The craziest series of the Arlington Major so far: Talon Esports vs Outsiders

On day two of the PGL Arlington Major Group Stage, two teams from different regions clashed. Southeast Asia's newest contender, Talon Esports faced the top team of the Eastern European (EEU) region, Outsiders (also known as Virtus.Pro). The series was a whole roller-coaster ride with suspense crawling all over fans. Whether or not you were rooting for one side, we can all agree that this was hands-down the most electrifying game we've had in the Arlington Major so far.

Take a look at how the series unfolded.

The opening match saw powerful drafts coming from both sides. Talon Esports opted for a rare Doom carry and a Lina mid. With a pesky Dazzle behind their backs, Talon made sure that they are able to sustain fights and they did so successfully.

Meanwhile, Outsiders had a fancier lineup that would see massive combo wombos. The team went for a Puck midlane, alongside a Dark Seer and a Jakiro. RAMZES666 opted for a Juggernaut to perfectly compliment the lineup.

The first 30 minutes of the game were already wild with both teams constantly swapping gold leads. RAMZES666 Juggernaut led the net worth chart but was trailed closely by Mikoto Lina and 23savage Doom.

Despite the back-and-forth affair, Outsiders managed to exploit Talon's mistakes more. When the two cores of Talon died, they didn't hesitate to barge through Talon's high ground and took the mid and bottom racks. It would seem like the game has ended by the 38-minute mark, but the show has only begun.

Talon held on to their crumbling base and slowly they grew stronger. The 23savage Doom was utilizing his ultimate in fights, making sure to shut down the Puck or even the Juggernaut. He was equipped with an Aeon Disk, a Refresher Orb, and the Scythe of Vyse; and we knew immediately that he is locked onto one purpose. Meanwhile, Mikoto Lina scaled to a massive damage dealer and once he secured himself a Divine Rapier, the opponents were stinging with pain. It was also almost impossible to kill off the hero with Talon's endless healing and saves, including Lina's own Satanic.

But Outsiders showed no fear. They were confident in engaging in fights as RAMZES666 led the way. Yamich Tiny was another nuisance to deal with as he flawlessly make use of his toss to constantly get his enemies out of position. But the game-winning factor was definitely their mind-blowing combos; a Dark Seer Vacuum/Wall, Puck's Dream Coil, Jakiro's burning Macropyre, and a Juggernaut Omnislash? That was one painful fight for Talon as they all disintegrated within seconds. Not a chance at stepping into Outsiders' high ground.

As we approach the super late-game, fights were breaking out consistently, multiple buybacks churned out, Divine Rapiers for both Lina and Juggernaut were scattered across the map. The late game chaos and pressure started clawing the players on their backs. And while teamfights were happening and the players were contesting Roshan, Talon's exposed throne was slowly draining from creeps. Despite 3 of Talon's players still alive, all Outsiders needed to do was send the Puck to the throne and end the game. The game finally ended after nearly 72 minutes, making this match the longest one of the Arlington Major so far.

Here is the overview of Game 1 from DOTABUFF.

In contrast to the first game, the next matchup was a quick beatdown. Outsiders steered away from any comeback scares and snowballed the game to oblivion. RAMZES666 played the Templar Assassin and became a farming machine, securing the Blink Dagger, Hurricane Pike, and Desolator by 18-minutes. This allowed him to come online and start hunting for kills. And he was one scary predator.

He hunted down the enemies in their own jungle, killing one after the other and ultimately securing an early Rampage. There was nothing that Talon could do as they were completely read and outplayed.

Fans were gifted with one more Rampage by RAMZES666 as the opponents called out GG; marking a dramatic end to the series. Here is the overview of Game 2 from DOTABUFF.

The 2-0 win by Outsiders sees the EEU team climb up the ranks to secure first place in Group A. Initially, the team only secured draws against Team Liquid, RNG, and Fnatic. With the series victory, they have accumulated a total of 1-3-0 scoreline. The squad looks solid in the first two days of the Group Stage but more challenges certainly lie ahead.

Meanwhile, Talon Esports was in a critical situation after losing two series in the beginning. But they smashed through their latest series against beastcoast to secure a 2-0 win and safely stand in the middle of the rankings.

The PGL Arlington Major continues with Day 3 today and you don't want to miss it! Stick around Esports.gg for more Dota 2 news and updates. You can also find the full Arlington Major schedule and results over here.