Entity Gaming's off laner Dmitry "DM" Dorokhin discussed their victory over OG in the upper bracket of the Dota 2 qualifiers for The International 2024. He elaborated on the team's drafting strategy and the choice of heroes.
When asked, "Why did you pick Brewmaster for the third game?" DM explained, "I think Brewmaster is just a strong hero for me. Currently, Brewmaster is quite powerful. I believe he was the best choice compared to the remaining options. If something else had been banned, I might have gone with someone different, like Tidehunter again."
"In my view, Brewmaster is a hero who scales well from the start-up to about the 50th minute. He remains relevant at any stage of the game, which is why he was the best pick. I knew that even if the game went late, I would have the items, I could kill supports, lift Chaos Knight, and overall have good gameplay," DM expressed.
When asked about picking Tidehunter in the second game despite his unpopularity on the professional scene, DM responded, "We don’t always follow other teams' picks. Just because a hero isn’t picked doesn’t mean they’re bad. Look at how often Visage was picked in the qualifiers—almost zero. Yet, I believe Visage is a very strong hero. So potentially, you could also bring out Visage."
"The same applies to Tidehunter. The game was good for him; he could fulfill his role, catch Void Spirit, and hold his own against Broodmother. Why not pick him? I played three pub games with him and realized he’s actually not a dead hero. Thinking he’s dead is a mistake," DM elaborated.
Entity Gaming defeated OG 2-1, advancing to the upper bracket final. They will face Tundra Esports at 17:00 Moscow time on June 22. The winner will secure a slot at TI13, while the loser will continue to compete in the lower bracket for another chance to qualify.
The regional qualifiers for The International 2024 are being held online from June 9 to June 23. Participants are competing for ten spots at the World Championship, which will take place from September 4 to September 15 in Copenhagen. The prize pool for the tournament will be announced later. For the current list of participants, see the link below.