OG makes millions: a 2017 mid-year report by Sheen Sah
Mid-year reports give fans an opportunity to quickly recap what a team has accomplished between January and June 2017. This is the time to give credit where it’s due; teams have put in six months of hard work already. This year we learned (for the third year in a row) that OG makes millions winning major tournaments.
OG makes millions: Starting off strong
Few orgs in Dota 2 know how to seize the moment like OG. Since breaking their glass ceiling against Team Secret at the Frankfurt Major in 2015, they haven’t looked back. I could point to a couple shortcomings here and there, but no team keeps five players in great form. Resilience is the greatest descriptor for OG; after a surprising failure at The International 2016, OG bounced back immediately by winning the Boston Major to close the year. Though, this win doesn’t count for my report card.
As a team that’s been around the block in terms of stage experience and big tournament moments, OG was certainly favored against Ad Finem in the Boston Major finals. There must have been something to prove after TI6. If I’m OG, I feel shortchanged winning $1,000,000 when $9,100,000 was for the taking just four months prior.
Since January 2017 OG hasn’t participated in any qualifying tournaments. They sit back and watch the competition until the time is right. This strategy has its pros and cons, and we’ve seen a couple variations of OG (form wise) thus far. Nonetheless, one thing has already been proven: OG makes millions, still.
What have you done for me lately, OG?
OG is a perennial invitee to major/premier tournaments these days; they always have a shot at winning the big bucks, and the name OG generally draws attention from Dota 2 esports fans. Teams are looking for their big break, and matching up with OG provides that chance.
At the end of March 2017, OG went to the Dota 2 Asia Championships and placed second. Invictus Gaming made a statement in their homeland, sweeping OG by a 3-0 scoreline. Still, OG secured $90,000 in defeat.
The embarrassing loss prompted OG to play their resilience card once more. Invictus Gaming proved dominance over OG when they met in the Kiev Major group stage, but unfortunately Virtus.pro kept iG from getting a finals rematch with Boston Major winner. VP played a close series against OG in Kiev, but ultimately lost 3-2 after taking a 2-1 lead. Talk about playing from behind.
May and June of 2017 have been less favorable for OG. The Manila Masters (May 2017) and EPICENTER 2017 (June) are certainly points of criticism following all of their success. Team Faceless got the best of OG in Manila by sending the favorites home with a reverse sweep. EPICENTER was the shortest tournament run we’ve seen from OG in some time, as they failed to make the playoff stage.
OG’s first semester grade: A-
OG tends to excel more in neutral grounds of late. Do you think OG has problems walking into other teams’ territories and playing their best? Let me know on Twitter what you think. Remember, that resilience card is never too far from the top of their proverbial deck. Thanks a lot for reading, and looking for the next Dota 2 mid-season report.