DotA 2: Team Liquid Wins SL Invitational

Kirill | 2018-02-14 |

The StarLadder i-League Invitational Season 4 competitive circuit tournament took place last week in Shanghai with the rank of a Minor. The eight participants were first divided into two groups to compete for the title. There were no upsets in the course at this stage: Team Liquid and LGD came out of Group A, while Newbee and Mineski emerged victorious from Group B. However, we can note that Team Kinguin suffered a loss to Team Empire in Group B. The team from the CIS region, Team Empire, failed to advance from the group stage as well.

Team Liquid wins SL Invitational season 4

LGD Makes Their Way to the Final

The Playoffs, on the other hand, seemed like they came out of the script written in advance. Many expected a Liquid/Newbee final like the previous week. However, the newly modified Chinese LGD team woke up and beat their compatriots, offering a slightly different final against Liquid. This final was marked by an intense first map, then Liquid showed their true colors.

The Final Goes to Liquid

The final of StarLadder i-League Invitational Season 4 was dominated by Liquid. In the decisive match, Team Liquid won against LGD Gaming with a score of 3-1.

Kuroky Making New Records

During the final series, the captain of Team Liquid, Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi, set an extraordinary record. He became the richest player in eSports while managing to win 1,000 games in competitive DotA 2.

Pro Circuit Standings

The winners earned $135,000 and 150 tournament points. The runner-ups received $60,000 and 90 points. Newbee and Mineski, situated in third and fourth places, both won $30,000 and 30 points.

Since TI7, Team Liquid has won three Minors (including the previous edition of SLi Invitational). They also finished second in two other tournaments, including a Major. Following the results of the championship, Team Liquid is fixed on the second spot in the general standings of Pro Circuit. Newbee settled down in the fourth, while Mineski outscored Evil Geniuses, and rose to sixth place.

No LAN Competitions for More Than a Week

There is no pro circuit LAN this week, leaving a short window for other tournaments to play the qualifiers. We will be able to watch the DotA Asia Championships Qualifiers all week long. Whatever the time, the battle has begun for the road to China. In the qualifiers, we will not be able to see Newbee, Invictus Gaming, and Vici Gaming, as they are already the invited teams.

This week we will also see the Chinese and European Qualifiers of GESC Indonesia Minor. There will be only four teams in each competition. Therefore, the Chinese Qualifier promises to be particularly strong with VG, LGD, VGJ.Thunder, and Newbee. It should be noted that the organizer also reserves a place for an Indonesian team in this tournament. So we can’t wait to see which side will be at DAC in mid-March.