European teams have been shafted again. It’s the strongest region in the world right now and has some of the best teams including Alliance, Nigma, Ninjas In Pajamas, OG, Team Liquid, and Team Secret. But the region has been allocated only three spots for the ESL One Los Angeles Major and one spot for the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor.
The team that wins the minor will get an invite to the major. But it’s not an easy task. Many other teams will also be fighting for the top spot. It’s possible that one or more of these teams will miss out on a chance to compete at the major. And that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of organizations and players.
Top 5 in the world consists of TNC and 4 EU teams.
Bring back invites and different ruleset plz (っ.❛ ᴗ ❛.)っ
— Johan Sundstein (@OG_BDN0tail) February 5, 2020
The Dota Pro Circuit previously used a direct invite system that allowed the best teams to skip the qualification process. But it wasn’t fair on teams from less competitive regions who had a much harder time. The regional lock system took its place, which allocates a number of qualification slots for each region. Europe and China receive more slots because they have stronger teams. The maximum is three and the minimum is two. But it isn’t enough. A top-tier team will still miss out on a spot. And that spot will go to a less competitive team from a less competitive region. It sounds harsh. But it is true.
OG are back-to-back TI champions making their return to the competitive scene with a new roster. Team Secret is an elite team that has dominated the scene for many years. They recently won the Dreamleague Leipzig Major. Nigma were the runners-up at The International 9. They haven’t been doing too well lately for their standards. But they did win the WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020. Alliance finished in the top four at The Leipzig Major. Team Liquid wasn’t too far behind, finishing in the top six.
Europe is the most competitive region at the moment. It would be a shame to see one of these teams miss out on a chance to compete at the ESL One Los Angeles Major. But it’s too late in the season now for there to be any significant change to the format and structure.
It has been rumored that a different system will be used next season. There will be five majors instead of three and no minors. And regional leagues will be take their place. They will have a promotion and relegation system. If those rumors are true, it would be a welcome change.
