Nouns Esports Secures TI 2023 Spot with Convincing North American Qualifier Win

Nouns Esports, a prominent North American Dota 2 team, has solidified its presence at The International (TI) 2023. Following an impressive performance, Nouns Esports secured their place after emerging victorious with a clean 3-0 sweep against B8 in the grand finals of the North American regional qualifier on August 22nd.

Throughout the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, Nouns Esports demonstrated their prowess, firmly establishing themselves as the third-strongest team in North America, trailing behind the formidable lineups of Shopify Rebellion and TSM. With Shopify Rebellion and TSM receiving direct invitations to TI 2023, Nouns Esports were heavily favored to triumph in the North American qualifier.

On the other side, B8, founded by Ukrainian Dota 2 legend Danil "Dendi" Ishutin in 2020, initially participated in the DPC's Eastern European regional league. However, due to the geopolitical situation, Dendi moved the organization's Dota 2 team to North America for the 2023 DPC season.

As anticipated, Nouns Esports easily progressed through the initial rounds of the double-elimination bracket of the qualifier, securing victories against Sand King Gómez, Wildcard Gaming and Team DogChamp, which propelled them into the grand finals.

In contrast, B8 encountered an early setback with a loss against Wildcard, subsequently being relegated to the lower bracket. Nevertheless, the team exhibited a remarkable turnaround when facing elimination, triumphing over Sand King Gómez, Felt, Wildcard and DogChamp, ultimately earning them a spot in the grand finals against Nouns Esports.

Nouns Esports Dominates Grand Finals

Nouns Esports dominated the grand finals series from the start. They claimed a comfortable victory in game one, with Héctor "K1" Rodríguez's exceptional performance on Terrorblade and Nicolas "Gunnar" Lopez's proficiency on Invoker securing an 18-8 kill count and a 35-minute victory.

Game two followed a similar pattern, with Nouns Esports asserting their dominance and securing a 2-0 series lead in just 26 minutes. Luke "Yamsun" Wang's impressive support play on Nature's Prophet, accompanied by Gunnar's Leshrac, played a pivotal role in their 28-13 kill advantage.

Facing elimination, B8 showcased a valiant effort, led by Dendi's unconventional mid Witch Doctor. His coordination of Death Ward with Alik "V-Tune" Vorobey's Faceless Void's Chronosphere led to impactful teamfight victories.

Despite B8's resilience, Nouns Esports proved unyielding, persevering through a challenging 56-minute match to complete the series sweep. K1's exceptional performance on Juggernaut, achieving 11 kills and six assists with five deaths, along with Dendi's commendable 12-kill, 12-assist, four-death display, solidified Nouns Esports' triumph.

Securing a Coveted Spot

With their triumph over B8, Nouns Esports became the second team to secure a place at TI 2023 through regional qualifiers, following Azure Ray's victory in the Chinese qualifiers. They are set to be among the three North American representatives playing in front of a home crowd at TI 2023, joining the ranks of Shopify Rebellion and TSM.

The regional qualifiers for TI 2023 are scheduled until August 31st, structured in three five-day phases, each featuring two competing regions. Following the conclusion of the North American and Chinese qualifiers, South America and Eastern Europe will take the stage from August 22nd to 26th, followed by Western Europe and Southeast Asia from August 27th to 31st.

TI 2023 is set to span across multiple weekends, from October 12th to 29th, in Seattle, United States. The tournament introduces an overhauled format, consisting of two distinct phases, namely 'The Road to The International' and 'The International' itself.