Fnatic, Neon Esports clinch spots in ONE Esports Singapore Major

Steven Rondina Published 24/02/2021

At long last, the PGL Southeast Asia Dota Pro Circuit league has a bit of clarity at the top.

Fnatic beat TNC Predator in a high-stakes matchup on Wednesday morning. With that victory, Fnatic and Neon Esports have mathematically clinched spots in the ONE Esports Singapore Major. The exact seeding is not yet known, but Fnatic is guaranteed a top-two finish in the league’s winter season while Neon Esports is guaranteed to land inside the top three.

Fnatic landing near the top of the PGL SEA DPC league isn’t a surprise. The organization has long sat near the top of the region, with 2020 being one of its best years to date. Between March and June, Fnatic won five tournaments in a row. 

That grip started to loosen towards the end of the summer as Fnatic underwent a number of roster changes with Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang departing and repeated turnover at the carry position. The team settled on a strong roster that included a mix of interesting names, and went on to look strong throughout the DPC league’s first season.

Though the victory is technically owned by Fnatic, Neon Esports completes its surprise ride to the top of the region with this berth in the ONE Esports Singapore Major. The organization has been around for a while now, but failed to make an impact in the competitive region. A spot in the upper echelons was opened with the closures of Geek Fam and Team Adroit, as well as shaky play from TNC Predator and T1. Neon didn’t just settle for that, though.

The team sprinted to a 5-0 start in the league, and stood as the last undefeated team in the region through the end of week four. Neon was positioned to make a case for being the best in the region, but fell 2-1 to Fnatic in week five. Still, the team’s strong start has earned it a spot in the ONE Esports Singapore Major.

TNC Predator, T1, and BOOM Esports fight for third place

The SEA region gets three spots in the ONE Esports Singapore Major, and there’s a fierce battle for that final spot. 

T1 currently has a 4-2 record, while BOOM Esports and TNC Predator both have 4-3 records. The last game on the schedule for the PGL SEA DPC league is T1 vs. Neon.

If Neon wins, there will be a series of tiebreakers to determine the participants for the ONE Esports Singapore Major. T1, BOOM, and TNC will all then be tied at 4-3, and will need to play in a round robin to determine the last participant in the event. Neon and Fnatic will also play a tiebreaker to determine where either team starts in the major.

If T1 wins, things become much simpler. Fnatic will start in the ONE Esports Singapore Major playoffs’ upper bracket, while Neon and T1 will be forced into tiebreakers to determine where they start in the event.

T1 vs. Neon Esports is set to take place on February 25.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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