for Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov and the rest to secure themselves the lead and the victory in this series.
Team Secret vs BOOM Esports
While OG and NGS played against each other, Team Secret had to fight against the best team in SEA. This was also one of the most anticipated matches because TS was unable to shine in Western Europe’s DPC games. Despite the slow start, BOOM Esports managed to gradually gain a lead over its EU counterparts. Templar Assassin and Kunkka cleared a lot of stacks, which allowed them to get their first big items. Needless to say, TS tried to delay the game as much as possible so that the deadly IO and Tiny combo could bounce back.
As expected, this did not happen because BOOM’s firepower was too impressive. Templar Assassin had almost twice the net worth advantage of Tiny, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the hero two-shotted most of her enemies. After 30 minutes of dominating, the SEA powerhouse deserved their victory.
OG vs Team Secret
Puppey and the rest were unable to overcome the powerful BOOM Esports, which delivered Team Secret’s first loss in this event. Now it was time for the EU powerhouse to face OG, a team that they had the chance to go up against just a few months ago. After winning the first game in the event, OG achieved another victory. Despite Team Secret’s efforts, Puppey and the rest conceded yet another loss. Lucky for them, VP’s removal from the tournament should mean that neither of the remaining teams will be eliminated.
As expected, both teams had a solid start to the game. OG had a small lead before the mid-game arrived, but it was not enough to bring down their mighty opponents. Bzm and the rest increased their lead slightly, but Team Secret managed to bounce back and equalize the series. In fact, Team Secret even gained the lead thanks to Troll and Leshrac. Sadly, this was not enough to keep OG from killing them. A couple of mistakes gave the TI champions the lead and used it to their advantage to win.
BOOM Esports vs Nigma Galaxy SEA
BOOM Esports continues to show its prowess after defeating yet another team in Group B. This time, the roster had to face NGX.SEA, another team from SEA. BOOM decided to pick an exciting draft with DP and QoP, whereas NGS focused on Brood, Kunkka, and Silencer. Even though w33 and co. had a better draft, BOOM Esports didn’t allow them to utilize it. QoP completely ripped through Silencer in the mid-lane, whereas DP played well against Kunkka and IO.
While it is true that NGX.SEA was not that far behind in terms of net worth, BOOM Esports had a definite kills advantage. In the end, the winners of the Regional Finals in Southeast Asia won the match and got another vital victory.
OG vs BOOM
BOOM’s final game of the series group stage was against OG and finished with yet another dominant victory. Both teams won their previous matches, so we expected an epic battle that would last at least one hour.
Sadly, this was not the case because their SEA counterparts crushed OG. Despite picking IO and Storm, BOOM’s TA and Riki combo did not allow the European team to show its prowess. BOOM did not give their opponents any chances and secured the victory after a very painful 22 minutes for OG.
Team Secret vs Nigma Galaxy SEA
The final series of the day in Group B was between Team Secret and Nigma Galaxy SEA. Although both teams lost their previous two matches, this clash was really important to determine which one would take third place. While it is true that Puppey and the rest have problems in the last couple of months, the team managed to win this game. It did that by picking Templar Assassin, Tiny, and Lina. These three heroes allowed it to take on tons of team fights early on, although they had to play against MK and Puck.
NGX SEA decided to focus on the mid-game, but luck was not on their side because Secret played extremely well during the laning stage and shortly after that. This did not allow the SEA team to use its rosters’ potential, which caused them yet another loss. Fortunately, VP’s absence from the tournament saves them from direct elimination, which means they will get a chance to play in the Play-In.