The best Dota 2 teams from around the world battled it out online from the 9th of April to the 23rd of April. There was $1 million up for grabs, and the top team was guaranteed a $300,000 payday. Tundra Esports were the early betting favorites thanks to their performance at The International 2022, but did they live up to the hype, or did an underdog shock the esports world and pull out a big win? Before the next major Dota 2 event, head to https://esports-betting-bro.com/dota-2/ and find detailed and accurate betting guides as ratings of the top esports betting sites.
What Teams Competed at DreamLeague Season 19?
The DreamLeague Season 19 had 16 different Dota 2 teams, there were five teams from Western Europe, three teams from North America, two teams each from Eastern Europe, South America, China, and Southeast Asia, including:
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Tundra Esports
- Team Liquid
- Entity
- OG
- Shopify Rebellion
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- TSM
- Talon Esports
- Execration
- Evil Geniuses
- beastcoast
- Team Spirit
- ex-HellRaisers
- Team Aster
- Nigma Galaxy
As you can see, tons of big names took part in the event, and as the tournament was held online, the teams didn’t have to worry about hopping on a plane and traveling across the world. Tundra Esports were the team to beat going into the event after they put the world on notice with their win at The International 2022. Their performance at The International included wins over Team Secret, OG, and Team Aster, Tundra Esports’ win earned them a crazy $8.5 million!
Gaimin Gladiators were also in winning form, coming off a strong performance at the Lima Major 2023, where they beat Team Liquid and scooped the $200,000 first-place prize. Team Liquid was unsatisfied that they couldn’t secure the win in Peru, but at the DreamLeague Season 19, they had the opportunity for revenge!
What Was the Structure of the Event?
At the DreamLeague Season 19, the 8 teams were split into 2 groups, Group A and Group B. Group A featured the following teams:
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Shopify Rebellion
- Evil Geniuses
- TSM
- Execration
- Team Aster
- ex-HellRaisers
- Entity
Group B featured the following teams:
- Team Liquid
- Tundra Esports
- beastcoast
- OG
- Team Spirit
- Talon Esports
- Nigma Galaxy
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All group members played each other once in a best of 2 single round robin. Then the top 4 teams from each group progressed to the second group stage. These 8 teams each played each other once, and the top 4 teams progressed to the playoffs. The top 2 teams from the second group stage played each other in an upper bracket final, with the winner advancing to the grand final and the loser playing the winner of the lower bracket semi-final. The winner of the lower bracket final also progressed to the grand final.
What Happened in the Group Stages at the DreamLeague Season 19?
The top 2 teams from Group A were Gaimin Gladiators and Shopify Rebellion, both with a record of 3-4. Evil Geniuses and TSM also made the cut in Group A, but surprisingly, Chinese super team Team Aster was eliminated alongside Execration, ex-HellRaisers, and Entity. In Group B, Team Liquid and Tundra Esports were the teams to beat, they both looked strong, and their opponents struggled with their aggression and well-thought-out strategy. OG and beastcoast just snuck in to make it to the next group stage.
In the second group, Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators pulled away from the pack, both securing 6-1 records and showing their class. Shopify Rebellion and Tundra Esports snuck into the top 4 and advanced to the playoffs.
Breakdown Of the DreamLeague Season 19 Playoffs
In the upper bracket final, Team Liquid got revenge on Gaimin Gladiators and crushed them 2-0. Everyone thought Team Liquid would easily go on to win the whole tournament, but Gaimin Gladiators had other plans. The European team bounced back strongly and punished Shopify Rebellion 2-0. This set the stage for an epic rematch. Gaimin Gladiators came out strongly and won the first game, but Team Liquid responded by taking the second, again Gaimin Gladiator, but Team Liquid just wouldn’t go away. It came to the final game in the best of 5 series, and in the end, Gaimin Gladiator was just too strong!
Wrapping Up
Gaimin Gladiators were on fire! The brand-new European team showed that their win at the Lima Major was no fluke. They killed it in the group stage, securing a record of 6-1. Incredibly they lost their first playoff match against Team Liquid before battling back by beating Shopify Rebellion and then rematching Team Liquid in the grand final. Gaimin Gladiators ended up winning 3-2 in a crazy back-and-forth thriller. Once again, they crushed the dreams of Team Liquid and are definitely the team to beat in 2023.
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