Valve surprises with TI13 direct team invite announcement
Valve has surprised the Dota 2 community by announcing the teams directly invited to The International 2024 (TI13) and unveiling the schedule for the upcoming qualifiers. The directly invited teams include Team Spirit, Xtreme Gaming, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators, and BetBoom Team. A notable change is the exclusion of a separate MENA (Middle East and North Africa) qualifier – MENA teams, including Team Falcons, will compete as part of the Western European (WEU) qualifiers instead.
The regional qualifiers will take place in June 2024, with specific slots allocated for each region. China, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia each have two slots, while Eastern Europe has one, and Western Europe has two. This redistribution of slots has notably impacted the NA region, which lost its secondary spot and will send only one team to TI13, making it the least-represented region at the event. In total, the TI13 will feature 16 teams, the smallest lineup since 2016.
The International (TI) is the longest-standing and most popular event on the professional Dota 2 calendar. Organized by Valve, the tournament has been running steadily since 2011, this year, TI13 takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 9-15. Read more in the official Valve blog post.
Gen.G beats Fnatic to continue journey through VCT Masters Shanghai bracket
Gen.G Esports continued their winning streak at the VCT Masters Shanghai by defeating Fnatic in a thrilling comeback. Despite losing the first game on their pick of Lotus, Gen.G showed resilience by winning five consecutive rounds in the second half. However, Fnatic managed to secure the first game with a strong finish. The second game on Bind saw a tight first half ending 6-6, with standout performances from Kim “Karon” Won-tae and Na-ra “t3xture” Kim. Gen.G dominated the second half, tying the series and pushing the match to the final map, Breeze.
On Breeze, both teams exchanged leads, but Gen.G's offensive strategies proved superior in the final rounds. They overcame a 9-5 deficit and a critical 3K from Jake “Boaster” Howlett to secure an 11-10 lead. Despite a brief tie at 11-11, Gen.G clinched the last two rounds to complete their comeback. This victory advanced Gen.G to face 100 Thieves, while Fnatic moved to the lower bracket to face FUT Esports. Follow the bracket on Liquipedia here.
Multiverse leak reveals addition of new characters
Leaked audio files for the crossover fighting game MultiVersus suggest the addition of new characters, including Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Aquaman, and Ruby Rose from RWBY. These files, featuring voice lines from Ian Cardoni as Rick Sanchez, directly reference Marceline and hint at interactions through specific dialogues.
These leaks align with the game's history of incorporating a wide range of Warner Bros. characters. MultiVersus officially launched on May 28, following a successful early access period. The game's director has acknowledged these datamine leaks and plans to improve the security of game files to prevent future character reveals before their official announcements. Find out more on the official Multiversus site.
