Vici Gaming secured its place in the DreamLeague Season 11 tournament with a win at the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor. The win grants Vici Gaming a slot in the upcoming Major and a hefty sum of $125,000 and 120 DPC Points.
During the China Qualifier of the DreamLeague Season 11 Major, VG took the second spot in its group after the conclusion of the Group Stage. In the Upper Bracket round, VG fell against EHOME, dropping to the lower bracket. VG faced off against Royal Never Give Up in the lower bracket. RNG took the win and eliminated VG.
For the StarLadder Minor, VG won against Demolition Boys and Gambit Esports to take the top spot in the group. This led to the team facing Old But Gold in the semifinals. The first game was a blowout, with VG player Zhang “Paparazi” Chenjun's Phantom Assassin getting 19 kills and “Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang’s Lina contributing 10 kills. The second game was a closer match, but VG squeaked out the win.
The Finals saw VG going head-to-head with Gambit Esports. The first game was won by VG, thanks again to Paparazi’s Phantom Assassin. The second match had Ori’s Puck helped by the performance of Zhou “Yang” Haiyang’s Centaur Warrunner. The third game also went the way of VG, allowing the team to clinch the championship.
One on one with the trophy ? @ViCi_Gaming #KievMinor pic.twitter.com/ozQyW9o6K8
— Igor Bezborodov ?? #StandWithUkraine (@borodasla) March 10, 2019
Gambit Esports takes home $70,000 and 100 DPC for the second place finish.
The tournament was not without its own issues, as Russian team Old But Gold was unable to get entry approvals for its players. Gambit Esports revealed that three players, along with the coach and team manager, were also be denied entry. Even OG’s stand-in faced the same fate. The organizers stated that if Old But Gold would not be approved entry, the team was allowed to play matches online.
