Gaimin Gladiators, the reigning champions of multiple majors, are facing unexpected challenges at The International 2023. Despite their previous successes, they find themselves starting in the lower bracket, which poses a tough road ahead. The reason behind their struggles, according to Gorgc, is quite simple: their winning strategies were hit with nerfs prior to the event, putting them at a disadvantage.
This is not an unfamiliar scenario in the world of Dota 2. Prominent teams like Team Secret and the old Virtus.Pro have experienced similar setbacks in the past. Just when they were dominating the scene throughout the year, Valve would introduce nerfs to their favorite heroes and items right before TI, causing them to struggle in the tournament.
Gorgc believes that winning consistently before TI can actually be detrimental. Despite this setback, he still acknowledges Gaimin Gladiators as one of the top teams in the competition, with the potential to perform better.
Quinn, known for excelling on heroes like Ember Spirit, Void Spirit, Leshrac, Puck, Storm Spirit, and Templar Assassin, is currently facing difficulties as these heroes are not in their prime. Additionally, his go-to hero this year, Pangolier, was nerfed just before TI 2023. As a result, he has had to adapt and choose different heroes such as Earthshaker, Necrophos, and Sniper.
Dyrachyo and Seleri, the formidable carry and support duo, have also had to adjust their hero choices due to the evolving meta. Instead of their usual favorites, they have been opting for meta heroes like Chaos Knight and Phoenix or Faceless Void and Jakiro. Ace, who had been performing exceptionally well with Beastmaster throughout the year, also faced the consequences of a nerf to his preferred hero.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for the Gaimin Gladiators. Although they narrowly missed securing a spot in the upper bracket, history has shown that teams can make remarkable comebacks from the lower bracket and emerge victorious. Therefore, it would be premature to discount their chances just yet.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
