Southeast Asia’s Talon Esports has secured a spot in the playoffs of the Berlin Major, becoming the only team from the region to advance in the competition. Despite a rocky start in the group stage, where they finished in fifth place, the team managed to secure a place in the lower bracket first round, where they will face PSG.LGD.
Talon was initially expected to make it to the top four alongside big names such as Tundra, OG, and Shopify Rebellion. However, they struggled to adapt to the changes in patch 7.33 and were defeated by Xtreme Gaming, OG, and Tundra on matchday 2 and 3.
The team finally found their footing in their remaining matches, with aces 23savage and Mikoto stepping up their game when the team needed them most. They went on to defeat Team SMG and Invictus Gaming, while fending off the aggression of Shopify Rebellion, Team Spirit, and Beastcoast. With two victories, three ties, and three losses, Talon secured a spot in the playoffs.
In contrast, Execration and Team SMG, the other Southeast Asian teams in the competition, were unable to qualify for the playoffs. Execration, the champion of the Dota Pro Circuit SEA 2023 Tour 1, won only one game against BetBoom and had two draws and five losses throughout the group stage. Team SMG, on the other hand, only won one game against Invictus Gaming and finished in seventh place.
Despite facing a tough opponent in PSG.LGD, experts believe that Talon could pull off another surprise in this competition, given their performance in the Lima Major two months ago. The match is set to take place tonight, and fans are eagerly waiting to see if Talon can continue to represent Southeast Asia in the playoffs.
