Only the strong walk out of the storm-beaten region
Once upon a time infamous for its lawless esports scene, Southeast Asia has always been underestimated — this is their rivals’ biggest mistake. Mere salty sea dogs no more, these pirate lords and hero swashbucklers are set to make their mark on the world of Dota 2.
This is the fourth in Mineski.net’s The International 2017 team feature series.
Why are we calling Southeast Asian Dota 2 players pirates and swashbucklers? Because for the moment, it remains one of the most chaotic regions in terms of how the esports scene is managed. With lots of countries involved, each with its own separate sect of leagues, team owners, and grassroots playerbases. There’s no central structure to the entire thing as team rosters and power rankings shift with every new tide.
Even with how SEA teams play Dota there is a certain rogueishness. We are the cancer server, the sea of mid-lane-only players. Our strongest teams are more often than not just more of the same, but bouyed by immense individual skill. Down here in the archipelagos Dota 2 is a cutthroat business and you must first know how to swim on your own before you can join a crew.
Still, amidst this chaos, heroes still emerge. After all, the only ships that sail out of hurricanes are the strongest ones.
TNC Pro Team: The New Lords of the Southeast Seas
Who can forget that in last year’s TI7 monsoon, one plucky boat held together with spit and dreams would weather the storm and take down one of the tournament’s biggest contenders. TNC vs OG at TI6 is now an all-time classic series. They were eventually defeated as well, but it was a feat enough to have made history as a virtual nobody.
Now they’re back and they’re stronger. No longer led by DemoN but captained only by each other, this crew of Kuku, Raven, Sam_H, Tims, and Canada’s 1437 are in it to win it this time. Not only have they earned a full year of experience from top-tier competition from SEA’s premier tournaments, but they’re also sailing on, shall we say, a much-upgraded boat. That’s that sweet, sweet WESG money talking.
Now they’re superstars, global fan favorites, and the pride of the Filipino people. This year they aim not to just survive the monsoon but to conquer it.
Fnatic: The Hurricane-Riders Sail Once More
Fnatic was once one of the most infamous teams in the region under the leadership of the dread pirate lord Mushi. They were perhaps in their best form at least year’s TI, where they placed 4th against all odds, and birthed the legend of DJ Mampusti. Like hurricane-riders, they seemed unbreakable.
That old roster however is now gone and the old Fnatic ship has sunk, committed to the depths not by a force of anture but by its own sailors. The team unoficially disbanded for several months, with Mushi going to Mineski-Dota and DJ going home to the Philippines.
Now, the Fnatic ship is rebuilt and it is crewed by a surprising-yet-powerful set of people. DJ, back and hungry for another shot at the Aegis; Ohaiyo, Mushi’s longtime first mate, now standing on his own sea legs; QO and Febby, remnants from the fabled MVP Phoenix squad; Ahjit, a proven player from the old WarriorsGaming.Unity.
Execration: Kim0 And The Flying Dutchman
According to the legend as told by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Davy Jones commands the undead ship The Flying Dutchman and sails the seven seas looking for sailors to join his monstrous crew, or to merely ferry the dead.
In Philippine Dota 2 there is only one such captain whose legend compares to that of Davy Jones’: the immutable Captain Kim0. He has been with Execration practically since its inception, and the team is his ship. And, like Davy Jones, he collects the willing from the Philippine local Dota 2 scene, and builds them up into frightening beasts. That isn’t to say that he is a villain like in the movies however — Kim0 is known in the scene as one of the most charismatic captains around, and is an underrated leader.
Execration also experienced its own hiatus this year after losing their twin stars of DJ and Abed, but Kim0 has found worthy replacements. Apart from PH top players RR and Nando, and the high-potential CartMaN recruited from the top of the SEA MMR ladder, Execration now also has Bimbo.
Bimbo has always been one of the country (and the region’s) strongest players, held back perhaps only by management or by an imperfect rapport with his teammates. Now, after the team’s recent good performance in the WCA APAC Qualifier, and of course their miracle run from the TI7 open qualifiers all the way to the main event, Bimbo seems to have fit in just fine. He is the Kraken that Kim0 is ready to unleash on the world stage for the first time, and no matter how far they get, they will be sure to once again leave their mark.
