No one saw this coming.
The ongoing Dota 2 Bali Major is beginning to bid goodbyes to eliminated teams on the fourth day of its Group Stage. However, nobody would have expected Evil Geniuses to be the first to leave. After continuous losses and zero series wins, Evil Geniuses bombs out of the Bali Major at last place.
The South American powerhouse has been a consistent favorite for tournaments throughout. In 2023, Evil Geniuses constantly made it into the top 6 of all Tier 1 events, excluding a 7th-place finish at the DreamLeague Season 19. However, something shifted ahead of the Bali Major.
EG started rough with four continuous losses in the first two days and only started to pick up momentum with series draws by the fourth day. But it's a little too late as their Group Stage score ended in an elimination nonetheless.
Matthew played in poor health
Image via ESL
Teams falling out of form and flunking tournaments is a normal occurrence. However, Evil Geniuses' sudden plunge at the Bali Major could potentially be due to Matthew's unwell condition.
Matthew, the position 4 of Evil Geniuses, has apparently been suffering stomach ache for the last couple of day. Jani, the Creative Manager of Gaimin Gladiators stated in a Tweet:
"Matthew has been sick with a stomachache for three days, possibly unable to play yesterday. He visited the doctor and is receiving treatment. Despite the unlikelihood of people knowing these details, I dislike the SA community's harsh judgments," she addressed the community's spiteful comments against the South American team.
Evil Geniuses prepares for Riyadh Masters
With EG's Bali Major journey cut short, the team will have plenty of time to rest and recuperate. The team will remain in Bali and take a breather before they depart to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the $15 million event.
The manager of EG, Guashi, shared her thoughts and updated fans of EG's current situation. She hopes for compassion for the players as they had little rest and will now prepare for Riyadh Masters.
"It's been quite the schedule this year, the boys have been home only for like a week on the last few months, since Dreamleague s19 in early April. Bear in mind that is not an excuse, just want yall to have a bit of insight on why certain things can happen. You may think being a [pro gamer] is just playing video games, but it can be quite exhausting too, like anything," she posted on Twitter.
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