As the number of qualification slots still available for Dota 2’s The International dwindles each year, the stage is often set for upsets. Even organizations that were once considered invincible can take a hit and miss out on attending TI—and this year, it’s OG’s turn.
Formed after TI5, OG is now set to miss its first TI in organization history after getting knocked out of the regional qualifiers for TI12 by Quest Esports yesterday. OG’s flames faded out after a tough battle as the two teams clashed for over three hours in three matches.
OG’s young roster that was assembled in 2021 had been able to keep up with the organization’s standards, but cracks started to show during the 2023 Dota 2 season.
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Throughout the year, OG found themselves on the brink of relegation and failed to remain consistent. The team especially struggled to find the last piece of the puzzle, switching their position five player multiple times over the year between Mikhail “Misha” Agatov and Evgenii “Chu” Makarov.
Since the two support players also faced visa issues, OG decided to go with neither, entering the qualifiers with veteran Sébastien “Ceb” Debs and Kartik “Kitrak” Rathi. After an early exit from the upper bracket, OG clawed their way back into the lower bracket, winning two series until they met Quest.
Quest have been one of the late bloomers of the 2023 DPC season. The team became more of a threat after adding Tobias “Tobi” Buchner from Entity to its roster earlier this month and their improvement led to them ending OG’s TI12 dreams.
Shortly after getting knocked out of the qualifiers, OG’s founder and two-time TI champion Johan “N0tail” Sundstein released a statement on Twitter, hoping all players involved in “the project” will “succeed in life.”
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N0tail’s words could be signaling an upcoming roster change for OG since the team was already moving around pieces before the TI12 qualifiers.
