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After being sent to the lower bracket by nouns before the playoffs started, the reigning champions Team Spirit fought to stay in The International 2024 (TI13) today before being eliminated in the final series of the day.
Their opponents, G2xiG, had struggled throughout the year, and their shaky performance against Tundra Esports in the group stage reflected their inconsistency.
The two Dota 2 teams had met twice before in 2024, with each securing a win, but with tournament lives on the line at TI13, the stakes were much higher.
Despite expectations of a close series, Game 1 was a dominant showing from Team Spirit, led by Denis “Larl” Sigitov’s unkillable Invoker.
His early rotations gave Spirit complete map control, leaving G2xiG scrambling.
Unable to recover, G2xiG managed just five kills over 35 minutes, as Spirit cruised to victory, bringing them one step closer to the main event.
Game 2 followed a similar pattern.
Spirit’s rotations and aggressive play left G2xiG behind early, and despite attempts to fight back, the Chinese team couldn’t find their footing.
After just over 30 minutes, they conceded, ending their TI 2024 run with a disappointing exit.
Team Spirit, on the other hand, advanced to face Xtreme Gaming in the next round of the lower bracket.
G2 x iG fell to Team Spirit in the second series of the day and have been eliminated from the competition. The day isn't over for Spirit, as they are set to face Xtreme Gaming in the final series of the day. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/5VVHjuAMqm
— The International (@dota2ti) September 10, 2024
Meanwhile, in the first round of the playoff lower bracket, Heroic and beastcoast clashed in an all-South American showdown.
Heroic, whose roster featured several former beastcoast players, emerged victorious after a hard-fought best-of-three, knocking out their regional rivals.
The rivalry had been intense all year, but Heroic had consistently outperformed beastcoast, winning all six of their prior encounters before TI 2024.
Both teams had disappointing starts at TI, with Heroic finishing fourth in Group A and beastcoast going winless in Group D.
Despite finally securing a win in Game 1, beastcoast couldn’t hold off Heroic, who secured a 2-1 victory.
Beastcoast exited TI in 13th-16th place, taking home over $37,000, while Heroic guaranteed a top-12 finish.
It was a spectacular series between two South American teams, but it's time for beastcoast to exit the tournament after their 1-2 loss to HEROIC. k1.hector and his team will play later today against Aurora. #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/qqPntVE7YW
— The International (@dota2ti) September 10, 2024
Heroic then faced Aurora in the next lower bracket round.
Aurora, fresh off an upset victory in the seeding decider against Team Zero, had been quickly dropped to the lower bracket by Cloud9.
In Game 1, Heroic dismantled Aurora with a strong performance from Héctor “K1” Rodríguez’s Bristleback, taking a quick 30-minute win.
Aurora fought back in Game 2, with a clutch play by Worawit “Q” Mekchai at Roshan and Artem “lorenof” Melnick’s dominant Timbersaw leading them to victory.
In the deciding Game 3, Aurora’s Tusk helped them secure a late-game win after a back-and-forth match, sending Heroic home in 9-12th place.
Aurora won an incredible 2-1 series against HEROIC and will advance to The International after a standout performance by Q on Tusk! #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/wT2jQDvJz6
— The International (@dota2ti) September 10, 2024
Team Spirit, on the other hand, saw their TI 2024 journey end in the lower bracket after a loss to Xtreme Gaming.
Despite winning the first game, XG’s tempo drafts and strong laning took control of the series, securing their victory and eliminating Spirit in 9-12th place.
The defeat marked another challenging TI for Spirit, who struggled after their 2021 championship win, only to reclaim the Aegis in 2023.
Xtreme Gaming defeated Team Spirit 2-1 after an incredible Game 3, securing their spot at The International 2024, while the TI 12 champions are eliminated! #Dota2 #TI13 pic.twitter.com/BHnu4cTFkf
— The International (@dota2ti) September 10, 2024
