posted by Chimpsky,
We've got you covered--here's our in-depth team by team preview of the ESL One Frankfurt 2015 LAN Finals. We've got the full breakdown on each team: hero statistics, recent performance, and our thoughts on how they'll fare in one of Europe's biggest tournaments ever. With 8 teams primed to perform and showcase Dota 2 at the highest level, the stage is set for a final show before TI5!


The LAN Finals of ESL One Frankfurt 2015 runs through the weekend from June 20th to the 21st. The tournament boasts eight of the world’s best teams competing for over $250,000 in prizes.

ESL One is a must watch for many reasons. Not only is it the biggest tournament in Europe, with over 382 teams having signed up for the open European qualifiers alone, but the unique format opens the field for potential upsets. Perhaps most importantly, ESL One is the final premier LAN tournament before The International 2015. For all teams except se Alliance, this will be the last opportunity to test each other in a competitive environment prior to battling for the Aegis in August.


The Invited



It’s no surprise that the 3 top squads of each major region were directly invited to the main event. They’re also the 3 favorites to win TI prior to this tournament. Their performances in ESL One will go a long way to cement their status as favorites - or undermine their confidence before the biggest event of the year.

Why they’ll win



Team Secret is on fire this year after an early elimination from StarLadder Season 12. Whether it’s due to patch 6.84 or their new (anti)scrimmage philosophy post-StarLadder, Secret have gone on to win all 3 tournaments they’ve attended since May. Currently considered the #1 team in the world, they have few weaknesses. Their bracket looks highly favorable for them, and few will expect Secret to falter before the Grand Finals. They match well against both opening opponent Fnatic and whoever wins IG-C9, having beaten IG 77.8% over 9 games and C9 100% over 2 games. With creative drafts and big play potential from every member, they’re the currently team to beat.

Why they’ll lose



As the top team, Secret will be well researched by their opponents. While all the teams have the talent to take games off Secret, their two biggest threats are EG and VG. This marks the first time since The Summit 3 where the three giants will clash. It's fortunate for Secret that their two rivals, and red hot Virtus.Pro, will eliminate each other prior to the Grand Finals. Now that there’s been time to adapt to the new patch, look for this to be the tournament where other teams even the playing field.

Things to watch for


  • While most know to fear se Ludwig 'zai' Wåhlberg’s Broodmother/Clockwork and ca Artour 'Arteezy' Babaev’s Leshrac, ee Clement 'Puppey' Ivanov’s Dazzle has been the difference maker this patch. Since losing StarLadder to “come at you” teams based on sustainable early teamfight, Secret achieved much success replicating the strategy. We could also see the resurgence of Enchantress, which Puppey played to devastating effect in the Summit 3.

  • Stay thirsty, my friends. Arteezy and Kuroky both pulled out Bloodseeker during the seeding matches to great effect. While Kuroky provided solid play, it was "EZ-4-RTZY" who showed the power of the hero against IG, going 15-1-0 in 35 minutes. Let's hope for another Clownseeker sighting, as Secret could meet IG in the semifinals.

  • Secret loves Radiant. 22 of their 27 total wins on patch 6.84 come from fighting for the creeps that wear grass.



Why they’ll win



Evil Geniuses are considered one of the titans of DOTA 2. As North America’s sole hope in the upper tiers of competition, they won the 2015 DOTA Asian Championship. With us Peter 'ppd' Dager’s amazing drafts, solid all around talent, and addition of 15 year old prodigy pk Sumail 'SumaiL' Syed Hassan earlier this year, they have the potential to be the team to beat. While they’ve yet to take a championship this patch, they recently showed they could outplay (game 1) and outpick (game 2) Team Secret in DotaPit. ESL One could be the time to shine for the Boys in Blue.

Why they’ll lose


  • Their creative drafts sometimes don’t work. PPD is known for his analytical strengths, but that’s only if he has the time to properly prepare. With the seeding matches being BO1, he’ll only have a single day before the eliminations matches to plot. If EG don’t get a top 3 seed and choose their opponent, then their chances are far lower to make it to the finals.

  • Sumail’s aggression can turn against him, as he has a history of trying to force big plays. The new meta is less favorable for his signature Storm Spirit and he’s unstable with other heroes, including multiple whiffed Reverse Polarities on Magnus at The Summit 3.

  • While they’re strong versus favorites like Team Secret and Vici Gaming, EG have shown inconsistent play with others. They only faced Alliance and IG once each in the past six months, losing their BO1 to Alliance in the joinDOTA MLG Pro League Season 2. And while they have yet to play them on this new patch, EG only won 30% of their games against Virtus.Pro in the previous version. With VP looking in top form, it’s worrisome for North America’s champions if the two should meet in the semifinals.


Things to watch for


  • Salty twitter banter from PPD.

  • us Saahil 'Universe' Arora and SumaiL are big play machines when on their signature heroes. Universe is especially deadly with Clockwork, boasting a 100% win rate over 6 games in this patch.

  • Support player ca Kurtis 'Aui_2000' Ling’s recent wins on Bounty Hunter, Naga Siren, and Keeper of the Light highlight his diversity and keeps opponents guessing during the draft. His flexibility plays in perfectly to what draft-maestro PPD wants to do, plus it keeps things fresh for viewers.



Why they’ll win



Previously the #1 team in the world, Vici Gaming has slipped to #2 as of late. Arguably the most feared team in the 6.82-6.83 era, their squad is now stable after a March transfer of carry de Dominik 'Black^' Reitmeier for cn Chen 'Hao' Zhihao. Although seemingly weaker in this new patch, with recent losses to ru Team Empire and C9 knocking them out of MarsTV, Vici Gaming still wins 67% of their matches (down 5% from the previous version). With one of the best roaming support duos and a precise early-mid game, Vici Gaming is always a joy to watch. If they get a good start and begin to snowball, the team’s surgical execution ensures that they never lose control.

Why they’ll lose



Watch out if Vici Gaming doesn’t have a good early game. While sg Daryl Koh 'iceiceice' Pei Xiang’s aggression is beautiful when successful, it can also turn into a feeding frenzy. As their recent losses against Empire and C9 have shown, VG are in a mini-rut. There are also rumors of “trust issues” floating around, with a shift from traditional drafter cn Xu 'Fy' Linsen to Hao. They must overcome this and find their way in the new meta if they hope to defeat their opening opponents EG, a squad who boasts a 70% win rate against VG across the last two patches.

Things to watch for


  • Iceiceice interviews: man is hilarious.

  • Though usually quite orthodox, Vici Gaming is capable of surprising picks. FY’s Bounty Hunter set the standard for jungle stalking and courier sniping from The Summit 3. Look for Bounty again if the opportunity arises.

  • cn Xie 'Super!' Junhao’s mid Alchemist counters other melees beautifully and can achieve transcendent farm if left alone, forcing enemy teams to deal with him and free up pressure from his teammates.

European Qualifier Winners




Why they’ll win



Blitz recently shared his belief that The Alliance could upset the rankings at ESL One. Not only are they the only team not going to The International in August, but they’re the first former TI champions not to qualify. Now they're playing with a big chip on their shoulder and a lot to prove. They certainly have the talent to upset the rankings, with 3 longtime members from their TI3 winning squad and talented newcomers se Per Anders 'Pajkatt' Olsson L. (mid) and fr Sebastien 'Ceb' Debs (drafter/support). Mad’s drafting skills cannot be underestimated, and frees up veteran captain se Jonathan 'Loda' Berg to call their shots in game.

Why they’ll lose



  • Infamous for perfecting the art of “Rat Dota” (aka split push) Alliance have traditionally had weaker team fight - making them a terrible matchup against their opening opponent Virtus.Pro, who got to pick them as a result of being top seed. While Alliance's recent drafts have shifted towards team fight, they're still playing catchup in the current meta and have yet to show a strong presence with characters such as Phoenix, Bounty Hunter, or Winter Wyvern.

  • They have little recent experience playing against the two Chinese squads, having only two BO3 series on record across the last 2 patches. Both series were losses, losing a set to IG in 6.83 and a set to VG in the current version.

Things to watch for


  • What sweet hat will Loda wear?

  • Loda and se Joakim 'Akke' Akterhall have wonderful chemistry, having been friends since high school. This translates into some of the finest Wisp combos in competitive DOTA, with Loda playing either Tiny or Bristleback.

  • While still feared for his Nature’s Prophet, se Henrik 'AdmiralBulldog' Ahnberg’s Broodmother is highly effective and should not be left in the pool.


Why they’ll win



Aggression, aggression, aggression. Even while on their way to 40+ min games, Virtus.Pro loves to group up as five and take the fight to their opponents. Despite this making them predictable, their tenacity and tight execution make it hard for their opponents to catch their breath. They’re entering ESL One with the confidence of having won DreamLeague, having looked nigh unstoppable in their BO5 finals against ua Natus Vincere, and have perhaps the best opening matchup. Their most statistically feared opponent is C9, who beat them 7-1 in the previous patch, but they're likely to be eliminated from the other bracket before a potential meeting in the Grand Finals. With a squad boasting two of the most aggressive pros on the scene in ru Ilya 'Illidan Stormrage' Pivtsaev (carry) and ru Sergey 'God' Bragin (mid), and an opponent-specific drafter in by Artem 'fng' Barshack, look for any match they play to be intense and exciting.

Why they’ll lose



If it ain't broken, don't fix it - right? Virtus.Pro's style works against them if they can’t take team fights, as they’ll continually seek out engagements even if they’re down.

Things to watch for



  • Illidan is one of the few pro players who loves playing Silencer as a carry. Capable of surprising amounts of damage output, it’s the type of snowball hero that shines in Illidan’s capable hands.

  • Virtus.Pro love Rubick. Both ua Ilya 'Lil' Ilyuk and FNG are capable of juggling the abilities and timings that make the hero effective. While opponents may think it’s more likely for Lil to play his trademark Visage, he showed off his mind-boggling spell-thieving in the DreamLeague finals against Na’Vi. Look for spectacular plays and combos if VP gets this hero.

  • Who doesn’t love a pirate? ua Olexandr 'DkPhobos' Kucherya is one of the few who dares pull out Kunkka in a big match, having recently played it in the DreamLeague finals. Despite a lack of success there, it’s a fun pick that’s seldom seen.


Why they’ll win



Cloud9 are Europe’s best hope going in to ESL One, with a talented squad worthy of their #4 world ranking. While they usually play around feeding drafter/captain/carry/twitter-carry ca Jacky 'EternaLEnVy' Mao into the late game, they’re capable of surprisingly creative drafts, being one of the first teams to show the potential of a roaming support Bounty Hunter and a Boots of Travel Phantom Lancer. With stability coming from new support pair dk Johan 'BigDaddyN0tail' Sundstein/dk Rasmus 'rASmus' Fillipsen and rock-solid mid de Adrian 'Fata' Trinks, they’ve now had the time to make any needed adjustments in the new patch. Look for them to place in the top 4.

Why they’ll lose


  • The Cloud9 curse. Whether it’s not carrying TP scrolls, being short 100 gold for buyback, or making odd decisions, Cloud9 are the eternal runner-ups in premier tournaments. They have a notorious reputation for choking in big matches, and have never won a LAN. But this also makes them a great team to watch and root for, as the rollercoaster ride never ends for C9 fans.

  • Inconsistent drafting has hurt Cloud9 in the past, with surprisingly greedy lineups or picks that put them at a strategic disadvantage. They’re too often all-in with the late game strategy, with EE once admitting that he drafted solely “to get us to the late game”.

  • ro Armand 'bOne7' Pittner’s wisdom teeth prevent him from making the seeding rounds, and as a result they're matched up against IG. The two teams have little experience with each other, though history slightly favors C9. Still, it's a rocky start to what looks to be a tough bracket for C9.

Things to watch for


  • EternalEnvy’s twitter after a loss.

  • BigDaddy plays one of the best Wisps in the world. If he gets his hands on it, look for big saves and relocates for EE.

  • Now Bone7 is back, and despite criticism for “boneheaded” plays in the past, he’s shown himself to be an important part of the team. With solid performances on Weaver, Broodmother, and Tusk this patch, his team didn’t find him easy to replace. He also started drafting recently, relieving EE on occasion.

Asia Qualifier Winners



Why they’ll win



Old team, new name. my EHOME Malaysia* was born from the aftermath of the Great China Reshuffle in 2014, only to be dropped shortly after and rebranded as my Team Malaysia*. 8 months later, Team Malaysia were so successful that Fnatic took notice and picked them up on June 4th. Regardless of their names, the team’s stayed together through it all. And it’s no wonder: the legendary trio of carry my Lee 'Ky.xY' Kong Yang, offlane my Chong Xin 'Ohaiyo' Khoo, and mid/captain my Chai 'Mushi' Yee Fung invokes memories of the glory days of TI3 my Orange Esports*. They surprised everyone with their aggressive, big plays on their way to a 3rd place finish, only to disband shortly afterwards. Joined now by Mushi-mentored my Fadil Bin 'Kecik Imba' Mohd Raziff and my Lee Siong 'JoHnNy' Tait, they had enough talent in 6.83 to knock Secret out of StarSeries 12. The squad that’s now known as Fnatic.MY gives Southeast Asia a reason to be hopeful.

Why they’ll lose


  • Whether it’s getting used to their new organization or the new meta, Fnatic is currently in a small slump. There’s been a massive drop in their win rate from 76.7% to 55.2% in this new patch. What’s even more worrisome is that most of these losses come from teams that aren’t top tier. In fact, Fnatic has yet to meet Cloud9, EG, IG, or VG in a single game this patch. Of the remaining teams, they lost 0-2 to Secret at the Red Bull Battlegrounds and have a 50% win rate against VP and Alliance. All of their current stats suggest that it’ll be a tough climb to reach the finals.

  • Their opening opponent is Team Secret, who chose them from the remaining pool. Look for Secret to take revenge for StarLadder.

Things to watch for


  • KyXy’s the “King of Denies”. His clowny history includes denying an enemy hero with a radiance-illusion (bug) and having his Manta Style denied after dropping it for a gem. Despite the infamy, he’s been a very effective carry, winning all 4 games with Juggernaut on this patch.

  • Kecik Imba swaps roles with Mushi as support. Out of their 28 games on this current patch, Kecik has played mid 13 times and support 15 times. Look for him to continue swapping roles with Mushi, both to keep their opponents guessing and to free up their captain to make in-game decisions.


Why they’ll win



Invictus Gaming comes into ESL One having won ESports Champion League, handily defeating both a red-hot cn CDEC Gaming and long-time rivals cn PSG.LGD on their way. This was an important achievement for IG as many began doubting their level of play in the new patch. Expectations remain high, with new support/captain cn Zeng 'Faith' Hongda and legendary carry cn Xu 'BurNIng' Zhilei being added to the potent roster of my Wong Hock 'Chuan' Chuan, cn Luo 'Xi' Yinqi (otherwise known as Luo), and cn Luo 'Ferrari_430' Feichi. Now opponents will have to pick their poison: either Ferrari or BurNing are capable of taking over the game, and each has set the standard for their heroes in the past. Many now believe that IG are poised for a new golden age, and could become the next top team in China.

Why they’ll lose


  • Overhyped or Champions: who knows which IG we’ll see? Even with their phenomenal ECL run, they only record a 50% win rate in this patch, down significantly from a 6.83 win rate of 65.6%. No one knows whether it’s a lack of team chemistry, adjusting to the new meta, or bad matchups, but ESL One will help answer what we can expect to see from this team going into TI.

  • Ferrari is one of the most important pieces for IG. A bad start for him means an unreliable early-mid game, with IG fighting from the backfoot until BurNing can get online. Against top tier execution teams like Secret and Vici Gaming, once that initial advantage is given up it’s rarely given back.

Things to watch for


  • IG maid cosplay. Go search it up.

  • B-God. B-Emperor. Magneto. Cao B. Nuclear Bomb. Vote Champion. Skilled Bus Driver. In Burning We Trust. The “+1” in “4+1” has played (and BurNinated) DOTA for more years than he has nicknames. His days of farming-to-the-late-game-while-audiences-slept are behind him, and he’s adapted well to each new meta. While still devastating on his staples like Naga Siren, this new patch has seen Brewmaster, Leshrac, and even Queen of Pain appear in his top 5 hero picks. This is a huge shift from a past of nothing but the hardest of carries.

  • Ferrari seems to have given up on his once signature heroes Templar Assassin and Invoker, picking them in less than 30% combined games across the last two patches. While TA feels lacking in the current meta, the Invoker experienced a buff through both Deafening Blast and items like Octarine Core. Will we see a return of one of the best Invokers in the world at ESL One?


With an exciting mix of teams and an interesting format, ESL One Frankfurt is definitely not one to miss this year. Stay tuned for more joinDOTA coverage!



Comments