It was a horrid day for NA Dota2 fans, as all three of their representatives were eliminated one after the other on the first day of the Main event in ESL One: Hamburg 2018. Three relatively straightforward 2-0s marred the screen as Day 1 of the Main Event came to a close.
Here’s a short recap of what went down on at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg.
Game 1 saw a fast-paced draft strategy had EG running through towers and claiming their first victory. And things didn’t get better from there. Game 2 saw EG secure 17 kills in less than 16 minutes, and punch their ticket to the next round and a date with Team Secret.
GGWP to @compLexity who finish in 7th-8th place at #ESLOne Hamburg! pic.twitter.com/qMXmXHYq3B
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) October 26, 2018
CoL will have little to no time to reflect upon their loss as the Dreamleague Season 10 Minor kicks off next week in Stockholm.
Game one was a torpid affair, but W33’s Alchemist and HFN’s Weaver slowly pressed little advantages into a relatively sound 34-minute victory. It wasn’t as straightforward, but paiN took advantage of Forward Gaming’s minor mistakes and took advantage of it to secure a 1-0 lead.
The next game went a little faster, seeing paiN grab a very early edge using strategies that really showed off their solid communication skills and teamwork. They wrapped up the series in just under 30 minutes. They’ll play Chinese powerhouse Team Aster in the next round.
What an action-packed series!!@paiNGamingBR have the edge in the team fights at the moment - can @goFORWARDgg put a stop to them? #ESLOnehttps://t.co/RUTJQiyOsP pic.twitter.com/CGj9E5IK77
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) October 26, 2018
The first game lasted a little less than 40 minutes, but it wasn’t as close as the timer made it seem. Team Secret was ahead of EG almost throughout the entire game with Nisha putting in a clinical performance on his Arc Warden to secure an easy 1-0 lead in the series.
With their backs against the wall, Evil Geniuses pulled up CCNC’s signature Lina and a Luna and raced off to a good lead. But as the game progressed Secret begun to catch up and with their Terrorblade beginning to dish out the damage, EG was in a dangerous spot. It was an intense game with both teams throwing everything that they had at each other and even saw a Divine Rapier purchase from Nisha come out.
While EG did manage to get a hold of the Rapier, an insane play from Midone and Zai outright won the game for Team Secret.
HOLY SHIT @teamsecret!!!!
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) October 26, 2018
What an incredible Aegis intercept and clutch Phoenix Egg to eliminate @EvilGeniuses from #ESLOne Hamburg!!
WHAT. A. GAME! pic.twitter.com/5iuBa8Ld0l
The bloodbath will continue as ESL One: Hamburg 2018 resumes with Day 2 of the Main Event
