TI6: Pre-Manila Invitation Predictions
Who Will Bypass Qualifiers for a Shot at TI6?
The Manila Major is just kicking off, but we’re already hyped for The International 2016! There’s no doubt that the results of the current tournament will have a “Major” effect on invitations to TI6, but based on top teams’ recent performances, we have a pretty good idea of who the top invite contenders are. This is who we’re currently expecting to get a straight shot at the TI Championship.
Wings Gaming
Wings won ESL Manila in April, and recently bested Newbee to take first place in The Summit 5 Chinese Qualifiers. An exciting team with frequently creative play styles, Wings would have to perform astonishingly poorly at the Manila Major to not receive an invite to The International.
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Newbee
Newbee is in a similar boat to Wings, after spending most of 2016 to date as the top team in China. Other than a recent loss to Wings, Newbee has looked fairly flawless, at one point setting a record with 29 straight wins from late April through early May. They’ve been snubbed on the invitation front so far this year, but Valve won’t be able to ignore them for TI unless they want to sit through another embarrassingly dominant Qualifier performance.
Team Liquid
As winners of Epicenter and runners up in Shanghai, Liquid are a shoe-in for TI6. Their roster is driven by a mix of veteran pros like Fata- and KuroKy and innovators newer to professional success like JerAx and Matumbaman.
OG
OG recently became repeat Dreamleague champions, to add onto a third place finish at Epicenter and fourth place at the StarLadder i-League Invitational. MMR master Miracle- and his friends are a very good bet for an invite unless they fall apart at Manila.
Team Secret
Team Secret has looked rough since switching their roster around immediately after winning the Shanghai Major. Every year, diehard competitive purists complain about “popularity contest” invites, and for better or for worse, Secret is the most likely candidate in this category. It’s hard to imagine TI without Arteezy, Puppey, Universe, Eternal Envy, or PieLieDie, and it will be a big surprise if Valve decides that they can justify snubbing these stars, regardless of results.
EG
A victim of Arteezy and Universe’s betrayal, EG has not looked like the tip-top team they once were. Nevertheless, they remain very strong, and certainly top the charts in the NA region, which all but permanently guarantees them free entry to TI.
DC
The other big benefactors of the lackluster North American competition, DC has a chance to prove their mettle after winning the NA Qualifiers for the Manila Major. Their biggest hurdle will be out-performing Complexity, which they should be capable of doing.
MVP Phoenix
MVP Phoenix has gradually cemented themselves as a top tier contender over the last year, beginning with a strong performance at The International 2015. Nobody from the SEA Region is going to hold a candle to these guys, and we’ll be seeing them for sure in Seattle.