2021 DPC Season 1 Week 4 recap: Team Secret look Major-bound
The fourth week of competition in the first season of this year's Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) has concluded, with a number of teams in the different regional leagues having already gained enough separation to guarantee themselves a spot in the upcoming ONE Esports Singapore Major.
These Major-bound teams include Team Secret in Europe, Neon Esports in Southeast Asia, Virtus.pro and Natus Vincere in the CIS, as well as Beastcoast in South America, among others.
The Chinese regional league is also currently on a hiatus in celebration of the Lunar New Year in the country, with competition there resuming next week on 23 February.
If you’re still not that familiar with everything that is new in this year’s DPC, you can find out everything you need to know here.
You can also check out our recaps from the past weeks of DPC competition, here’s week one, week two, and week three.
Play of the Week
TNC Predator teamwipe BOOM Esports thanks to the Morphling-Earthshaker combo
In their 2-0 win over BOOM Esports in Week 4, TNC Predator battled back from a 34,000 gold deficit to pull off a comeback win thanks to the Morphling-Earthshaker combo in the hands of dynamic duo Kim "Gabbi" Villafuerte and Timothy "Tims" Randrup.
The play above is the climax of that comeback, as TNC's Morphling-Earthshaker duo defended their base by unleashing a barrage of Fissures on BOOM Esports before turning the tables on their initiation to secure the teamwipe and win the game soon after.
While the Morphling-Earthshaker combo rightly deserves much of the praise in this spectacular play, let's not forget TNC's other heroes. Damien "kpii" Chok's Mars and Kim “Febby” Yong-min’s Disruptor, in particular, used their abilities well to keep BOOM Esports locked down to give Gabbi's Morphling the opening he needed to mop up the rest of their opponents and secure the teamwipe. For a closer look at went down in this game, check out our breakdown for it here.
Game of the Week
OG vs Vikin.gg Game 3
Vikin.gg scored a huge upset over OG in the last day of matches for Week 4 of the upper division of the DPC's European regional league. In the all-important third game of that series, a great all-around team effort by Vikin.gg allowed them to overcome an excellent showing from OG midlaner Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen's Ember Spirit.
While the game itself made for some excellent viewing, its result also made the standings even more chaotic.
Honorable mention(s): TNC Predator vs BOOM Esports Game 1, A-Team vs Black N Yellow Game 1
Recap
Europe
Week 4 match results
OG 2-1 Team Nigma
Alliance 2-0 Tundra Esports
High Coast Esports 2-0 Vikin.gg
Vikin.gg 2-1 OG
Team Secret 2-1 Alliance
With another strong showing in Week 4, Team Secret are all but guaranteed a spot in the Singapore Major playoffs. Alliance and OG are vying for second place and a spot in the group stage, though the former has the edge after winning their match last week.
With Tundra Esports, Team Liquid, Team Nigma, and Team Liquid all tied at 2-3, it will be a tight race to see which team can make it to the Major wildcard stage, which ones will still remain in the upper division next season, and which unlucky squad will join High Coast Esports in being relegated to the lower division.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Team Secret | 5-0 | 10-2 |
(2.) Alliance | 3-2 | 8-5 |
(3.) OG | 3-2 | 7-7 |
(4.) Tundra Esports | 2-3 | 7-6 |
(5.) Team Liquid | 2-3 | 5-6 |
(6.) Team Nigma | 2-3 | 6-8 |
(7.) Vikin.gg | 2-3 | 4-8 |
(8.) High Coast Esports | 1-4 | 3-8 |
China
The DPC's Chinese regional league is currently on hiatus due to the Lunar New Year. Competition in China will resume on 23 February and will end later than the other leagues on 12 March as a result of the mid-season pause.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Team Aster | 3-0 | 6-1 |
(2.) Invictus Gaming | 3-0 | 6-2 |
(3.) Vici Gaming | 3-1 | 6-2 |
(4.) PSG.LGD | 2-2 | 6-4 |
(5.) Elephant | 2-2 | 5-5 |
(6.) EHOME | 1-3 | 3-6 |
(7.) Team MagMa | 1-3 | 2-6 |
(8.) LBZS | 0-4 | 0-8 |
Southeast Asia
Week 4 match results
Fnatic 2-0 Vice Esports
TNC Predator 2-0 BOOM Esports
Neon Esports 2-0 Vice Esports
T1 2-0 Execration
Fnatic 2-0 496 Gaming
With Neon Esports continuing their perfect run in Week 4, they guarantee themselves a spot in the Major and a good shot of being directly seeded to the playoffs. Their high-stakes match against second-placed Fnatic in Week 5 will all but guarantee who will head straight into the Major playoffs.
Meanwhile, TNC Predator, T1, and BOOM Esports are locked in a race for the last spot in the Major through the wildcard stage. Unfortunately for 496 Gaming, Execration, and Vice Esports, they will now be locked in a desperate struggle to avoid relegation.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Neon Esports | 5-0 | 10-3 |
(2.) Fnatic | 4-1 | 9-2 |
(3.) TNC Predator | 3-2 | 7-5 |
(4.) T1 | 3-2 | 7-6 |
(5.) BOOM Esports | 2-3 | 5-8 |
(6.) 496 Gaming | 1-4 | 5-8 |
(7.) Execration | 1-4 | 4-8 |
(8.) Vice Esports | 1-4 | 2-9 |
CIS
Week 4 match results
Team Unique 2-0 No Techies
EXTREMUM 2-1 No Techies
Team Unique 2-1 Team Empire
Natus Vincere 2-1 AS Monaco Gambit
Virtus.pro 2-1 Team Spirit
Virtus.pro and Natus Vincere remain atop the standings of the CIS regional league's upper division and are guaranteed spots in the Major.
The two will finally face off in the last match of the season in Week 6 to determine who gets seeded to the playoffs and who will have to start from the group stage.
There is a four-way tie for the wildcard spot between Team Spirit, AS Monaco Gambit (formerly Live to Win), Team Unique, and EXTREMUM. Meanwhile, Team Empire and No Techies are unfortunately looking lower division-bound for next season.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Virtus.pro | 5-0 | 10-1 |
(2.) Natus Vincere | 5-0 | 10-2 |
(3.) Team Spirit | 2-3 | 7-7 |
(4.) AS Monaco Gambit | 2-3 | 6-7 |
(5.) Team Unique | 2-3 | 5-7 |
(6.) EXTREMUM | 2-3 | 5-8 |
(7.) Team Empire | 1-4 | 4-9 |
(8.) No Techies | 1-4 | 3-9 |
North America
Week 4 match results
4Zoomers 2-0 5ManMidas
A-Team 2-0 Black N Yellow
Undying 2-0 SADBOYS
Evil Geniuses 2-0 A-Team
Quincy Crew 2-1 Black N Yellow
Evil Geniuses and Quincy Crew stay perfect in the North American regional league through Week 4, with a hype matchup between the two on Week 5 determining who will end up reigning supreme.
Those two squads are looking like they have the two Major spots for North America locked up, though there may still be a chance for Undying or 4Zoomers to somehow sneak in.
Meanwhile, 5ManMidas is more than likely headed for the lower division, with A-Team and Black N Yellow struggling to avoid joining them there next season.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Evil Geniuses | 5-0 | 10-2 |
(2.) Quincy Crew | 4-0 | 8-1 |
(3.) Undying | 4-1 | 8-2 |
(4.) 4Zoomers | 3-2 | 7-4 |
(5.) SADBOYS | 2-2 | 5-4 |
(6.) A-Team | 1-5 | 2-10 |
(7.) Black N Yellow | 1-5 | 3-11 |
(8.) 5ManMidas | 0-5 | 1-10 |
South America
Week 4 match results
Thunder Predator 2-1 NoPing Esports
Beastcoast 2-0 Infamous
Team Unknown 2-0 Latam Defenders
EgoBoys 2-0 SG Esports
NoPing Esports 2-1 Infamous
Beastcoast are the only team remaining in the DPC with a perfect game record through Week 4 and are all but guaranteed a spot in the Major playoffs.
Team Unknown, SG Esports, and Thunder Predator are fighting for the second and last spot for the region, with NoPing Esports and EgoBoys still looking like long shots.
Unfortunately, Infamous and Latam Defenders are both likely being relegated to the lower division next season.
Standings
(Placement) Team | Match score | Game score |
(1.) Beastcoast | 5-0 | 10-0 |
(2.) Team Unknown | 3-2 | 7-4 |
(3.) SG Esports | 3-2 | 6-5 |
(4.) Thunder Predator | 3-2 | 6-6 |
(5.) NoPing Esports | 2-3 | 7-8 |
(6.) EgoBoys | 2-3 | 5-7 |
(7.) Infamous | 1-4 | 3-8 |
(8.) Latam Defenders | 1-4 | 3-9 |
For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page.
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