Xtreme Gaming make an early exit from Berlin Major

China’s top seed team, Xtreme Gaming has been sent home in the first lower bracket round of ESL One Berlin Major playoffs by Team Liquid.

Xtreme Gaming and Team Liquid came to the Berlin Major as the top seed teams from their respective regions. However, as the big 7.33 overhaul hit mere days before the Major, both struggled to find their footing in the still developing new meta and found themselves in the first lower bracket round. Team Liquid landed in the elimination rounds after losing the playoffs opener against OG, while Xtreme were sentenced to LB run right from the start of the playoffs stage. They placed just 6th in Group B with just two victories and their struggles continued.

Team LiquidvsXtreme Gaming

Xtreme started the elimination series on the right foot with an offlane Doom and carry Drow Ranger that were able to keep Liquid’s Terroblade under control. Their support duo Lich and the signature Lion of Hu "Kaka" Liangzhi had also had a big impact on disrupting Liquid’s team fights, but heading into the next game the WEU team found the answers.

Liquid ran a healing intensive line-up in game two with an Oracle, Keeper of the Light and Necrophos being able to prolong the fights and give their Monkey King and Void Spirit great tools to chase and fight endlessly.

The third and last game of the series marked Ludwig "zai" Wåhlberg’s 1000th competitive match and it came with a dominant victory, a top eight secured at Berlin Major and most probably with a secured ticket to The International 2023.

While Team Liquid is currently sitting in a comfortable 1st place in the DPC rankings with 1250 points already under their belt, Xtreme Gaming will have to put all their efforts into the next tour of the Dota Pro Circuit as they leave the Berlin Major in the 9th/12th place, without any points and outside the top 12 in the DPC rankings.