One of the fan favorites fell agonizingly short at Dota 2‘s The International 13 as Tundra Esports lost out on a grand final spot after a spectacular 68-minute game three against Gaimin Gladiators, ending Topson’s TI dreams.
The star midlaner of Tundra Esports, made it all the way through the group stages to the upper bracket of TI13, only to get knocked down to the lower bracket by Gaimin Gladiators. After a few upset wins, including knocking out China’s last hope, Xtreme Gaming, things were looking up for the Finn until they reached the lower bracket finals, facing their nemesis again, with elimination on the line.
After a strong showing in game one, where Tundra Esports shut down Gaimin Gladiators’ Lone Druid, Topson’s team faltered in game two, which turned out to be a reverse stomp. The series culminated in a nail-biting hour-long game three, where both teams pulled out all the stops. Ultimately, Tundra Esports’ efforts fell short to a sneaky Underlord push, ending their misery and the series in 68 minutes.
In the post-match interview, Gaimin Gladiators’ Ace mentioned how their team was very calm and composed throughout the match, with everybody maintaining their cool while focusing on their objective. Once they knew that victory was in their hands, the team decided to make the final push.
Ace also said that they respected Tundra Esports for the fight they put up, including almost knocking them out, and wished them all the best for the future.
After the series ended, Pyrion Flax also caught up to Tundra Esports’ Whitemon for an exit interview and his thoughts about how the series eventually ended. He congratulated Tundra for putting up an impressive fight, even with a stand-in, and Whitemon responded by telling him how the team is disappointed that they could not manage to make Topson a three-time TI winner but hopes that Tundra bounces back stronger from this loss and achieves more success in the future.
Who will lift up the Aegis of Champions this year, Team Liquid or Gaimin Gladiators? Find out as the grand final reaches its inevitable conclusion, and, as always, we will keep you updated on all things TI13.
