Where on Earth do I even begin when writing about one of the most historic events in the history of Dota? First off, the major; and what a major it has been. A major filled to the brim with storylines, all that had to be played out in only a short period of time, and to top it all, a teaser for the next big thing: Dota 2, gameplay version 7.00.
The Semifinals and Finals of the Boston Major
The Semifinals: NA came to play, Europe came to win.
The teams in the semifinals were the ones many anticipated. Evil Geniuses played OG, and Digital Chaos played Ad Finem for spots in the grand finals.
EG and OG were the ones to duke it out first. When you look at the kill score on Dotabuff, it seemed like both matches were one sided affairs, with OG clearly stomping EG in both games. But, EG played poorly as a team or were outdrafted, while OG was playing on another level; the level of play required to win a championship of this magnitude.
Ad Finem and Digital Chaos soon followed, with DC trying to make it to their second straight Valve event final. Ad Finem would not grant them the title of the first team to achieve such a feat. In a similar vein to OG’s win, the Greeks would roll their way into the finals.
The Finals
It’s amazing what both of these teams accomplished. OG was on the cusp of winning their third Valve title. For Anathan “ana” Pham, it would quell any doubt on whether he could match Amer “Miracle-“ Al-Barkawi’s caliber of talent. For OG veterans Johan “N0tail” Sundstein and Tal “Fly” Aizik, it would mean a third major title and further proof of how they created a dynasty by combining new talent and legends of the old guard. A win for Gustav “s4” Magnusson would add him to the growing list of two-time Valve event winners.
While OG sought their third major title, Ad Finem was looking for their first tournament trophy. The Greek team was the epitome of everything that’s great about Valve’s qualifier format; with any team, so long as they’re good enough, can make it to Dota’s biggest stages. Even though they were invited to the regional qualifiers, they had to fight it out against Europe’s finest and most experienced teams, but they would take the top spot by defeating a stacked Team Liquid. Ad Finem wowed everyone at this event with their quality of play, both in the group stage and through the main event.
That success, however, ran out in the grand finals. While Ad Finem fought hard, OG proved to be too much for them. OG was crowned the Boston Major champions, taking the series 3-1.
Ad Finem did not go out without a fight, however. Game three was their last stand, a 300 moment, so to speak, and what a last stand it was. I sincerely recommend watching this game. It was a roller coaster of emotions, team fights, and Divine Rapiers.
What’s to Come
There won’t be any significant tournaments in the world of competitive Dota until next month with ESL One Genting. However, Valve did have a few more surprises for this week left up their sleeve. After the Eaglesong trophy was handed to OG, it was announced that the coming New Journey update would be gameplay version 7.00, bringing Dota into a new era. More details are to come on Dec. 11, at 12:00 p.m. EST.
What do you think is going to be in 7.00? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us at @GAMURScom.
Questions, comments, or criticism for Carno? He’d love to hear it. Find him on Twitter at @Carno_.
Carno’s Twitter is where you know when new articles are posted as soon as they’re done, so be sure to follow him and the official GAMURS Dota 2 Twitter: @GAMURS_Dota2. The GAMURS Dota 2 Twitter is where you can keep up with the latest Boston Major news.
