The first premier LAN post TI9 kicks off tomorrow through the weekend as DreamLeague Season 12 hits the Netherlands.
DreamLeague Season 12 will play host to six teams competing for the first LAN trophy and title of the new season. New rosters, revamped lineups, and some new faces will make their debut's and look to make their mark on the landscape.
DreamLeague Season 12 Group A
Team Liquid is the clear favorite of Group A. The ex-Alliance-turned-Liquid roster has been together since before TI8, growing and improving with every stride they took on the path to TI9. The lineup was able to secure a spot at The International by earning enough points for a direct invite. They took a disappointing 13-16th place finish, after a devastating misclick during the ban/pick phase but have already come back strong for the new season. Team Liquid secured a place in the first Major of the DPC 2019-2020 season in China. Their stability and experience make a strong case for them to take the top seed and at least a seat in the grand finals in the first test against the newer rosters.
In an era of European dominance, NiP certainly has a fighting chance against all opponents, though measuring up against their fellow Europeans will be a hard task. The overhauled roster built up around veteran TI5 winning captain Peter "ppd" Dager also boasts his TI5 championship teammate Saahil "Universe" Arora. Leadership and drafting/strategy planning by ppd should put this team on the top end of the event if the three other rising players can execute and not crumble any pressure.
Demon Slayers are the clear underdogs of not just the group but in most likelihood the event itself. The newly formed NA squad will also be playing with one stand-in player, Danny "iAnnihilate" Cote, as visa issues have struck the team's core player "Ched". The team missed out on the first Major after placing third in their group stage, assuming a spot in the Summit Minor qualifiers. They then advanced to the grand finals but had trouble facing off against the Hassan brother's stack, Quincy Crew.
DreamLeague Season 12 Group B
Many, if not all, eyes will be on Alliance this event. This team has the potential to achieve insta-stardom if they haven't already thanks to their performance in the MDL Chengdu Major qualifiers when they convincingly took the first European slot. With a beast of a carry player Nikolay "Nikobaby" Nikolov who won over fans at TI9, Adrian "Fata" Trinks is at the helm, directing and coordinating within the game from his support role. Alliance is a strong contender for the title and trophy and the new season overall.
FlytoMoon's new roster is stacked with the CIS region's talent and veteran players. Dominating the European qualifiers, this will be the first glimpse for most fans of the full roster now with Bogdan "Iceberg" Vasilenko in the lineup. Iceberg joined the team only days before the first DPC open qualifiers and the team failed to survive the merciless best-of-one elimination brackets. A dark horse in the shadows, the team has enough power and talent to rocket to the playoffs if the synergy is there.
J.Storm had an impressive showing the group stage and then decimated Quincy Crew in the MDL Chengdu Major qualifier playoffs. Considering the team had to contend with a last-minute roster change as Virtus.pro picked up Roman ‘Resolut1on’ Fominok just days before the roster lock, the team looks solid with Braxton "Brax" Paulson already proving his worth. The team is embarking on new territory, heading up against the formidable European and CIS regions in their group.
DreamLeague Season 12 Teams:
NiP
Alliance
Team Liquid
J.Storm
FlytoMoon
Demon Slayers
DreamLeague Season 12 Format
- Group Stage
- Two groups of three teams each
- Bo3 round-robin
- Top team from either group advance to the Upper Bracket of the playoffs
- Bottom two teams advance to the Lower Bracket of the playoffs
- Playoffs
- Double-elimination
- All games are Bo3
- Bo5 Grand Finals
DreamLeague Season 12 Schedule:
- Friday, October 18th 10:30 CEST - Group Stage
- Saturday, October 19th 10:30 CEST - Lower Bracket eliminations, Round 1, Round 2, Upper Bracket Finals
- Sunday, October 20th 10:30 CEST - Lower Bracket Finals, Grand Finals
DreamLeague Season 12
DreamLeague Season 12 Rotterdam will take place from October 18-20th with $250,000 on the line at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands.
