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The StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor #2 is over and only the EPICENTER Major is left before The International 2019. Here are our five takeaways from Kyiv.

NIP looks to make a mark at EPICENTER



Peter 'ppd' Dager's Ninjas are back-to-back Minor champions.

But, in the grand scheme, this result seems inconsequential when you consider what it will take for them to do well at EPICENTER. They have shown they can trample teams worse than them, but what about teams better? Even Alliance—who most would agree are not as good as Ninjas in Pyjamas—took them to 5 games.



The Ninjas will certainly be sparing no expense to prepare for Moscow and not repeat their failures at the last three Majors. They have the momentum, but can they actually, finally, go the distance at a fully stacked tournament?





Qojqva Rising



Alliance had a sticky few weeks a little while ago, but they have reestablished their upcoming form. Despite a few weaknesses in their game, they are coming together like never before and are poised to reach new heights.

The big revelation for them, however, has to be Max 'Qojqva' Broecker. His skill and overall gameplay has increased wildly recently, especially at the Minor, to the point where a good game from him almost certainly spelled victory for the team.

Dare I say it? Is Alliance almost b— let's wait to see how they do at EPICENTER.





South American Dota is getting a lot better



It has been a long time coming, but after many years, South American Dota seems to be taking the next step. At the Minor, Anvorgesa had a fantastic showing. Granted, they did not take a game in the Playoffs, but they far outperformed what any expected of them.

Their notable series was, of course, their victory against EHOME. They showed an incredible amount of poise and heart and never gave up. Alongside paiN Gaming and Infamous, it might not be long before we are seeing South American squads as real contenders.





China is in a strange place



Speaking of EHOME, the entirety of the China region seems to be in a state of ongoing flux. The teams that should be doing well at tournaments (and staying at the top), like Vici Gaming, struggle to output any kind of constant results, while teams that have no expectations, like Team Sirius, appear to be making huge strides.

EPICENTER will certainly reveal much about the current state of Dota 2. While the Europeans are clearly the best right now, maybe a Chinese team has a surprise in store for us in Moscow.





The NA region is drowning



At least there are some good Chinese teams. North America has one good team. All the others are barely keeping their heads above water, if even that.

compLexity Gaming had an unequivocally disappointing, if not outright tragic tournament. After throwing their series to Mineski, they were dismantled by Team Sirius to not even make the Playoffs in a tournament where they were at least considered one of the better teams.

What does this mean for the North America region as a whole? Right now, nothing promising. The only advice I can give is this: If you are a fan of NA Dota, focus on EG, and only EG. No other team will bring you anything but sadness.





How will the EPICENTER Major affect the top teams before TI9?



Photo Credit - Alliance Twitter

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