Cover-Credits:
The regional qualifiers are just around the corner offering teams around the world the final opportunity to qualify for The International 11 (TI11). There will be six regions in action in these qualifiers, each having teams aiming to finish in the top three. In a recent Twitch livestream, TI5 winner Clinton "Fear" Loomis discussed the top three finishes in the North American (NA) and Western European (WEU) regions. Fear had a clear answer for the NA region, however, the player pondered on the top three teams in the WEU qualifier, finally concluding either Team Nigma or Team Liquid would miss TI11 altogether.
Fear has it that either Nigma or Liquid will miss out on a TI11 spot
Fear analyzed NA and WEU's brackets for TI11's regional qualifier and shared his predictions based on the same. As far as NA is concerned, Fear's prediction list included the three teams, apart from Evil Geniuses, that have shown a decent level of competitiveness over the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2021-22 season. “I mean, nouns, Wild Card, Soniqs are my top three for that region,” he said.
As Fear initially stated, Team Secret, Nigma, and Entity would make up the top three teams in WEU, but it was still difficult to predict. In the end, he said that there will definitely be upsets in this region with either Nigma or Liquid not finishing in the top three, while Secret and Entity will.
Also, Fear didn't think Alliance stood much chance of finishing in the top three.
“This region, Secret for sure. Secret, Nigma, and I think Entity are my top three for the region. It’s between Entity and Liquid, hard to say really. It’s gonna be a close one, that’s for sure for that region.
Just based on results, I have a feeling that - I mean Alliance isn’t in the discussion, they are not gonna make it right in my opinion. There might be some upsets though. I think either Nigma or Liquid isn’t gonna make it. For some reason, I think Entity and Secret should be like - for sure and then Nigma or Liquid is just - it’s gonna be a heartbreaking thing they don’t go to TI, some shit like that right?”
The top team from each regional qualifier will book direct entries into TI11's group stage, where 12 other teams have already been invited based on their DPC points ranking.
However, as a unique addition this year, the second and third place teams from all the six regional qualifiers will compete against each other in the last chance qualifier which will be held just a few days before TI11 kicks off. During the last chance qualifier, two of these 12 teams will advance to TI11’s group stage, which will ultimately consist of 20 teams.
The regional qualifiers begin on 8th Sept in NA and 13rd Sept in WEU as the battle for these last TI11 spots shall begin soon.
