win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 OG upset Evil Geniuses at Epicenter Major despite N0tail absence

OG upset Evil Geniuses at Epicenter Major despite N0tail absence

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 26/06/2019
Google Preferred Source

Evil Geniuses’ run at the Epicenter Major was a stunningly short one.

Despite being one of the favorites to win the tournament, the boys in blue were among the first teams sent home. Playing in a best-of-one in the first round of the lower bracket, EG was dealt a surprising loss from a shorthanded OG.

OG captain and support player Johan “N0tail” Sundstein was shelved for the team in Moscow due to health issues. Coach Titouan “Sockshka” Merloz has been competing as a substitute with less than ideal results. Though Sockshka is a former professional player who previously played for Sigma.int and Quantic Gaming, he stopped competing professionally in 2015 and looked rusty in the group stage as OG was relegated to the lower bracket.

Even at full strength, EG would have been favored, but a version of OG featuring a long-retired journeyman seemed like a slam dunk.

Things looked that way for a long while. EG preyed upon Sockshka early on, killing him five times in the first 20 minutes with Syed “SumaiL” Hassan and Artour “Arteezy” Babaev jumping out to a sizable gold lead as a result. At one point, Evil Geniuses’ was up 18,000 gold on OG, but the team wasn’t able to convert that into a high ground push.

Strong play from Anathan “ana” Pham allowed OG to hold their base, charge across the map, and clean out two lanes of barracks. OG was suddenly in the lead and they began to choke the life out of EG. They pressed the advantage, scored a team fight win, and forced out the GG call at the 51 minute mark.

It was a stunning win for OG given the circumstances, and one they sorely needed.

The champions of The International 2018 have had a rocky 2019 due to turnover at the carry position. Ana returned to the team in March following a lengthy hiatus and that has breathed new life into the organization. Still, the team needed to perform at the Epicenter Major in order to guarantee a direct invitation to The International 2019.

OG doesn’t yet have a spot mathematically guaranteed but the odds are certainly in their favor at this point. They can seal the deal by scoring another upset in the second round of the lower bracket, this time over Team Secret.

Steven Rondina 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
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Dota 2
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Michael Hassall The Dota 2 competition at The Esports World Cup 2026 was shaken to its core during the Survival Stage earlier in the week when Southeast Asian-backed, South American team PTime (better known as PlayTime) were removed from the event citing “integrity concerns.” While the case is still ongoing, and none of the accused confirmed to be guilty, one of the biggest questions behind the incident was just how these concerns ...
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Dota 2
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Michael Hassall Filipino organization PlayTime Esports has been removed from the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 competition following an intervention by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and a ruling by the Esports Foundation and EWC. Following a postponement of the PTime vs. Vici Gaming Survival Stage matchup on July 14, ESIC announced that it was actively investigating two members of the South American-based PTime organization, Team Captain Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera and ...
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Dota 2
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Dota 2
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Wasif Ahmed Dota 2 is a complex and interesting game that requires skill, strategy and teamwork to be successful. Having said that, one of the best ways to improve your MMR is by learning certain Dota 2 combos that have proven themselves over time. It’s worth knowing that there are not that many Dota 2 combos that have survived the test of time because every new patch changes the game’s meta. Nevertheless, ...
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Dota 2
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...