ESL has given Lu “Somnus” Yao the Mercedes-Benz MVP for ESL One Birmingham Online 2020.
Somnus became the first Chinese player to earn the ESL One MVP award, a prize that stands out from the crowd by coming alongside a brand new Mercedes-Benz car. Somnus earned the prize for his efforts helping PSG.LGD claim the championship title in the Chinese portion of the event.
This event’s MVP award is a little different from those of previous ESL One tournaments. Regional online leagues are the new normal, which has seen ESL tweaking the rules by selecting an MVP contender for each region. The four finalists then entered the second phase of voting to determine the MVP award winner. The winner was determined by both a fan vote and a polling of Dota 2 experts.
It’s no surprise that Clement “Puppey” Ivanov was chosen as a contender for Europe. He has played a huge role in the success and consistency of Team Secret over the last several months. As the team’s captain, he helped the team both on the map and in the draft. This could have been his second ESL MVP award.
Last but by no means least, our #MBmvp Contender for the #ESLOne Birmingham EU/CIS League is the captain of @teamsecret, @CLEMENTINATOR!
Think he should win the @MercedesBenz? Get your vote in now! #mbesports pic.twitter.com/BoUUwDvTxY
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) June 11, 2020
Finalist Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos from South America came in as a surprise. Quincy Crew and CR4ZY bested North America’s powerhouse Evil Geniuses to claim the grand finals spots. Quincy Crew bested CR4ZY in a clean 3-0 fashion. Lelis was acknowledged for his stellar performance as the team’s offlaner.
EZ4LESLAO
Your #MBmvp Contender for the #ESLOne Birmingham NA/SA League is @lelisdota!
Want him to win the @MercedesBenz? Make sure to vote! #mbesports pic.twitter.com/IKmgvJaNIz
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) June 10, 2020
In the Southeast Asia region, Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong emerged as the MVP contender. FNATIC continued to cruise. As a support player and captain, he has called the right shots in crucial moments to earn his team a slew of tournament wins.
Our #ESLOne Birmingham SEA #MBmvp Contender is @Jabzdota!
Does he deserve the @MercedesBenz? Check out his cool highlight compilation and make sure to vote for your MVP! #mbesports pic.twitter.com/aGfNc7zTHP
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) June 8, 2020
Somnus was the MVP contender from the China region. His skills in the mid lane played a key role in the team’s success in the region. PSG.LGD defeated Chinese giant Invictus Gaming in the grand finals series. The huge success of PSG.LGD gave Somnus a spotlight to own the brand new car.
Somnus from @LGDgaming is your #ESLOne Birmingham China #MBmvp! ????
Will he win that new @MercedesBenz? Make sure to get your vote in! #mbesports pic.twitter.com/P7bGdIvDs3
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) June 9, 2020
After a week of voting, Somnus was rewarded the MVP title and a Mercedes-Benz car.
Somnus joins a list of Dota 2’s top stars in earning a Mercedes-Benz MVP Award. The MVP award became one of the most coveted trophies in the Dota 2 scene after ESL’s huge partnership deal with Mercedes Benz. Since 2017, MVP winners from ESL tournaments are entitled to a brand new car from the manufacturer.
Before Somnus, Vladimir “No[o]ne” Minenko was the last MVP awardee. He claimed his second MVP title and Mercedes-Benz car after Virtus.pro won ESL One Los Angeles Online. He is the only player who won this award twice.
Three players from Team Secret and Virtus.Pro have claimed the MVP awards already. Notable MVP players are Puppey, Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng, Park “March” Tae-won, and Alexey “Solo” Berezin.
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