We have now reached TI12 finals, and it has been an amazing event full of great match-ups and some incredible upsets. After a grueling 2 weeks of play across groups and play-offs, we now see the top 8 teams go head-to-head to find out Dota 2 TI champion.
The play-offs certainly produced some memorable moments. Perhaps most surprisingly we saw Tundra exit the tournament following a mediocre performance by their standards, but full credit to underdog nouns who took full advantage and continued to Lower Bracket Round 2, before then defeating fellow NA team TSM to progress to the top 8.
Outside this, seeing fan favourites Shopify Rebellion leaving the tournament early to TSM was equally surprising, but also 3 times major winners Gaimin Gladiators, who by many were the team to beat, only scraping into top 8 through the lower bracket.
The International 2023 FINALS
Now we find ourselves with 3 days to play to crown our champion. The following teams made it to the top 8:
- Team Spirit
- BetBoom
- Gaimin Gladiators
- nouns
- Azure Ray
- LGD
- VP
- Team Liquid
If we look at the tournament to date, there are two clear favourites looking to the finals. Both Team Spirit and LGD have looked equally scary, with Team Spirit going undefeated in groups and cruising through play-offs. They have a perfect blend of aggression and a calculated approach, coming into TI with momentum from recent victories.
LGD are always a team to look out for, and the Chinese powerhouse also have had a stellar tournament so far, making it through play-offs without dropping a map.
If you are looking for an underdog, BetBoom are certainly one to look out for. BetBoom had a great year and qualified through the DPC directly, but came into the tournament slightly off form. They did not get off to the best start, but have built strongly throughout the event and certainly possess enough of a threat to tackle even the best teams.
Finals Day 1
The first day of finals went off with a bang. Perhaps no real surprises, but it certainly showed us all what was to come for this amazing event.
First up, nouns took on Gaimin Gladiators. nouns may have been a surprise to get this far, but it was just as a surprise to see GG in the lower bracket. Whilst GG had looked cagey at The International 2023, they certainly regained their composure in this series and showed us all again why they had been so successful throughout the year. They swept the series 2-0 in a quick fashion, and the shut the door on any dreams of nouns to make it to top 6.
To complete Lower Bracket Round 3, we had a battle of Eastern Europe, with VP taking on BetBoom. This match was definitely much harder to call, with BetBoom progressing strongly, but VP being many peoples biggest wildcard to go far in the event. Nevertheless, BetBoom took game 1 commandingly, with Pure and Gpk putting on incredible performances. Games 2 was much closer, but TorontoTokyo showed great leadership to seal the series 2-0.
In the upper bracket, we had the most anticipated series of the day. Team Liquid faced Team Spirit, the battle of the two powerhouses in the West. The series also lived up to expectations, with Team Spirit taking a very hard fought 2-1 victory. This was another example that Team Spirit are vulnerable, but just how scary they can be when everything aligns.
Finally, we saw LGD take down Azure Ray, in another commanding victory that reinforced how good LGD are. This sets us up perfectly for day 2 with an Upper Bracket final of Team Spirit vs LGD.
