The North American Dota Pro Circuit ended with a clash of its two titans, TSM and Shopify Rebellion. Both teams came into the series with flawless records, but SR’s run ended as TSM had their number.
Considering the series was going to decide who would place first in the NA DPC, both teams meant business. TSM opened the series with a Lina draft, while SR drafted almost all the best counters to one of the most dominating heroes in the current patch.
SR’s Faceless Void, Tusk, and Magnus were out to get TSM’s Lina throughout the entire match, but without any luck. Despite SR’s best efforts, Lina took over the match as TSM’s supports ensured she would survive even against the harshest initiation attempts of SR.
Given Lina’s overwhelming dominance in the first match, many expected SR to ban the hero in the second match. On the contrary, TSM once again first picked Lina, as SR looked to have another plan.
TSM’s Lina strategy was to be tested versus SR’s Terrorblade, Invoker, and Lycan draft, and the game started off on the right foot for SR. Arteezy and company opened up the second match with a handful of kills, but none were on Lina. Despite looking like they were in charge, SR was fighting against the clock, a battle they eventually lost.
As the dust settled, community members and personalities questioned SR’s decision to leave Lina out in the pool. Though simply banning the hero would give SR a better chance at winning, it looked like the team trusted their ability to counter Lina. They had a clear plan in both games, which ended up not working.
SR and TSM are now headed to the Lima Major, the first Major tournament of the year that will pave the way for all the teams looking to make it to the International 2023.
