CDEC and MVP.Phoenix prevail in the TI5 Wild Card series, as they earn the two remaining spots in the main tournament. The TI5 Wild Card winners will join the other 14 teams – ViCi Gaming, Evil Geniuses, Team Secret, Invictus Gaming, LGD Gaming, Cloud 9, Team Empire, Virtus.Pro, Newbee, Fnatic, EHOME, Na’Vi, Complexity, and MVP.Hot6ix – in the TI5 group stage, scheduled to last for four days, from July 27 through July 30.
UPDATE (August 9):
Evil Geniuses are your TI5 champions! Grand Finals VODS, summaries, pictures and highlights: here.
Unlike last year, at The International 4, all 16 teams participating in the group stage will advance to the TI5 main event.
All 16 of those teams will also receive a share of the prize pool: the winning team will be awarded at least $6,000,000; the following four teams will take home at least $1,000,000 each, while the bottom four teams will win at least $50,000 each.
TI5 Wild Card Series recap
Four teams – regional qualifiers’ runners-up Team Archon (Americas), CDEC (China), Vega Squadron (Europe), MVP.Phoenix (Southeast Asia) – played in a double-elimination, best-of-three bracket. The two TI5 Wild Card winners – CDEC and MVP.Phoenix, will join the other 14 teams into the TI5 main event. During the TI5 group stage – which will establish the seeding for the main event, CDEC will compete in Group A, while MVP.Phoenix will take the available slot in Group B. Team Archon and Vega Squadron have been eliminated during the Wild Card phase.
TI5 Wild Card Series: Upper Bracket, Round 1
CDEC 2:1 Vega Squadron
Game 1
Vega Squadron drew first blood on the offlane, which gave them a bit of an edge during the laning phase and early game. However, around mid game, CDEC was able to stop Vega’s Roshan and take it for themselves, turning the advantage and game in their favor. The game brimmed with exciting and strong performances from both sides. Some really amazing graves and heals ca out of Semion “CemaTheSlayer” Krivulya, on Dazzle. After 55 minutes, CDEC won the first game of the series.
Game 2
CDEC went into the second game with a lineup based on four-hero fights that gave Phantom Lancer the chance to farm. However, Vega were able to quickly subdue their plans and, after an incredible skirmish at minute 11, they wiped CDEC out, quickly capitalized on the lead and snowballed ahead. The game was over in just 32 minutes, with a score of 32:10 for Vega.
CDEC rejoice after earning their TI5 group stage and main event spot
CDEC Gaming’s profile: CDEC – Out of LGD’s tutelage, in the cards for TI5 spot
Game 3
CDEC’s first blood was answered by a kill from Vega Squadron. The game was relatively even for some time, but then CDEC was able to gain advantages and pull ahead. Sun “Agressif” Zheng had a very strong game on Ember Spirit, with a 9:1:10 score. The last 10 minutes of the match, CDEC played their hearts out and demonstrated perfect positioning, plays and coordination. CDEC took the win, advancing to the Winner Bracket finals, to face MVP.Phoenix. Vega Squadron were dropped to the TI5 Wild Card Series Lower Bracket Semifinals, to face Team Archon for a second chance to fight their way through to the finals.
MVP.Phoenix 2:1 Team Archon
The first blood of the entire International 5 was drawn by Ioannis “Fogged” Loucas, for Team Archon, before the creeps were even spawned. An uncommon Phantom Assassin in the mid lane for MVP.Phoenix would prove beneficial for the Koreans, with Kim “QO” Seon-yeop having an incredible game. Although the game seemed to be even during the laning phase, MVP.Phoenix were showcasing some really great plays and reactions to Team Archon’s initiations. Damien “kphoenii” Chok snowballed on Gyrocopter and, by 15 minutes into the game, MVP.Phoenix had taken down all of Team Archon’s outer towers. A Roshan fight at around minute 15 would prove to be the nail in the coffin for the North American team, as the fight ended up in a team wipe for them and MVP.Phoenix were able to take base easily. First game of TI5 was over in 21 minutes, won by MVP.Phoenix.
Game 2
First blood went in the way of MVP.Phoenix, but this game would prove to be much more even between the teams. As a result, the game ended with an absolutely spectacular base race between the two teams. kphoenii on Anti Mage was all alone in Team Archon‘s base, taking down barracks after barracks, while Team Archon was working on MVP.Phoenix’s base and fighting to keep alive. kphoenii then committed suicide in the fountain, in order to buyback and respawn in his base and help his team. MVP.Phoenix would make a devastating decision and take a Roshan – having no glyph, which allowed Team Archon to take the win. With Team Archon’s victory, the series was pushed to a third deciding game.
Team Archon, after being eliminated from the Wild Card Series
Team Archon’s profile: Team Archon rolls the dice for a one-way ticket to TI5
Game 3
MVP.Phoenix drew first blood, but the game was incredibly close, with back and forth advantages and swings in the lead. However, two or three team fight losses by Team Archon would cause the North American team to drop momentum. The split push from Naga Siren end up proving to be too difficult for them to control. Although Naga’s pushing power was dominant in the game, it would actually be QO on TA who carried the team. Kim “Febby” Yong-min’s fissures coming out of his EarthShaker were impeccable, giving incredible assistance to the team. MVP.Phoenix took the win and advanced to the Winner Bracket finals. Team Archon dropped to the TI5 Wild Card Series Lower Bracket Semifinals for a second chance to fight their way through to the finals.
TI5 Wild Card Series: Winner Bracket Finals
MVP.Phoenix 0:2 CDEC
Game 1
First blood went in the way of MVP.Phoenix, after an unsuccessful rotation by CDEC met with perfect anticipation from the Koreans. Although QO started the game feasting on CDEC heroes, taking the first three kills of the game, CDEC started to make their way back into the game. The Chinese started to get objectives and kills, and secure Huang “Shiki” Jiwei enough farm, in order to transform him into a distressing force. CDEC’s overall lineup was tankier and stronger than MVP.Phoenix’s, which gave the Chinese team the advantage in fights. At around minute 28, CDEC clearly outplayed the Koreans: MVP.Phoenix got team wiped, CDEC pushed into barracks, causing a buyback-dieback on QO‘s Storm Spirit. CDEC continued to push and ended up taking the first game.
Game 2
MVP.Phoenix took first blood once again, however it would be CDEC who would dominate the game, as both QO on Queen of Pain didn’t have a good game overall, and Sven is not a particularly strong carry during this meta. CDEC ran through MVP.Phoenix, ending the game in 32 minutes with a score of 24:8. Both Shiki and Agressif had really strong games. The first one of the TI5 Wild Card winners, CDEC took the victory and secured their place in the TI5 main event, in Group A. MVP.Phoenix fell to the TI5 Wild Card Series Lower Brackets for one more final chance to advance to the group stages.
TI5 Wild Card Series: Lower Bracket Semifinals
Team Archon 0:2 Vega Squadron
Game 1
Team Archon didn’t seem to have the right heroes to deal with Vega’s Viper and Vega Squadron were able to execute their plan well. Pavel “9pashaebashu” Hvastunov had a really great game, and with the Naga Siren pick to set up kills and counter initiation with the sleep, Vega were able to secure the first game of the series.
Vega Squadron, after their TI5 elimination
Vega Squadron’s profile: Vega Squadron seek offensive balance in TI5 Wild Card spot pursuit
Game 2
It took four deaths before first blood was drawn to start the second game of the series. Andrey “Mag” Chipenko’s Sand King was at the top of the last hits, giving him an early blink dagger and arcane boots, together with the mobility and ability to secure pick offs all over the map. With his early dominance, Vega’s laning advantage and the powerful push of the Leshrac pick, Vega Squadron secured the victory, advancing to the Lower Bracket Finals and eliminating Team Archon from the tournament.
TI5 Wild Card Series: Lower Bracket Finals
MVP.Phoenix 2:1 Vega Squadron
Game 1
MVP.Phoenix went with their Phantom Assassin mid lane pick once again. However, this time QO wouldn’t fare as well and the pick didn’t pay off for the team. Their roaming Bounty Hunter pick would also prove to be useless, as Vega were able to shut it down immediately, leaving Kim “Febby” Yong-min with a 0:10 game. MVP.Phoenix were at a loss for any real advantage. With an incredibly good game for 9pashaebashu on Phantom Lancer (who was 12:1:11), Vega Squadron plowed through the Koreans in 32 minutes and secured the first win of the series.
Game 2
Vega Squadron would start the game with the slight advantage during the laning phase, but it would be 9pashaebashu who would dominate the game and have the advantage, with a staggering 21:3:13 score. Despite his presence, the 58-minute-long game ended in a base race, with the help of a relocation from Febby onto Vega’s base to finish the job with QO and kphonii. MVP.Phoenix secured the win and pushed the series to a third deciding game.
MVP.Phoenix secure the final spot into the TI5 group stage and main event
MVP.Phoenix’s profile: MVP.Phoenix, one of the two aces up Korea’s sleeve at TI5
Game 3
The last game of the series was a do or die situation, since one of the teams was facing elimination from the event without having had the chance to compete in the main event or receiving any portion of the prize pool. The game would be only 32-minutes-long, with MVP.Phoenix taking the clear advantage. MVP.Phoenix were able to shut down Vega’s Tuskar pick, QO dominated on Shadow Fiend and the mobility and damage of the IO-Bristleback combo would give the Koreans what they needed in order to keep their advantage and achieve their objectives quickly. The second TI5 Wild Card winners, MVP.Phoenix secured the last place in the TI5 main event, and joined Group B, after eliminating CIS team Vega Squadron from the event.
TI5 Group Stage
Three games will be played simultaneously, each on its own stream. Streams will start at 09:00 PDT/18:00 CEST each day, beginning on Monday, July 27th, through July 30th.
The TI5 group stage games will determine the seeding for the Main Event.
- Two groups of eight teams
- Teams play every other team in their group in a best-of-two series
- Top four teams in each group advance to the Upper Bracket of the Main Event
- Bottom four teams in each group advance to the Lower Bracket of the Main Event
- No teams will be eliminated in this stage
TI5 schedule
- July 27 – 30 – TI5 Group Stage (Broadcast begins at 18:00 CEST every day; each match will begin after the previous one concludes)
- August 3 – 8 – TI5 Main Event (Broadcast begins at 19:00 CEST; each match will begin after the previous one concludes)
TI5 streams
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Games are broadcast simultaneously on three streams: Stream A, Stream B, and Stream C
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Dota 2 fans can also catch all the games broadcasted live in 1080p, at 60 frames per second, on the DotaTV streaming platform.
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