In just a few days the brand new Dota Pro Circuit will kick off. For the stacked European region the Upper Division promises a bloodbath of competition.
Long have we waited for the continuation of the Pro Circuit after the pandemic cut the competitive season of Dota 2 short. On January 19 the arguably strongest region Europe enters the fray. Let us take a closer look at the competition.
The Secret train in full force?
Team Secret are without a doubt the team to beat in Europe as they had been for the majority of the year. We still remember their massive spree of championships just after Dota 2 transitioned to online competition. Although they did not keep up their unbeaten streak, they are still the favorites by far.
Nevertheless the upper division in Europe has plenty of teams capable of taking down the giants. Not only their fellow invited teams like Nigma, Liquid and OG are a threat. Qualifier teams like Vikin.gg (who arguably got robbed of an invite) are also more than eager to take the kings down.
The sheer amount of strong teams in the region once more showcases the strength of EU in the Dota 2 world and besides Secret it is hard to predict a clear second favorite as the European teams have been trading blows evenly for most of the past year.
The threat of relegation
But it is not just the struggle for the top that will keep fans on their toes for the brand new DPC. With only the Upper Division giving precious qualifiying points and just two seasons to determine the participants of The International 2021 a relegation to the Lower Division might end the TI dreams early on.
While the final two teams to qualifiy, mudgolems and Chicken Fighters look like the clear candidates for relegation they still boast extremely skilled players in their ranks. Veterans of the scene like “Fata“, “33” or “Chessie” should not be underestimated.
All in all the European region promises once more a bloodbath between teams. Only China can match EU in competitiveness and we are in for weeks of high stakes matches between the teams. So grab your popcorn and get ready for the brand new DPC.
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Image Credit: ESL