The drought between the end of the Leipzig Major and the upcoming Minor in March will come to a premature end with WePlay!'s Tug of War: Mad Moon event.
A month without DPC events
After the conclusion of the Leipzig Major where Team Secret took the champion's title, we were expecting a period without much competitive Dota 2. February was turning out to be a month for teams and players to take a break and prepare for the upcoming StarLadder Season 3 Minor in Kiev and the ESL One Los Angeles Major, both of which are in March. That's where WePlay! come in to shake things up.
The Ukrainian esports organizer is a vital part of the Dota 2 community in the CIS region, organizing numerous tournaments throughout the years. It's no secret that their events usually skyrocket in viewership and for a good reason. Most recently, WePlay! were behind the Bukovel Minor which was easily one of the most interesting Minors we've had. This was also the org's first step in the Dota Pro Circuit. Previously, they've always made their own series of events.
The Tug of War series by WePlay!
Mad Moon will be the final event that will conclude the Tug of War series. It all started with Tug of War: Radiant which was held back in February/March 2019. Tug of War: Dire for America and Asia followed a few months later. Reshuffle Madness proved to be the final piece of the puzzle, taking place in September 2019. While initially the WePlay! tournaments felt like a Tier 2 scene, that was no longer the case. Top teams from around each region took part in the series. Radiant, Dire America, Dire Asia and Reshuffle Madness were all online and Mad Moon will be the exception to the rule as the final event will be in Kiev's Concert Hall VDNG.
The Teams
A total of eight teams will participate in Tug of War: Mad Moon, competing for a prize of $300,000. Four of the teams come directly from the four previous events while the other four join by receiving a direct invitation.
.@teamnigma is the next WePlay! Dota 2 Tug of War: Mad Moon participant!Read more: https://t.co/rBWikbgcg1#WePlayDota2 #WePlayMadMoon #MadMoon pic.twitter.com/tjDKwUXCkt
— WePlay Esports (@WePlay_Esports) February 2, 2020
So far, the list is as follows:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas - Tug of War: Radiant winner
- Infamous - Tug of War: Dire America
- Royal Never Give Up - Tug of War: Dire Asia
- Natus Vincere - Reshuffle Madness
- Team Secret - direct invite
- Gambit Esports - direct invite
- Nigma - direct invite
The last team is still unknown, but judging from what we have so far, one region is not represented and that's North America. Chances are we'll see the invite go to Evil Geniuses as they placed second in the recent Leipzig Major.
The format
When it comes to the format of the event, WePlay! don't try to innovate much, but why fix what's not broken? We'll see a familiar GSL group stage with the bottom team from each getting eliminated while the rest get placed in the upper and lower brackets accordingly. The playoffs will be played in a double elimination and every series will be a Bo3, with the grand finals being the exception with a Bo5.
In addition to the $300,000 prize pool, the best support and core players of the event will earn an extra $10,000 each. The vote will most likely come from the community as interaction with fans has always been important. Tickets for the event are already live and the best part is you can get one for free!
#MadMoon tickets are already available! All you need is to download it and come with a great mood! https://t.co/JuGSlXYnwi pic.twitter.com/AqOg94VEKZ
— WePlay Esports (@WePlay_Esports) February 4, 2020
Tug of War: Mad Moon is forming out to be quite the event, so make sure you don't miss it.
