Assessing the Favorites for Epic League Division 1 (Dota 2)

The same organization that brought us the Dota 2 Omega League this year recently announced another big tournament. The Epic League features a prize pool of $500,000 and will gather some of the best teams in Europe and CIS.

There will be some epic showdowns when the tournament starts on November 12 and this one feels like one of the closest competitions in a while after Secret’s dominance was finally broken.

Several teams have a chance at the title, in my opinion, and I share my thoughts on the Epic League Division 1 most likely winners in this post.

Everyone that has been following Team Secret knows that the squad has been the strongest Dota 2 side in EU and CIS in the past six months or so, probably in the world as well. The guys dominated the competitive scene and won every single tournament they entered over that period.

Their amazing run was ended in the ESL One recently when Secret was beaten by mudgolems and Team Liquid to finish fourth. Many people were happy to see the squad down, but I don’t think they should get used to it.

Secret still looked strong and it took an extraordinary performance by the eventual winners Liquid to take them out. Considering how competitive all guys on the roster are, I expect much better in the Epic League.

Howdy cowboys, there's a new contender in town ?

We're excited to announce that we will be taking part in the EPIC League tournament! Let's redeem ourselves ?

? $500,000
? November 12th#SecretDota #EPICLeague pic.twitter.com/HtiriSIIBo

— Team Secret (@teamsecret) November 2, 2020

I believe that Secret needed to lose after such a long period of success in order to avoid any complacency. The team is certainly among the favorites for the top spot in Division 1 of the Epic League.

I must admit I didn’t expect to see Team Liquid as the ESL One Germany champions, but boy, did they deserve it! After going down to the losers’ bracket early on, the squad demolished Nigma, Vikin.gg, Secret, mudgolems, and Na’VI to win the title.

It’s one of the most impressive Dota 2 runs in 2020 and Liquid was awesome in the process. There plenty of battles in which the draft looked too greedy, but the guys made it work with flawless execution in the early game.

Props to team captain iNSaNiA who had multiple epic displays and deservedly won the MVP award when it was all said and done. He got a brand new car for his efforts, on top of the money from the prize pool.

Your #ESLOne Germany 2020 Online @MercedesBenz #MBmvp is @iNsan1a from @TeamLiquid!

A big congratulations to him for this achievement! ?#MBesports pic.twitter.com/t3DGHc7zJK

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) November 1, 2020

I believe that his constant stacking of neutrals and the greedy drafts could change the meta. I expect other teams to give it a try or go for a very early game strategy designed to counter Liquid.

Either way, this is one of the teams to watch in the Epic League after the dominant performance in ESL One Germany.

The other ESL One Germany finalist Natus Vincere also deserves a mention. The organization recently decided to try the FlyToMoon roster and this looks like an excellent decision. I always liked the Ukrainian squad and the potential for big things is obviously there.

We saw some excellent matches during the previous tournament from all members. Iceberg was a complete monster mid, GeneRal is unstoppable on multiple heroes, while the other guys are also among the best in their positions.

This squad is here to stay and should only get better. It’s a good mix of youth and experience, but what I like the most is the desire to do things their own way.

All the great teams in Dota 2 history define the meta instead of following it, so Na’Vi’s potential for the future is off the charts. That’s one of the squads that can definitely win the Epic League, so watch out for them.

When Alliance started the ESL ONE Germany with three victories, it looked like the team was ready to challenge for the title. There was another strong moment in the playoffs when OG was defeated, but the squad ultimately failed to live up to the expectations and lost to Team Secret.

I believe that Alliance’s ceiling is really high, though, if the side finds the right balance. At times, it feels like too many games are based around providing Nikobaby with enough space, while the rest of the team serves as a decoy until the carry has enough farm.

That’s too easy to neutralize by the top squads in the region, so Alliance has to utilize players like Limmp and S4 better. They need lineups that have more active heroes at the game goes on and we’ve seen them beat anyone out there when they get it right.

I don’t think that Alliance has a strong chance of winning the Epic League, but the team certainly is among the dark horses of the competition.

I can’t wait for the Epic League Division 1 to start and I’m pretty sure that the tournament will live up to its name. The best Dota 2 teams in the region will be fighting for half a million, so all conditions are there.

I will certainly watch many matches and I intend to place some wagers too. If you want to do the same, I have a guide on how and where to bet on the Epic League. You should also check our section with esports picks where I will share my predictions and recommended bets once the competition starts.

In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts on the Epic League Division 1 likely winners.