win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 Team Liquid, TNC Predator start MDL Chengdu Major strong

Team Liquid, TNC Predator start MDL Chengdu Major strong

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 16/11/2019
Google Preferred Source

The MDL Chengdu Major is now underway and the group stage is halfway done.

Four teams are now set to start their main event journey in the upper bracket. Team Liquid, Invictus Gaming, TNC Predator, and Vici Gaming earned a 2-0 record in their groups to lock up stronger positioning in the playoffs. Their opponents are yet to be determined.

Invictus Gaming and Vici Gaming found their way to the upper bracket thanks to both their own formidable skills, as well as favorable matchups. Invictus Gaming bested Beastcoast and J.Storm, while Vici Gaming defeated Team Spirit and Alliance. By comparison, the starts of TNC Predator and Team Liquid were more interesting

TNC Predator continue strong start to DPC season in MDL Chengdu Major

TNC Predator entered the MDL Chengdu Major as one of the hottest teams in Dota 2. The enduring Filipino team looked excellent in both ESL One Hamburg 2019 and the regional qualifiers for WESG 2019. They haven’t slowed down in the Dota Pro Circuit.

In its opening series, TNC dispatched Team Unknown in one of the quickest best-of-threes in professional Dota 2 history. While the opening game clocked in at 22 minutes, TNC outdid themselves in game two by knotting up the 2-0 victory in just 17 minutes. This gave TNC the series victory in just 40 minutes and 30 seconds of total game time.

The second series against EHOME was considerably longer, but the score was ultimately the same. TNC took its time in choking out the Chinese squad in the first series, winning a 62-minute game highlighted by a 13-0, 895 GPM Gyrocopter game by Armel Paul “Armel” Tabios. Things didn’t go nearly as smoothly for TNC in game two, but the team still scored the sweep with a second game comeback spearheaded by Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte, who went 18-2 on Morphling.

TNC isn’t a lock for a deep run in the tournament, but the team looks strong to this point and a trip to the finals is not out of the question.

Team Liquid top EG for hot start in MDL Chengdu Major

The post-Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi era of Team Liquid got off to a rocky start as the ex-Alliance roster stumbled at both ESL One Hamburg and DreamLeague Season 12. It’s unclear what changed with the team since, but they look much better in the MDL Chengdu Major.

The team went 2-0 in its group and did that despite facing an uphill battle.

Liquid’s run in the MDL Chengdu Major started with a stiff matchup against Team Aster. Despite the Chinese squad being rich in star power, Aster ate a 2-0 series loss as they dropped a pair of back-and-forth games to Liquid.

Things only got tougher from there as Liquid faced Evil Geniuses for a spot in the upper bracket. EG started the series strong with a dominant game one, but Liquid managed to even the series with a solid win of its own. Evil Geniuses seemed ready to close things out early in game three, but let a strong lead slip away to give Liquid the 2-1 win.

All of the other teams still have a crack at taking a spot in the upper bracket. The second half of the MDL Chengdu Major group stage will begin on Saturday night.

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 ...