Highlights of The International Southeast Asian Qualifiers

Two days left before the start of qualifiers for The International 10 in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, according to the results of the whole DPC season, only T1 could get the invitation to the main tournament of the year, and the rest of the teams will have to fight for the cherished ticket.

Some teams have already made spot replacements, while others have kept their rosters and worked on teamwork. In this article, we'll look at the biggest intrigue of these qualifiers.

Will Fnatic be able to attend their eighth The International in a row?

Just a year ago, Fnatic was considered the undisputed leader in Southeast Asia. The team was competing exclusively for high places in the international championships, and wins at local tournaments were commonplace. But the pandemic took its toll on the team. After a series of failures in online tournaments, the region's strongest curry ??Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon and veteran Dota 2 ??Daryl Koh "iceiceice" Pei Xiang left the famous roster. Unfortunately, the team hasn't found a full replacement for the players yet. Fnatic earned only 446.25 DPC points during the current DPC season, which was not enough for a direct invite to The International 10.

Fnatic has attended every tournament in The International series since 2013, and this could be the team's eighth. However, its recent results, roster changes, and unrealistic competition in the region call getting an invite into question.

Can TNC Predator live up to fan expectations?

Southeast Asia's second most famous team, TNC Predator, also failed to qualify for The International 10 directly. In the 2019-2020 season, even before the pandemic, TNC Predator was on the rise: the team won the MDL Chengdu Major 2019 and had the first interim DPC ranking. But all was nullified by the introduction of the lockdown. As a result, TNC Predator, like Fnatic, had a hard time with the 2020's online tournaments.

After a failed first season of DPC 2021, TNC Predator parted ways with 2 players: ??Damien "kpii" Chok and ??Kim "Febby" Yong-min. And it got results. In the second season, TNC Predator made their way to the WePlay AniMajor, but dropped out of it, finishing in 8th place. So now, they will have to participate in the qualifiers.

According to fans and analysts, TNC Predator is the favorite to qualify. About 21% of the entire audience is voting for them to win. But can TNC Predator live up to their expectations and make it to The International 10?

Will Team SMG's top players be able to find their game?

Another interesting question on these qualifiers is what will show Team SMG? Just this year, the organization formed a top roster of Southeast Asian players. Before the start of the second DPC season, ??Yeik "MidOne" Nai Zheng and ??Damien "kpii" Chok joined the team, and a couple of weeks ago and ??Kam "Moon" Boon Seng. On paper, Team SMG has the most stellar roster of anyone in the region.

The team has existed for a few months now, with only a second place in the Lower Division of DPC: SEA Season 2. Since early June, the team hasn't participated in all tournaments and is only practicing. It'll be interesting to see if they can pull themselves together in such a short time and get a ticket to The International 10.

Will Motivate.Trust Gaming return to their 2020's level?

Last year's main discovery was the Thai team Motivate.Trust Gaming. When all of Southeast Asia's grands began having trouble moving to an online format, they were the ones who started winning. In the fall of 2020, the team's 2 main stars, ??Souliya "JaCkky" Khoomphetsavong and ??Natthaphon "Masaros" Ouanphakdee, were sold to T1 and Fnatic. But both players couldn't get a foothold on the new teams, and at the end of the first DPC season, they returned to their old team.

Immediately after the reunification, Motivate.Trust Gaming started to show good results. Winning the Lower Division of DPC: SEA and BTS Pro Series Season 6 prove it. Motivate.Trust Gaming destroyed the grands last year, but they have never played against them this year. It will be interesting to see their results in qualifiers.