Gaimin crush BetBoom’s hopes and dreams to secure a DreamLeague S20 victory

Gaimin Gladiators have defeated BetBoom Team to win DreamLeague Season 20. The match, on June 25, went the distance, with BetBoom taking a 2-1 lead and putting the series on match point after three games. But Gaimin pulled it back, securing the final pair of victories with some dominant performances from every Gladiators player.

With the win, Gaimin Gladiators take home $300,000, and because they’re already locked for Riyadh Masters, cause Shopify Rebellion to qualify for the future tournament. And with that, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan has unwittingly secured his home region as spot. Truly the hero of North American Dota. BetBoom secures an impressive $175,000 and another spot at Riyadh.

After taking a harsh beating at the hands of BetBoom on June 24, in the Upper Bracket Final, Gaimin Gladiators found themselves in the Lower Bracket — just like in DreamLeague Season 19. But you can be forgiven for feeling some deja-vu, as GG surged through the Lower Bracket for the rematch against BetBoom, mirroring their performance against Team Liquid last season.

In a meta where games rarely last beyond 40 minutes, Gaimin stalled out the first game to secure a win with their composition. Dropping the next two games to lightning fast execution by BetBoom, GG had their backs against the wall for the final two series. But consistent play from the likes of Melchior "Seleri" Hillenkamp, who played Undying every single game, and the rest of the squad, locked down the win.

The victory makes it two DreamLeague seasons in a row that the Gladiators have won, and a string of four Tier 1 events. It’s one of the most impressive streaks of performances in recent memory, although the squad has struggled in the DPC regular season to take the top spot. However, if you’re taking first place in Majors and million-dollar tournaments, who can complain about not taking top of the table in the regular season?

The series of wins reminds of Team Secret’s record in 2020, that saw the team secure a seven-tournament win streak. At the time, Secret were the consensus best team in the world, and coach Lee “Heen” Gon won the Esports Awards “Esports Coach of the Year” award. Gaimin haven’t quite reached the same heights yet, but in an offline era, there’s no better candidate for the mantle of best in the world.

As mentioned, the victory also propelled Shopify Rebellion into securing a spot at Riyadh Masters. This was due to Gaimin Gladiators already taking up one of the direct invite slots after winning DreamLeague Season 19. The Season 20 slot was replaced with an additional average placement slot, securing Shopify’s spot in the Saudi capital.

Gaimin must now prepare for the Bali Major, just four short days away. Their chance for a three-peat of Major victories feels tangible.

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