Did we just see the biggest upset of The International? Hokori came all the way from Division II to take a game from China’s powerhouse PSG.LGD in TI11 Group Stage’s opening series.
The Dota 2 community was ready for upsets at TI11 but we definitely weren't ready for this stomping storyline. The first series of the day already pulled off THE biggest upset of the tournament with Hokori outperforming PSG.LGD two games in a row. Even though they ended up losing the first game, Hokori shines brightly under the limelight courtesy of their unexpected prowess.
Hokori's drastic improvement pre-TI11
There is nothing better than a jaw-dropping underdog storyline at the peak of competition here at TI11. Hokori rose from the deep trenches of Division II in South America (SA) to deliver one of the biggest upsets in the TI11 Group Stage. At the end of Tour 3, the team faced relegation to the lower division and opted for new players, Edward "Lumière" Valencia and Thiago "Thiolicor" Cordeiro. The new lineup proved a success as they managed to qualify for TI11 through the SA Regional Qualifier.
Pre-TI11, Hokori joined the Beyond The Summit Pro Series S12 tournament alongside top SEA teams like Fnatic and BOOM Esports. The tournament saw them placing 4th, even eliminating the region's favorites, Fnatic 2-0.
Hokori made sure to ride that victorious momentum into TI11. In the first series of the Group Stage, they paired up with PSG.LGD - arguably the strongest Dota 2 team in the world - but they were not shaken. In contrast, they were on fire.
What happened in the BO2 match?
The series started with an unexpected dominance by Hokori in the first half of the game, catching everyone by surprise. Despite a strong control of Game 1, they let it slip away and PSG.LGD pulled off a comeback.
They didn't let this mistake repeat in Game 2. Hokori picked up the heavily-banned Marci on Vitaly(Pablo "Vitaly" Roman)'s offlane and he wreaked havoc across the map, accumulating a 13/2/18 score. All players of Hokori gelled well together to mercilessly punish PSG.LGD and by 35 minutes, Hokori held multiple Godlike streaks.
One thing we can take from this series: South American Dota 2 is one to look out for. The region definitely looks solid, especially this year where Peru stands tall in terms of country representation at TI11.
More action from TI11 Group Stage
TI11 Group Stage is still ongoing with many more games to look out for. You can go to our TI11 schedule and live score page to keep track of upcoming games. We will keep you updated with the latest and hottest stories from TI11, so stay tuned on our site!
