After NP had battled their way through the daunting lower bracket, they found themselves going head to head against Wings Gaming in the Northern Arena BEAT Invitational grand finals.
Game One
A good start from Team NP allowed them to find an early first blood as they brought in three to the mid lane to gank and secure the kill. But even with the early pressure, Wings were able to find their way back into the game and by ten minutes the score was tied up at 6-6. Just prior to fifteen minutes, Wings Gaming attempted to finally drop the mid tier one tower but NP were instead able to kill off four from the Radiant line up and defended their tower. With that NP now looked fully in control of the game.
The Dire side continued to dominate the game for the next twenty minutes, with Wings only able to find one or two kills around the map, but nothing that they could use to take objectives. By forty minutes, with the score line at 24-12 to NP, the Dire team were looking to close out the game. Wings however, were not ready to give up, and held their bot lane against the attack, managing to pick up two kills in the process.
From this point, it was clear that NP had lost an opportunty to end the game and Wings had suddenly found their hunger for victory. With the next ten minutes of play they continuously racked up more and more kills until they were firmly on top of the game and things looked all but over. NP had no real chance to make any comeback once Wings had the front foot. Wings proved why they are The International Champions as they made a massive comeback to take game one of this best of three series.
Game Two
Game two was much more even, even though Wings had an Alchemist, the kills did not come as freely for either team. Wings did not make full use of their Alchemist, and NP were able to claim an early range barracks in the bottom lane. NP looked the stronger team as they were able to quell the threat of Wings for the most of thirty minutes and held their own in the experience and gold graphs.
But once again, much like in the first game, Wings began to put on the pressure and claimed the mid barracks without any fight from NP and a few moments later, Wings wiped four from the Dire line up off of the map.
NP, with no way to mount a defense, had no choice but to call GG and give Wings game two and the series. With that, Wings Gaming are crowned Champions of the Northern Arena BEAT Invitational and take home $48,000 in winnings.
