'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Tournament thus far
The tournament followed the modified Swiss System where basically every team faces each other once in a Best of 1 and the teams with the same win-loss record keeps facing each other. If a team wins 3 games, they go through to the play-offs and if they lose 3, they get eliminated.
Teams which got a 3-0 record:
Evil Geniuses and VGJ.Thunder qualified for the play offs with a perfect 3-0 record.
EG defeated newcomers paiN Gaming and both of The International 2017's finalists Team Liquid and Newbee. VGJ.Thunder beat Vici Gaming, Team Secret and TNC Gaming to maintain their perfect record.
Teams which qualified 3-1:
Newbee fell short of Evil Geniuses but defeated Vega Squadron, OG and compLexity to qualify 3-1. Virtus.Pro the fan favorite Russian team suffered a defeat at the hands of OpTic Gaming but overcame LGD.Forever Young, TNC Gaming and Na'Vi to go through to the play-offs. Team Secret defeated compLexity, paiN and OpTic Gaming but lost to Vega Squadron.
Teams which qualified 3-2:
Team Liquid, the defending TI champions had a rough start as they lost to EG and compLexity. But victories against LFY, Vici and OG put them through to the play-offs. OpTic Gaming had a rollercoaster preliminary as they alternated wins and losses. Claiming victories over Virtus.Pro, OG and compLexity but losing to TNC and Team Secret. TNC Gaming was the final team to qualify after beating OpTic, Mineski and Na'Vi. However, they had lost to VGJ.Thunder and Virtus.Pro.
Teams that were eliminated:
Out of the 16 participating teams, 8 went crashing out of the preliminaries. Half of the invitees were eliminated in the prelims.
LGD.Forever Young, who managed to reach the upper bracket finals of TI7 last year went out with a 0-3 record as did underdogs Vega Squadron. Mineski who have been in a rough patch went out 1-3 managing only one victory over Vega.
First time major participants paiN Gaming had low expectations and were eliminated with a 1-3 record as well.
The biggest upset however came when Vici Gaming who had been in incredible form, finishing 2nd in ESL Katowice 2018, were eliminated after a 1-3 record. comPlexity who were also considered underdogs crashed out with a 2-3 record.
The reinvented Na'Vi under the leadership of Danil "Dendi" Ishutin got eliminated 2-3. Record 4 time major winners OG continued with their slump in form as they were kicked out of Bucharest by Liquid stretching their record to 2-3.
