Dota 2 T1 beats Virtus.pro to become ESL ONE Summer 2021 Champions

[ad_1]

We don’t get to see a team drop from the upper bracket finals and then ultimately win in any esport. It’s a rare occasion, and it took SEA Dota 2 team T1 everything they had to accomplish this feat.

T1 proved this weekend that they deserve the title of the top Southeast Asia team going into The International 10. The ESL One Summer 2021 Dota 2 tournament invited some of DPC 2021’s top teams to compete in an exhibition tournament ahead of the Regional Qualifiers. The tournament featured the best Dota 2 teams heading into TI10.
T1 sweeps top Dota 2 teams in ESL One Summer 2021 tournament – makes comeback victory over Virtus.pro
With formidable teams such as Team Secret, Alliance, Team Liquid, Virtus.pro, and Quincy Crew, the Western world had its attention away from T1. The humble SEA team has been doing great over the DPC season, with a lot of casters and talents noticing them recently. However, lack of exposure to the SEA scene may have muddled the assessments of some fans and talents. There have been doubts if the T1 roster – much improved during this season – can actually win a Dota 2 championship. They proved their doubters wrong.
And yet, they did. However, the road to the championship wasn’t easy. T1 had a chain of challenging foes ahead of them: Vikin.gg and Quincy Crew first fell against T1. Then, T1 faced Virtus.pro in the upper bracket finals, only to lose in three games. They would face Alliance in the lower bracket finals, then earning a rematch against Virtus.pro after sweeping Alliance as well. T1 brought Virtus.pro to their limit in the Grand Finals, beating the European team in five intense Dota 2 games.
T1 brings home $175,000 out of the $400,000 prize pool.
Now, T1 may be the team with the most momentum going into TI10. Granted, ESL One didn’t have the Chinese powerhouses that dominated the two DPC Majors. EG, who beat T1 in WePlay! Dota 2 AniMajor also wasn’t in ESL One. But no one can take away T1’s performance and achievements in ESL One. Now, they just have to ride their momentum and win more games at TI 10. Maybe this year, we can finally see a SEA team bring home the Aegis.