Midas Mode 2.0 has ended with Vici Gaming and J.Storm claiming first place in the Asia and Americas divisions, respectively.
The quirky tournament gave Dota 2 fans a good bit of fun before the start of the Dota Pro Circuit season. The fun lineup of teams and unique ruleset made for a unique experience with legitimate teams drafting eccentric compositions, going for bounties, and taunting each other in all chat. Despite that, the tournament ended with some of the on-paper favorites coming out on top.
In the Americas region, J.Storm stood out. The team was the top seed in the group stage and earned a grand finals slot. Jacky “EternaLEnVy” Mao and David “MoonMeander” Tan’s stack, Fighting Pepegas, faced Team Anvorgesa in the semifinals.
Fighting Pepegas opted for a Techies and Earthshaker draft against Team Anvorgesa’s Meepo pick in their best-of-one series. After 30 minutes, the Pepegas admitted defeat.
During the best-of-five grand finals, Team Anvorgesa attempted to repeat the success of its Meepo pick. However, J.Storm retaliated with tanky heroes such as Mars and Tidehunter. J.Storm claimed the first victory to open the series.
Team Anvorgesa found its stride in the second game and chalked up a win, but J.Storm did not let its opponent bounce back. They claimed the next two games to win the series with a 3-1 score and claim the Midas Mode 2.0 Americas championship.
In the Asia Region, Chinese team Vici Gaming took the crown, but not without some controversy.
After the team kicked off the series with a win against Fnatic, Jake “SirActionSlacks” Kanner announced that Vici Gaming would not be able to compete in the previously planned best-of-five series. This resulted in both teams agreeing to void the first game and proceed with a best-of-one grand final series.
With the series reset, Fnatic brought its A-game, but Vici Gaming was prepared for the onslaught. After 54 minutes, Fnatic tapped out of the tournament.
J.Storm and Vici Gaming both earn $22,000 for taking first place. Meanwhile, Team Anvorgesa and Fnatic take home $14,000. Though the Americas and Chinese divisions went largely by the numbers, things were a bit more wild in Europe where a squad of streamers and journeymen upset three former The International winners.
The Dota 2 competitive scene returns to normal with the start of the Dota Pro Circuit. The open qualifiers for the MDL Chengdu Major and Dota Summit 11 are currently underway.
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