TI 2024 main favourites drop to lower bracket

headline photo credits: Valve

Three of the four main favourites at The International 2024 (TI13) title will need to make a lower bracket run for it.

After nouns delivered the biggest upset so far on The Road to The International by sending Team Spirit, the defending Champions, into the first lower bracket round, the surprises continued to pour in in the quarterfinals series.

Read also: Fly interview at TI 2024: “Hopefully, we can ride that underdog story”

Day 1 in the playoffs stage opened with Xtreme Gaming also joining the party in the LB rounds after losing 0-2 to Team Liquid. But while that’s hardly an upset, Tundra Esports have delivered the biggest surprise of the day.

Tundra are the only team at TI13 to compete with a stand-in on their side, and taking into account that the whole year they were also in a continuous search of an offlane player, not many had them on their radar at the start of the tournament.

Team FalconsvsTundra Esports: 0-2

Tundra took Team Falcons by surprise from the drafting stage of the first game. They were the first team to pick Night Stalker at TI13, and paired it with Marci in the offlane for a total annihilation of Falcon’s carry Monkey King. They also had Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen on his signature Invoker for even more teamfight control, pick-off potential, and burst damage. They were superior in all aspects over Falcons in the opening game to start the series on the right foot.

Topson got to play his Invoker in game two as well, while Tundra’s carry choice was Luna, which is shaping to be the carry of the tournament with a 76.92% win rate through the group stage and decider series.

However, the ace in their sleeve was a position 4 Elder Titan, which proved crucial in amplifying Luna’s right click, especially in a late-game scenario. The two fought neck and neck for 60 minutes, each team opening their path to the enemy Throne and reducing the game to buyback timings and small mistakes that could be capitalized on.

At the 62-minute mark Tundra had to watch their base almost crumbling down while they were waiting for everyone to respawn. But once ET was back, a perfectly landed Stomp into Earth Splinter was followed by Luna cleaning everyone in a blink of an eye. The successful hold of the base translated into a clean sweep for Tundra and a top 6 secured at TI13.

Gaimin Gladiators remain the only team from the main favourites to be able to hold onto their upper bracket spot.

nounsvsGaimin Gladiators: 1-2

Nonetheless, their quarterfinal series started with nouns having a perfect read and answer to GG’s fast gameplay. The NA underdogs were riding the momentum created by defeating Team Spirit and were confident to play against Marcus "Ace" Christensen’s stample Broodmother. They countered Gaimin’s draft with a carry Mirana and a mid lane Storm Spirit, which besides being extremely mobile and having good lockdown, they also dished out the big damage to clean the summons and stop any escape attempts from the WEU team.

Unfortunately for NA Dota, nouns ran out of steam through the second and third game of the series and moving forward will have to fight for their survival through a stacked lower bracket.

Day 2 in the playoffs stage at TI 2024 will bring only elimination matches with four teams bound to leave the competition on September 9.