TNC Predator finished off a dominating run at the World Electronic Sports Games tournament despite a recent roster shakeup.
Carlo “Kuku” Palad was banned from attending the tournament in Chongqing, while former captain Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross Jr. had departed from the team.
To complete its WESG lineup, TNC Predator had to bring in on loan Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto and Nico “eyyou” Barcelon from Lotac.
The Filipino team proved to be among the teams to beat as TNC Predator topped its group during the group stage. The squad was poised for a deep run.
They stomped their opponents in the playoffs and won each series in clean 2-0 fashion.
The playoffs started with a battle against the Brazilian qualifier winner Team Canarinho. After two lopsided wins, TNC Predator faced Russian powerhouse White-Off. The Russian team was composed of four Virtus.pro players, along with Gambit Esports’ Andrey “Afoninje” Afonin.
The first game was a dramatic win for TNC Predator thanks to an exceptional performance from Armel Paul “Armel” Tabios on his Morphling. White-Off tried to bounce back in the second game, but TNC Predator proved resilient with another victory.
WESG’s final series showcased a bloodbath between TNC and Chinese team Keen Gaming.
Once again, the Filipino players took command of the opening game through well-executed rotations from eyyou and Timothy John “Tims” Randrup. The game ended in 24 minutes with a 19-kill advantage for TNC Predator.
Armel made some big plays during the second game, as did Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte. Keen Gaming tapped out after 28 minutes and TNC Predator was hailed as WESG champions.
The tournament also featured the comeback of inactive OG player Anathan “ana” Pham to the competitive Dota 2 scene. However, Team Australia underperformed in the group stage and missed out on a playoffs slot.
TNC Predator was awarded $500,000 for winning the tournament, while Keen Gaming took home $200,000 for its second-place finish. Â
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
