South America, once considered the rising star region in Dota 2, has faced its worst performance in years at The International 2023. Despite being granted two guaranteed qualifier spots for the tournament, SA was the first region to be eliminated, leaving fans questioning its future on Dota 2’s biggest stage.
Valve’s decision to provide increased regional support for SA in the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit seemed promising. With the success of teams like beastcoast and Evil Geniuses, who relocated their Dota operations to SA this year, the region had a record-breaking four teams qualifying for TI, the most in its history.
However, this increase in representation did not translate into success. Thunder Awaken and beastcoast were swiftly eliminated, with the latter being the biggest upset of the group stage considering their role in the SA Dota renaissance.
Evil Geniuses and Keyd Stars managed to make it to the playoffs but were considered heavy underdogs in their respective elimination series.
Unfortunately, EG was the first to fall in the main event, despite putting up a strong fight against Gaimin Gladiators. The SA squad pushed the dominant EU team to a grueling 70-minute opener, but ultimately couldn’t find the openings to secure victory.
Keyd Stars, although still considered underdogs, faced BetBoom in their elimination series. However, the EEU team showcased none of their usual flaws and completely dominated the Brazilian team, resulting in SA’s lowest overall placement since TI10.
With South America now out of the competition, the focus shifts to Southeast Asia and North America as the next regions at risk of elimination. Talon Esports will face BetBoom in a crucial match to keep their region’s hopes alive, while nouns secured a top-eight placement with a significant win over fellow NA representatives TSM.
As the tournament progresses, it remains to be seen how these regions will fare and whether South America can bounce back in future iterations of The International.
Source: DOTESPORTS
