Boom Esports showed just why they are the team to beat after a smashing first day of the group stage at Dota 2’s first physical competition this year. They romped their way to an unbeaten three game series in the group stage of the Gamers Galaxy Invitational Series Dubai 2022.
But no, it’s not that they beat OG Esports, (former TI champs), Team Secret (featuring some of the legends in Dota) and Nigma Galaxy SEA (which just won promotion in the DPC Division 1 in SEA), it’s how they did it.
In the first game against an all-star Team Secret, it was all about their midlaner, Erin “Yopaj” Jasper Ferrer. Using Templar Assassin, he murdered Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan first. And then went on to kill everyone else, racking up a massive 17-0 score. Anyone using TA knows the hero is about one of the most technical to use. And anyone looking to win with her must be able to master the art of timing. Oh boy, guy knows how to get the most from this foxy lady with impeccable timing and fast fingering.
His partner in crime, or rather pirate in crime, Souliya”JaCkky” Khoomphetsavong also happened to get a decent 10-0 score.
Singaporean Daryl “iceiceice” Koh, playing in Team Secret, had a bad day at the office. Using Centaur Warlord with his mighty hooves, iceiceice was stomped 0-7 instead.
Boom, based in Indonesia, then went on to beat fellow SEA team Nigma Galaxy, with Yopaj again playing a central role in the victory. His Queen of Pain scored 11-2 against Nigma Galaxy SEA. Boom then wrapped up a comfortable 34-15 victory.
The last game against former two-time TI champs OG was pretty much the same story. Yopaj, again using Templar Assassin in the midlane, racked up a 14-0 score, proving that he is one of the best midlaners in the world now. He managed to pin down OG’s 16 year-old teenage sensation Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov, who took the elusive Storm Spirit.
The score, after just 22 mins, read 38 kills for Boom and just 8 for OG. *mic drop* The invitational is just a ‘friendly match’ but Boom is taking this very seriously. If they can keep this form up, who knows how far they could go in the DPC and TI.
Boom moves onto the upper brackets of the knockout rounds. Nigma Galaxy SEA has another shot at moving into the semi-finals if they can beat a team from Group A in a best-of-three series.
In the other group, another SEA aspirant Fnatic is likely to make it through to the next round. They have to play TSM, which remains rooted at the bottom of Group A. And depending on how that game goes, they could either play Nigma Galaxy SEA or Team Secret in the next round.
Either way, the force is strong in SEA teams.
