Virtus Pro in the Springtime of Youth as they send Vici Gaming down to the Lower Bracket

As the 2nd day of Main Event action took place, we saw Vici Gaming taking on Virtus Pro in an upper bracket showdown for a guaranteed top 6 berth.

Virtus Pro came into the matchup with the hopes of finally living up to their massive potential. Erstwhile, Vici Gaming came in as an X-Factor team. Without the pressure of being regional favourites, they could just play to their highest potential.

With experience on the one side, and youthful passion on the other, the stage was set for a thrilling series.

Game 1 began with Virtus Pro sticking with their comfort heroes, especially the the Nightfall Bristleback and signature support Pugna. Vici Gaming would opt for a heavy teamfight draft, driven by the Old Eleven Magnus and the Poyoyo Tiny.

The laning phase seemed favourable for Virtus Pro, but Vici Gaming were able to overplay their hand and secure a good start to the game. From this position, Vici Gaming were able to recover the rough start of the Ori Void Spirit, and began to play very aggressively on the map.

Given their teamfight advantage, they were able to win most of the engagements and began putting Virtus Pro in a corner. Magnus in particular was making life impossible by catching players out all across the map. Each time he would find an RP, Tiny would follow up with combo damage that would prove too much for Virtus Pro to survive.

Despite picking a lot of sustain and survivability, this would be the nightmare scenario for Virtus Pro.

Eventually, the advantages of Vici Gaming would culminate in a final decisive fight. Virtus Pro, with no options anywhere on the map, would be forced into a GG call. With Game 1 showing a dominant Vici Gaming, Virtus Pro would need to quickly level up to keep pace.

Game 2 would come about with some surprises. Vici Gaming would opt for less teamfight and more objective damage for their draft. Relying on Drow Ranger for physical damage, and Dragon Knight for objectives on the map. Virtus Pro would still stick to the idea of comfort, and pick the fabled GPK Puck to stay in the Upper Bracket.

The game was quite favourable for Vici Gaming in the earlier portions of the game, but it all began to fall apart when they attempted an early tier 2 tower dive. Virtus Pro, recognizing the overextension, would respond in numbers and punish Vici Gaming heavily. Not only killing the Poyoyo Drow Ranger, but having Puck and the Nightfall Medusa involved allowed them to equalize the gold lead Vici Gaming were building up.

From this point, Vici Gaming would be heavily delayed in their item timings which Virtus Pro would exploit. GPK would be a one man ganking squad whilst Medusa just kept farming and gaining more items. With the teamfight advantage as well, Vici Gaming were unable to make the needed plays to comeback into the game.

Eventually, the Medusa was simply too farmed to keep up with; whilst the Puck was simply too illusive to catch.

Calling GG, Vici Gaming would be forced into a decisive Game 3 with Virtus Pro on a massive streak of momentum!

Game 3 would be markedly different from what we saw before. This time around, Virtus Pro would be in command from start to finish.

Drafting signature heroes for all their players, and would go on to quickly demonstrate why this was the right decision.

Not only would DM and Nightfall have very good starts to their respective lanes; GPK would yet again show why he's regarded as one of the best mid players in the game. Dominating with his Storm Spirit, Vici Gaming's Ori would experience his most crushing defeat yet in the laning phase.

Vici Gaming would try an aggressive play, but would come up short and instead lose their whole team; massively rewarding GPK and the rest of Virtus Pro.

Since Vici Gaming generally play according to Ori's timings, this would delay what they could do on the map. This delay would allow a practically free game for Virtus Pro, as they would dominate the rest of the game. Led by GPK, he would somehow perform even more impressively than on Puck, starting fights practically on command.

Around the 30 minute mark, Vici Gaming would find their their cores underfarmed, and their base in shambles. Seeing no way out, they would call GG and fall into the Lower Bracket, leaving Virtus Pro Victorious!

Demonstrating not just their skill, DM from the team would take a moment to express the high level of the team's understanding.

Clearly understanding why they lost, and how to recover from it, he would share how the team overturned a Game 1 loss.

Now having secured a top 6 finish, Virtus Pro would have some pressure taken off their shoulders. Though being favourites many years over, the organization has never placed higher than top 6 at TI. Now the new squad, all making TI debuts, has shown that they are a true Tier 1 team.

Now moving on to play against PSG.LGD, tournament favorites, Virtus Pro has already proved their skill so the sky is now the limit.

Having already shown us their Ninja Way, now they would find themselves in the Springtime of Youth with a very successful run so far.

Vici Gaming on the other hand now drops to play against Evil Geniuses in the Lower Bracket. With one of the storied squads fated to an early exit from the Main Stage. The game will be tense, tight and highly contested, with the highest stakes possible.

Every moment of Dota matters, so we cannot turn away from any of the action in the biggest tournament ever played.

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