PH Dota Secures Slot At First Major Tournament

The all-Filipino roster of HappyFeet will be representing Southeast Asia at ESL One Hamburg 2017, the first Major Dota 2 tournament of the 2017-2018 season, after sweeping Clutch Gamers, 3-0, in the SEA Qualifiers grand finals.

With Mineski-Dota going international, TNC Pro Team’s history of importing captains, and even Execration’s brief stint with 343, the all-Pinoy roster started to look rare. But just as Execration proved in qualifying for the last The International, HappyFeet has shown with their Hamburg ticket that again the Filipino pro is world-class.

The results of the SEA qualifiers was unexpected, to say the least. There was even a slight doubt as to whether HappyFeet deserved their Tier 1 invite despite Mineski-Dota’s achievements at minor qualifiers.

Fans of the SEA Dota scene had their bets on the usual powerhouses until the Quarterfinals came. The once hailed kings of SEA got swept by redemption-seeking Clutch Gamers while HappyFeet outlasted WarriorsGaming.Unity’s international roster.

Both Clutch Gamers and HappyFeet continued to defy expectations until they booked the grand finals for themselves. It was a fair duel considering the limited amount of games both teams played with their respective roster, but one team clearly stepped their game up.

Whether its the usual ghost haunting Clutch Gamer’s clutch factor or HappyFeet’s innate skills, the grand finals was a stomp. Benhur finally exhibited the high-level mid game play which was long expected of him, shutting down CG’s ace player, Armel.

Regardless of result however, ESL One Hamburg 2017 SEA Qualifiers grand finals would have still been a solid testament for the SEA Dota scene. In a region dominated by foreign captains, western all-stars, and timeless veterans, Pinoy Dota can still stand out.

HappyFeet’s fate at the international stages are yet to be tested. But the last time captain JessieVash and Julz, the Philippines’ GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), was in Germany, they swept The International 2013 champions.

If you’re having trouble trying to remember I’ll give you a hint: Julz and his Dazzle.