Ex-HellRaisers win Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #1

The first tournament of Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes was a big success and the viewers got the spectacle they deserved. Plenty of excellent teams took part in it and fought for a prize pool of $50.000. The winners were ex-HellRaisers, who received $24.000 for their epic victory against Natus Vincere in the Grand Final.

The total number of participants was 40, which is not the standard at all. But thanks to the wide variety of teams that took part in the competition, we were able to witness some really beautiful matches. The displays of skill and creativity were truly captivating and served as an appetizer for the upcoming DreamLeague S19.

Ex-HellRaisers’ run

Ex-HellRaisers had to play against a lot of tough teams at Pinnacle Cup: Malta Vibes #1. Winning the trophy was a remarkable achievement on their part and a warning to the other tier-1 teams.

Let’s just consider the fact that this tournament featured teams like BetBoom Team, Alliance, Old G, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, Monaspa, D2 Hustlers, and Into The Breach. These were the most important. But there were many more who proved that they can play Dota 2 at the highest level.

Ex-HellRaisers’ run started in Round 3, with a victory against Alliance. The team led by Gustav “s4” Magnusson played well but the skill difference was still significant. On top of that, ex-HellRaisers also benefited from the strategic prowess of Alexey “Solo” Berezin, who is easily one of the most knowledgeable captains in Dota 2.

The match needed just two games to conclude. It wasn’t a stomp. In game 1, ex-HR had to make a big comeback after being 10.000 gold behind. But in the end, they still managed to win.

The next match was against Old G. The team led by Sebastien “Ceb” Debs tried to win with some very interesting hero compositions. But both times, ex-HR proved to be even more clever. Game 2 was particularly interesting from a tactical perspective. Old G picked Pudge while ex-HR picked Riki, Broodmother, Techies, Doom, and Mirana.

We rarely see such a combination of weird heroes. But somehow they won. The final score was 2-0.

In the semifinals, ex-HR dismantled Virtus.pro using Techies, Huskar, Broodmother, and Bloodseeker. Both games were quick and one-sided. VP’s management is probably thinking: “Why, oh, why, did we let Solo leave?”. Pretty soon, the roster might be signed either by VP or by Natus Vincere.

The Grand Final against Na’Vi was really fun to watch. The two teams played well and after four games, the score was tied. It took a long-duration game five to settle the dispute and ex-HellRaisers were the winners.

Header: Eden Esports, Pinnacle