In a thrilling day of Dota 2 action at The International 2023 in Seattle, Team Spirit and LGD Gaming emerged victorious to secure their spots in the upper-bracket final. Meanwhile, Gaimin Gladiators and BetBoom Team kept their dreams alive by sweeping their opponents in the lower bracket.
In a best-of-three series, Team Spirit managed to overcome Team Liquid with a 2-1 victory. The opening map went in favor of Team Spirit in a 40-minute clash, but Team Liquid fought back, securing the second map in 54 minutes. The decisive third map saw Team Spirit emerge victorious after 53 minutes of intense gameplay.
Team Spirit’s Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk delivered an outstanding performance, leading his team with a remarkable kill-death-assist ratio of 10.3/4.0/12.0. On the other side, Sweden’s Michael “miCKe” Vu was the standout performer for Team Liquid with stats of 8.3/5.3/9.0.
LGD gaming sweeps Azure Ray
LGD Gaming, representing China, made a strong statement by sweeping Azure Ray with a 2-0 victory. The Chinese powerhouse claimed both maps, with the first ending in 47 minutes and the second in 45 minutes.
China’s Guo “shiro” Xuanang was the star player for LGD Gaming, amassing an impressive kill-death-assist ratio of 13.5/4.0/14.0. Lu “Somnus” Yao represented Azure Ray with stats of 7.0/3.5/3.5.
Gaimin Gladiators advanced to the lower-bracket quarterfinals by defeating nouns 2-0. Denmark’s Marcus “Ace” Christensen led the charge for the Gladiators with a 7/1/13 performance, while the United States’ Luke “Yamsun” Wang recorded a 2/4/7 score for nouns.
BetBoom Team also secured their spot in the lower-bracket quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over Virtus.pro. After winning the opener in 45 minutes, BetBoom Team clinched an 87-minute marathon map to seal the deal. Russia’s Egor “Nightfall” Grigorenko excelled for BetBoom Team with a 10.0/2.5/16.5 score, while Ilya “Kiritych” Ulyanov put up a strong effort for Virtus.pro, finishing with a score of 10.5/5.5/10.5.
Saturday’s schedule and prize pool distribution
The action at The International 2023 continues on Saturday with the following matchups:
Lower-bracket quarterfinal: Team Liquid vs. Gaimin Gladiators
Lower-bracket quarterfinal: Azure Ray vs. BetBoom Team
Upper-bracket final: Team Spirit vs. LGD Gaming
Lower-bracket semifinal: Winners of the lower-bracket quarterfinals
As for the prize pool distribution, the winners of this prestigious event will receive a substantial share. The International is renowned for having the largest prize pool in esports, with the amount increasing throughout the competition based on in-game sales to the public. This year’s prize pool started at $1.6 million and has already soared to an impressive $3.12 million.
Grand final format
All matches for the remainder of the playoffs are best-of-three until the grand final, which will take place on Sunday and feature a best-of-five format. Dota 2 fans around the world can look forward to an exciting conclusion to this year’s tournament.
The International 2023 promises to deliver top-tier Dota 2 action, and the competition is fiercer than ever. With Team Spirit, LGD Gaming, Gaimin Gladiators, and BetBoom Team all vying for the championship, it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge victorious in this prestigious esports event.
Stay tuned for more updates as The International 2023 unfolds, and be sure not to miss the grand final on Sunday, where the ultimate Dota 2 champion will be crowned.
