TI12 phase 2 results: upsets galore

The group stage of The International 12 is finally completed and the new format has led to numerous upsets, just as we expected.

Teams who performed really well in phase 1 and even won their groups ended up going to the lower bracket because of a single defeat against an underdog in phase 2. Most probably, this is the first and last time when Valve uses this TI format.

When you have just four matches per team, it’s easier to get eliminated even if you don’t deserve to be eliminated. And when your upper bracket spot is determined by a single match regardless of what happened before, it’s easier to fail to secure it because you had a bad day.

That’s what happened to Gaimin Gladiators, Tundra Esports, and others. No doubt, this will make the lower bracket a lot more fun to watch. But the overall quality of the tournament will inevitably go down. People want to see the best DPC teams fighting against each other for the top positions, not eliminating each other in the first round of the lower bracket.

It is a year of firsts…
First team to win TI, starting from Lowers? Hope so
First team to choke at TI? Nope🫠 pic.twitter.com/aIn286nig4

— GG | Gaimin Gladiators ⚔️ (@GaiminGladiator) October 15, 2023

Phase 2 results

In phase 2 of TI12, there were eight matches that determined who will start the playoffs in the upper bracket and who will start in the lower bracket. These matches were spectacular and in some cases, even painful to watch for those who hoped to see their favorite team winning.

Team Spirit vs. Shopify Rebellion: 2 – 0

This was a rematch of the DreamLeague S21 Grand Final, in which Spirit dismantled Shopify. The same thing happened here.

TSM vs. Virtus.pro: 0 – 2

VP winning this match was unexpected. It seems that EEU Dota is really strong these days.

Team Liquid vs. Evil Geniuses: 2 – 0

Liquid are finally back to their usual form, which means they could easily win the tournament.

Gaimin Gladiators vs. Talon Esports: 1 – 2

This result was a huge surprise because Talon had played poorly in phase 1 and lost the first game.

LGD Gaming vs. Keyd Stars: 2 – 0

With this performance, LGD proved they are one of the biggest favorites in the race.

BetBoom Team vs. 9Pandas: 1 – 2

Either team could have won. It seems that BetBoom will have a bad TI again.

Tundra Esports vs. nouns: 0 – 2

This was another huge upset. Topson will need to play really well to get a top six result in the end.

Entity vs. Azure Ray: 0 – 2

Azure Ray struggled a bit against Entity but the overall result clearly proves they’re a top team in this race.

Header: Valve