Cover-Credits:
The format of the DPC 2021, including the Regional Leagues and Majors, has attracted considerable scrutiny over the past six months. TI10 qualifiers are not left unscathed, as Evil Geniuses' offlaner, Daryl Koh "iceiceice" Pei Xiang, criticized its format as unfair to Lower Division (Division 2) teams. Iceiceice referred to the system as “dumb” since the Lower Division teams, who are already weaker than the Upper Division teams, have to begin in the lower bracket of the double-elimination bracket. Then he offered suggestions to change the TI10 qualifier format. All the teams, including the Upper and the Lower, should play a round-robin first. iceiceice believes this is the right way to administer the TI10 qualifiers and give each team a fair chance.
Iceiceice explains why the TI10 qualifiers are unfair to Lower Division teams
Iceiceice June 16th, 2021 stream session involved analyzing the teams competing in the TI10 SEA qualifier, but he was unimpressed with the format. He did not like the position of the Lower Division teams in the format, stating that they had no chance of winning the qualifier.
“It’s kinda unfair, right? I don’t think they will make it because they are Division 2, and they are stuck in a lower… Why the fu** are they starting in the lower bracket when this is like an open qualifying event. It should be fair for everyone. This is such an unfair format. It’s actually dumb. It’s actually too dumb. You are already playing from Division 2, and you have to suffer in the lower bracket. It’s just kind of dumb.”iceiceice
Iceiceice’s suggestions for the TI10 qualifier format
Iceiceice then proposed changes to the qualifier format. According to him, there should be a BO2 or BO3 round-robin, following which the top eight teams play in a double-elimination bracket.
“I feel like it should be fair. You are from Division 1 and 2. You should be playing a huge round-robin format - BO2, BO3. I don’t care. And then you should have like eight teams (out of the 15 teams that are to compete in the TI10 SEA bracket) that qualify, right. What is so hard about that? Top eight teams to qualify, and after that, you have a double-elimination bracket, to be fair. I think that’s the right way to do it.”iceiceice
AFK Gaming
In the current system, upper division teams are seeded first in the upper bracket, followed by the Lower Division teams in the lower bracket. However, Lower Division teams are always given preference in the event of a BYE.
15 of the 16 teams from Season 2 of the DPC are competing in the upcoming TI10 SEA bracket. Only T1 is not present since they have been directly invited to TI10.
Later, iceiceice made predictions for the SEA qualifier. The Singaporean player thinks that TNC Predator, Fnatic, Team SMG, and Motivate.Trust Gaming will do fine. Iceiceice would, however, pick TNC Predator if he had to pick one team.
The TI10 SEA qualifier will be held from June 30 to July 3, 2021, deciding which team of the region will compete at the premier Dota 2 event of the year.
