In a thrilling three-game series, Team Zero clinched their spot for The International 2024 (TI13), becoming the first team to secure a place in the premier Dota 2 event. Only six teams received direct invitations, with Xtreme Gaming being the sole representative from China. This left the remaining Chinese teams to fight for their chance. Unlike last year, where only one spot was allocated to the region, this year saw two slots available – a small consolation given the fierce competition from notable teams and players vying for a place.
The day began poorly for LGD Gaming. Former LGD stars Lu "Somnus" Yao and Yang "Chalice" Shenyi, now playing for Team Turtle, swept the famed organization 2-0. This marks the first time since The International 2012 (TI2) that LGD won’t appear at Dota 2’s flagship tournament.
Following this, another swift 2-0 victory in the lower bracket saw G2xiG sending Kev home before moving on to a three-game upper bracket final to determine the first TI slot.
Azure Ray's newly formed line up looked formidable. They participated in all major events this season and just missed out on enough qualifying points for the upcoming Riyadh Masters. Most fans expected them to qualify, but that will have to wait.
Ultimately, it was Team Zero that triumphed in the best-of-three series! Formed as the second Dota 2 team of Xtreme Gaming in May 2023, Team Zero had only competed in qualifiers this season, aside from one Tier 3 event. They were barely on the radar, but thanks to stellar performances from Yang "Erika" Shaohan and Remus "ponlo" Goh across several regions, they pulled off an unexpected success.
All is not lost for Azure Ray, however. They still have a shot at making it to TI, but they’ll need to overcome either Team Turtle or G2xiG in what promises to be a tough battle.
The action in China continues tomorrow, Thursday, June 13th, at 6:00 AM CEST with the lower bracket semi-finals, followed by the lower bracket finals, which will grant one more team a chance to head to Copenhagen for The International 2024.
The International 2024 (TI13) Teams:
This year, sixteen teams will compete at TI13. Valve has announced the six teams that have received direct invitations to The International 2024, with the remaining ten teams coming from regional qualifiers. For The International, there are only six regions – unfortunately, MENA is combined with Western Europe as usual.
Direct Invites:
- Team Spirit;
- Xtreme Gaming;
- Team Falcons;
- Team Liquid;
- Gaimin Gladiators;
- BetBoom Team;
Qualifiers:
- Team Zero - China;
- TBD - China;
- TBD - North America;
- TBD - Eastern Europe;
- TBD - South America;
- TBD - South America;
- TBD - Southeast Asia;
- TBD - Southeast Asia;
- TBD - Western Europe;
- TBD - Western Europe;
The International 2024 (TI13)
The International 2024 will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September at the Royal Arena. This marks the second time The International is hosted in Europe, but the first time with the hope that fans can attend. Valve's first attempt to bring its most prestigious tournament to Europe was in 2020 when the pandemic struck. TI10 was postponed to 2021 and relocated from Sweden to Romania, and although tickets were sold, a new wave of COVID-19 forced Valve to refund all tickets and hold the tournament in an empty stadium in Bucharest. Since then, TI moved to Singapore in 2022, and last year it returned to its home in Seattle.