EG Quells the SEA Magic and Knock TNC out of the AniMajor

Evil Geniuses continue their run through the Lower Bracket, taking a hard-earned 2-1 victory over TNC.Predator. After a quick win in game one, TNC turned the series around into two fifty-minute brawls which they, unfortunately, lost in the end. After a rough time in the Group Stages, EG started the playoffs in the Lower Bracket and now has secured a top-six finish at the WePlay AniMajor after this win. Sadly, this loss for TNC means that they are not only knocked out of the tournament but their run for a direct invite to TI10 has also ended. TNC now will have to fight at the SEA regional qualifiers for TI against Fnatic, OB Neon, and more SEA contenders.

EG wipes out TI Direct Invite hope for TNC and move through the Lower Bracket

Recap

Game one was a clinical EG wipe in thirty minutes. EG, being the best laning stage team in the world, absolutely outdrafted and out-laned TNC in the first game, leaving no room for TNC to even attempt a comeback. EG’s versatility in the fights with their Puck, Nature’s Prophet, and Viper core lineup was too much for TNC’s Mars, Lina, and Morphling core trio to handle. TNC could never get a good teamfight off due to iceiceice’s excellent aggressive zoning on the Viper and the overwhelming amount of silences on EG’s lineup prevented Lina and Morphling from having a game at all. 

Game two saw TNC come back with SEA spirit that we are all so familiar with. The game went back and forth and stretched up to a 51-minute late-game brawl in which the SEA spirit thrives. Armel on the Templar Assassin was heavily countered by EG’s Razor, Leshrac and Batrider picks and struggled to survive in fights. However, the game immediately ended after one final late-game fight where EG tried to take a fight on TNC’s high ground. A long-drawn-out fight was closed out by TNC owing to the fight being right outside their base. TNC’s cores immediately bought back and re-joined the fight and ended the game. 

Game three was a very long and drawn-out battle between the two with both teams pulling out all the stops and going full out. The result of the game came to some very questionable plays by TNC’s offlaner Bok, and an excellent performance by iceiceice on his signature Timbersaw. The game was pretty even in all parts of the game but the offlaners of both teams decided the game. TNC’s Bok, on the Magnus had some misplays and questionable decision making, choosing to use his Ultimate Reverse Polarity on iceiceice every time, which was easily countered by iceiceice’s tankiness and Fly’s support with the Abaddon. EG took advantage of these small mistakes and secured the fifty-six-minute game, securing them the win.

RELATED:  Vici Gaming Knocks Virtus.pro out of AniMajor to Secure TI Direct Invite

Highlights

Here are some highlights of the series:

EG’s goal coming into this tournament, unlike other teams is not to secure a TI10 spot because they already have one secured with their second-place finish in the Singapore Major and their first-place finish in the first DPC season of 2021. 

EG will have a much harder time going forward as their very next matchup will be against the loser of the Upper Bracket matchup between Team Nigma and PSG.LGD, both teams regarded as the two best teams currently in the WePlay AniMajor. Will EG try to go for the full Lower Bracket sweep into the win in the WePlay AniMajor? Or will their efforts be put to a stop in their next showing?