As the first season of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit 2021 Season loomed, teams were battling in closed qualifier or decider tournaments, with the China region coming to an end and the upper and lower division teams now confirmed.
China’s closed qualifier saw eight teams fighting for the four available spots in the upper division, while the remaining four teams would still be able to fight through the lower division. With Team Aster and Team MagMa claiming the first two upper division positions, it was down to LBZS, Phoenix Gaming, Royal Never Give Up and Invictus Gaming to claim the remaining two – with Dalanjing Gaming and Sparking Arrow Gaming already making it into the lower division.
Since forming in October of last year, Phoenix have shown some promise – finishing fourth in their first event at the China Dota2 Pro Cup Season 1, but today the team struggled to find their footing against a much stronger LBZS roster. Having also only formed in the latter part of 2020, LBZS were able to show off their skills today, as they easily rolled over the Phoenix lineup in a solid 2-0 victory. The win means that LBZS will get to compete in the upper division of the Dota 2 League Season 1, pushing Phoenix into the lower division.
The final series for the region would be a massive one between RNG and iG – both teams with an up-and-down 2020, looking to regain a foothold amongst the best in China. The teams had a fairly back-and-forth 2020 whenever they faced one another, with neither really having an advantage and with no major roster changes, this was set to be a fantastic battle. Unfortunately for RNG, they were completely overwhelmed by iG over the series. While the first game nearly reached the hour mark, iG were able to pull ahead and avoid the immense team fight and pick off potential from their opponents. Game two was the same, with iG giving their opponents no room to breathe, they ran away with the series, claiming the final spot in the upper division for China.
With the closed qualifier coming to an end, below are the teams in each of the divisions for China’s Dota 2 League:
Upper Division
- PSG.LGD
- EHOME
- Vici Gaming
- Elephant
- Team Aster
- Team MagMa
- LBZS
- Invictus Gaming
Lower Division
- CDEC Gaming
- Dragon
- Dynasty
- Xtreme Gaming
- Sparking Arrow Gaming
- Dalanjing Gaming
- Royal Never Give Up
- Phoenix Gaming
With only a week left until the League season kicks off, it will be interesting to see which teams come out on top of both divisions, and which might be relegated or eliminated over the season.
headline photo courtesy of Mars Media
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