Aurora, the sole Southeast Asian (SEA) representative at DreamLeague Season 22, appeared to have everything going for it in the event in group stage 1 but group stage 2 has proven to be a major challenge so far. Aurora has lost all three Bo3 series it has played in group stage 2 so far and is now at the bottom of the points table. The score, however, does not reflect the squad's quality, since in most of these games, the team has fought valiantly but could not hang on to win the series. With four series remaining, Aurora finds itself in a grave situation, mostly needing to win all to secure a chance at qualifying for the playoffs.
Aurora loses three series in a row to kick off group stage 2 in DreamLeague Season 22
Aurora's first series in group stage 2 was against Shopify Rebellion. An Anti-Mage focused start in the first game of group stage 2 proved costly, as Shopify outplayed it, leaving it down 1-0.
The second game saw Aurora battle to the end despite being behind much of the game and giving it all, but Shopify's draft was equipped to thrive at all stages, resulting in a 2-0 series victory.
Aurora's immaculate game kicked off the series against Team Spirit, putting it ahead 1-0. The second game was neck and neck, and the SEA Team had a reasonable chance to win 2-0, but one major teamfight defeat allowed Spirit to just go and finish the game.
Aurora picked for the laning phase in game three and got off to a solid start, but Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk on Lifestealer played a significant role in Spirit's comeback, as it was able to pick up critical pickoffs and steadily build a lead to win the series 2-1.
Next, in the series against Gaimin, Aurora had a competitive start to the laning phase, and it all boiled down to who executed the best teamfights later on. Gaimin won the game thanks to superior execution and damage, taking a 1-0 lead.
Gaimin grabbed some of the top heroes in the meta right now in the second game, while Aurora went with comfort heroes. The choices proved to be better for the former as it won the series 2-0.
Given Aurora's display of strong gameplay during the event and a propensity to challenge other formidable teams, it can benefit significantly if it can produce more competitive drafts and hold its ground in pivotal teamfights. Despite the challenging road ahead, the team will be confident that it can make a turnaround considering the recent form.
Aurora’s remaining series come against Xtreme Gaming, OG, Team Falcons, and BetBoom Team.