PSG.LGD helped another team’s TI11 chances, will Valve stop it?

Chinese powerhouse PSG.LGD chose to forfeit its final game to Xtreme, and the Dota 2 scene doesn’t know how to feel about it.

On July 17, PSG.LGD was scheduled to play its final match of the season against Xtreme Gaming. However, just hours before the planned game, PSG.LGD announced that it would be forfeiting the game to Xtreme. Clever fans may have finally found out exactly why the multi-time The International runner-ups chose to bow out, and it raises an interesting question about the rules of the DPC.

Xtreme and PSG.LGD are both strong teams in the Chinese DPC, earning third and fourth respectively after the forfeit. The two teams were set to play a tiebreaker to determine the podium, but PSG.LGD ultimately chose to preemptively avoid the game. In the process, the squad lost out on $1,000 in prize money and 100 Dota Pro Circuit points. 

PSG.LGD social media revealed that the players (and presumably the staff) agreed to forfeit, but gave only a vague answer as to why. One final match against a regional team wouldn’t have taken too much from the team’s practice for the Arlington Major. However, considering PSG.LGD and Xtreme’s situation, the choice was both practical and somewhat underhanded.

PSG.LGD forfeit could lead to DPC rules change due to TI11 implications

Based on their standings in the DPC, the PSG.LGD forfeit to Xtreme Gaming willfully gave the opposing team a greater chance of qualifying to The International 11.

In the current standings for the DPC, PSG.LGD has already secured a trip to The International 11 with 1,500 points. Xtreme Gaming is much lower on the list at 18th with just 440 points. Only the top 12 teams in the rankings earn an invitation to TI11.

By forfeiting, PSG.LGD hands over precious DPC points that could help Xtreme get to The International 11. As for the money, the PSG.LGD organization boasts a long list of sponsors and probably isn’t sweating over $1,000.

It’s also worth noting that PSG.LGD does indeed have a lot on its plate heading into the coming months. The team will travel to Texas to attend the Arlington Major in early August, and it has TI to worry about after that. 

Still, some fans are upset at the idea of a team just ghosting the competition so late in the season. This incident took place during the last game of seasonal DPC play which will not resume until the next Fall. It also comes at the direct expense of fringe TI11 hopefuls like Quincy Crew, Team Liquid, and Team Aster who now have a team that was effectively given a free 100 points.

It leaves a big unanswered question in the minds of Chinese Dota 2 fans, though it also sets up a storyline if these teams meet each other at a much, much more lucrative tournament.