Tier-2 Team Unexpectedly Breaks into the FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 Dota 2 Playoffs
Power Rangers Strongboys made it to the final of the main play-in stage of FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 for Dota 2 and secured a slot in the tournament's playoffs. Notably, the team is ranked 125th in the world for the discipline.
The match ended with a score of 2:1. The first map went to Strongboys. However, the team couldn't maintain the advantage and began to fall apart during the laning phase. The decisive map was dominated by Power Rangers.
Current standing of Power Rangers:
- World Ranking: The team holds the 125th place.
- Regional Ranking (CIS/RU): The roster maintains the 22nd place in the region.
- Valve Ranking: The team is currently not in the top 10 or top 50 of the global Valve ranking, which is used to issue direct invites to major tournaments.
Power Rangers becomes the first team to secure a playoff slot from the play-in stage. However, Strongboys, in turn, will have another chance to advance further in the match for 3rd place, which begins today at 23:00 Moscow time.
It is worth recalling that this opportunity arose for the team only because the PARIVISION roster announced they would miss the event. The reasons were preparation for the EPT tournament, DreamLeague Season 28, and resolving visa issues for part of the team. Consequently, the slot intended for that team became an additional one for the current participants. Teams from the lower bracket of the tournament's play-in stage can take advantage of this chance.
Notably, Virtus.pro and Aurora Gaming had previously left the event. The first club was competing with two rosters, but both failed to maintain their lead. Aurora unexpectedly registered without a coach, which, as it appears, played a significant role.
The FISSURE Universe: Episode 8 playoffs will take place from January 29 to February 1 in an online format. Three teams from the play-in stage will advance to the next phase.