Win.gg
Dota 2
Keen Gaming send Evil Geniuses to lower bracket at DreamLeague Major Keen Gaming send Evil Geniuses to lower bracket at DreamLeague Major
Stockholm should be renamed upset city.
After a predictable group stage, the DreamLeague Major’s playoffs have seen a number of
massive
upsets
involving elite Dota 2 teams. The latest victim of that phenomenon is Evil Geniuses. Facing off with Keen Gaming in the first round of the upper bracket playoffs, the boys in blue were handed a rough 2-1 loss.
The series initially looked to be going according to plan. Andreas “Cr1t-” Nielsen’s Clockwerk was a force, setting up kills across the map to swing things in his team’s favor. Once the snowball started rolling for EG, there was no stopping it and Keen was quick to surrender the first game.
EG was initially set to dunk on Keen. With Artour “Arteezy” Babaev on Ursa, the game became a battle for control of the Roshan pit. Early game disables allowed EG to flex, but Keen was able to push back once Wang “old chicken” Zhiyong and Ren “Old eLeVeN” Yangwei acquired Black King Bars. Neither team had the opportunity farm, making for a slow battle until EG overcommitted to a gank on Old eLeVeN. That led to a lost team fight, lost barracks, and eventually a lost game.
The deciding game saw EG and Keen go all-in on late and early-game lineups, respectively. Playing as Spectre, Arteezy needed his team to buy him the time and space to farm a Radiance, but Zhai “一” Jingkai’s Shadow Fiend and Old eLeVeN’s Leshrac created too much pressure for EG to handle. That had EG turtling in base before long as Keen successfully sieged and took the 28-minute win and the series.
It’s a tough loss for EG, who entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win. The North American elites still have hope to lock up a spot in The International 2019, but will need to navigate treacherous waters in order to do so.
Now working in the lower bracket, EG is one stumble away from elimination and will be facing stiff competition from here on out. It will need to get by former captain Peter “ppd” Dager and Ninjas in Pyjamas next in order to stay alive.
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.
View full profile
Read Also
Dota 2
Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions
Michael Hassall
Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions
Michael Hassall
The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...
Dota 2
TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title
Michael Hassall
The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit vs Iron Wing at TI15: Best Betting Predictions and Picks
Owen Harsono
The playoffs for TI15 starts off with an absolute banger of a match between Team Spirit and Iron Wing, and the betting odds could not be any closer. Here are our TI15 Team Spirit vs Iron Wing predictions. Tournament: The International 2026 (TI15) Stage: Playoffs Game: Dota 2 Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the closest series we have at the first round of the TI15 playoffs, as ...
Dota 2
Who Will Win The International 2026 (TI15)? These Are Our Best Picks
Owen Harsono
The TI15 group stage is over, and we’re down to the top eight teams. We’ve now got a pretty good idea of which teams are the favorites heading into the playoffs based on recent performance and season results, so here are the teams we think have the best shot at winning TI15 and claiming some of The International prize pool. The TI15 group stage saw eight teams exit the event ...
