Thunder Awaken got off to an unbeaten start on the first day of Group Stage action at ESL One Stockholm, the first major of the Dota Pro Circuit season in Sweden.
Thunder Awaken opened with a 2-0 win over Team Liquid, then benefited from a forfeit by Mind Games. Three members of the Russia-based team did not receive their travel visas in time to arrive in Sweden.
That decision was enough to give Thunder Awaken the early lead in Group B, with Gaimin Gladiators close behind with one win and one tie (1-1-0). OG leads Group A, also at 1-1-0.
Fourteen teams from around the world are competing in the season’s first major, beginning in two groups of seven in a round-robin Group Stage. All Group Stage matches of best-of-two. The top four teams in each group will qualify for the upper bracket of the playoffs and the fifth- and sixth-place teams will start in the lower bracket.
After the Group Stage concludes Sunday, the playoffs will begin Monday with best-of-three matches until the best-of-five Grand Final on May 22. The winning team will earn a $200,000 grand prize.
Thunder Awaken needed 51 minutes to win the first map against Team Liquid on green, then completed the sweep in 39 minutes on green.
Gaimin Gladiators opened their tournament with a 1-1 draw with TSM. TSM won the first map in 45 minutes on green before GG rallied for a 29-minute victory, also on green.
OG handily defeated beastcoast in 30 minutes on red and 52 minutes on green. In their next match, BOOM Esports picked up a 44-minute win on green before OG fought back for the draw with a 36-minute triumph on green.
ESL One Stockholm Group Stage standings (match record via W-T-L, map record):
Group A
1. OG, 1-1-0, 3-1
2. BetBoom Team, 0-2-0, 2-2
2. BOOM Esports, 0-2-0, 2-2
2. T1, 1-0-0, 2-0
2. Tundra Esports, 1-0-0, 2-0
6. beastcoast, 0-1-1, 1-3
7. Evil Geniuses, 0-0-2, 0-4
Group B
1. Thunder Awaken, 2-0-0, 4-0
2. Gaimin Gladiators, 1-1-0, 3-1
3. Fnatic, 1-0-1, 2-2
3. Team Spirit, 1-0-1, 2-2
5. TSM, 0-1-1, 1-3
6. Mind Games, 0-0-1, 0-2
6. Team Liquid, 0-0-1, 0-2
–Field Level Media
