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[shira]

July 21st is the Grand Finals
Stream starts:

Newbee vs VG
Winner:

Spoiler

Winner=Newbee

Current standings and results
Official link with "no-spoiler" reveal button (scroll way down and unspoiler by clicking button)
Alternate link - full spoilers
Alternate link - full spoilers

How to watch
1. Install Steam, Install Dota 2, watch in-game
2. Watch here: http://www.dota2.com/international/watch/July20/
3. Go to twitch.tv, click Dota 2, click The International streams:Main Channel, Stream 1, Stream 2, Stream 3, Stream 4 (Protip: Combine multiple streams using multitwitch.tv)
4. Valve has added a beginner friendly stream with explanations and less jargon for newcomers to MOBA games and casual fans: http://www.twitch.tv/dota2ti_noob.



The Full Schedule: via Reddit with casters, mobile friendly

WHAT
The International is the grandest tournament of the year. Valve pulls out all the stops to invite all the top fans, players, casters, and personalities to Seattle for a huge prize pool and accommodation at the finest hotels. Players are treated like royalty while they are battling it out for Dota supremacy. The first 3 Internationals have all started with a $1.6 million dollar prize pool, but Valve has managed to maximize their crowd funding techniques to increase the prize pool almost 10x over.

The Compendium is a digital book filled with incentives and prizes for purchasers willing to complete challenges and earn or buy extra points. The Dota community has managed to increase the prize pool to eclipse real sports events like golf's US Open prize pool

WHY
Winning the International means that you will be immortalized in the game, given the Aegis of the Immortal trophy, and bragging rights until the next International. Most players have said that the money is not a big issue and that the validation of years of training and the pride of winning is more than mere dollars could ever achieve, but in essence each player on the winning team will become a millionaire on July 21st. This large prize pool also has been noticed by traditional forms of media including major newspapers and Swedish TV. The sheer size and magnitude of the prize pool and has great implications for potential sponsors, the future of e-sports, and the future of gaming.
Approximate prize money $USD
1st - 5M
2nd - 1.47M
3rd - 1.0M EG
4th - 816k: DK
5/6th - 640k: C9 & LGD
7/8th - 517k: Navi & iG
9/10th - 49k: Liquid & Titan
11/12th - 38k: mouz & Alliance
13/14th - 22k: Empire & Fnatic


WHEN/WHERE

Phases 1-3: The Playoffs (Bellvue Westin) - July 8-14, 2014

- Matches start 9AM PST and end around 8PM PST
- July 8th also includes the 1v1 championships.
- Spectators include the players, guests, casters, and VIP ticket holders

Phase 4: The Main Event (Key Arena) - July 18-21, 2014

- Matches start 9AM and end 8PM PST
- Saturday July 19th includes the All-Star challenge
- Spectators include a sold out crowd of 10,000
- July 21st Grand Finals start after an interview session scheduled at 9AM PST and ends at 5PM PST

HOW
There will be three main ways to watch the International.
1. Watch live or download the matches via the in-game client
2. Watch live or VODs on Valve's Dota2 homepage
3. Watch live or VODs on twitch.tv and youtube.com
Swedish fans will also be able to watch the main event on TV6

WHO
This year we have descriptions of each team written by fellow DotaGAF. Please to enjoy!

Natus Vincere

Clement "Puppey" Ivanov (C) (Support)
Danylo "Dendi" Ishutin (Mid)
Kuro Salehi "KuroKy" Takhasomi (Support)
Oleksandr "XBOCT" Dashkevich (Carry)
Hlib "Funn1k" Lipatnikov (Offlaner)

The International Record
Winners: 2011
Runners-up: 2012, 2013

Recent results:
1st SLTV StarSeries Season 8
2nd XMG Captains Draft Invitational
1st Dota 2 Champions League Season 2
5-6th SLTV StarSeries Season 9
4th The Summit
2nd HyperX D2L Western Challenge
5-8th ESL One Frankfurt

Trademark heroes:
Puppey: Chen, Enchantress, Enigma
Dendi: Storm Spirit, Queen of Pain, Puck
Kuroky: Rubick, Sand King, Lion
Xboct: Weaver, Mirana, Lycan
Funn1k: Nature’s Prophet, Batrider, Clinkz

General Description:
Since finishing runners-up at The International 2013, Na’Vi have endured an inconsistent season where they have failed to exert the same level of dominance over the Dota 2 scene like they once did. Easily the most recognisable brand in esports, Na’Vi have, at times, demonstrated why they are so popular with fans across the world but have also failed to replicate their style when it has come to the latter stages of a tournament.

Puppey is renowned for being one of the best drafters in the game but it appears that he has struggled to get to grips with drafting in order to compliment Na’Vi’s playing style with the changing meta. I would also add that I believe Dendi no longer has the dominance he once had over the mid lane, with his signature heroes appearing to struggle to adjust to the new strategies devised. Xboct will continue to Xboct. Funn1k has shown why he is considered one of the best offlaners in Dota 2 and has been one of the brighter stars of Na’Vi. My old mate Kuroky, my favourite player in esports, not much to say about him other than the fact his Rubick is the most overrated player in sports. Not esports, sports.

But we cannot forget the fact they’re Na’Vi. What they have is an abundance of experience. They’ve performed at the highest levels, time and time again at the International, proving that recent form has no bearing on their performances when it has mattered most. There aren’t many teams out there that can match Na’Vi’s bouncebackability. Get ready for squeaky bum time Na'Vi fans.

As strange as it is to write this, Na’Vi are no longer considered one of the favourites to win The International considering the struggles they’ve had since the last one. But they’re everyone’s dark horse.

Navi.US

JingJun "Sneyking" Wu
Steven "Korok" Ashworth
Braxton "Brax" Paulson
Ioannis "Fogged" Loucas
Theeban "1437" Siva

Recent Results:
1st Gigabyte Challenge #4, 3rd ADL Season 2

What happens when you throw a bunch of teamless top tier players from America (and one from Canada) together and give them a singular goal? A surprise team that storms gates of the America's Qualifier and secures themselves a guaranteed invite to the biggest eSports event to date. Natus Vincere's US squad was originally founded just 3 months ago as North American Rejects--a tongue in cheek name for a collection of 5 players who had bounced around some of North America's premier teams over the past 3+ years.

North American Rejects was formed with the sole purpose of securing a spot in the tournament for these 5 players, all of whom were looking to return to the big stage after playing for various teams in The International 2013. It looks as though their plan worked, having gone 8-2 in the Group Stage and then swept the heavily favored Team Liquid 2-0 in the Upper Bracket before an intense 3-2 victory over Team Liquid in the Grand Finals. Although not the top dogs they were following TI3, Team Liquid--Korok's former team--is the highest placing American team to date, so beating them was what you may call a rite of passage.

Shortly after securing a spot in the TI4 main event, North American Rejects were picked up by the most unlikely of organizations, Natus Vincere. It's very unusual for gaming organizations to have multiple teams (although LGD and OK.Nirvana have had Chinese and International teams) but surprisingly fitting considering the saying from TI2; "Na`vi, best team NA". Although that was referring to the European Na`vi organization, it will be interesting to see the two fact off.

The last major event Na'vi.US competed in was Beyond The Summit's The Summit, and against the might of top tier Chinese and European teams, they did not look nearly as prepared as they will need to be going into TI4. If Na`vi.US was to go for the gold, they are going to need to work as a more cohesive team, and broaden their skillset. For some odd reason their players have abandoned their previously signature heroes and tried to redefine themselves as players. Their players have the skill, they have the support of a major eSports organization, and at this point they have nothing to lose, but they still have to prove that Na`vi.US is best team NA by winning The International 2014.

 

[shira]

Invictus Gaming

iG is the Liverpool of Football teams, they are the bestest team around 25 years ago, have the best players in each position. iG dominate games, they are incredible everywhere except the player they kicked out because he sucked and cost them money. Now is the time, for team freedom to win iG style.

Newbee

Chen "Hao" Zhihao
Zhang "Mu" Pan
Zhang "xiao8" Ning
Jiao "Banana" Wang
Zhaohui "SanSheng" Wang

Recent Results: 3rd WPC 2014, 1st MarsTV
Signature Heroes:
1. Hao - Antimage, Lone Druid, Ember Spirit
2. Mu - Templar Assassin, Storm Spirit, Dragon Knight
3. xiao8 - Beastmaster, Nyx Assassin, Kunkka
4. Banana - Enchantress, Chen, Bane
5. SanSheng - Rubick, Visage, Shadow Demon

With xiao8 under their wing, the old TongFu is reborn as the mighty Newbee.

Newbee stands as the barracuda of the Chinese scene. They strike early and fiercely with aggressive early game supports and almost never give their prey a chance to regain composure. With Yakuza-like intimidation, this is a team you do not want to show weakness to.

While mechanically and psychologically strong, this Chinese force is not unbeatable. They have traded wins with DK throughout the year and are known to drop games here and there to iG and VG. They also have very little practice against western teams, although that proved to be no issue at TI3. There is the possibility that their inability to adapt to the western scene will result in an early knock-out for Newbee, but on the back of Mu and Hao, that result seems unlikely.
Will the addition of xiao8 to the team allow Newbee to take home the aegis? Or will they, once again, have to settle for a cool fourth place? Only time will tell.

Cloud 9

Jacky "EternalEnvy" Mao - carry: Luna, Wraith King, Drow Ranger

Johan "PieLieDie" Åström - support: Io, Crystal Maiden, Shadow Demon
Weh "SingSing" Sing Yuen - carry: Mirana, Ember Spirit, Kunkka, Alchemist
Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling - support: Visage, Chen, Jakiro, Enigma
Pittner "Bone7" Armand - carry: Puck, Nyx Assassin, Clockwerk, Batrider

Accomplishments: 1st MLG, 2nd Dreamleague, 5-6th at D2L, 5-8th at ESL One.

Cloud9 are one of the most inconsistent teams in Dota. One day they are unbeatable, the next day they lose terribly. Formed as Kaipi late last year, they went through the name Speed Gaming winning MLG Columbus with Arteezy standing in for Bone7. Since then, they have been picked up by C9, a major e-sports club, and placing in most major LAN tournaments. Lately, they have been looking out of their depth against EG, Alliance, and most of China. They will go into TI4 with potential to cause some upsets, but they aren’t one of the favorites by any means.

Cloud9 tend to draft lineups that synergise together well, often theorycrafting to the point they are often called out for relying on cheesy strats to win games. Envy and Aui are both known for being obsessive over small mechanical details. In Aui’s case, this makes him an excellent jungling support, as he has excellent efficiency and micro skills. In Envy’s case, he stretches the potential of his hero in any situation to its limits. This leads to many situations where he does something that amazes in its audacity, but just as often if not moreso, leads him to feed kills. For this reason he has become synonymous with C9’s inconsistencies. PieLieDie has been struggling for form recently, often giving away first blood and not having the impact he should be in games. He will need to improve to his MLG level if C9 are to go far. SingSing is sometimes at fault for being too quiet, not making enough mid game plays, for someone in the mid role. But Sing can occasionally takeover games by himself. He also tends to end up just as farmed as Envy. Bone7, lastly, has been in top form as of late. The control of the mid game often falls on his shoulders, and as his best heroes are initiators, this should be no surprise. Whenever watching C9, keep your eye on Bone7, as he will be the one making amazing plays.

What to say when C9 are winning: SINGUUUU!!!, No mercy from EE-sama, BONE7 KREYGASM, how the fuck is Aui so farmed???, EE getting carried again lol.
What to say when C9 are losing: Mercy given by EE, lol envy, PieLieCry, Clown9, Sing is just not that good, kick EE win TI5.

Titan

Chong Xin "Ohaiyo" Khoo - carry: Nature's Prophet, Batrider, Elder Titan
Ng "YamateH" Wei Poong - carry: Queen of Pain, Leshrac, Storm Spirit
Wai Pern "Net" Lim - support: Sand King, Lion, Rubick

Joel "XtiNcT" Chan Zhan Leong - support: Enchantress, Chen, Visage, Leshrac
Kang Yang "ky.xy" Lee - carry: Invoker, Magnus, Mirana, Naga Siren

Accomplishments: 1st GEST SEA, 1st MSI Beat It Cup, 1st joinDota League Season 1 Asia

Titan is the sole team from the SEA region to earn a direct invite this year and are 4/5 players of last year's 3rd place team - Orange. The missing player, however, is Mushi, probablyTI3's MVP and one of the best mid players in the world. Titan initially struggled with his departure, struggling to find a fitting teammate. In the end Yamateh joined them, a legend in his own right. He was the one of the first non-Chinese players that was respected (and feared) by the Chinese teams and fans, and earned the nickname Y-God.

Titan's strengths are the high individual skill of their players, which often enables them to win their lanes and snowball into an early victory. On the flip side, their late game decision making is often very shaky, the team has a history of losing games in the late game against Chinese teams. Ky.xy is also known for cracking under pressure.

What to say when Titan are winning: Y-GOD, Stay in the trees!
What to say when Titan are losing: kyxY can only deny things, Don't stay in the trees!

Fnatic

Players: Era, H4nn1, Trixi, Fly, Notail (Bigdaddy).

Recent results: 3-4th ESL One, 2nd D2CL, 5th Dreamleague

Signature heroes:

Era: Tiny, Lifestealer, Luna
H4nn1: Invoker, Ogre Magi, Puck
Trixi: Mirana, Nature’s Prophet, Dark Seer
Fly: Enigma, Visage, Keeper of the Light.
Notail (Bigdaddy): Meepo, Disruptor, Shadow Demon, Io.

Ever the bridesmaid, never the bride. Fnatic have a reputation for coming second in many tournaments over the last year. They did finally get a couple of small wins around April, but since then have actually declined, with many 6th through to 3rd results, as more tournaments have been featuring many of the world’s best in the lead up to TI4. Additionally, they have been playing with a standin, Excalibur, since the Summit, but their normal carry player, Era, who has been suffering from mental health problems, was the one invited, so they will be playing with him at TI4. The lack of practice time with Era may work against them. Excalibur will still be there as a coach, however. It should be noted Notail’s official name is Bigdaddy now, but I refuse to call him that

Fnatic are a versatile team who are known for picking heroes that no one else will try. Ogre Magi mid, Undying, and until recently even Meepo was an exclusively Fnatic thing to pick. They also brought the Tiny-Io combo back into popularity, and they are still one of the best at it, with Era and Notail being amongst the best on their respective hero in the combo. The term rat dota, despite being commonly associated with Alliance now, was actually invented in response to a game Fnatic played against Rox.Kis, where the Russians got so frustrated at Fnatic they called them rats to describe what it felt like playing against them. That splitpushing ability still remains in the team. A little bit of everything is a good way of describing Fnatic.

Empire

Players: Silent, Resolut1on, Mag, VANSKOR, ALWAYSWANNAFLY.

Recent results: 1st D2CL, 3rd Dreamleague

Silent: Luna, Gyrocopter, Mirana
Resolut1on: Invoker, Puck, Templar Assassin
Mag: Nyx Assassin, Doom, Clockwerk
VANKSOR: Rubick, Shadow Demon, Dazzle
ALWAYSWANNAFLY: Visage, Ancient Apparition, Bane

Team Empire are one of the most consistent teams in the scene. Earlier in the year, people were propping them as major contenders after they went on an unbeaten streak for several weeks. However, a combination of other teams getting better, a slight decline, and being figured out, led to them being consistently amongst the best, but not 1st. In recent times they have struggled to beat the very best teams, losing by being outplayed rather than making mistakes. They can also be very predictable with little creativity in the draft.

Empire play a very solid type of Dota, with few mistakes, but also rarely anything flashy, barring Resolut1on's Invoker or VANSKOR's Rubick. They usually pick a tanky bkb carry for silent, a strong pusher for Resolut1on, and try to deathball with excellent teamfight heroes. This leaves them open to being outmanoeuvred strategically. This lack of adaptability means they will likely get to the top eight, but crash out after that. Still, the team has the skill to go far.

What to say when they are winning: Empire looking scary as usual, HOLY SHIT VANSKOR! Vanskor best Rubick ever, Resolut1on is so good.
What to say when they are losing: Do Empire ever actually win? (Insert team here) was lucky to win that.

Vici Gaming

Players: Sylar, Super, rOtK, Fenrir, fy

Recent results: 5-8th ESL One, 3rd The Summit

Signature heroes:
Sylar: Lone Druid, Anti-Mage, Morphling
Super: Alchemist, Dragon Knight, Storm Spirit
rOtK: Bristleback, Clockwerk, Doom
Fenrir: Ancient Apparition, Shadow Demon, Leshrac
fy: Disruptor, Rubick, Mirana

General description: Despite being dominant in the transfer from 2013 to 2014, Vici have cooled off and been overtaken by other Chinese teams in recent months. The team is made up of players who just missed the cut onto teams like DK and IG, but can be formidable in their own right. However, they need to step up for big games more.

Favouring a heavy pushing approach, Vici like to end games early with a lot of grouping up as 5. They play very solidly, but haven’t excelled or impressed to a notable degree recently. Despite playing support, fy is a very good mid player, and is considered by some to be one of the best players in the world currently overall. In addition, Sylar and Super are very impressive farmers. rOtK is known for often being over aggressive, both with his in game play and his in person ‘hype’ in matches.

Keep an eye out for fy in the 1v1 challenge. He is regarded as the best 1v1 player in China and could give reigning champion dk.iceiceice a challenge.

DK

Recent results:
1st ECL, 2nd – The Summit, 2nd WPC ACE 2014, 1st – StarLadder 9, 1st G-League 2013, 1st – WPC ACE 2013

Signature Heroes:
BurNing: Antimage, Weaver
Mushi: QoP, OD
iceiceice: Invoker, Furion
LaNm: Enchantress, Sand King
MMY!: Lion, Mirana

DK returns to Seattle this year after an arguably disappointing performance at TI3. BurNing (a legendary carry player) kicked all of his teammates except fore MMY! and recruited what many called a dream team. Mushi, IceIceIce, and LaNm were all stars of their previous team (Mushi was considered the MVP of TI3, LaNm showed an amazing carry tiny game, IceIceIce was the solo champion) and have transitioned into their roles smoothly. Their biggest strength has been their flexibility in drafting and individual technical skill. With such experienced players, DK has been able to show that they are able to run unique drafts time after time. After dominating through the competition in late 2013, their hot streak seems to have cooled a bit after their loss to EG in the Summit and their recent results against Newbee. However, DK is coming to TI4 this year with nothing less than first place as their expected place. The Dota Kings are here to claim their throne.

Alliance

Players: Loda, S4, AdmiralBulldog, EGM, Akke.
Recent results: Winners of Dreamleague, semi final of ESL One.
Signature heroes:
Loda: Lifestealer, Riki, Sven, Phantom Lancer. (He plays everything really)
S4: Magnus, Puck, Storm Spirit.
AdmiralBulldog: Lone Druid, Nature's Prophet, Clockwerk.
EGM: Rubick, Shadow Demon, Windranger, Io.
Akke: Chen, Enchantress, Keeper Of The Light.
What to say when they are winning: Based [A]lliance!, ENTER GOD MODE!, Akke is so good, Holy shit Bulldog! Fuck rat Dota, get r[A]tted, I really wish this style of Dota would go away.
What to say when they are losing: Lol Loda, r[A]ts exterminated, Bulldog only plays two heroes they should kick him.
General description: Alliance return to The International as defending champions, and one of the lesser favorites. After a large slump post TI3, in which they were seemingly lost, with no clear purpose to their draft, they spent a large time bootcamping, even declining tournament invitations to practice. This appears to have worked, as they have looked impressive since returning, winning Dreamleague and performing well at ESL One. That said, they were dismissed by the spectacular IG easily, and will need to think hard to come up with a way to beat EG and the big Chinese teams.

At TI3, Alliance dominated through a complete understanding of the patch at the time, being incredibly efficient on the map, and getting away with a lot of greedy lineups by drawing games out with splitpush and clear, coordinated movement across the map in the mid game. This strategy became less viable in the following patches, and suddenly Alliance looked weak. They experimented a lot, but never met any real success. However, it seems as though they have decided to not change their playstyle any longer, but reinvent their old, comfortable style for this new meta. When watching their games, look out for S4, Akke and EGM, as they will be the playmakers and space creators, allowing Loda and AdmiralBulldog to farm. The fact that the offlane takes the 2 role and the mid takes the 3 role is highly unusual, but for Alliance, it works.

Evil Geniuses

Carry = Arteezy
Carry = Mason
Offlane = Universe
Support = PPD
Support = Zai

This team was build specifically for Arteezy and his specific strengths which are solo mid carry players with a high skill cap and game changing potential. Arteezy usually goes solo mid and transitions to the main carry. If Arteezy loses mid Mason or Universe pick up the slack. Zai and PPD are considered excellent supports and PPD handles the drafting and captain's duties. Despite being one of the youngest teams at TI4 they also have Universe, one of the oldest players, although inexperienced Arteezy's skills are considered so great that he can win with anyone. The team is undefeated on LAN in North America and their success depends on Arteezy's success.

Mouz

Pascal "paS" Lohmeier - support: Ancient Apparition, Disruptor, Sand King
Adrian "FATA-" Trinks - midlane: Troll, Viper, Invoker
Per Anders "Pajkatt" Olsson Lille - carry: Axe, Mirana, Sniper
Rasmus "MiSeRy" Filipsen - support: Enigma, Vengeful Spirit, Bane
Arif "MSS" Anwar - offlane: Centaur, Tidehunter, Brewmaster

Accomplishments: 4th Dreamleague, 5-8th ESL One

Former Team Dog, picked up by one of the most legendary organisations in esports, and coming through the EU qualifiers to take a direct spot in the main event, Mousesports are among the most feared teams in the tournament. According to EternalEnvy, no team in the west has been able to mantain a positive record against this squad in scrims. The core of the team are the two former LGD.int members and four time international participants, Pajkatt and MiSeRy, who after some shuffles decided to pick up MSS, FATA- and paS. While FATA- and paS recently played for SIGMA.int, they already played under the mousesports banner in the last international. MSS , however, has been a slowly rising American star, finally finding a team that is willing to bet on him, giving him his first chance to play in the competition.

The current mousesports' line-up are known for their relentless aggression, and strategies relying on a tanky mid hero and support rotations to dominate the early game. When they succeed they look unbeatable and take an overwhelming lead, which has resulted in a numerous quick wins. On the other hand, their eagerness to use this formula in every game, even with drafts unfit for it, has also been the cause of many of their losses. The players boast a high amount of individual skill, where FATA-s' intution to know where he should be with his mekansm and MiSeRy's high impact support play, particularly on bane, are what stands out most compared to the other teams.

What to say when Mouz are winning: woof woof!
What to say when Mouz are losing: Anything to do with MiSeRy punching a monitor

Arrow

DDZ
Mozun
Johnny
Lance
Xiangzai
One of the youngest and most skilled teams in SEA, this team stormed through their qualifier region. Unfortunately, they do not have much international experience or any interactions with Western teams. The main scouting report explains to not let DDZ take over the game.

LGD

Rabbit
Lin
Yao
DD
DDC

LGD is a long standing team of veterans that had great success in previous internationals with the help of Xiao8. Now that Xiao8 has moved on to Newbee, the team is a shell of it's former self. LGD has competent players who are better than the newcomers in China, but nowhere near strong enough to compete with top Western or Chinese teams.

Liquid

Bulba
TC
Sneyking
Pegasus
Wayto

Liquid experienced some great sucess at TI3 managing to win a game against LGD, but after that high point the members were slowly removed and replaced. The team now consists of 5 very skilled veteran players, but have not had the proper cohesion. Bulba has switched to drafter and support with some excellent results on the first day.

Eliminated Teams
MVP.Phoenix

Park "March" Tae Won (Captain) / Carry
Kim "QO" Seon Yeob / Mid
Lee "Forev" Sang Don / Offlane
Lee "Reisen" Jun Yeong / Support
Lee "Heen" Seung Gon / Support

Recent results
3rd place in Nexon Sponsorship League Season 1
1st place in Nexon Sponsorship League Season 2
2nd place in Korean Dota League Season 1
7th/8th place in Star Ladder Star Series Season 9

Known heroes they play:
March: Doom, Death Prophet
QO: Templar Assassin, Queen of Pain , Storm Spirit, Slark
Forev: Batrider, Ember Spirit, Nature's Prophet
Reisen: Visage, Jakiro, Rubick
Heen: Shadow Shaman, Treant Protector

First off you have to understand where Korea is in the Dota 2 world. In almost all other major digital sports (Starcraft, BW and 2, LoL) South Korea is king. They are nearly nonexistent in Dota 2. Why? Who knows. Whole other topic. Anyway long story short Korea got into Dota 2 around a year and a half ago. The scene there was hilarious. Everything was insane and crazy and fun picks everywhere. It was fun, but it wasn't really... actual Dota. The scene was such a joke that a bunch of westerners (Team Zephyr) flew over just to get the easy paycheck from the tournaments. Now they were adamant that they were essentially kickstarting the scene there and giving them real competition to go up against and actually get better to. Well they might have been right and MVP Phoenix is the first real result of that.

They would get beaten by Team Zephyr in the biggest Korean tournament to date, but then a few months later would qualify to play in Starladder IX (a large global tournament). The crazy thing was they didn't look half bad. They still lost all their games, but they put up actual fights with three of the best teams in the world in their bracket. Everyone came away pretty impressed. Fast forward to The International South East qualifiers and they end up 2nd place there (beating Zephyr handily) and again surprising a lot of people.

So MVP Phoenix has to get through the first playoff stage. It's going to be tough, but they can probably do it. They're known for their fun and creative drafts (whether they're actually creative or just making stuff up as they go because of inexperience no one knows, but it's more fun to imagine) and intense pushing line ups. One more thing to keep in mind is that we haven't really seen them (outside of a few show matches here and there) for a few weeks now. With that famous Korean work regiment who knows what we'll see out of them in their first matches. It'll be exciting to say the least. They're my dark horse favorite to surprise everyone this year. Maybe it's just the beginning of our future Korean Dota overlords.

CIS

Black
June
inflame
ayo
demons

Virtus Pro

Illidan
God
jotm
AA
NS

Quote this post and check out a link to the GAF google doc by Dockirby and Stevewinwood if you want to meet up and check in with other GAFers etc.

 

[Spookie]

Is the rest of the OT a stretch goal?

 

[Razzer]

This is worse than your last OT. :>

Heh. But anyway, HYPE!

Soooo excited for this. GO C9!

 

[Chuck]

str8 chedda, sun

 

[sephi22]

Alliance will win TI4

 

[Indignate]

Alliance will win TI4

Nothing stops the Rat.

Except good counter picks.

 

[Spookie]

Heh. But anyway, HYPE!

Soooo excited for this. GO C9!

Bah quoted me before I could come up with my more amusing quip. :[

 

[tiltnkirby]

Is the rest of the OT a stretch goal?

Once the next patch hits we'll know the amount.

Twitch better be able to keep up, gotta watch every minute of these 120 minute farm fests.

 

[Spookie]

Twitch better be able to keep up, gotta watch every minute of these 120 minute farm fests.

Chinese Dota is a war of attrition.

Spoiler

Them vs the viewers

.

 

[Vaporak]

The International OT is finally here, only what, 7 hours to go till game time?

 

[Spookie]

The International OT is finally here, only what, 7 hours to go till game time?

5pm in the UK the stream starts, probably a hour or two of introductions before the games begin.

 

[abunai]

I hope it doesn't end up like TI2 with chinese teams all over the top 8, but I'm afraid it might happen.

Spoiler

pls na'vi

 

[ASTROID2]

Rooting for Na'Vi as always.

 

[Darkstorne]

Is the rest of the OT a stretch goal?

Really excited for TI4! I replayed the TI3 final last week and still got goosebumps from it. Seriously, what a perfect final match.

 

[la_briola]

This is not the OT we deserve. ಠ_ಠ

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Give real OT!

Spoiler

http://wiki.teamliquid.net/dota2/The_International/2014

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

This was worth it.

 

[sprsk]

The All-Star match is gonna be so hype.

 

[Atlantis]

I am so ready.

 

[neurosisxeno]

I hope it doesn't end up like TI2 with chinese teams all over the top 8, but I'm afraid it might happen.

Spoiler

pls na'vi

I seem to be in the minority, but in my mind the Chinese teams look rather weak. DK is looking better than they have since TI2, but iG just barely showed signs of life and Newbee is really inconsistant. On the other hand EG has been stomping everyone, Na'vi is always great at The International, Alliance won last year and after a post-win slump have looked solid, and even teams like Empire and Fnatic look very good these days. Then there's C9 who's going with the "Talladega Nights" Strategy--either they will win or end up in last place.

 

[dmshaposv]

How did sing not get in all star or 1vs1 tournament? Thght he was quite popular

 

[MisterM]

Does anyone know how one will access the noob stream? Will it be on the web stream, in game stream or both?

This is something I'd like to watch but as it's been a while since I properly played a MOBA I'd like some explanatory commentary.

 

[shira]

How did sing not get in all star or 1vs1 tournament? Thght he was quite popular

Popular to his thousands of twitch viewers.

I'm not sure how well his shtick translates to the Chinese, Russian, SEA, South American voters.

Does anyone know how one will access the noob stream? Will it be on the web stream, in game stream or both?

This is something I'd like to watch but as it's been a while since I properly played a MOBA I'd like some explanatory commentary.

http://www.twitch.tv/dota2ti_noob

 

[la_briola]

The All-Star match is gonna be so hype.

One hour TI4 talk on the next 8-4 play confirmed. ♥

 

[Semblance]

I wonder how many 4-esque Xboct moments we'll get.

 

[rhophiehalul78]

Let's go DOTOOOOOO!!!!

The All-Star match is gonna be so hype.

I hope we have a more serious all star match this time to change things a bit.

 

[Pureauthor]

Who will make it to the main stage?

Gonna go with DK, iG, Newbee, VG, Alliance, fnatic, C9 and Empire

 

[ksan]

giff me team descripterinos!

 

[Qvoth]

seems like it's a sure thing CIS gonna go through

 

[jediyoshi]

Noob friendly stream with pflax sounds great

 

[Radec]

So who's going to beat Na'vi again in the grand finals ?

I seem to be in the minority, but in my mind the Chinese teams look rather weak. DK is looking better than they have since TI2, but iG just barely showed signs of life and Newbee is really inconsistant. On the other hand EG has been stomping everyone, Na'vi is always great at The International, Alliance won last year and after a post-win slump have looked solid, and even teams like Empire and Fnatic look very good these days. Then there's C9 who's going with the "Talladega Nights" Strategy--either they will win or end up in last place.

What is this madness? lol

 

[Gowans]

Can't wait, already following the streams for notifications

 

[Nymerio]

Subscribed!

 

[Kard8p3]

About fkn time.

So hyped. First time flying will be to TI4

 

[Mutagenic]

This will be great.

 

[danmaku]

I seem to be in the minority, but in my mind the Chinese teams look rather weak. DK is looking better than they have since TI2, but iG just barely showed signs of life and Newbee is really inconsistant. On the other hand EG has been stomping everyone, Na'vi is always great at The International, Alliance won last year and after a post-win slump have looked solid, and even teams like Empire and Fnatic look very good these days. Then there's C9 who's going with the "Talladega Nights" Strategy--either they will win or end up in last place.

Well, if by "barely showed signs of life" you mean "stomped everyone at ESL One ending with a flawless 22-0 game against EG" then yeah, they're barely alive. They also won WPC-Ace 4-1 against DK.

 

[Ultimatum]

Who will make it to the main stage?

Gonna go with DK, iG, Newbee, VG, Alliance, fnatic, C9 and Empire

replace fnatic with eg and you'll maybe be right

 

[Gowans]

Does the noob stream start today or is it just for the finals?

 

[Pureauthor]

Does the noob stream start today or is it just for the finals?

Today.

Pyrion + Shane + someone else I can't remember

 

[lucebuce12]

Does the noob stream start today or is it just for the finals?

I believe it starts today.

Man, this international is just going to be amazing, so many possible strategies

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Is the OP finished?

 

[Sigismundo]

I wonder how many 4-esque Xboct moments we'll get.

I feel like if Hvost played heroes like Bloodseeker or Bristleback we'd have less "4" moments. Those heroes can create space for Dendi/Funnik to do whatever the hell they want.

 

[Deadman]

Looking forward to SingSing's first stream as a millionaire.

 

[dmshaposv]

can we rename team xbox to "drink vodka, win dotka".

Everyone buys first item rapier. Also, he has 3 mids in his team. gg.

 

[Shorty11857]

Who will make it to the main stage?

Gonna go with DK, iG, Newbee, VG, Alliance, fnatic, C9 and Empire

Replace C9 with EG and that's mine except maybe VG thst 8th spot will be a battle

 

[Usobuko]

Who will make it to the main stage?

Gonna go with DK, iG, Newbee, VG, Alliance, fnatic, C9 and Empire

The four chinese teams at top 8 are safe predictions. Add in NaVi who always shows up on TI, Alliance and EG.

The last top 8 spot goes to either C9, Empire, Titan, Fnatic.

 

[Aaron]

Hoping for a Na'Vi vs Na'Vi final.

 

[Usobuko]

Solo Mid is a not-so-serious competition. Unless there's tangible amount of cash as prize for it.

Happy to see Resolution and Fy on the list though.

 

[Adry9]

Second International I watch, hopefully in this one I'll know what's going on hahah

 

[Marauder Shields]

Ty for the thread, forgot that the play-in tournament was so soon.