posted by Jaywalker,

We have seen some great games from The Defense this year, and the competition is nearing its end. 32 teams qualified for the playoffs, just 7 remain after over three months of intense competition.


Upper Bracket:

Russian powerhouse ru Virtus.Pro have been with a stable roster since September 2012, and they are beginning to reap results after months of training. They are the sole CIS representative remaining in The Defense following the knockouts of both Na`Vi and Empire. The team thrives on aggression, and has a series of picks they love, namely Clockwerk, Naga Siren, and even Sniper occasionally.



The Russians will face up against us Team Dignitas. The North Americans have had an excellent run in The Defense, only dropping two games throughout the group stage and the playoffs. Recently, the team has been showcasing a series of unorthodox strategies featuring the likes of Visage, Spectre and Warlock. With unpredictable drafts and transcendent individual skills, Dignitas has been able to post the team's best results since its inception.

It will be a treat to see both teams meet in the Upper Bracket final, and viewers should definitely expect interesting picks coming from both teams.

Lower Bracket:

Perhaps the biggest surprise thus far in the playoffs would be the elimination of both ua Natus Vincere and ru Team Empire. Na`Vi dealt the finishing blow to Empire in the early stages of the playoffs, but were unable to withstand the split push oriented lineup from eu Fnatic in the deciding match.

Following their win, Fnatic will face se No Tidehunter next. Both teams previously met in the RaidCall D2L some time ago, with Fnatic getting the better of No Tidehunter in an epic series. Fnatic have improved drastically in the past few months, performing with unwavering consistency lately. nth on the other hand are struggling with consistency issues as of late, but no one doubts the capabilities of the DreamHack Winter 2012 champions.

de mousesports has been demonstrating steady growth since the German squad's formation back in November 2012. Under the leadership of de Kuro 'KuroKy' Takhasomi, the team has performed admirably in The Defense, going 7-0 in the group stage. However, the team continues to suffer consistency issues. Despite falling meekly to Dignitas in the Upper Bracket, they went rampant up against dk 3DMAX.

The Germans will face us Team Liquid next. After a rocky start, Liquid has found their preferred playstyle and adjusted with their players' versatility. Team captain us Brian 'FLUFFNSTUFF' Lee has regularly picked less popular heroes such as Visage, Puck, and even Windrunner as a carry. The team is currently on a 11 series winning streak, with 22 games won and dropping just 4 games. The Americans will be looking to extend their streak and advance further in The Defense.



The winner of mouz vs. Liquid will face us Evil Geniuses. The Americans and Dane have shown that they are capable by prevailing in a tight series against Fnatic. A loss against VP however sent them down to the Lower Bracket. The team has not been performing too well in various competitions, but with so much experience and skill, EG definitely have the right resources to bounce back strong in The Defense.

Coming Soon!

The Defense Season 3 approaches its end as we enter the final stages of the playoffs. With various ongoing competitions in the mix, teams are actively participating and viewers have an abundance of Dota 2 action choices. joinDOTA is working with all the teams to schedule all Defense matches, and we will keep you updated about any upcoming fixtures. Stay tuned when The Defense returns and the 7 teams battle for a share of $20,000!

Comments