DreamLeague Season 13

18 January, 2020 - 26 January, 2020 Leipzig Messe, Germany

DreamLeague now on its thirteenth season will be held on Leipzig, Germany from January 18, 2020 to January 26, 2020. DreamLeague will feature up-and-coming stars as well as some of the biggest players of all time and will battle for a 
$1,000,000 prize pool.
DreamLeague Season 13 is also the second major of the 2019-2020 Dota Pro Circuit.

Preview

The first Major of 2020 is finally here, and it’s shaping up to be one heck of a tournament. Perhaps that’s even an understatement. Just one quick glance at who's competing is all you need to get excited beyond measure. Team Secret, Vici Gaming, TNC Predator, Evil Geniuses, Nigma, Team Liquid, and many other top-tier teams (from various regions) will collide in Leipzig for both a hefty cash prize and a ton of Pro Circuit Points. In short, there's a lot on the line, and you can expect these teams to start the Group Stage off swinging.

But before we delve any deeper into the individual teams and their chances of finding success, let’s first focus a bit on the meta and how it could affect everyone involved.

It’s no secret that the Outlanders updated changed the game in many new and exciting ways. Side shops were removed and replaced with outposts, there were huge sweeping changes in the entire support economy (free wards and individual couriers), two new heroes joined the fray, a couple of existing ones were heavily altered, and neutral item drops became one of the most impactful (and random) elements in the game.

In short, Dota 2 changed over night. It was by no means a different game — the best teams in the world still remained at the top — but the patch definitely shifted the meta in an unexpected direction. It also forced teams to adapt, perhaps a bit too much. The ones who succeeded in this process are already flexing over their opposition, whereas others still need a bit of time to adjust. That said, patch 7.23 was released in November, which means teams had a month and a half to do their homework, watch others compete, and come up with unique patch-specific strategies.

That is, in part, why the Leipzig Major will be so darn exciting (and important). There’s still no consensus when it comes to the way the game should be played. The current meta is forgiving because it’s still somewhat unexplored. 

All of this makes betting a lot harder than usual. While we certainly know who’s favored and why, it’s impossible to predict anything with confidence because the playing field has been leveled. We still expect the top teams to perform, but don’t be surprised if the Group Stage starts off in the strangest of ways. Even the best teams in the world need a bit of time to ramp up, and the Leipzig Major should prove to be no exception.

Be that as it may, top-tier play will not be absent. We have the who’s who of competitive Dota, and all of these talented challengers will be looking to not only earn a respectable amount of money, but — what is perhaps even more important — secure a large number of DPC points and therefore improve their chances of reaching The International.

So in summary, expect the unexpected. 

The Teams

Where does one even start. A quick glance at the list of competing teams is all you need for your mouth to start watering. These are, without a doubt, some of the best and most talented teams in the world. Now sure, there are a couple of odd ones out, like Reality Rift, Pain Gaming, and Chaos E.C. but even they stand a chance of scoring an upset if they accept their underdog status and come out the gates swinging. 

Let’s focus on each team one by one. If there are multiple challengers who are similar in potential and strength, we’ll group them up.

The Bottom Dwellers — Pain Gaming, Reality Rift, Chaos Esports Club

The fact that these three teams are competing in Leipzig shouldn’t fool you — they are in no way as talented or capable as everyone else. They certainly found a fair bit of success by qualifying for the Major through their own respective regional qualifiers, but their roads stop here. 

They might win a game or two in the Group Stage, but even that feels like a stretch. 

The Good But Far from Great — Natus Vincere, Team Aster, Fnatic, Beastcoast

This is where things get a bit more interesting. These are by no means titans of competitive Dota, but they certainly possess a fair bit of potential. Na’Vi had a fairly good showing at the ONE Esports Invitational in Singapore and even managed to win two games over PSG.LGD and Team Liquid. Not a lot of people believed in them coming into the tournament, which makes their 7th-8th place finish all the more impressive. Heck, they shared the honors with TNC Predator. That's not something you'd expect given TNC's recent dominance. 

Team Aster and Fnatic are also well-known and certainly capable, but how high they’ll climb is anyone’s guess at this point. They upgraded during the off-season so they could, in theory, perform much better than most expect. By the same token, Beastcoast are a staple South American team, although they didn’t do much to warrant any hype or momentum. Their solid showing at the MDL Chengdu Major made people take notice, and even though they didn't find a ton of success overall, they certainly proved their worth as a mid-tier gatekeeper. 

Contrary to what the title says, these teams are great, just not when compared to the crème de la crème. 

The Great But "Not There Yet" — Alliance, Virtus.Pro, Team Liquid, Invictus Gaming

Judging these three teams is extremely hard. The last time we saw all three of them in action was the ONE Esports Invitational, and while that tournament didn’t carry much significance in the grand scheme of things, it was still a great way to gauge everyone’s preliminary power level right after patch 7.23 hit.

Out of the three, Alliance stood out the most. In fact, they stood out a bit too much, given what everyone expected coming into the tournament. Their stellar play allowed them to finish first in their group — above favorites like Team Secret and TNC Predator. That, in itself, is a huge surprise. We already saw quite a fair bit of potential in Alliance back in the MDL Chengdu Major, and they certainly worked on their weaknesses in the meantime. Once they went into the playoffs, they faltered immediately against Gambit Gaming, after which they rebounded with a solid 2-1 win over Virtus.Pro before succumbing to the mighty Vici Gaming in the third round of the Lower Bracket. They were cohesive, strong, aggressive and willing to engage regardless of the state of the game. They fought harder than anyone thought they could which means they should not be underestimated. Then again, once the going got rough and they had to step up, Alliance failed to deliver. That’s perhaps a staple fault of many mid-tier teams that are trying to climb the ladder.

Virtus.Pro has a fairly similar story as well. They weren’t quite as strong as Alliance, but they fought every bit as hard. It was a respectable showing and we’re excited to see what they’ll bring to the table in Leipzig now that they had even more time to synergize and figure stuff out.

Then we have Team Liquid. Where does one even begin. They’re as inconsistent as humanly possible, it feels like. One day they’re a fantastic, well-rounded team. Another, they implode beyond measure. They’re entering this Major with as little hype as possible because they’re impossible to read. First they finished in the Top 6 in Chengdu. They didn’t blow anyone’s mind, but they were solid in most areas of play. Then they dominated in the Leipzig Major closed qualifiers, getting wins over staple teams like Alliance and Nigma (former Team Liquid). Heck, dominating might be cutting it short. Then just when you’d think they would compete at the highest of levels, they go to Singapore and end up sixth in their group with just a single win. 

So naturally, it’s impossible to predict how well they’ll do this time either. Regardless of their volatile nature, they’re certainly talented, and could very well surprise a lot of people in Leipzig if they regain their qualifier form. Or, conversely, they might implode yet again. Either way, their upcoming run will not lack in entertainment. 

Finally, Invictus Gaming are also somewhat of a puzzle at this point in time. Their most recent performance certainly impressed, although they’re not quite ready to take on the pantheon of competitive Dota. They’re a well-rounded middle-of-the-pack team that has the potential to upset, although that’ll heavily depend on how well they’ve adapted to the Outlanders patch. 

The Confusing Top-Tier — Team Secret, Nigma, TNC Predator

This is a fascinating cluster of teams. On the one hand, they’re exceptionally talented. On the other, their play leaves something to be desired. Nigma are entering the tournament as Bukovel Minor champions, but they didn’t exactly set the world on fire with their play. Once the pressure mounted, this legendary, veteran-heavy line-up plowed through, which is commendable. But their opponents in Bukovel differ vastly from the ones they’ll face this time around. They’re solid, but it’s hard giving them any benefit of the doubt before we see them in action.

Team Secret are still riding high after their fourth-place finish at TI9, although they failed to leave much of a mark in Singapore. They were very solid, but seeing how they faced a game Vici Gaming in the Loser’s Bracket, they were sent home packing a lot sooner than most expected. Be that as it may, they’re still one of the best teams in the world and their 2020 season is just getting started. 

TNC Predator are also a tough nut to crack. After burning the house down in Chengdu and making the world take notice, they finished third in the DreamLeague Season 13 qualifier and 7th-8th in the Singapore Invitational. That’s not exactly the way you want your season to develop after winning the first major in such dominant fashion. The most recent patch certainly took them by surprise, but they’re an insanely talented bunch and should, by all means, be able to turn the ship around and dominate in Leipzig. That’s what everyone’s expecting, at least. 

Make no mistake, these teams are a part of the elite club. In many ways, they’re just as good as the two teams ranked above them — they just need to step up and solidify their spot at the top. 

They have all the potential in the world and could, by all means, go the distance in Leipzig. 

The Elite — Vici Gaming, Evil Geniuses

Finally, we have what many consider the two best teams in the world right now, based on what we’ve seen over the last couple of months. Both Vici and EG have shown immense potential at both Chengdu as well as Singapore, and have steadily improved over a very short period of time. They revel in the current chaotic meta and have shown great proficiency at the more skirmish-heavy style of play. They’re not perfect, but based on what we’ve seen recently, they’re darn close.

Vici, in particular, is coming in with a ton of momentum after annihilating all opposition in Singapore. After a somewhat underwhelming Group Stage, Vici went on the destroy TNC Predator, Team Secret, Alliance, Gambit Gaming and eventually Evil Geniuses in the Grand Finals. It was a masterful performance from start to finish, and the more they played the better they looked. By the time they stepped foot on stage to face EG, they were cool, calm, and collected. To them, it was just another day at the office — without any shadow of a doubt.

They’re downright spectacular and have a fantastic grasp on the current meta, not to mention ample mechanical prowess and a boatload of talent. Will this be enough in Leipzig? It very well could, although a lot could have changed in just a couple of weeks since their last showing. In any case, they’re the favorites to win the whole thing and with good reason. 

They might start off slow, but once they warm up, they’re bound to dominate yet again. 

Verdict

If you’re a fan of competitive Dota — and have a bit of free time on your hands over the next couple of days — then tuning in to the Leipzig Major is an absolute must. Just make sure to have enough popcorn, as if things pan out as expected, this’ll be a spectacle for the ages. 

Tournament Format

Group Stage: 4 GSL group, best-of-three

Playoffs: double-elimination bracket, the first round of LB is best-of-one, rest best-of-three (expect grand finals, best-of-five.