posted by EskayDota,
Months of anticipation after TI8 concluded ends in just a few weeks. These new teams are the ones to watch this coming season. The shuffle spread players far and wide this season, and with the omission of teams or organisations that experienced success in the previous DPC, here are our 5 teams to keep an eye on this upcoming season.

5. TNC Predator



The South East Asia region is looking strong. With Mineski and Fnatic bagging what are essentially SEA all-star line-ups, there doesn’t seem to be much room for other teams. However, TNC Predator have a trick up their sleeve, with 5 of the most talented players from the Philippines, many expect them to exceed their performance from the last season.

Losing Marc Polo Luis 'Raven' Fausto and Samson E. 'SamH' Hidalgo, whilst gaining Michael 'ninjaboogie' Ross and Kim Villafuerte 'Gabbi' Santos, the organisation have already qualified for ESL One Hamburg and the Kuala Lumpur major. Under the guidance and captaincy of Dota veteran ninjaboogie, TNC look like a likely team to do well this season.

4. Pain Gaming



The Brazilian roster have always thrown themselves close to the cusp of success, but never quite found their feet. The addition of Omar 'w33haa' Aliwi to their roster was certainly an impactful decision in the previous season as playstyles changed and games were won. paiN Gaming* looked like they might be able to find that success they were searching for, except for when it mattered the most.

Sadly, crashing out of the group stage of TI8, position 5 and life-long paiN fan Heitor 'Duster' Pereira departed from the organisation. The team needed a strong support player and an experienced leader, so who better to fit the bill than w33's former Digital Chaos teammate, Rasmus 'rASmus' Fillipsen.

Photo courtesy of ESL


With an invitation to ESL One Hamburg and winning the South American qualifier for the Kuala Lumpur major, paiN gaming have expectations to meet. They are a team we haven’t had a chance to see perform much as of yet, but this could be South America’s year. Can they finally make the international success they’ve been dreaming of, a reality?

3. Forward Gaming



Formerly VGJ.Storm, the North American side missed out marginally on instant qualification to TI8. Performing above expectations in the group stages, the team hit their stride around the biggest competition in the year.

However, bowing out of the competition in 8th place, they’ve switched their offlane player JingJun 'Sneyking' Wu for TI5 winner Saahil 'Universe' Arora. A strong team in the previous season with the addition of a veteran and consistent player, Forward Gaming definitely look to be a team to watch. Their games have been few and far between so far, but fans already have high expectations of the new roster.



2. Ninjas in Pyjamas



Two parts Team Secret, two parts OpTic Gaming and a splash of TI6-runner up Martin 'Saksa' Sazdov, Ninjas in Pyjamas are certainly a team that many want to see perform this season. Already taking a minor tournament victory and qualifying for the Kuala Lumpur major, NiP were quick in providing exciting games to watch.



Beating Team Liquid is no easy feat, especially for a new team; but beating Team Liquid in 14 minutes? Peter 'ppd' Dager’s European squad brushed aside the TI7 winners in one of the first NiP games spectators were treated to.

Expectations are high for the roster, and under such experienced leadership, this all-star team are certain to provide a few games for the history books.

1. Team Aster



Team Aster are possibly the most exciting team to come out of the shuffle this season. Coming out of the shuffle swinging punches, Aster had no trouble qualifying for both the Kuala Lumpur major and ESL One Hamburg. So far, only dropping a series to PSG.LGD, Aster look to be an incredible team.

Featuring Chinese legends Liu 'Sylar' Jiajun and Lu 'Fenrir' Chao, the roster has endless hidden talents, led by titans of Dota’s history. With Lin 'Xxs' Jing and Ye 'BoBoKa' Zhibiao coming from an Invictus Gaming roster that found its success when led by Xu 'BurNIng' Zhilei, the two had a quiet year as iG failed to make it onto the DPC leaderboard.

However, Boboka’s roaming support and Xxs on the offlane were considered two of the best in their respective roles for a time. Many believe this roster will enable them to reach that former glory.



They’re also joined by Deng 'Dstones' Lei, a pub star with a brief competitive history, some consider Dstones one of the best Invoker players to have played the game. Under the guidance of endless experience and talent, many believe we will see Dstones quickly claim the status that his allies hold.

If all this doesn’t convince you that this team is destined for good things, the team was put together by none other than BurNing himself, who has assumed the position of coach. If there were ever a team to take on the legacy of Newbee, or the titans that are PSG.LGD, Team Aster are the ones to do it.



Which teams are you cheering for this DPC season? Have your say in the comments below!



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    EskayDota

    EskayDota

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