Talon Esports has stamped their ticket to the upcoming Berlin Major after an undefeated 5-0 run in the Southeast Asian Dota Pro Circuit. Talon’s journey to the top wasn’t a solitary one since they were accompanied by Team SMG, a roster that fans wouldn’t think of giving a major seat at the beginning of Dota Pro Circuit’s second tour.
Team SMG has been one of the staple mid-tier teams in the SEA DPC, as the team has consistently placed fifth or sixth for most of the last year. The squad led by Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng has also been struggling with fan support as they were heavily criticized after Michael “Ninjaboogie” Ross Jr.’s controversial removal from the roster.
SMG continued to shuffle players after the Ninjaboogie incident and finally found the working formula with Wilson “poloson” Koh and Lee “CDR” Jia He. Despite featuring an experienced core, SMG has been away from international events for a while.
Even attempts at adding star players as mercenaries, like Daryl “iceiceice” Koh, failed since SMG went on to miss the deadline for signing rosters. This eventually led to iceiceice’s departure, making SMG look unsustainable in the process.
Talon, on the other hand, has been on a roll as they came off of a third-place finish at the Lima Major. Talon also has a story of its own, as their star player, Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon, was at a crossroads in 2022.
The carry player was offered a seat at the reforming OG roster but ultimately decided to stay in his home region as he believed what Talon was building up to. Given their latest performance in the last two months, 23savage has been reaping the rewards of his decision, including a seat at the Berlin Major.
