Cover-Credits:
Valve
With one of the most dominant performances in Dota 2 Major grand finals history, Gaimin Gladiators claimed the Lima Major 2023 championship by defeating Team Liquid 3-0. Gaimin Gladiators entered the grand final as the overwhelming favorites following Samuel "Boxi" Svahn’s sudden departure in the middle of the tournament. Although Team Liquid gave fans some hope after an incredible 2-0 victory over Talon Esports in the Lower Bracket finals, Gaimin Gladiators proved to be too strong for Liquid without Boxi.
This victory gave the Dota 2 world a lot of firsts. This is Gaimin Gladiator’s first-ever Dota 2 Major tournament victory. This is also the first-ever Dota 2 Major victory for Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan, Erik "tOfu" Engel, and Melchior "Seleri" Hillenkamp. Seleri is the first Dutch player to win a Dota 2 Pro Circuit (DPC) Major.
With this victory, Gaimin Gladiators wins $200,000 USD and 400 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points as the champions of the Lima Major 2023. Thus, the team has now racked up 580 DPC points, putting it in a prime position of securing a place at The International 12.
Gaimin Gladiators Claims its First Dota 2 Major at Lima, Peru
After a great showing in Tour 2 of Western Europe (WEU) league, Gaimin Gladiators was expected to do well in this Major, but it managed to surpass expectations and went on to win the tournament with one of the most dominant showings we’ve ever seen in a Dota 2 Major.
Gaimin Gladiators had an incredibly dominant run through the playoffs without dropping a single game throughout its run. The European team won nine games in a row rolling through Team Aster, Entity, and Team Liquid (twice) on its road to winning the Lima Major 2023. The games were also incredibly one-sided for Gaimin Gladiators who completely decimated its way through the tournament.
While all five players contributed to the win, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan was the MVP for the Peruvian fans who were watching the event at the venue. The North American star who has lovingly been dubbed “Cabezon” ("big-headed" in Spanish) by the Peruvian crowd, displayed remarkable mental fortitude and often carried the team by himself.
He may tilt in pub games, but here, at the major, he kept calm despite being targeted with offensive tips, voice line spams, and even all-chats through the major.
Team Liquid will not be disappointed with its run at the Lima Major despite the loss considering the fact that it made a last-minute change to its lineup. It has already secured 750 DPC points and has already virtually secured a place in The International 2022, barring a complete implosion.
