Aurora Qualify For TI13

The SEA Qualifier for The International 2024 was so challenging that the number one favorite, Aurora, nearly failed to secure a top-two result.

The team led by Jabz and carried mostly by 23 faced tough opponents in the upper bracket semifinals and then again in the upper bracket Final, which they ended up losing.

In the lower bracket Final, TNC Predator gave them a run for their money but they were well prepared. Here’s how they managed to qualify for TI13 despite these challenges.

Aurora’s Path To TI13

We could write a lengthy post about how amazing our players are: 23savage, lorenof, Jabz, Q, Oli, and our incredible coach SunBhie. But you already know all that, so without further ado, AURORA HAS QUALIFIED FOR #TI13!

Thank you all for your support, we love you❤️ pic.twitter.com/1C6h5zSAkM

— Aurora Dota2 (@AuroraDota2_GG) June 23, 2024

Aurora’s first match of the qualifier was played against Manta Esports. The strength difference between the two teams is enormous, so it’s not surprising at all that 23 and his crew won the whole match in just 50 minutes.

Their main heroes were Storm Spirit and Gyrocopter. They picked both of them twice and seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do.

In the second match, against Bleed Esports, Aurora made some mistakes in game 1 and lost despite maintaining perfect equilibrium for 25 minutes. One poorly executed team fight was enough to ruin their chances. Just five minutes later, they were losing another big fight. At that point, the game was practically over.

Bleed Esports utilized tanky cores with high damage. That damage was further amplified by Magnus. Meanwhile, Aurora tried to win with a Leshrac plus Enigma combo, which can easily go wrong. And it did.

In games 2 and 3, the situation improved for Aurora and their drafts changed completely. They started picking high physical damage heroes again and found easy ways to create an advantage for themselves. The score was 2 – 1.

In the upper bracket Final, Aurora encountered Talon Esports, the roster’s former club, and lost despite being much stronger on paper.

Talon surprised them with a Weaver pick but also with their overall play style. The games were long, lasting more than 40 minutes, but in the end Aurora lost both of them. Their reliance on Templar Assassin in game 1 and Morphling in game 2 proved to be a huge mistake.

In the lower bracket Final, TNC Predator picked Tinker in game 1 and nearly won with him. It took Aurora almost 68 minutes to find a path to victory. Game 2, on the other hand, was very easy and ended in just 34. Both teams deviated to some extent from the meta.

Aurora’s victory means that the SEA region will be properly represented at TI13. But there, the competitive level will be so high that it’s unlikely that SEA teams will finish in the top eight.

Header: Aurora