Miracle-, one of Dota’s all-time greats, has been sidelined for most of the season due to health issues, adding to the challenges faced by Nigma Galaxy in 2023. Despite making a serious roster change before Summer, the team suffered a major upset, losing to an equally struggling Alliance roster and failing to qualify for The International for the third consecutive year.
Nigma, led by captain KuroKy, was once a formidable force in Dota 2. They won TI7 as Team Liquid and reached the finals in 2019 before forming Nigma. However, their attempts to fill the void left by MATUMBAMAN have been unsuccessful. Bringing in ATF and pairing him with SumaiL in lanes did not work out, resulting in a sixth-place finish in the opening Dota Pro Circuit Tour. They were then relegated to Division II for Tours Two and Three. Even bringing in young talents like Yuma and Mikey could not salvage their season, leaving Kuro and his team without a TI ticket for three consecutive seasons.
Prior to this streak, Kuro matched Puppey as the only players to attend every TI. However, OG ended his run in the WEU qualifiers last season, and now Alliance has contributed to Nigma’s disappointment with a 2-1 victory, sending them home for another four months of Dota 2 roster shuffle rumors.
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | WE’RE BACK! |
| Game 2 | its joever |
| Game 3 | WE NEVER LEFT! |
Alliance has had mixed success in the DPC over the past few years, but they have achieved higher highs, including a ninth-place finish at TI10. However, they dropped to the bottom of the WEU region and were even relegated from the regional league in the Summer Tour this season.
Prior to the WEU qualifiers for TI12, Alliance made a single change, replacing ponlo with Swedish veteran Axel “Pablo” Källman. This change seems to have given them the boost they needed to secure a solid 2-1 victory over Nigma, with every game being a landslide.
Alliance captain s4 expressed his disappointment with the start of the season but emphasized that he wouldn’t want it any other way. He believes that the hardest road to the TI Qualifier will be the most satisfying if they can achieve victory.
Even Dota legend and Alliance CEO Loda changed his opinion before their opening match, stating that they have the best mid, carry, offlane, and supports in the qualifier. This is a significant departure from his previous comments where he criticized the team and said they looked like a meme compared to other competitors during the DPC regular season. Now, he genuinely believes they have a good chance to win the qualifiers, despite the strong competition.
Alliance’s next challenge will be facing Ceb and OG on August 29th, followed by a match against the loser of Quest Esports and Luna Galaxy the next day. In total, the Swedish organization and its Dota 2 roster will need to win four more series in the coming three days to secure the second qualifier spot from the WEU lower bracket.
Author: [Author’s Name]
Source: DOTESPORTS
