We offer a few predictions and take a look at the narratives going in to the start of Eastern Europe’s Tour 3 of the DPC.
This week is going to be very interesting for every Dota 2 fan in the world. ESL One Stockholm 2022 ended, so it is time to welcome Tour 3 of this year’s DPC. Following all of the roster changes and the fact that there are a few Majors until TI, we expect this Tour to be even more action packed than the first two.
Speaking of action, every region had its share of changes. One of them is Eastern Europe, where we can watch some of the best players in the world. The action starts on June 9, so let’s go over some of the epic matches and rivalries.
Virtus.Pro’s new roster will take part in the event under a different name
One of the most intriguing things about Eastern Europe in Tour 3 is Virtus.Pro. Once the best team in the region, the CIS powerhouse is trying everything to claim its throne. Needless to say, Team Spirit’s win at The International 10 made them the strongest squad in the region.
After trying out numerous drafts, the team decided to get back Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev on the roster. The talented Russian player was a part of several teams, but he wasn’t as successful as when he was a part of VP.
The new roster looks deadly and will try to defeat the other powerhouses in the region, such as TS and BB Team. With that being said, it seems like Virtus.Pro won’t be able to use its initials during Tour 3. A quick look at Liquipedia shows that the RAMZES666 and the rest will use the tag “Outsiders’.
Although we don’t have official information as to why the roster changed its name, we assume it has something to do with the ongoing war in Ukraine. Sadly, many Russian players were unable to compete at ESL One Stockholm 2022, so it seems like VP doesn’t want to take any risks.
Week 1 Action
If we take a look at the upcoming matches in week 1, we can see several matches are worth it. Perhaps the most exciting match-up will be between Natus`Vincere and BB Team.
Na`Vi is one of the teams in EEU that does everything it can to win against the best, but it always has some problems. After their first match against CIS-R, which will take place on June 9, the team has another challenge three days later. Sadly, they have to go up against BB Team, which surprised everyone at ESL One Stockholm 2022.
Akbar “SoNNeikO” Butaev, who is a former Na`Vi player, and his team are definitely the favorites. However, Na`Vi’s roster looks good on paper, so it will be interesting to see the outcome.
The second match that we can’t wait to watch is between Team Spirit and CIS-R. The current TI champions disappointed their fans during the Major because they could not win. However, we expect them to show their prowess once more and dominate in all of their matches.
The first challenge ahead of Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek and the rest will be CIS Rejects, RAMZES666’s last team. With the likes of Pavel “9pasha” Khvastunov on its roster, this team definitely has what it takes to bring down the mighty squad.
Week 2
Once the first week comes to an end, we will have the chance to watch a couple of fascinating series in week 2. The first one will put CIS-R against Outsiders, which means RAMZES666 will go up against his former team. Needless to say, predicting this match is easier said than done because everything is possible.
The next series that we can’t wait to see will take place on June 17, and it will be between Natus`Vincere and Team Spirit. Sadly, Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko and the rest have to play against BB, TS and VP in their first four matches, so winning is easier said than done. Losing all of these series means the team won’t be able to finish in the Top 4, so it needs to win at least a few.
The match between them and Team Spirit won’t be easy. However, Na`Vi has proven that it can achieve impressive results under pressure.
The favorites
As mentioned a couple of times, there are a couple of teams in Division I that are the favorites. Unlike Western Europe, where four teams will get a slot for the Major, EEU only has three places. Hence, it becomes even more challenging for the top teams in the region to qualify for this event.
Speaking of top teams, the first one is Team Spirit. We will always put them among the favorites because Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk and the rest did the impossible and won The International 10. Even more impressive is that the team kept dominating in all domestic and international championships.
The second squad we think will be able to advance to the PGL Arlington Major 2022 is BetBoom Team. Although this is one of the squads whose roster doesn’t seem that impressive on paper, the team showed its prowess a couple of weeks ago. Once they get their hands on Nature’s Prophet, the team can defeat everyone. After all, SoNNeikO and the rest eliminated teams like Team Liquid from the tournament.
Last but not least, we have Outsides, a.k.a. Virtus.Pro. Despite having a new roster, the team consists of some of the best players in the region. Unsurprisingly, they will do everything they can to make sure they get one of the slots for the Major.
Division II
When it comes down to Eastern Europe’s Division II, we must keep an eye on a couple of big names. One of them is HellRaisers, a team that used to be among the best in the region. Sadly, many disappointing results led them into Division II.
Aside from HR, Division II is also where we can keep track of PuckChamp’s performance. Nikita “young G” Bochko and his teammates played well in Tour 1, but they were unable to survive afterward. Hopefully, they will be able to bounce back and secure a slot in Division I for Tour 4. Of course, this won’t be easy because these players have to go up against loads of motivated squads.
Be sure to stay tuned to ESTNN for all the action from the DPC, hero guides and even Dota 2 betting tips!
