Asian Aegis Agenda: Chaos, Crowns, and Clashes

This week in Chinese Dota 2 was an absolute riot! The all-star super squad Xtreme Gaming not only hoisted another hefty trophy into their already crowded cabinet but also threw us into a drama whirlpool. The streaming dynamic duo, Chalice and Xomnus, turned up the heat with some fiery hot takes on Watson and Nightfall's gameplay, while their old pal fy was busy rewriting the record books. Buckle up, because here’s the scoop on all the action from this week in Asian Dota 2!

Xtreme Gaming Turns the Tables and Trolls Their Way to Triumph

Xtreme Gaming (XG) ended Team Falcons' reign of terror at the Elite League 2024 and claimed the coveted title after a riveting Grand Finals that saw the Chinese giants finally reverse its fortunes against the MENA team. 

Coming into the Grand Finals, Xtreme Gaming's prospects looked grim. The team had faced six consecutive losses against Team Falcons, and when they dropped Game 1 in the grand finals, the specter of another 3-0 sweep loomed large. Fans braced for what seemed an inevitable defeat, but XG had other plans. On the back of some immaculate Torrent Storms from Lin "Xxs" Jing’s Kunkka, they turned the tide in Game 2. This victory was the spark that ignited their form, leading them to win the next two games, thus clinching the series and the championship.

As the final game concluded, the drama peaked. Wang “Ame” Chunyu, XG’s carry, paused the game to literally and figuratively drop some question marks on the situation—were Falcons really losing? Yes, they were, and XG made sure they felt it with some cheeky ‘ez’ comments in the chat. This playful jab was a nod to Falcons' earlier mind games, turning the tables with a sprinkle of spicy banter.

Falcons’ Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak could only laugh in response, his amusement visible even through the tension. Team Falcons showed class as they congratulated Xtreme Gaming, proving that while they lost the title, they hadn’t lost their sense of humor or sportsmanship.

For Xtreme Gaming, it’s another jewel in their crown, making this their second major win of the season after their earlier conquest at Games of the Future 2024. They head into the upcoming ESL One Birmingham 2024 as one of the favorites for the tournament.

Fy Cracks 300 Games With Rubick, Making Dota 2 History

Xu "fy" Linsen from Azure Ray has just schooled everyone on how to play Rubick, marking his 300th game with the spell-stealing savant during the PGL Wallachia Season 1 Qualifiers. Rubick, a hero as tricky as he is potent, fits fy like a glove. With 300 games, he's rocked a win rate of 59.67%, proving he’s not just playing—he’s dominating. While he’s fairly competent with other heroes (/s), fy has a peculiar affinity towards his Rubick, garnering a whopping 190 hours logged in pro-games alone. In pub games, he probably has more hours on Rubick than AdmiralBulldog, MATUMBAMAN, and Qojqva have combined on their Lone Druids, doesn't he?

With other players not even close to his record—shoutout to Clement “Puppey” Ivanov in 2nd place with 259 on Chen—fy’s throne looks secure. But in Dota, the game’s always on. So, what record will fy set next? Whatever it is, the Dota 2 world will be watching, ready for the next show-stopping Spell Steal.

Chinese Dota Legends Throw Shade at Watson’s Terrorblade Skill Build

Alimzhan "watson" Islambekov’s Terrorblade became the punchline for a series of cheeky digs from China’s Dota elite. The match, which unfolded during the Elite League showdown between Entity and Azure Ray, showcased Watson's daring (or daft, depending who you ask) decision to skip leveling up Terrorblade’s Reflection in favor of beefing up his stats.

Watson took an unconventional path with his hero build—so unconventional that it could be mistaken for a misclick. The choice not to leverage Reflection, especially after its recent buff, drew some spicy commentary from the likes of Lu "Somnus" Yao and Yang "Chalice" Shenyi.

Somnus didn’t shy away from suggesting that Watson might be too accustomed to the less strategic demands of pub matches. “He does not think much about his skill build,” Somnus remarked, implying Watson's brain might be set to autopilot mode. Chalice, on the other hand, lamented, “Playing against DK and not maxing Reflection? Kills me, man," painting Watson as a "one-trick pony" stubbornly stuck in his ways.

He further roasted Watson for treating a high-stakes match like a laid-back pub game. “He’s grabbing Attribute points over Reflection, thinking it's just some casual pub game where he can tank through everything because pub players can't even cast their spells on him right," Chalice criticized, his disappointment palpable.

Not one to let the roast simmer, Watson defended his choices during a Twitch livestream, explaining that Reflection would’ve been about as effective as Taiga’s defense for match fixing against the slippery Weaver and the well-equipped Dragon Knight. “Why didn't I put points in Reflection against Weaver and Dragon Knight? It would do nothing against Weaver; the skill just shows you where he runs. And DK, always activated Manta Style when I used the skill on him. And later he got Black King Bar, the ability doesn't work against it,” Watson retorted.

Despite Watson’s logical explanations, the match didn’t end well for Entity, with a botched skirmish near the Roshan pit sealing their fate. And to be frank, it didn’t really matter in this game.

Chalice Hits Report Button on Nightfall Mid-Match Over a Missed BKB

During an Elite League match that had everyone on the edge of their seats, Chinese streamer Yang "Chalice" Shenyi from Xtreme Gaming couldn't hold back his astonishment—and frustration. Watching as Egor "Nightfall" Grigorenko from BetBoom Team missed hitting his Black King Bar (BKB) at a clutch moment, Chalice's reaction was both relatable and theatrical. "WTF? Are you pretending?" he exclaimed to his viewers, baffled by the oversight that potentially cost BetBoom not just the skirmish but their spot in the competition.

Even though he was only a spectator, Chalice's stream quickly turned into a reaction room. Initially joking about not being able to report players directly from his spectator seat, he learned live from his audience that he could indeed make his displeasure official. Chalice wasted no time reporting Nightfall’s Dota 2 profile with the reason labeled as 'Actor,' joking that someone else less skilled was acting as Nightfall.

The match concluded in a draw, but the repercussions of that unclicked BKB were clear: BetBoom lost the game and was knocked out of the league.