The Shanghai Major: Group Stage Preview

We now stand at the forefront of the second edition of the newly introduced Major Dota 2 tournament series as the Shanghai Major Groups have been announced.

Following the success of the first event in Frankfurt, expectations are high and the community is eager to witness their favourite teams battle for the title once again, not to mention the seven-figure paycheck.

The group stage will begin next Thursday, running until Sunday, and will determine which teams will end up in which brackets for the Main Event, which is scheduled to take place between 2-6 March.

Let’s take a look at the groups:

 

Group A Preview 

        

CDEC Gaming, EHOME.cn, MVP Phoenix, Team Secret

This group contains one of the strongest teams in the tournament – EHOME.cn. The Chinese powerhouse have real momentum right now after winning the most recent Premier international tournament, the Mars TV Dota 2 League back in January.

Team Secret have failed to show their class of late and the Shanghai Major might lead to roster changes if significant success is not achieved.

MVP Phoenix were one of the teams that had to qualify for the tournament and their presence in the group stage is a decent achievement by itself.

Since their failure to qualify for the MarsTV Dota 2 League a month ago, the other Chinese representative in this group, CDEC Gaming, have been quiet on the pro scene. The team was invited directly to this tournament and had plenty of time to prepare, but the jury is still out as regards their chances.

 

Group B Preview 

      

Alliance, Fnatic, Team Spirit, Vici Gaming

This group has the potential for many surprises.

The International 3 champions, Alliance, are back on the big stage following their wins at the December World Cyber Arena and Star Ladder last month, emerging from time long spent in obscurity.

Vici Gaming have always been a powerhouse both on the international and Chinese Dota 2 scenes and currently have a fearsome roster, matching their reputation.

Fnatic emerged out of the SEA qualifiers as the strongest team and have promising youngsters who are eager to prove themselves on the big stage.

The last participants in this group, Team Spirit, have been together for only a couple of months, but the team eliminated some old dogs in the qualifiers and showed that they deserve to be here.

 

Group C Preview 

      

LGD Gaming, Newbee, OG, Team Archon

LGD are another solid Chinese team that need to perform to expectations. Although their roster might not be as shiny without Yao and xiao8, who are now substitutes, they can still benefit from the experience of their captain rOtk.

Newbee’s line-up has undergone many changes since the glorious days of winning The International 4 in 2014, but the team haven’t been close to repeating an achievement of this kind recently. However, as no one expected their International success, Newbee can always surprise.

OG will enter the tournament as the first Major winners, claiming the trophy last November in Germany. With one of the most talented mid players in Miracle-, the team will need to find their mojo again if they want to repeat their triumph.

Meanwhile, the American Team Archon should not be written off but they will have a hard time taking anything from this group.

 

Group D Preview 

      

compLexity Gaming, Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, Virtus.pro

EG will go to Shanghai with a fresh tournament win under their belt (DC Captains Draft 3.0) and the ambition to assert themselves as the top team on the Dota 2 scene.

The European pride in this group will be defended by Team Liquid, who are one of the most impressive teams in the old continent. Team Liquid keep growing and it is time for them to achieve more significant success in a Premium tournament.

The fact that compLexity Gaming underwent so many roster changes post TI 5 and still managed to qualify is success in itself. The team have a very diverse playing style and players capable of changing roles – a versatility that few other teams have.

Virtus.Pro are doubtless one of the best teams from the CIS region, but their level of play in 2016 has been far from the heights they hit last year. However, there will hardly be a better time for the sleeping bear to awake and the potential is clearly there.