Alliance has defeated Nigma Galaxy 2-1 at the Western Europe TI12 Regional Qualifier. This is the third TI without Nigma.
The Western Europe Qualifier for The International 2023 (TI12) had a heartbreaker of a series today (August 28) as Nigma Galaxy and Alliance, two teams with legendary legacies, fought for their last chance to take a spot at TI12.
The last few years had been difficult for both teams, but they had high hopes to return to the grandest stage in all of Dota, The International. Alliance had missed out on TI in 2022, while Nigma, hadn't made it to The International since 2019. Unfortunately for Nigma, they just missed their third TI in a row after Alliance eliminated them.
Nigma Galaxy miss three TIs in a row
It is not easy being a Nigma fan, as the team have failed to qualify for TI once again. Despite going through numerous squad changes, the team just can't find the magic. Nigma's line-up for the TI12 qualifier consisted of the same loyal members plus two teammates.
- Yuma "Yuma" Langlet
- Kasra "Mikey" Mesbah
- Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov
- Maroun "GH" Merhej
- Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi
The two newest faces, Yuma and Mikey, joined in May 2023. Their first real test was the BetBoom Dacha Online Stage, which they passed with flying colors. They beat Level UP 3-0 at the decider Grand Final (August 13) and qualified to the upcoming Main Event (September 10-12).
On the back of that performance, many expected Nigma to have a good chance to qualify for TI12. Unfortunately, things just did not work out the way they hoped. Nigma dropped to the Lower Bracket in the first day of the qualifier after their loss to Entity, before Alliance dealt the finishing blow.
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Nigma lose their chance at TI12 to Alliance after 2-1 defeat
The series went all the way to game three. However, it was quite unceremonious as every game went completely one-sided. Even though Nigma utterly schooled Alliance in the second game with 37-2 score, Alliance were not disheartened and took the series back in the end.
Can Alliance make it all the way to the end?
Like Nigma, Alliance are on their own path to redemption. They have faced a lot of criticisms for their struggling performance recently and are looking to make a comeback. Defeating Nigma may just serve as a strong precedent to potentially qualify for TI12.
That said, it is only the beginning of a long journey through the most competitive Regional Qualifier. Alliance will next face either Ancient Tribe or OG on August 30.
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