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Big Dota 2 is returning to our screens. And it does so with the DreamLeague Season 22 tournament - the first ranking championship of the 2024 season.
Let's talk about the group stage of DreamLeague Season 22, where 16 teams will play in two groups. We're interested in Group A, specifically the match between Falcons - Azure Ray.
Let's try to understand if any of the teams can secure a victory in this BO2 and gain an advantage at the start of the group stage, or if we're in for a draw.
Here we go.
Falcons' Form
Let's analyze Falcons' gameplay form in this match. In this match, they will play as favorites, with odds of around 2.5 for victory.
Falcons is a Saudi club that is ready to conquer esports in general. The process is still ongoing, but even this Dota lineup hints at plans to stay here for a long time.
The tag isn't new, but they haven't achieved much fame. All they've done is play in the local Saudi eLeague. They played there in 2020, finishing TOP-6, and in 2021, finishing TOP-3 and TOP-1 respectively.
After a year-long hiatus, they decided to return to the professional scene after Valve's DPC system was canceled. And they made quite an entrance.
- Faclons Roster: skiter, Malr1ne, ATF, Cr1t, Sneyking.
Falcons' roster was assembled following the "golden roster" principle. They managed to snatch two players from Tundra Esports, including the champions of The International 2023, Skiter and Sneyking. They also got Cr1t, who previously played for Shopify Rebellion and before that for EG, ATF, who showed good performance last season with PSG Quest and previously with Nigma and OG, and they sealed it with the promising midlaner Marl1ne.
In the MENA region, where Falcons are based, this lineup faces no competition even in terms of skill level. So it's no surprise that Falcons have already secured their spot at Kuala Lumpur 2023.
They easily passed the open qualifiers and then, again without much trouble, breezed through the closed qualifiers. In the final, by the way, they defeated PSG Quest 3-1. It's not entirely clear what both teams are doing in the MENA region, but oh well.
At the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show, Falcons look very confident, as expected. They have already secured their place in the playoffs, topping Group B without losing a single map in three matches.
Falcons started the playoffs of Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show with a match against Level Up. A easy victory led Falcons to The dudley boys, where Falcons suffered their first and only loss of the tournament. They were defeated by The dudley boys, to whom Falcons gave a rematch in the grand final.
As a result of Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show, Falcons took first place and earned $50,000. Triumph at the local championship was Falcons' first victory in the discipline. But not the last.
After winning at Pinnacle, Falcons took TOP-6 at ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, and then began to dominate. In 2024, they won 3 qualifiers: BB Dacha, DreamLeague Season 22, and ESL One Birmingham in their MENA region.
Just before participating in DL Season 22, Falcons became champions of BB Dacha, earning $400,000.
Falcons' Most Popular Heroes
The most picked hero for Falcons remains Io (6 matches, 66% win rate). Following closely are Death Prophet (5 matches, 60% win rate), Chen (5 matches, 60% win rate), Dawnbreaker (4 matches, 75% win rate), Earth Spirit (4 matches, 75% win rate).
Azure Ray's Form
Continuing the match analysis with Azure Ray's gameplay form. In this match, they will play as favorites, with odds of around 5 for victory.
Azure Ray at the start of the previous season looked like a team playing solely for results, meaning qualification for the Major. We've seen similar stories with super teams, with some results in the first few months and then oblivion in the end.
I'm not sure if Azure Ray will follow the same script, but there are concerns about that. However, for now, we're just watching.
Azure Ray qualified for the Bali Major 2023 by playing in their domestic league. They played TOP-4, which isn't a worthy result for a team with such names.
At the Bali Major 2023, Azure Ray were on the verge of elimination from the tournament. The team Somnus managed to defeat Bleed in the tiebreakers for TOP-6 in Group B.
They didn't go far in the playoffs, but TOP-8 is already a good result. Especially considering the team's "freshness" as a unit.
Due to poor performance due to lack of practice, Azure Ray couldn't guarantee themselves a direct spot at The International 2023. They had to earn their slot through qualifiers, and Azure Ray did just that: in the finals of the qualifiers, they beat Xtreme Gaming 3-1.
At the main tournament of the year, the renowned Chinese team was placed in Group B, where they faced top teams like Liquid and BB. They managed to play for third place, after which they easily defeated Entity 2-0 in the tiebreaker matches for seeding in the playoffs.
- Azure Ray Roster: Lou, Ori, Faith_bian, fy, 天命.
Azure Ray started the playoffs with a victory over the main discovery of the tournament - the team Nouns. After defeating the Americans, Azure Ray faced, perhaps, their main rival at this tournament - compatriots from LGD Gaming. And they lost that match without a chance, with a score of 0-2. Then Azure Ray defeated BB Team, but lost to Gaimin Gladiators in the match for TOP-3.
As a result, at The International 2023, Azure Ray took TOP-4. At the start of the 2024 season, they reassembled the roster, significantly strengthening it.
Azure Ray's Most Popular Heroes
The most sought-after hero for Azure Ray remains Storm Spirit. The hero appeared 9 times and has a win rate of around 66%.
Next are Pugna (8 matches, 62% win rate), Pangolier (7 matches, 71% win rate), Batrider (7 matches, 71% win rate), Techies (7 matches, 57% win rate).
There's also Keeper of the Light (6 games, 66% win rate), Silencer (6 matches, 50% win rate), Medusa (6 matches, 50% win rate).
Head-to-Head History: Falcons - Azure Ray
The teams played each other twice during the season. Azure Ray won in Kuala Lumpur, while Falcons won at Dacha.
Predicted Outcome of the Match Azure Ray - Falcons at DreamLeague Season 22
In this match, I expect a fierce battle from the two strongest teams in the world of Dota 2. That's why in this match, I expect a draw.
Conclusion: Draw.
