In a surprising turn of event, two titans of European Dota, Gaimin Gladiators and Team Spirit, have bid an early farewell to ESL One Birmingham 2024 following a series of dismal showings over the past three days in Group B.
In the opening showdown, Gaimin Gladiators were left reeling from a devastating loss to Tundra, who was seen as one of the underdogs in the competition. Although GG maintained an aggressive gameplay in the early stages of Game 1, Tundra’s dynamic duo of Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen and Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko deftly capitalized on GG’s vulnerabilities, effectively neutralizing its offensive tactics.
After GG’s initial lead of 14-4 within the first 15 minutes, Tundra gradually turned the tide, with both teams’ carries trading blows during intense team fights. GG’s defenses eventually crumbled under Tundra’s late-game surprise assault, resulting in a defeat by the 42nd minute. Tundra clinched victory in the subsequent match.
GG’s woes persisted the following day against the tricky Xtreme Gaming. Overwhelmed by XG’s strategic use of minus armor, GG suffered another crushing 2-0 loss.
Having suffered two losses already, GG had to snag at least two wins to secure a comfortable spot in Group B. But despite giving it all, the team could only manage to tie against OG and Team Spirit. GG’s only shining moment came from a solid win against Heroic.
Meanwhile, TS continues to grapple with its own problem following a lackluster performance in the Elite League just two weeks prior. With five draws from five matches in Group B, the Russian juggernauts faced a tie-breaker round of three games but failed to clinch victory in any of them.
As concerns mount over their downward spiral, key players from both teams have acknowledged internal issues hindering their progress beyond the group stage. GG’s star player, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, was baffled to see his team randomly dying in some games, while some members of TS regretted the failure of their experimental compositions.
