ESTNN looks back on Tour 1 and picks the players to watch during the upcoming DPC Regional Finals in EEU and WEU.
Now Tour 1 has finally come to an end, it’s time to focus on the upcoming Regional Finals. They’ll take place in every Dota 2 region; the best four teams will have to go head to head to determine who will advance further.
This Tour of the DPC was incredibly fun to watch, with loads of surprising results. That being said, some of the teams that everyone expected to dominate did win most of their matches. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise we will have the chance to watch the best players in the world.
Speaking of the devil, this article will try to point out which are some of the players that people have to keep an eye on while watching the upcoming games. Every region has its sets of starts, but this article will focus on Eastern Europe and Western Europe. Besides Team Spirit and Team Liquid, several other big names will try to prove they are among the best. So, let’s go over some of the names that stand out.
Western Europe – MATUMBAMAN
The first player that should definitely be on your list is none other than Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen. The legendary carry player had an important role in Team Liquid’s success in Division I. In fact, he’s one of the players that made the difference when the team needed him the most. Thanks to his fantastic carry skills, MATU was able to carry his team to success and first place in Western Europe.
One of the many things that makes MATU so dangerous is the fact that he has a large hero pool. He’s notorious for utilizing heroes, such as Lycan and Lone Druid, which are not among most other carries’ go-to options. During the DPC, Matu had the chance to shine with a variety of heroes, such as Luna, Kunkka, Phantom Assassin, Razor, Bristleback, and more. We are yet to see whether he will use the same heroes in the upcoming Regional Finals.
Western Europe – Ace
The second player from Western Europe that many people admired during Tour 1 is Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard. He’s been a part of numerous teams over the years, including names such as NiP, Team Secret, C9, and more. People expected him to compete with a major organization yet again, but Ace decided to team up with new players and form “Team Tickles”. No one expected them to shine, but they became one of the strongest opponents in Div1 and secured themselves a slot for the Regional Finals. Now, they have to go up against Tundra Esports, which is also among the teams that deserve to be here.
Although Ace used to play other roles, currently, he is Team Tickles’ offlaner. This means he has the chance to try some of the strongest heroes in the meta, such as Tidehunter. It’ll be work watching to see whether if Ace will try any new heroes in the future.
Western Europe – Skiter
The third Western European team that will have to show what it’s capable of during the WEU Regional Finals is Team Tundra. Although many people didn’t expect Fata’s team to stand out, the players proved them wrong. One of the reasons for Tundra’s success is Oliver “skiter” Lepko. The team’s carry player, who made a name for himself in the last couple of years. Even though some people underestimate him, he proved time and time again that he deserves to be called one of the best carry players in Europe.
Skiter was amazing in several matches, but he probably shined the most during Team Secret and Nigma Galaxy. He uses Wraith King a lot, which is one of the hottest meta heroes right now.
Western Europe – bzm
Last but definitely not least, we have Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov, one of OG’s new players that quickly became a superstar. The 16-year-old Dota 2 prodigy is one of the hottest players in Europe right now because he became OG’s mid laner. Following the two times TI champions roster change, bzm had to fill in Topias Miikka “Topson” Taavitsainen’s role. Many people were skeptical whether he has what it takes, but he proved that he is a force to be reckoned with.
The current meta is interesting when it comes down to the mid laner heroes because we have the chance to see a lot of interesting options. Similar to other mid laners, bzm used QoP a lot because she is one of the hottest heroes in the meta. Interestingly, bzm also played Invoker, Kunkka, Puck, Storm Spirit, and several other heroes. It seems like he likes Invoker a lot because this is his most played hero.
Eastern Europe – Yatoro
After pointing out some of the best players in Western Europe, it is time to take a look at Team Spirit’s superstar — Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk. Although he was a popular name in pubs, Yatoro had little to no professional experience before joining Team Spirit. However, this didn’t prevent him from showing his prowess in every match. Many people think he was the MVP of the tournament, so it shouldn’t be surprising he is one of the players that we definitely have to keep an eye on.
Team Spirit had no problems during Tour 1 in Division I and finished first without losing a single game. Similar to TI 10, Yatoro was flawless in almost every game. He had the chance to play nearly every meta hero, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. The young Dota 2 superstar has one of the most diverse hero pools in the game.
Eastern Europe – young G
Up next, we have a player from PuckChamp called Nikita “young G” Bochko. Before joining his current squad, the 21-year-old was a part of several notable CIS players. He used to play for Natus Vincere, Winstrke Team, and Nemiga Gaming. Although he did well in them, young G shines the most in his current team.
Some people didn’t expect PuckChamp to earn a slot for the Regional Finals, but the team succeeded after a series of good results. In fact, one of the few teams they had a problem with was Team Spirit, which probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Thanks to young G and his mid lane skills, the team was able to win a series of important matches.
Besides Queen of Pain, the CIS player had the chance to play many other heroes, such as Lina and Templer Assassin. They seem to be one of his best heroes, considering the W/L rating.
Eastern Europe – gpk
Virtus.Pro was one of the few teams in CIS that had what it takes to defeat the best West European squads a couple of years ago. Although it was the leading force in the region, the series of roster changes had an effect on the team. Despite the many changes, VP continues to be among the region’s biggest names, thanks to players, such as Danil “gpk” Skutin.
The mid laner made a name for himself while he was a part of Gambit Esports in 2020. Needless to say, he continues to show his prowess after he became a part of VP. Danil played several interesting heroes, but he mostly focused on the ones that are considered to be the best in the current meta. In other words, he had the chance to play QoP, Lina, TA, Puck, Kunkka, etc.
Eastern Europe – Limitless
The last player that has to be mentioned on this list is HellRaiser’s offlaner – Yaroslav “Limitless” Parshin. HR is one of the exciting names on this list because it finished fourth in Division I. Even though its performance was not as impressive as people expected, the team managed to get a slot for the Regional Finals. One of the names that made sure to help his team succeed is Limitless, an offlaner notorious for his aggressive playstyle.
Besides the common offlaners, such as BM and Mars, Limitless played heroes like Broodmother, Centaur, and even Night Stalker. The fact that he can play several heroes at the highest level makes him dangerous and unpredictable.
Don’t forget to watch the upcoming Regional Finals because they will be really interesting. The matches in Eastern Europe will begin on 18 February, whereas those in Western Europe will start on 11 February 2022. Keep an eye on ESTNN for more information about the upcoming series.
