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Dota 2: PSG.LGD defeat RNG in arguably the best match of the DPC thus far

(Photo: Valve Software)
PSG.LGD during The International 10. (Photo: Valve Software)

The 2021-2022 Dota Pro Circuit's (DPC) Chinese regional league has been giving Dota 2 fans some of the best games of the first tour.

The International 10 runners-up PSG.LGD and regional rivals Royal Never Give Up (RNG) duked it out in an 80-minute slugfest that had some of the craziest gameplay this patch.

This was one of the most anticipated matches in the Chinese DPC. Not only were both teams competing to secure a spot at the Major (hopefully it happens) but it also featured PSG.LGD's Wang "Ame" Chunyu playing against former teammates Lu "Somnus丶M" Yao, Yang "Chalice" Shenyi, and Yap "xNova" Jian Wei, making it a personal match for both teams.

While game one was a pretty standard victory for PSG.LGD, it was game two that brought all the action. RNG entered the series with a 3-1 standing in the league and had to tie the series up in order to take the win.

The match included a 35k gold comeback, the most damage a hero in the DPC has dealt in a single game thus far (214,000 total damage), and several other incredible moments. We've listed some of the best things about the game below:

Seven buybacks in one fight

At the 49-minute mark, PSG.LGD were in a rough spot, being 15,000 gold behind and down one set of barracks. With Roshan up, it looked like an easy Aegis for RNG that would almost certainly tie the series.

Knowing how big the stakes were, PSG.LGD decided to take an unexpected fight. Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang on Ember Spirit led the charge, allowing PSG.LGD to take two quick kills. However, RNG had no intention of backing down.

RNG ended up using three buybacks to keep the fight going but it still wasn’t enough. PSG.LGD won the skirmish around Roshan and kept their hopes alive in the game. It was an expensive victory for PSG.LGD though, as it cost them four buybacks on their heroes, including a dieback on NothingToSay.

XinQ's Tusk became Mike Tyson

At level 25, Tusk gains access to a talent that gives him a 12% chance to proc Walrus Punch with every attack, meaning he can gets to use his ultimate for free every eight or so hits.

However, that 12% chance is only for mere mortals. When PSG.LGD's Zhao "XinQ" Zixing took the talent it apparently became a near 100% chance to proc Walrus Punch every hit, as he was able to get four Walrus Punches in a row on Zhong "圣子华炼" Liushuai's Faceless Void and lock him down during a crucial Rosh fight.

XinQ was able to completely waste GodKing’s magic immunity timing and proceeded to secure the Aegis for his team. Just so you know, the chances of him getting that many Walrus Punches in a row was only 0.0002%, making it one of the most incredible moments of both the game and the DPC thus far.

Book of Shadows wins the game for PSG.LGD

Book of Shadows is one of the rarely-seen tier five neutral items in Dota 2. It provides +12 to all stats, 400 bonus night vision, and the “Shadows” ability. Shadows makes an ally or enemy unforgettable while also silencing, muting, and disarming them for four seconds.

In most games, Book of Shadows would be considered one of the weakest tier five items. However, when playing against Faceless Void, the ability to save allies inside the Chronosphere for four seconds is game-changing. And that’s exactly what PSG.LGD's Zhang "y`" Yiping was able to do.

Saving his ally Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida's Venomancer during the 70-minute mark and wasting GodKing’s Chronosphere allowed PSG.LGD to survive what looked like a dangerous fight for them.

Book of Shadows also came in clutch nine minutes later.

When NothingToSay bought back and traveled to his Remnants, but GodKing was ready with what could have been a game-turning Chronosphere. But again Book of Shadows saved the day and allowed NothingToSay to survive.

In the end, PSG.LGD won game two and took the series to secure a 5-0 record and lock up one of the Major spots (should it still happen). The TI10 runners-up only have two more matches to play against EHOME on 18 January and Invictus Gaming on 23 January.

Meanwhile, RNG's record now sits at 3-2, putting them in a tie for third place in the league with EHOME. They now have to win against either Vici Gaming or Aster in order to have a good finish on this DPC tour.

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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