T1 Becomes First SEA Team to Qualify for TI10

T1 has become the first SEA team and fifth overall to secure the direct invite to TI10, this year’s Dota 2 World Championship. This became possible after T1 smashed Team Aster in its first series at the WePlay AniMajor playoffs to secure a top-six finish and net enough DPC points to cross the current TI10 qualification threshold of 801 points. Kuku and his teammates destroyed Team Aster in the laning phase and then cruised to two quick victories with some on-point spellcasting and teamfight execution. This will be the first TI appearance for four T1 members - Karl, Whitemon, Xepher, and 23savage, while Kuku will be playing his fifth TI.

RELATED:  How Can WePlay AniMajor Playoffs Teams Receive a TI10 Direct Invite?

T1 vs Team Aster: Match Recap, Highlights, and Kuku Interview

Recap

Game 1 was a stomp by T1 as they dominated Team Aster from the very beginning, displaying excellent laning skills. Xepher on the position four Enchantress was a menace as he got off some amazing early kills in the enemy safe lane. T1 did not try to rush with this lead as they cautiously took objectives, Roshan, and favorable teamfights to end the game in 33 minutes.

Game 2 was expected to be a relatively closer game, with Monet’s last pick Medusa rounding off Aster’s draft pretty well. But T1 crushed their enemies in the laning phase, took Roshan, and just went on to end the game. Aster had no damage or control to take down T1, tapping out of the second game in just 24 minutes. 

Highlights

Here are some highlights of the series.

T1 was being considered as the underdog coming into this matchup and was underestimated by most of the panelists. Their flawless performance in the series against Team Aster will certainly turn heads and cement them as a dark horse at the very least.

After Invictus Gaming, Evil Geniuses, Virtus.pro, and Team Secret, T1 becomes the fifth team to secure the TI10 direct invite. They had 670 points before this series, and now with a top-six finish guaranteed, they take their tally to 970 points, easily crossing the 801 points threshold.

T1 will be back in action at the WePlay AniMajor on June 11, 2021, to face the winner of Quincy Crew vs NoPing e-sports match in the upper bracket.

Interview: Captain Kuku talks about the team’s qualification for TI10

As soon as Team Aster typed GG in the second game, T1 players were ecstatic as they leaped in joy and hugged each other. 

Captain, Carlo "Kuku" Palad, then came for the post-match winners’ interview, where he talked about the team’s qualification for TI10 and the mindset they had before playing this crucial series.

“Yeah, I am excited. I am happy for my team because for the other four players it’s their first time (going to a TI). We knew that we need just one series (win) to qualify for TI. But my coach and I just kept saying to our team, don’t mind the result, let's just play game by game.”